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

2010-10-29T05:37:00.001-07:00

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

Bellator 34 results and recap for 'Lombard vs Shlemenko' on Oct. 28 in Hollywood
22-1. The streak is over as Zoila Frausto upsets Megumi Fujii via split decision at Bellator 34 on...
WEC-ya: Reed Harris 'really happy' about UFC merger
Binge and Merge: Is Urijah Faber one step closer to his dream of becoming a UFC champion? (Video)
Gabriel Gonzaga released by the UFC
It's a package deal! WEC cage girl Brittney Palmer will also be absorbed in the UFC/WEC merger...
Ben Henderson has a 'Smooth' message for the 'other' UFC lightweights ...
Strikeforce: Are you 'Down with Diaz?' (Video)
Vitor Belfort: 'Wanderlei Silva has a big mouth'
Strikeforce: Mike Kyle vs Roger Gracie postponed until January 2011
UFC Quick Quote: Chris Lytle wants Carlos Condit
UFCs big announcement: WEC to merge into UFC by January of 2011
Dana White announcement reveals WEC will merge completely into UFC (Video)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid embraces UFC endorsement from Dana White; top MMA fighters
Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Henderson vs Babalu' on Dec. 4 in St. Louis
Shane Carwin's surgery to repair his injured back has been set for Nov. 2, 2010. A return date has...
Jason 'Mayhem' Miller talks new season of Bully Beatdown, Nick Diaz, Brock Lesnar and more (Video)
Jon Fitch: Moving up to middleweight would be 'like a two-year process'

Bellator 34 results and recap for 'Lombard vs Shlemenko' on Oct. 28 in Hollywood

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 07:51 PM PDT

Bellator Fighting Championships held event number 34 tonight (Oct. 28) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

With the explosive hands of Hector Lombard and the sweeping submissions of Megumi Fujii, it was expected the night would be a veritable highlight reel.

Instead, the judges were called on to decide all three televised fights.

In the main event, Lombard was defending his 185-pound championship against season three middleweight tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko. "Shango" was a ball of fire from the opening bell but slowed down considerably once "Storm" proved to be a tough out. His takedowns controlled the fight throughout and angered the crowd considerably.

Shlemenko tried to make it exciting, throwing plenty of spinning back fists and kicks. Had he landed one, what ended up being a rather pedestrian affair could have been a classic.

Alas, it was not to be.

Lombard extends his winning streak to 21 and called out Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in the post fight interview. He may want to be careful what he wishes for.

The other championship fight of the evening was highly anticipated and featured what many are calling a monumental upset.

Season three women's junior flyweight tournament winner Zoila Frausto battled her way to a split decision victory over undefeated wrecking machine Megumi Fujii. The victory earned the "Warrior Princess" the first ever Bellator Women's 115-pound title.

Fujii commented before the fight that she was scared of Frausto's physical strength. It was painfully clear from the beginning the size disparity would play a rather large part in the bout. "Mega Megu" was reluctant to use her considerable grappling skills and paid a mighty price for it.

Frausto felt she was the underdog and couldn't help but get emotional when asked about her victory. Tears fell freely although they were exclusive to her right eye, as her left eye was swollen shut.

"I earned this," she said of her split decision win.

In the opener, Mike Bernhard was able to counter punch his way past Dragan Tesanovic to a unanimous decision. He said he didn't like being the guy to welcome the Russian to the U.S.A. and he would show him Americans do it better.

For the purposes of this fight, he was right.

It may not have been a night of barn burning action as many were anticipating, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Here are the Bellator 34 complete results:

Main Card:

Hector Lombard def. Alexander Shlemenko via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Zoila Frausto def. Megumi Fujii via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
Mike Bernhard def. Dragan Tesanovic via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card:

Frank Carrillo def. Moyses Gabin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dan Cramer def. Igor Almeida via TKO (doctor stoppage) - Round 1, 2:36
Raphael Davis def. Tony Lopez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
J.P. Reese def. Bomnay Somchay via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 3:32

22-1. The streak is over as Zoila Frausto upsets Megumi Fujii via split decision at Bellator 34 on...

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 06:33 PM PDT

22-1.

The streak is over as Zoila Frausto upsets Megumi Fujii via split decision at Bellator 34 on Oct. 28 in Hollywood.

WEC-ya: Reed Harris 'really happy' about UFC merger

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 04:56 PM PDT

Props: MMA Weekly

Quoteworthy:

"It’s kind of like when you’re kid goes off to college, at first you’re not happy, but after you think about it for a while, you’re really happy. At the end of the day, I never imagined this thing would be where we’re at today. I’m extremely proud and happy that I was involved with something that will now be part of what may be, some day, the largest sports organization in the world. .... My goal wasn’t even to make money at this thing. I was a martial artist and I wanted to bring that honor that martial arts has into the sport. To be honest, today, I’m really proud of what we did, man. And Dana’s proud of what we did. We were so successful that the UFC had no other option than to bring these guys in and put them in their show. The UFC is obviously by miles the largest MMA organization in the world. The WEC built these divisions to a point where they are now going to be featured on the largest stage in MMA. Dana and Lorenzo and Frank are obviously extremely happy about what we were doing. This was a huge success."

Current, but soon to be former, WEC General Manager and founder Reed Harris speaks lovingly about his promotion hitting the big time. Harris started the organization back in June of 2001 and with the recent announcement of a merger with it's parent company, the UFC, will also close it's doors after it's final event, WEC 53: "Henderson vs Pettis." Harris initially sold the WEC to Zuffa in 2006 but remained the face of the organization and is largely responsible for it's tremendous growth over the years. Although the WEC has folded into the UFC, he will still get the chance to see his fighters continue their careers as he will be given an undisclosed position with the UFC once the merger is complete.

Binge and Merge: Is Urijah Faber one step closer to his dream of becoming a UFC champion? (Video)

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 01:27 PM PDT

Gabriel Gonzaga released by the UFC

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 12:47 PM PDT

Former number one heavyweight contender, Gabriel Gonzaga, has been released from his UFC contract after being defeated for the third time in his last four bouts, a unanimous decision loss to Brendan Schaub at UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" on Oct. 23 in Anaheim, California.

"Napao" passed along the unfortunate news via his official twitter page .

Gonzaga made his Octagon debut at UFC 56 back in November 2005 when he knocked out Kevin Jordan. The Brazilian went on to win two more fights before viciously knocking out Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic with a head kick, one that earned him a shot at then UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 74.

The title match-up didn't go Gonzaga's way

The BJJ black belt was not able to answer Couture's onslaught of attacks and the fight was finished in the third round. It was the first and only title shot "Napao" would receive.

Gonzaga would return to action at UFC 80, only to be stopped again, this time getting finished by Fabricio Werdum when he couldn't answer "Vai Cavalo's" punches.

Wins over Justin McCully and Josh Hendricks were much needed for Gonzaga, but he would once again find himself on the losing end when Shane Carwin knocked him senseless with one punch at UFC 96.

Many wondered if "Napao" would go back to his BJJ roots after three disappointing losses, but fans soon found out that Gonzaga was still devoted to his stand-up. With a KO loss to Junior dos Santos and a unanimous decision loss to "The Hybrid," Gonzaga finds himself looking for work.

One has to think Gonzaga won't be out of a job for long. The question is, who will pick him up? Strikeforce? Bellator? Does he even want to compete?

What do you think about the UFC's latest roster cut?

It's a package deal! WEC cage girl Brittney Palmer will also be absorbed in the UFC/WEC merger...

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 12:38 PM PDT

It's a package deal!

WEC cage girl Brittney Palmer will also be absorbed in the UFC/WEC merger reports Fighters Only (via Bloody Elbow).

Ben Henderson has a 'Smooth' message for the 'other' UFC lightweights ...

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 12:01 PM PDT

He ... is ... coming ... according to his latest Facebook update:

Just heard about the merger, I was out running and when I got home had a hundred missed calls and a thousand texts...I'm excited that's really cool but I have a dance on Dec.16th to get ready for first, that's the only thing I care about right now...BUT all of you other '55ers out there consider this your official notice, I'M COMING, it was always a matter of when but now we know and it's a lock, train hard...

Where do you rank the WEC Lightweight Champion in the UFC's 155-pound division now that the promotions are merging? Does he make your top five? Top ten? "Smooth" will face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard to unify the WEC and UFC lightweight titles -- if he can get past Anthony Pettis at WEC 53 on Dec. 16.

Strikeforce: Are you 'Down with Diaz?' (Video)

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 12:01 PM PDT

Nick works the nunchucks at the 0:22 mark.

Vitor Belfort: 'Wanderlei Silva has a big mouth'

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 11:28 AM PDT

Props: Tatame.com

Quoteworthy:

Anderson is very versatile so you can’t have one settled game plan. The important thing is to be prepared for anything because he’s a great fighter. You can get there thinking things will go one way, but it can suddenly change. I know he’s the best in the world, but I can get intimidated by it. I don’t think anything (about Wanderlei Silva's comments), he’s a spectator and he can think whatever he wants to. If you have a mouth, you can say whatever you want and Wanderlei has a big mouth. But it’s about cheering, everyone can cheer for their favorite, and the important is to be respectful and know how to choose the right words. In February I’ll have my chance for the belt and let’s see how it’ll be.

Is there a Brazilian beef brewing between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva? Apparently "The Phenom" doesn't like "The Axe Murderers" comments that he'll be "freaked out" by "The Spider" at UFC 126 on February 5. Will the Silva double-team rattle Belfort mentally on fight night? Or is he destined to do what no other UFC middleweight has done when he fights for the title over the Superbowl weekend?

Strikeforce: Mike Kyle vs Roger Gracie postponed until January 2011

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 11:19 AM PDT

Looks like these two light heavyweight combatants will have to wait until 2011 to get back into the cage.

Multiple time BJJ champion Roger Gracie and current King of the Cage champion Mike Kyle were scheduled to meet at Strikeforce: "Henderson vs Babalu" on Dec. 4 in St. Louis, Missouri, but apparently those plans have changed.

The two light heavyweight contenders will still meet, but not until Jan. 29.

Gracie weighs in on the postponement (via Graciemag):

"Now I'll need to bring down the load in training. I was close to peaking, and now this happens. According to them, the fight will still be against Kyle, but I don't know the reason for the postponement. What can you do? Christmas and New Year's are done for me. Great present."

Not much is known about a Strikeforce card in January other than a possible bout featuring Fedor Emelianenko.

Gracie will come into this contest with a record of 3-0. His most recent bout was in May when he defeated Kevin Randleman with a rear naked choke in his Strikeforce debut.

Kyle enters the contest at 17-7-1. "MAK's" most recent match-up was against "Abongo" Humphrey last July. Kyle finished the fight with a rear naked choke, and Strikeforce commentator Mauro Ranallo went as far as calling for a title shot for the 30-year-old light heavyweight.

Could the winner be knocking on Rafael Cavalcante's door in the very near future? Or will they have to get through "King" Mo first?

Stay tuned.

UFC Quick Quote: Chris Lytle wants Carlos Condit

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 10:25 AM PDT

"Even before he fought, I said basically I want to fight a top contender and a good, exciting fighter. I wanted to fight the winner of the Condit-[Dan] Hardy fight. After seeing Carlos knock Hardy out, it made me want it even more. He's looking really good right now, beating good people and he's a really exciting fighter. That's what I'm looking for."

Chris Lytle is interested in facing former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit (via MMA Fighting). "Lights Out" is on a four fight winning streak. Most recently, Lytle defeated Matt Serra by unanimous decision at UFC 119, picking him apart in the standup. Condit is coming off a devastating knockout victory over former number one contender Dan Hardy in the first round at UFC 120. What do you think? Will "Lights Out" and the "Natural Born Killer" lock horns in the near future?

UFCs big announcement: WEC to merge into UFC by January of 2011

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 09:51 AM PDT

Looks like Dana White's three-year plan for World Extreme Cagefghting (WEC) has been cut short by about two-and-a-half years.

That's because Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will finish what it started back in 2008, as the promotion today officially announced a company merger that will see the dissolution of the WEC with the last fight taking place in December of this year.

But the WEC's loss will be the UFC's gain.

The world's largest fight promotion will increase its number of weight divisions by two, adding the bantamweight (135-pounds) and featherweight (145-pounds) classes as well as doubling the roster of its already stacked lightweight (155-pound) division.

Jose Aldo will now be recognized as the UFC Featherweight Champion and make his first title defense of the newly branded championship at UFC 125: "Resolution" on Jan. 1, 2011.

The winner of the Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen fight at WEC 53 will officially be recognized as the UFC Bantamweight Champion while the winner of Benson Henderson vs Anthony Pettis on Dec. 16 will face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard to unify the WEC and UFC lightweight titles.

Get ready for some truly stacked events in Zuffa's 2011 fight campaign.

The WEC first began downsizing a little more than a year ago, following a Sept. 2008 announcement that it would no longer support light heavyweight (205-pound), middleweight (185-pound) and welterweight (170-pound) divisions, instead focusing on lighter weight classes.

In fact, WEC 37: "Torres vs. Tapia" on Dec. 3, 2008, was the last event to feature the heavier divisions -- nearly two years to the date of their final event, WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis" on Dec. 16, 2010.

The move enabled the promotion to showcase more lighter fighters more often on its cards and build more stars. Under the old format, several talented up-and-comers either didn't fight frequently enough or were buried on the non-televised portion of the cards.

While this sudden influx of talent could cause many of the same problems early in the merger, the UFC's global expansion and increased televisions schedule will likely remedy that problem sooner rather than later.

And perhaps the days of stretching out a pay-per-view fight card or scrambling to fill last-minute injury gaps may be reduced to a minimum.

Like the first wave of ex-WEC fighters, including Chael Sonnen, Carlos Condit and Mark Munoz, a dozen or so fantasy match-ups that just a few months ago seemed impossible may finally come to fruition.

Can Ben Henderson be just as "smooth" in the UFC? Who would win in a scrap between "Cowboy" Cerrone and Kenny Florian? Will Jose Aldo finally test the waters at 155?

Let's not forget that more events with more fighters also translates into increased exposure and sponsorship opportunities, especially on a pay-per-view fight card.

It's going to be an exciting 2011. Let's hear your take -- the good and the bad -- on today's big announcement.

Dana White announcement reveals WEC will merge completely into UFC (Video)

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 09:41 AM PDT

RIP World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) | June 30, 2001 - December 16, 2010 (Last event is WEC 53)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid embraces UFC endorsement from Dana White; top MMA fighters

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 07:33 AM PDT

Don't call it a cockfight -- they've been here for years.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), once a political buzzword used to rally support from the terrified masses, has now become a powerful ally in Senator Harry Reid's 2010 campaign.

What a difference a few years (and a few key demographics) can make.

From the Senate Majority Leader (via Politico.com):

"These, to me, are a fair street fight, and I've been around a few of those in my day. They have 31 different rules. That's a fair street fight. Of course people get hurt, but you get hurt playing basketball or football or baseball. I've just enjoyed this so much, and it's so good for Nevada."

Showing their love, aside from UFC President Dana White, were former heavyweight champions Randy Couture, Frank Mir as well as former light heavyweight champion and MMA megastar Chuck Liddell.

Even boxing's top draw, Manny Pacquiao, is getting in on the action.

Whether or not the backing of combat sports will have a definitive impact at the polls, if nothing else, it's sure to have the liberals shaking in their boots.

Or as Harry Reid alluded to, number 29 in the 31 different rules: "Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent."

Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Henderson vs Babalu' on Dec. 4 in St. Louis

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 06:55 AM PDT

Strikeforce is close to putting the finishing touches on its upcoming Showtime-televised fight card on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Henderson vs. Babalu" will feature a light heavyweight rematch between longtime veterans of the sport, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. "Hendo" defeated "Babalu" via majority decision under the RINGS banner way back in 1999.

Also strapping on the gloves will be former NFL great and MMA sophomore Herschel Walker against an opponent to be named while welterweight sluggers Paul "Semtex" Daley and Scott Smith hook 'em up in "Hands of Steel's" 170-pound debut.

In addition, newly-signed heavyweight Valentijn "The Python" Overeem will throw hands with heavyweight contender Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

Here is the current Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" line up:

Main event:

205 lbs.: Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Herschel Walker vs. TBA
185 lbs.: Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland
265 lbs.: Valentijn Overeem vs. Antonio Silva
170 lbs.: Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: Jesse Finney vs. TBA

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu," beginning with the Showtime telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Dec. 4. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We're still a couple of weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Henderson vs. Babalu" 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 Strikeforce news and notes click here.

Shane Carwin's surgery to repair his injured back has been set for Nov. 2, 2010. A return date has...

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 06:27 AM PDT

Shane Carwin's surgery to repair his injured back has been set for Nov. 2, 2010. A return date has not been determined, according to MMA Fighting.

For more on Carwin's sudden withdrawal from his UFC 125 fight against Roy Nelson click here.

Jason 'Mayhem' Miller talks new season of Bully Beatdown, Nick Diaz, Brock Lesnar and more (Video)

Posted: 28 Oct 2010 06:22 AM PDT

Will Miller and Diaz ever throw down? Or is one of these homies too scared?

Jon Fitch: Moving up to middleweight would be 'like a two-year process'

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 05:36 PM PDT

Props MMA Weekly:

Quoteworthy:

"It would be like a two year process for me to move up a weight class because I have unfinished business at 170. The thing is I would move up if Josh would win the title and defend it. So he’d have to hold on to it for a while. You’re talking about almost a year right there, with a win and defense. In that time I could fight GSP non-title, I could fight Jake Shields, I could fight Martin Kampmann, I could fight Carlos Condit. All those guys could be fought already, and after that there’s not much left to do in front of me. Then that would be the optimum time I would be looking for other challenges if I want to move up a weight class. If there’s no one else for me to compete with at 170 other than Koscheck, I’m going to move up."

Former welterweight number one contender Jon Fitch makes it known that he still has no plans to fight his friend and training partner, Josh Koscheck. In fact, he believes that even if "Kos" defeats Georges St. Pierre for the title at UFC 124, there would still be a few fights left for him in the 170-pound division. Since making his way into the UFC in 2005, Fitch has racked up an impressive 13 wins with just one loss, all but one of which was contested at welterweight. Is the fact that there are a few fights left for him enough reason to stay in the division? Or should he move up a weight class and try his luck with the middleweights of the promotion sooner rather than later?

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

2010-10-28T05:20:00.001-07:00

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

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 7 recap and discussion
Bellator 34 weigh in results for event in Hollywood, Fla., on Oct. 28
'Shogun' Rua: I can't worry about Jon Jones or Ryan Bader while Rashad Evans is standing in front of me
"Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii will take on New Zealand’s Antz Nansen in a mixed martial...
UFC Quick Quote: Roy Nelson welcomes the challenge of Mirko Cro Cop
Patrick 'The Predator' Cote released by the UFC
Wanderlei Silva talks with Rafael Cordeiro about getting Chute Boxe back together.
Alan Belcher gunning for 2011 return; can 'probably do contact by January'
Hi hater: Todd Duffee doesn't understand why you would hate Brock Lesnar
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney: 'I think Eddie Alvarez is the best 155-pounder in the world' (Video)
Jake Shields 'embarrassed' by UFC 121 performance -- but still thinks he can beat Georges St. Pierre
UFC results and LIVE fight coverage for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas
UFC 123: Quinton 'Rithmetic' Jackson doesn't like MMA math (Video)
UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (23-5) calls out "Fake" Shields. "...It's only a matter of time....
UFC 121: 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' prelims broadcast draws 1.5 million viewers on Spike TV
UFC Quick Quote: Efrain Escudero says his Zuffa release 'doesn't make sense'

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 7 recap and discussion

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 06:34 PM PDT

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 12, featuring welterweight coaches (and division rivals) Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre, is back for Episode 7 and Sevak looks devastated after losing last week's fight.

Not that it matters, but the teams gather for the formal fight announcement, which pits Dane Sayers and Sako Chivitchian. No one giving Sayers much of a chance in this one.

Back at the house, talk surrounds the pending wild card pick. Unfortunately for Spencer Paige it won't be him as he's wrapped up in a cast after surgery. Jefferey Lentz is praying to the TUF gods that it will be him and he chews tabacky in between whiskey shots to help appease them.

Team St. Pierre starts training and the drunken master is shouting at "Red Horse" to help him prepare for his upcoming fight. They end with a hug and Sayers takes the Cain Velasquez approach to selling his fight, hoping to honor his heritage with an upset win.

Coach St. Pierre's strategy: Don't make this a technical fight on the ground.

Commercial break gives us a sneak peek of "Rock Band 3" but wisely leaves out any cut-scenes of Tawny Kitaen on the hood of a Jaguar -- though I have to imagine a 49-year Kitaen writhing on the hood of a 2010 luxury car would definitely get people talking.

In the training center, Koscheck "accidentally" chest bumps Brad Tate, identified as "medic" to the audience and "male nurse" to Kos, who starts playing up the angle until Tate becomes visibly agitated. I guess Koscheck can't break "Rush" so he starts to slowly deconstruct the hired help instead.

Sako gives us his background, which is no doubt impressive, and hopes that his amateur accomplishments can translate into mixed martial arts success. He figures if he can survive being shot by gang-bangers, the Octagon should be a breeze.

We shall see.

Koscheck says that MMA will teach you discipline and respect -- two minutes after he's done clowning Nurse Tate.

Coaches challenge! It's a homerun derby and St. Pierre looks about as comfortable as a Kleenex at a snot party. They have three innings to go yard and the pot is ten grand to the coach and $1,500 for each contestant. Koscheck is worried about bat rust, or something like that.

St. Pierre wields his bat like he's playing whack-a-mole but manages to scrape together 10 points. Unfortunately it's 24 less than Koscheck, who tore the cover off the ball in his last couple at bats. Kos promises to duplicate that performance when they fight on Dec. 11, which I found humorous because he may indeed need that bat.

Elimination fight #7: Dane Sayers (7-1) vs. Sako Chivitchian (5-0)

Round 1: Sako shoots and gets guillotined. They drop to the floor. He powers out and is in great position having Sayers pressed against the cage. "Red Horse" gets to his feet. After some epic hugging he escapes and they break away. Leg kick misses for Sako. Dane punches at air. Lots of Soda Popinski-type footwork. Sako charges and Sayers wraps him up. They go to the cage but seem unhappy there so they hug their way to the other side of the cage. This is like an 80's wrestling match when Ken Patera would apply a body lock to catch his breath. They finally separate and Sako finds his range. That makes Sayers shoot but he can't hold the takedown or his mouthpiece. They hug out the final ten seconds of the round.

Round 2: Sako Judos a charging Sayers but can't hold him so he does it again and this time has him grounded. Sayers has a guard that you could drive a Zamboni through and since Sako doesn't attempt to pass he uses the opening to escape and get back to his feet. They immediately hug and go to the cage. Sayers to the back of the head a few times just for laughs. Sayers almost has a takedown but Sako goes fencing for the second time in the fight to stay off his butt. There is so much hugging in this fight I feel like it's a support group for underachieving fighters. They ride out the clock in a sweaty embrace. Truly awful.

Mercifully the judges have reached a decision. It goes to Sako -- but not by much I can say with confidence. This was supposed to be a squash match. Was Sayers heart (and hugs) enough to get him in as a wildcard?

Nope.

It goes to Aaron Wilkinson and Marc Stevens, who will slug it out next week to see who gets another chance at TUF stardom. Outside of Wilkinson and Stevens, no one looks happy about the decision.

Stay tuned next week for the wild card elimination fight while Koscheck gets physical with Nurse Tate.

See you in seven!

Bellator 34 weigh in results for event in Hollywood, Fla., on Oct. 28

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 04:52 PM PDT

Hollywood, FL. (October 27, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ return to Hollywood, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this afternoon.

Participants included all 18 competitors in Thursday’s event, including Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, Russian knockout artist Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko, #1 ranked pound-for-pound female fighter in the world Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii and explosive striker Zoila "The Warrior Princess" Frausto.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Hector Lombard (183.25 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (184.75 lbs.) @ 185 lbs.

Megumi Fujii (113.5 lbs.) vs. Zoila Frausto (114.5 lbs.) @ 115 lbs.

Mike Bernhard (185.75 lbs.) vs. Dragan Tesanovic (185.5 lbs.) @ 185 lbs.

Tony Lopez (204.5 lbs.) vs. Raphael Davis (205.25 lbs.) @ 205 lbs.

UNDERCARD:

William Kuhn (170 lbs.) vs. John Kelly ( 172.2 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.

Ralph Acosta (135 lbs.) vs. Tulio Quintanila (135.5 lbs.) @ 135 lbs.

Frank Carrillo (184.1 lbs.) vs. Moyses Gabin (184.25 lbs.) @ 185 lbs.

Igor Almeida (184.5 lbs.) vs. Dan Cramer (185.5 lbs.) @ 185 lbs.

Boumny Somchay (161 lbs.) vs. J.P. Reese (159.25 lbs.) @ 160 lbs.

Bellator 34 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, and mun2.

'Shogun' Rua: I can't worry about Jon Jones or Ryan Bader while Rashad Evans is standing in front of me

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 02:12 PM PDT

Props: Tatame.com

Quoteworthy:

"Rashad is a great fighter, has a good boxing and Wrestling. On my weight class there're only tough guys, so it'll be like any other... I really don't know if it'll be him and I don't know the date, but I believe it'll be against him ... This is one of the most disputed divisions, since Pride, years ago... And it's good to have all these guys here, but I can't keep thinking about the second and the third guys on the line... I'll have a tough fight with Rashad and it'd be disrespectful to think about Jon Jones, Ryan Bader when I'll fight Rashad ... I'll give my best and I'll be focused for my next fight, not on the second and third to go."

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua is paying no mind to the challenges ahead of him should he successfully defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Rashad Evans. While Jon Jones and Ryan Bader do pose a threat to anybody in the UFC's 205-pound division, 'Shogun' believes there is enough on his plate already. Rua took full advantage of his rematch with then champion Lyoto Machida. 'Shogun' knocked out 'The Dragon' in the first round of their title fight at UFC 113 to capture the light heavyweight championship. Evans earned a shot at the belt he once owned when he defeated Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision at UFC 114. Let's hear some early predictions. Who walks away from this bout with gold around his waist? 'Suga' or 'Shogun?'

"Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii will take on New Zealand’s Antz Nansen in a mixed martial...

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 02:00 PM PDT

"Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii will take on New Zealand's Antz Nansen in a mixed martial arts matchup at K-1 World Max 2010 on Nov. 8 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo."

Props: Sherdog.com

UFC Quick Quote: Roy Nelson welcomes the challenge of Mirko Cro Cop

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 12:15 PM PDT

“I wonder if Lorenzo [Fertitta] is going to call Cro Cop to see if he wants to fight, he is [a] legend and has done some great things, would love the challenge, but as everybody knows I just like to fight the best and the challenges that it brings.”

Roy Nelson was scheduled to meet Shane Carwin at UFC 125, but Carwin pulled out with neck and back injuries. One fighter who doesn't seem to mind facing "Big Country" is Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic. The Croatian recently said, he doesn't mind being Carwin's replacement at UFC 125. Apparently, The Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner doesn't mind hooking up with the Pride 2006 Grand Prix winner either (via Fighters Only). If this fight does indeed go down, who do you have? Nelson or Cro Cop?

Patrick 'The Predator' Cote released by the UFC

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 12:06 PM PDT

Former number one middleweight contender, Patrick Cote, has been released from the UFC following his unanimous decision loss to Tom Lawlor at UFC 121 on Oct. 23 in Anaheim, California.

"The Predator" dropped the unfortunate news via his official Twitter account earlier today.

Cote made his first appearance inside the cage after nearly 20 months on the sidelines to tangle with Alan Belcher at UFC 113 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, back on May 1.

It did not end well.

The Canadian was submitted by "The Talent" after a controversial piledriver left him stiffer than a frozen mukluk. It was Cote's first bout since shredding his knee while inside the Octagon opposite reigning division champion Anderson Silva at UFC 90 way back in October 2008.

The "Spider" bout resulted in a technical knockout loss for the eight-year veteran, which he feels may have gone his way if the freak accident never happened.

Cote underwent major ACL knee surgery following his loss to Silva and then again in late summer 2009 to repair a damaged MCL (in the same knee).

The 185-pound class continued to see an influx of talented competitors in his absence, making his road back to the summit a long and difficult one. His loss to Lawlor marked his third straight inside the Octagon and the UFC had decided they'd seen enough.

The good news is there are still plenty of options for him to compete in promotions outside of Las Vegas and with his name recognition, don't be surprised to see him back in the cage sooner rather than later.

Strikeforce? MFC? Bellator?

Let's hear your take on this latest release.

Wanderlei Silva talks with Rafael Cordeiro about getting Chute Boxe back together.

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 11:50 AM PDT

Wanderlei Silva talks with Rafael Cordeiro about getting Chute Boxe back together.

Alan Belcher gunning for 2011 return; can 'probably do contact by January'

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 11:25 AM PDT

"The Talent" is coming back.

Alan Belcher told MMA Weekly his struggles with vision problems and when he plans to make his return to the UFC:

"At first it looked promising. I had the first surgery, but when it detached a second time that's when it was real scary. It was like how many times are we going to have to go through this? I kind of had to do it all over again. It was kind of open, they weren't really sure. It was just taking it one day at a time. They thought I would get a lot of vision back and I might probably be able to fight again if I wanted to take the risk, but they weren't really sure. Now we're at where we're at now, it seems everything is healing good this time. The doctors said I can start exercising and I can probably be back doing contact as early as January."

Belcher is looking to make his return to the Octagon after undergoing eye surgery twice for a detached retina. Belcher was on a roll in the UFC, winning four of his last five bouts. His most recent loss came by a controversial split decision to Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100.

Belcher disposed of Wilson Gouveia in the very first round of their bout at UFC 107 in December of last year. "The Talent" last stepped inside the Octagon in May of this year when he submitted Patrick Cote by rear naked choke.

After having his title aspirations put on hold, Belcher looks to return to his goal of becoming the UFC middleweight champion.

Hi hater: Todd Duffee doesn't understand why you would hate Brock Lesnar

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 10:26 AM PDT

From the Underground (via Bloody Elbow):

"I do not understand why people think if he loses his next fight he will walk away? I am not a fan nor do I hate the guy I think he has been very beneficial for the sport of mma and has earned his place with in the sport. It just bothers me that people tear this guy down so much when he clearly is dedicated and has the tools to be great. I honestly was rooting for cain(underdog shake up the division sounded fun) but the hate that brock has received is mind boggling and sickening. Can't we just be happy he went out an bared his soul in front of the whole world after committing his entire life to that moment against cain for four months prior. I don't get it any more the dude deserves everyones respect whether you like him or not."

Todd Duffee, a heavyweight prospect who was released from the UFC last month, speaks on the outcry amongst fans and media alike against Brock Lesnar after his first round drubbing at the hands of Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. Brock entered the fight with an aura of invincibility that Velasquez quickly stripped away with a barrage of punches that the big man could not withstand. After the loss, certain members of the media speculated as to whether or not Lesnar would decide to take his loss and go home. Duffee, despite Lesnar's track record, thinks the media needs to back off. Should we do just that or should we all be one big happy family as Todd wants us to be?

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney: 'I think Eddie Alvarez is the best 155-pounder in the world' (Video)

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 10:26 AM PDT

Will Strikeforce be willing to risk Gilbert Melendez to prove him wrong?

Jake Shields 'embarrassed' by UFC 121 performance -- but still thinks he can beat Georges St. Pierre

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 09:44 AM PDT

Props: MMA Weekly

Quoteworthy:

"It was horrible. After the first round I sat down and I was just completely exhausted. I was like ‘oh (expletive) ten minutes to go.’ I knew at that point I was just going to have to dig deep and keep fighting. I knew it was too important not to lose my UFC debut. I’m a little embarrassed by the whole situation, but all I can do from here is move forward and learn from my mistakes, and usually when you make a big mistake you end up getting a loss off that. I guess I made a big mistake and I was still able to get the ‘W.’ If I was fighting GSP that night I don’t think I would have won, to be honest. I just don’t see myself beating GSP being the way I felt that night, but I also don’t feel that’s me. I feel like I can go out there and beat him still."

Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields limps across the finish line after his Octagon debut at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. The grappling guru was sucking wind after one round of fisticuffs against Martin Kampmann, but held on to squeak past "The Hitman" with a split decision win. Did Shields suffer from the debut blues? Or is he now a little fish in a big pond? Promotion President Dana White insists he's next up for the winner of "St. Pierre vs. Koscheck," but will Shields be ready? And can he redeem himself for his performance in Orange County?

UFC results and LIVE fight coverage for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 07:57 AM PDT

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is close to putting the finishing touches on its upcoming Spike TV fight card from the "Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring "The American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar taking on Croatian crusher Igor Pokrajac.

Grappling gurus Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove and Demian Maia are also expected to do battle as well as gritty welterweight bangers Ricky "Horror" Story and Johny Hendricks.

Here is the current TUF 12 Finale line up:

Main event:

155 lbs.: Finalist No. 1 vs. Finalist No. 2

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
170 lbs.: Ricky Story vs Johny Hendricks

Under card (May not be broadcast):

TBA*

*Fight not officially announced by the UFC

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of TUF 12 Finale, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 4. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We're still a couple of weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Bonnar vs. Pokrajac" 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 TUF 12 Finale news and notes click here.

UFC 123: Quinton 'Rithmetic' Jackson doesn't like MMA math (Video)

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 07:25 AM PDT

UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (23-5) calls out "Fake" Shields. "...It's only a matter of time....

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 07:02 AM PDT

UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (23-5) calls out "Fake" Shields.

"...It's only a matter of time. Fake Shields is a fraud. Excuse me, Miss Piggy is a fraud."

Props: Cagewriter

UFC 121: 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' prelims broadcast draws 1.5 million viewers on Spike TV

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 06:59 AM PDT

Spike TV's "UFC Prelims" special for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs Velasquez" on Oct. 23 drew 1.5 million viewers, the second straight increase in broadcast ratings since drawing a series-low 1.1 million for UFC 118 back in August.

The two-fight broadcast from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, featured Court McGee choking out fellow middleweight Ryan Jensen while the "Filthy" one, Tom Lawlor, out-pointed the venerable Patrick "The Predator" Cote.

"UFC Prelims" pulled a 1.03 household rating including a 1.42 rating among men 18-49 and a 1.42 among men 18-34.

Check out the full list of "UFC Prelims" telecast ratings (courtesy of MMA Weekly) after the jump.

- UFC 103: 1.4 million viewers

- UFC 104: 1.4 million viewers

- UFC 106: 1.3 million viewers

- UFC 108: 1.5 million viewers

- UFC 109: 1.7 million viewers

- UFC 111: 1.2 million viewers

- UFC 114: 1.6 million viewers

- UFC 115: 1.5 million viewers

- UFC 116: 1.3 million viewers

- UFC 118: 1.1 million viewers

- UFC 119: 1.3 million viewers

- UFC 121: 1.5 million viewers

For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC Quick Quote: Efrain Escudero says his Zuffa release 'doesn't make sense'

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 11:12 PM PDT

"It was that Monday after my fight and I came back home from my parent’s and stuff, and first of all I was disappointed in my performance in the fight. I was kind of like sleeping, I had other things in my head instead of worrying about fighting. I’ll give it to (Charles) Oliveira, he capitalized on that little mistake and he came to fight, but I don’t know where I was at. Joe Silva was just like ‘we’re releasing you’ and at first I was like ‘whoa’, I didn’t know what to say, I was speechless. They know what they’re doing and for me it was weird because I don’t have consecutive losses. Yes, I lost to (Evan) Dunham, but Dunham’s one of the top guys right now, and I also lost to Oliveira, which are the only two losses in my whole career. Still to this day, it doesn’t make sense."

Winner of the "Ultimate Fighter" season 8, Efrain Escudero, talks to MMAWeekly.com about his abrupt release from the world's premier MMA promotion after losing to Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 22: "Marquardt vs Palhares". Coming out of his impressive run on the popular reality show, Escudero was thought to be one of the hottest young prospects in the UFC. However, he failed to impress in his five fights with the organization, posting an underwhelming 3-2 record. After coming into the Oliveira fight four pounds overweight (the second time he came in heavy in his UFC career), company President Dana White didn't think Escudero was driven enough to remain employed. He will have to work his way back into the UFC and that starts with a November 19 fight against an unnamed opponent in former WEC featherweight Chance Farrar's Desert Rage promotion. Is he good enough to turn things around and make his way back into White's good graces?

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

2010-10-27T05:07:00.001-07:00

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

American Kickboxing Academy, one of the best MMA gyms 'on Earth' (Video)
Jason 'Mayhem' Miller explains backstage skirmish with Nick Diaz, still wants to fight him
UFC 121 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23 in Anaheim
UFC 121 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
Dana White: Jose Aldo needs to decide what he 'wants to do' moving forward
UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck plans to knockout Georges St. Pierre, piss off 22,000 Canadians
UFC President Dana White, aside from being one of AskMen.com's top 49 most influential men of 2010,...
Chad Mendes: 'I don't want to be one of those boring fighters'
Dana White confirms to Comcast Sportsnet's Fight Fix (via MMA Weekly) that Jon Jones will meet Ryan...
WEC 52: Damacio Page vs Demetrious Johnson on tap for Nov. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Ben Askren: I know I can 'punch harder'
Mirko 'Cro Cop' has a message for the UFC when they start shopping for Roy Nelson's next opponent:
UFC 122: Winner of Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami 'guaranteed' 2011 middleweight title shot
Anthony "T.J." Waldburger withdraws from his UFC 124 preliminary-card fight against Matt Riddle due...
Back injury forces Shane Carwin to withdraw from UFC 125 fight with Roy Nelson
Programming alert: 'Countdown to UFC 123' debuts Nov. 15 on Spike TV
UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez appears on 'George Lopez Tonight' (Video)
UFC 124 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'St. Pierre vs Koscheck II' on Dec. 11 in Montreal

American Kickboxing Academy, one of the best MMA gyms 'on Earth' (Video)

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 07:50 PM PDT

Cain Velasquez? Check. Josh Koscheck? Pending. Jon Fitch? Maybe.

Any coincidence that they all train in the same place? Which gym is better right now?

Jason 'Mayhem' Miller explains backstage skirmish with Nick Diaz, still wants to fight him

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 05:12 PM PDT

Jason Miller and Nick Diaz have had beef ever since Strikeforce: "Nashville," when "Mayhem" jumped in the cage to call out then champion Jake Shields and ended up getting jumped by the boys from the 209. He has been calling for a fight with Diaz ever since.

Those calls went largely unanswered, but the San Jose-based promotion may face more pressure to set up the fight after yet another confrontation, this time backstage after Strikeforce: "Diaz vs Noons II" earlier this month.

Plenty of stories came out regarding what went down that night. Now we can hear it straight from the horse's mouth courtesy of MMAFighting.com.

Here's a snip:

"I had just finished doing interviews in the back room, and I was walking the same way that he was coming down, and I was actually going to be like, 'Hey, good job, Nick.' But he's coming towards me and he starts mad-dogging me! I was like, really? You're really going to mad-dog me right now? You just fought for 25 minutes! Before I knew it, he had a water bottle hidden down by his side and he threw it at me. I moved out of the way and it hit [training partner] Ryan Parsons in the stomach. I was like, 'Man Ryan, he doesn't like you.' Then we got into some kind of juvenile 'F--- you' match. I was like, 'F--- you bro, you're not even going to do anything.... Actually, as he was walking off or being ushered off, I was like, 'Hey, it's cool, just stay at 170.' Since that's his whole thing is, he won't fight me because he's at 170 [pounds]. Even though he'll fight KJ [Noons], who's not at 170. That's cool for KJ to have to come up, but he won't fight me even though he's talking all this sh-t on me for like five years now, and jumped me on national television."

He also goes on to say that the only one holding up a fight between the two is Diaz himself.

Mayhem is coming off an arm-triangle submission victory over MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba and has now won two in a row since his decision loss to Shields. Diaz, meanwhile, has strung together eight consecutive wins of his own and is the current Strikeforce welterweight champion.

Will Strikeforce President and CEO Scott Coker finally figure out a way to put together this fight? Or will we continue to have to listen to Miller tell Diaz, "Don't be scared, homie?"

UFC 121 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23 in Anaheim

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 04:00 PM PDT

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) today issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez," which took place on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

With several of the bouts ending early (and violently), there were quite a few fighters who were flagged follow up visits with their doctors, including former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, who could be riding the bench for up to six months unless cleared by an ophthalmologist.

Newly crowned 265-pound kingpin Cain Velasquez escaped unharmed.

Also getting a mandatory vacation was UFC newcomer Jake Shields, who joins Lesnar on the 180-day list after suffering bleeding in the eye and blurred vision in his welterweight win over Martin Kampmann.

But that's not all.

Here is the complete list of UFC 121 injuries and their medical instructions:

Brock Lesnar: Suspended 45 days, 30 days no contact for knockout. 60 days for left cheek laceration, and possibly 180 days unless cleared by ophthalmologist.

Jake Shields: Suspended 180 days with no contact for 180 days unless cleared by an ophthalmologist for bleeding in eye and blurred vision.

Diego Sanchez: Suspended 180 days with no contact for 180 days until cleared by physician for possible right wrist fracture.

Paulo Thiago: Suspended for 60 days with no contact for 60 days unless cleared by physician for laceration.

Tito Ortiz: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout.

Brendan Schaub: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout.

Gabriel Gonzaga: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout.

Court McGee: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout. Suspended 180 days or until cleared by physician for possible right hand fracture.

Ryan Jensen: Suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout.

Patrick Cote: Suspended 180 days with no contact for 180 days unless cleared by an ophthalmologic exam for his retina.

Chris Camozzi: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 60 days until cleared by physician for left brow lacerations.

Dongi Yang: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days for a hard bout.

Gilbert Yvel: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.

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 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC 121 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 03:49 PM PDT

The official fighter purses for those who competed at UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" this past Saturday night (Oct. 23) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., were released earlier today by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

Main event participants, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar ($400,000) and newly crowned division champion Cain Velasquez ($200,000), accounted for nearly half of the $1.5 million disclosed payroll.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz came in second to Lesnar, earning $250,000 in defeat to former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) student Matt Hamill ($58,000). Also hitting the six-figure mark was Diego Sanchez, who banked $100,000 for toppling Brazilian supercop Paulo Thiago ($18,000).

Here is the complete list of UFC 121 payouts:

Cain Velasquez: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
Brock Lesnar: $400,000
Cain Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar via TKO (Strikes) Round 1

Jake Shields: $150,000 ($75,000 win bonus)
Martin Kampmann: $27,000
Jake Shields defeated Martin Kampmann via Split Decision

Diego Sanchez: $100,000 ($50,000 win bonus)
Paulo Thiago: $18,000
Diego Sanchez defeated Paulo Thiago via Unanimous Decision

Matt Hamill: $58,000 ($29,000 win bonus)
Tito Ortiz: $250,000
Matt Hamill defeated Tito Ortiz via Unanimous Decision

Brendan Schaub: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
Gabriel Gonzaga: $67,000
Brendan Schaub defeated Gabriel Gonzaga via Unanimous Decision

Court McGee: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
Ryan Jensen: $10,000
Court McGee defeated Ryan Jensen via submission (arm-triangle choke) Round 3

Tom Lawlor: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
Patrick Cote: $21,000
Tom Lawlor defeated Patrick Cote via unanimous decision

Daniel Roberts: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Mike Guymon: $8,000
Daniel Roberts defeated Mike Guymon via Submission (Anaconda Choke) Round 1

Sam Stout: $32,000 ($16,000 win bonus)
Paul Taylor: $16,000
Sam Stout defeated Paul Taylor via Split Decision

Chris Camozzi: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Dongi Yang: $8,000
Chris Camozzi defeated Dongi Yang via Split Decision

Jon Madsen: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Gilbert Yvel: $30,000
Jon Madsen defeated Gilbert Yvel via TKO (Strikes) Round 1

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 121 go here.

The total base fighter payroll for the blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event, which attracted an official crowd of 14,856 attendees and a boku gate of $2.2 million, was $1.513 million.

For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Dana White: Jose Aldo needs to decide what he 'wants to do' moving forward

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 03:34 PM PDT

Props: Fight Fix (via Tatame.com)

Quoteworthy:

"Here’s the thing, Jose Aldo’s been talking about moving up to 155lbs. Well, we had a slot and said, 'alright, you want to move up to 155 pounds and fight Kenny Florian?' and he said, 'uh, never mind.' It depends on what this kid wants to do. If he wants to stay in the WEC and defend that title, that’s cool, but they were talking at one point about moving to [155] so we talked to him and said, ‘how would you like to move to the UFC’s ’55-pound division and take on Kenny, and they turned it down"

UFC President Dana White confirms that he did indeed ask WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo to fight two-time 155-pound number one contender Kenny Florian inside the Octagon in December, which his camp decided to turn down in favor of a fight against Mark Hominick or Josh Grispi in January. Florian is now scheduled to battle Evan Dunham at UFC 126. The Brazilian has essentially cleaned out the 145-pound division with flare and impunity. But is White's decision to move him along so fast -- not even moving him up to the WEC 155-pound division -- signal a possible transition of the better fighters of the sister promotion being folded into the UFC roster sooner than we expect? Or is Aldo simply so talented that he's the exception to the rule -- he needs to be on pay-per-view (PPV)? Let's hear your thoughts, Maniacs.

UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck plans to knockout Georges St. Pierre, piss off 22,000 Canadians

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 03:19 PM PDT

"I think the first time me and Georges faced off, I think mentally I was all ‘this guy is a karate guy.’ I didn’t believe he could possibly take me down. I didn’t think that was an option. Throughout my camp my mental game was work on my stand-up, work on my stand-up, because this guy isn’t going to be able to take me down, one of the things about Georges St-Pierre is he’s a fast learner. There’s definitely a lot more to it than wrestling. And that’s something I’ve learned over the past couple of years is it’s just not wrestling, I gotta become a complete fighter. I think I’ve become a better fighter than the first time Georges fought me. I’m coming here well prepared. I’m gonna be ready to come in here and put on a good show and come out with a victory. My goal coming into this fight is definitely to knock Georges out. They’re gonna be yelling for Georges and my goal is to piss 22,000 people off and come out of here with a nice new shiny belt and hop on a plane and get home as quickly as I can."

-- Number one welterweight contender Josh Koscheck tells MMAWeekly.com about his getaway plan after he finishes 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre in front of his hometown crowd at UFC 124 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Dec. 11. Not too long ago Matt Serra had a similar strategy at UFC 83, telling the hostile crowd at the weigh in, "If you're pissed right now, wait until Saturday night." Serra ended up eating those words after getting punished by "Rush" en route to a technical knockout loss. What are the odds that "Kos" can back up his trash talk on fight night and actually pull off a championship robbery in front of 22,000 distraught fans -- good, better than good or downright bad? Either way, something tells me the Mounties should crack out the riot gear just in case that prediction is accurate.

UFC President Dana White, aside from being one of AskMen.com's top 49 most influential men of 2010,...

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 01:01 PM PDT

UFC President Dana White, aside from being one of AskMen.com's top 49 most influential men of 2010, will make a "major announcement" this Thursday (Oct. 28) according to a recent UFC press release.

Chad Mendes: 'I don't want to be one of those boring fighters'

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 12:22 PM PDT

Props: Pro MMA Radio

Quoteworthy:

(In regards to his last fight) "My ground and pound wasn't up to par. I felt like in the past I've done better with it and I was too content in the fight just holding him. I don't want to be one of those boring fighters and I feel like I was in that fight."

Despite going 8-0 in his MMA career and finishing four of his fights, Chad Mendes feels he has room for improvement. The WEC featherweight prospect won his last bout against Cub Swanson by unanimous decision, but he's not satisfied with his performance. "Money" meets Javier Vazquez at WEC 52 on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Does Chad Mendes have the ability to finish Vazquez?

Dana White confirms to Comcast Sportsnet's Fight Fix (via MMA Weekly) that Jon Jones will meet Ryan...

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 11:51 AM PDT

Dana White confirms to Comcast Sportsnet's Fight Fix (via MMA Weekly) that Jon Jones will meet Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

WEC 52: Damacio Page vs Demetrious Johnson on tap for Nov. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 11:39 AM PDT

A bantamweight bout is brewing between two top contenders at WEC 52 on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Those contenders are Damacio Page and Demetrious Johnson, who will replace the injured Eddie Wineland.

Sources confirmed to MMA Weekly that the two combatants have verbally agreed to the bout.

Page comes into the contest with a record of 12-4. "The Angel of Death" has made an impact in the WEC going 3-1 with wins over current number one contender Scott Jorgensen, Marcos Galvao and Will Campuzano. Page's lone WEC loss came at the hands of former bantamweight champion Brian Bowles. With a few more wins, Page could be on his way to a title shot.

"Mighty Mouse" stands in his way.

Johnson was undefeated prior to making his WEC debut against Brad Pickett. In that bout, he displayed his standup ability, but was neutralized by Pickett's takedowns. The loss didn't keep "Mighty Mouse" down for long. Johnson recovered from the loss with a unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten competitor Nick Pace.

In the main event of WEC 52, former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber makes his bantamweight debut against top contender Takeya Mizugaki. Also on the card, top featherweight prospect Josh Grispi looks to be one step closer to a title shot when he meets Erik Koch. Joseph Benavidez looks to rebound after losing a title bout to champion Dominick Cruz as he battles Wagnney Fabiano. Chad Mendes looks to avoid the first loss in his career by knocking ending Javier Vazquez's two-fight winning streak.

For more on WEC 52: "Faber vs Mizugaki," stick with MMAmania.com.

Ben Askren: I know I can 'punch harder'

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 10:32 AM PDT

Props: Sherdog

Quoteworthy:

"I’ve only been punching stuff for about a year. Literally, I didn’t start boxing or hitting anything until September of 2009. I heard [Good’s] corner taunting me with, ‘He punches like a girl.’ Maybe I do now, but I ain’t always going to punch like a girl. There’s a lot of places that I can get better. I can punch harder. I can finish better on top."

The new Bellator welterweight champion, Ben Askren, hasn't been ignoring his critics. The 2008 Olympic wrestler has been able to neutralize his opponents with ease since making his MMA debut, but in his seven career victories Askren has only had one knockout. Askren has been criticized by fans for his performance against Lyman Good. In the championship bout, the Lions Den challenger mostly focused on putting the champion on his back and keeping him there until the bell sounded. It wasn't until an upkick followed by a triangle choke attempt where Askren was in real danger. Askren was able to escape and win the fight, however, when Good went for an arm instead of a choke. Sound off maniacs. What will it take for Ben Askren to win you over?

Mirko 'Cro Cop' has a message for the UFC when they start shopping for Roy Nelson's next opponent:

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:52 AM PDT

And it sounds like the Croat (via Fighter's Only) has one ear pasted to the phone:

"I know nothing about it, this is the first I heard of it. But it would be an interesting fight for sure. I think Roy’s style matches very well with mine, we could have a good fight. I didn’t hear anything from the UFC yet, but lets see if they call me."

Anyone else interested in this fantasy match-up now that Shane Carwin has pulled out of the UFC 125 event? Or should Filipovic try to avenge his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga? There are plenty of options for both fighters after "The Engineer" blew out his back, but which one makes the most sense for the direction of the heavyweight division? What say you?

UFC 122: Winner of Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami 'guaranteed' 2011 middleweight title shot

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:37 AM PDT

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today 'guaranteed' that the winner of the UFC 122 main event between Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami would be next in line for a 185-pound title shot after they throw down on Nov. 13 in Oberhausen, Germany.

From the promotion's official press release:

Two of the world's best middleweight (185 lbs.) mixed martial arts fighters, Denver's Nate Marquardt and Japan's Yushin Okami, will square off in the main event of "UFC 122" on Spike TV Saturday, November 13 at 9:00pm ET/PT (same day tape). Emanating from Konig-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, the winner of the Marquardt-Okami bout is guaranteed a shot at the UFC middleweight title currently held by Anderson Silva.

While the belt is currently held by "The Spider," there is no "guarantee" it will be his after Superbowl weekend. That's because he'll be defending it against fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.

And "The Phenom" has Chael Sonnen to thank.

Sonnen levied a performance so dominant (in a losing effort) against Silva back on Aug. 7, that UFC President Dana White promised an immediate rematch, and slotted a now-healthy Belfort against Yushin Okami at UFC 122.

Then the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) came along with charges of drug use against Sonnen, effectively benching him for one year (or until his appeal is heard) following his UFC 117 career performance.

Enter Nate Marquardt.

After a "Great" performance against Rousimar Palhares on Sept. 15, Marquardt relieved Belfort of his duties in Germany and will now face "Thunder" for the chance to challenge the winner of the UFC 126 title fight.

That cleared the way for the Silva vs. Belfort championship bout in February (one that was originally scheduled for UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi until Belfort had shoulder surgery). It seems the division may finally be working itself out.

We hope.

For a complete archive of UFC 122: "Marquardt vs. Okami" news and notes click here.

Anthony "T.J." Waldburger withdraws from his UFC 124 preliminary-card fight against Matt Riddle due...

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:36 AM PDT

Anthony "T.J." Waldburger withdraws from his UFC 124 preliminary-card fight against Matt Riddle due to an undisclosed injury.

Props: First Round Management

Back injury forces Shane Carwin to withdraw from UFC 125 fight with Roy Nelson

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 08:01 AM PDT

Looks like UFC heavyweight hopeful Roy Nelson has been left at the altar.

That's because his belly-to-bicep battle royal with persnickety power-puncher Shane Carwin has been temporarily toe-tagged after "The Engineer" was forced to withdraw from their UFC 125 co-main event on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas due to a burdensome back attack.

And the bad news came right from Carwin himself:

"I am going to pull out of the fight with Roy Nelson. As many of you know I have been having some back pain. I had an MRI yesterday and I have some damage that may really require surgery. If the doctors do not have to perform surgery then I will be out 8-12 weeks. If they do have to perform surgery I do not know how long I will be out of action ... I owe myself, I owe my fans the best show I can give them. I need to get healthy. I am going to be speaking with the surgeon this week about the surgery. My thoughts are if the surgery fixes it why add 8-12 weeks of physical therapy, epidurals and traction if surgery may still be needed. The good news is the doctors said I can work on my cardio (they must have seen my last fight lol) with this injury."

Carwin held the division's Interim title when former champion Brock Lesnar had his intestines all up in a bunch late last year. Upon his return, the WWE-turned-MMA star survived a first round blitzkrieg to come back and submit the Greg Jackson-disciple via arm-triangle choke at UFC 116 on July 3.

It was Carwin's first loss in 12 appearances and now the former collegiate wrestling champion will have to wait just a little bit longer before he can exorcise his cardio demons from earlier this summer.

And with more than two full months to go, the chances of Nelson finding a new opponent are far from remote.

Perhaps he can serve as a rebound fight for ex-champion Brock Lesnar, or maybe even settle that long-standing feud with Frank Mir, who is probably looking for any excuse to get back into the cage and erase the memories of his UFC 119 stinker against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in Indianapolis.

A win is critical for "Big Country" at this point in his UFC career, as he was on the fast-track to bigger and better opportunities within the division until he ran headfirst into a Brazilian roadblock named Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 last August.

"Cigano" took home the unanimous decision win and the right to challenge Cain Velasquez in the first quarter of 2011.

The loss snapped Nelson's undefeated streak since graduating from the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but you can bet your bottom dollar that a win over another top name like Mir would carry him right back to the top of the contender's list.

Stay tuned.

UFC 125: "Resolution" will be headlined by lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, as he defends his title in a rematch against undefeated challenger Gray Maynard. Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann and Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera have also been announced for the Jan. 1 pay-per-view.

Keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for more updates to this still-developing fight card.

Programming alert: 'Countdown to UFC 123' debuts Nov. 15 on Spike TV

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 07:24 AM PDT

Countdown to UFC 123: "Rampage vs. Machida" will debut Monday, Nov. 15 at 11:00 p.m. ET on Spike TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday, November 20.

The network special will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida.

UFC.com currently lists replays of "Countdown to UFC 123" at the following times:

Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. ET

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 123, beginning with the pay-per-view telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Nov. 20. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

For the latest UFC 123 fight card and rumors click here.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez appears on 'George Lopez Tonight' (Video)

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 06:40 AM PDT

UFC 124 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'St. Pierre vs Koscheck II' on Dec. 11 in Montreal

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 06:36 AM PDT

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is close to putting the finishing touches on its upcoming pay-per-view fight card from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010.

UFC 124: "St. Pierre vs. Koscheck II" will be headlined by welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre taking on fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 coach Josh Koscheck. Thiago Alves and John Howard as well as Dustin Hazelett and Mark Bocek are also expected to hook 'em up.

TUF champions Joe Stevenson and Mac Danzig have also been scheduled to throw down.

Here is the current UFC 124 line up:

Main event:

170 lbs.: Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck

Main card (Televised):

170 lbs.: Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
265 lbs.: Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve
170 lbs.: Ricardo Almeida vs. T.J. Grant

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig
155 lbs.: Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
170 lbs.: Matthew Riddle vs. Anthony Waldburger
185 lbs.: Jason MacDonald vs. Rafael Natal*
185 lbs.: Joe Doerksen vs. Dan Miller

*Fight not officially confirmed by UFC.com

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 124, beginning with the pay-per-view telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Dec. 11. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We're still a couple of weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "St. Pierre vs. Koscheck II" 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 124 news and notes click here.

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

2010-10-26T05:29:00.001-07:00

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

Cain Velasquez TMZ video on UFC 121 win over Brock Lesnar
UFC on Network TV? Dana White expects to be 'in a billion homes' in the next couple months
Former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho lost his bout over the weekend to undefeated prospect...
Constrictor Coach: Paulo Thiago 'does great in training, but can't give it all during the fight'
K-1 super-slugger Melvin Manhoef has been booked for "Dynamite!! 2010" against an opponent to be...
UFC Quick Quote: Can Cain Velasquez get past the hands of Junior dos Santos?
Bellator 34 fight card finalized for Oct. 28 in Hollywood
UFC 121: Matt Hughes was laughing at Joe Rogan
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson has 'no problems' heading into UFC 123 main event against Lyoto Machida (Video)
Brendan Schaub: 'I'd love to match up with Frank Mir, I think I would give him a lot of problems'
UFC 122: Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira vs Vladimir Matyushenko official for Nov. 13 in Germany
Game over? EA Sports MMA 'appears to be more or less DOA at retail' stores
UFC 123: Groin injury forces Gabe Ruediger to withdraw from Paul Kelly fight on Nov. 20
Brock Lesnar UFC 121 breakdancing GIF
Cain Velasquez, UFC Heavyweight Champion, gets the ending he dreamed of against Brock Lesnar at UFC 121
UFC 121 video recap with Dana White on ESPNs 'MMA Live'
Brock Lesnar Round 5 MMA collectible UFC 121 predictions contest winners announced!
Shane Carwin: Don't Write Off Brock Lesnar Just Yet

Cain Velasquez TMZ video on UFC 121 win over Brock Lesnar

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 05:26 PM PDT

Will he be a marketable champion?

UFC on Network TV? Dana White expects to be 'in a billion homes' in the next couple months

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 05:23 PM PDT

Props: Broadcasting Cable

Quoteworthy:

"A lot of people don't realize we are in a half a billion homes around the world. You know all the things we've been through in the United States, but this sport travels well. Cricket will never be big here and the NFL will never be big around the world. But we are all human beings and fighting is in our DNA. We get it and we like it. So we are working on a couple moves now and should be in a billion homes around the world in the next couple months. Sports Business Journal just came out with a survey asking big names in the industry which sport could start its own network and 4 out of 5 said us. They are right. I agree. That will happen within the next couple years.You are starting to see now ESPN is starting to cover us more. I think this is one of those things ESPN will probably kick themselves in 10 years saying, 'We could have fucking had that.'"

UFC President Dana White believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be broadcast to "a billion homes" in just a few months -- but on which channel? The sport of MMA has grown significantly since UFC 1 back on Nov. 12, 1993. Since then, new rules, medical suspensions and fighters adapting to more than just one style have transformed MMA from bar-room brawl to bona fide sport. Now the UFC is getting coverage from ESPN worldwide, on the verge of being on Network television and being treated as legitimate. What do you think Maniacs? Is the UFC finally hitting the mainstream status Dana White hoped for? Or do you take this news with a grain of salt, since it's not the first time we've heard it?

Former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho lost his bout over the weekend to undefeated prospect...

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:53 PM PDT

Former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho lost his bout over the weekend to undefeated prospect Marcos Rogerio de Lima by unanimous decision.

Constrictor Coach: Paulo Thiago 'does great in training, but can't give it all during the fight'

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:48 PM PDT

Props: Tatame

Quoteworthy:

"He did a great first round, but then he started to decrease his performance, and Diego started to improve. We can’t understand, Paulo is doing great on the trainings and can’t give it all during the fight. We get a wonderful support from the Police, but I think that (what’s lacking) is the focus on the trainings, more dedication. In Brazil we suffer a lot because of the lack of sponsorship, but we have to fix his training load. If Ultimate (UFC) gives him another shot, it might be on an undercard fight."

Paulo Thiago's coach on Team Constrictor, Ataide Jr. says his fighter does well in training, but can't seem to put all the pieces to the puzzle together when it's fight night. He admitted that part of the problem could be Paulo's lack of focus and dedication due to his duties as part of an elite special police force in Brazil. The once undefeated prospect burst onto the UFC scene with an upset knockout win over now number one contender Josh Koscheck back at UFC 95. He continued to impress by hanging with Jon Fitch in a close, but unanimous decision loss at UFC 100. After a unanimous decision win over Jacob Volkmann and a submission win over Mike Swick, Thiago was neutralized by Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez in back-to-back defeats. Has Thiago fallen off the UFC's welterweight division? Or does he just need to become a full-time fighter?

K-1 super-slugger Melvin Manhoef has been booked for "Dynamite!! 2010" against an opponent to be...

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:37 PM PDT

K-1 super-slugger Melvin Manhoef has been booked for "Dynamite!! 2010" against an opponent to be named, according to a Tweet from "It's Showtime."

UFC Quick Quote: Can Cain Velasquez get past the hands of Junior dos Santos?

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:29 PM PDT

"For me it doesn't matter who was gonna be my opponent. What matters is that I get that title for me. Yeah, [Cain Velasquez] is tough, but I'm tough too. I believe so much in me and my hands. I think he's gonna try to put me down but I have a good defense for takedowns and if he can get past my hands, he gonna try to take me down."

The number one contender for the UFC heavyweight title, Junior dos Santos, is impressed with champion Cain Velasquez's performance at UFC 121 when he took Brock Lesnar's title in just over four minutes. While "Cigano" had praise for Velasquez (via MMA Fighting), the Brazilian believes he has good enough takedown defense to win -- assuming Cain can get past his deadly hands. What are your early predictions for this bout? "Brown Pride" or "Cigano?"

Bellator 34 fight card finalized for Oct. 28 in Hollywood

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 02:15 PM PDT

CHICAGO, Ill. (October 25, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the Local Feature Fights for Bellator 34 taking place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL on October 28th. Headlining the local main event is hard-hitting Miami native John Kelly (4-1) facing off against well rounded William Kuhn (5-4) in welterweight action.

In the local co-main event of the evening, two Florida-based bantamweights square off when Miami's own Tulio Quintanila (4-1) returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since scoring a devastating third round knockout of Brian Eckstein in August, meets Orlando's Ralph Acosta (2-3) in a fight that should have fans on their feet.

The action continues as two undefeated fighters meet when John Queiroz (3-0) faces off with J.P Reese (1-0) in a lightweight clash where only one will exit with their perfect record intact.

Brazilian submission finisher Igor "The Legend" Almedia (6-2) takes on The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 veteran Dan Cramer (5-2) in a battle of intriguing middleweights as the fights continue to roll on.

Rounding out the local card will be two Florida natives returning to the Bellator cage as Frank Carrillo (2-1) takes on Hollywood's own Moyses Gabin (5-3) in middleweight action.

"We always love coming down to Hollywood and bringing the fight fans a great show," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "With two Bellator Championship fights on the card, along with some great local feature fights, this will be a great season finale for Bellator."

In addition to the local feature fights, an additional main card fight has just been scheduled with explosive submission specialist Raphael Davis (9-1) squaring off against former King of the Cage heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Tony "Kryptonite" Lopez (19-4) in a 205 lbs. battle. Davis is no stranger to Bellator, as the powerful Californian took out Demetrius Richards at Bellator 22 with an impressive submission victory.

Bellator 34's main card also includes:

* Bellator will crown its' first Women's Champion when the world's top pound-for-pound female fighter Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii (22-0) squares off against knockout artist Zoila "Warrior Princess" Frausto (9-1). Already holding the record for most consecutive wins to start a career, Fujii looks to continue her impressive streak against a dangerous Frausto.
* Hector Lombard (26-2-1) will defend his Middleweight crown as Bellator Season 2 winner Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko (29-3) looks to dethrone the champion and become the new Bellator Middleweight Champion. Sporting a perfect 5-0 record in Bellator with all five wins coming by knockout, Lombard looks to continue his domination of the division against the toughest challenge he has faced in the Bellator cage.
* A Bellator Middleweight Special Feature Fight between undefeated Serbian prospect Dragan "Gagi" Tesanovic (7-0) and knockout artist Mike "El Gringo Diablo" Bernhard (8-2).

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.

UFC 121: Matt Hughes was laughing at Joe Rogan

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 01:27 PM PDT

Props: Matt-Hughes.com

Quoteworthy:

"Jake Shields fight was interesting to me. Jake ran out of gas, but still ended up getting the split decision. From a technical view, Kampmann had a terrible fight, in my opinion, he gave the fight to Shields. One thing I will say is Joe Rogan’s commentary was a little off during the fight. The ground game was pretty even in my book with Shields doing a little more controlling. Kampmann escaped to his feet several times and Kampmann had more submission attempts than Shields had, but listening to Rogan, you would have thought Shields had submitted him the first ten seconds of being on the ground. I really think the UFC could use a third man doing the broadcast, that has some experience inside the Octagon. I don’t disagree with everything Rogan says, but there are a lot of things he says that I just laugh at."

Former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes comments on the debut of Jake Shields at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. Hughes was not impressed with Joe Rogan's performance during the welterweight fight, and wonders aloud if the UFC would benefit from having a third man in the broadcast booth. How about it Maniacs, three's company?

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson has 'no problems' heading into UFC 123 main event against Lyoto Machida (Video)

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 01:26 PM PDT

Brendan Schaub: 'I'd love to match up with Frank Mir, I think I would give him a lot of problems'

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 10:35 AM PDT

That, my fellow Maniacs, is what they refer to as "calling someone out:"

"The last couple of fights I've been so unsatisfied. This one, I definitely thought I was going to get the finish. It just didn't happen, but it's always good to know you can go three rounds. I'd love to match up with Frank Mir. He's one of the stars in the division, and I think I would give him a lot of problems."

And what better place to do it than the UFC 121 post-fight press conference? Schaub was victorious over Gabriel Gonzaga last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim and while he didn't finish "Napao," he did prove that he's quick and agile enough to warrant a step up in competition. But is mixing it up with Frank Mir aiming a bit too high? Or is "The Hybrid" ready to prove (again) that he's a serious threat in the heavyweight division?

UFC 122: Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira vs Vladimir Matyushenko official for Nov. 13 in Germany

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 10:25 AM PDT

Make way for "The Rhino."

Chute Boxe-trained fighter Alexandre Ferreira will make his UFC debut when he fills in for the injured Jason Brilz against Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 122 on November 13 in Oberhausen, Germany.

The UFC made the match-up official earlier today.

"Cacareco" stands at just 5'7" making him one of the shorter fighters in the 205-pound division, but brings with him a serious ground game.

Seventeen of his 18 wins have come by way of submission. Ferreira has tapped out his opponent in the first round in seven straight bouts.

Not too shabby.

"The Janitor" was recently caught on the tracks of the freight train known as Jon Jones his last time out in August.

Prior to the defeat at the hands (and elbows) of "Bones," Vladimir reeled off two straight victories in the UFC against Igor Pokrajac and Eliot Marshall.

Matyushenko has won 11 of his last 13 fights with his only losses coming to Jones and "Lil Nog."

For a complete archive of UFC 122: "Marquardt vs. Okami" news and notes click here.

Game over? EA Sports MMA 'appears to be more or less DOA at retail' stores

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 10:03 AM PDT

"EA Sports MMA," the debut entry into the world of mixed martial arts video games from gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA), dropped for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 back on Oct. 19, 2010, featuring the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion as the official "Premiere League."

The general consensus from Online reviews was that EA Sports MMA was a good, but not great, video game.

And apparently "good" just isn't "good enough," according to Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz (via CVG.com):

"EA is likely to back out of the mixed martial arts genre after its debut offering, EA Sports MMA, made a poor start at retail ... EA's recently released 'MMA' appears to be more or less DOA at retail, while UFC recently announced an extension of its license with THQ, likely putting an end to EA's efforts to expand into the mixed martial arts genre," the analyst said in a research note this morning."

That has to give UFC President Dana White a certain sense of satisfaction based on his history with EA.

White had a very public war of words back in 2009 after he accused the gaming giant of turning down his offer for a video game partnership only to then create one of their own after the massive success of THQ's "UFC Undisputed 2009."

Not coincidentally, THQ recently extended its agreement with the UFC through 2018.

That's not to suggest that it's all wine and roses after renewing their vows. Sales of UFC Undisputed 2010, while strong, haven't been able to meet the lofty expectations that THQ set heading into the fiscal year.

That may change if they have no competition to worry about moving forward.

Does the Zuffa monopoly continue? Or is it just a question of EA failing to deliver a game that can match or exceed the standards of "UFC Undisputed?"

What's your take, Maniacs?

UFC 123: Groin injury forces Gabe Ruediger to withdraw from Paul Kelly fight on Nov. 20

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 09:06 AM PDT

Sorry "Godzilla" fans, but it seems a groin injury has done what Mothra never could.

On the heels of his Boston massacre at UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2," former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 contestant Gabe Ruediger has been forced to withdraw from his 155-pound scrap against Paul Kelly at the upcoming UFC 123 pay-per-view on Nov. 20 in Auburn Hills, MI.

'Zilla dropped the "disappointment" bomb via his official website:

"Ive been training with injuries for this whole camp and Ive been trying to just work around them. One injury that has been giving me daily issues was a groin strain. This happened about 3 weeks ago wrestling. I was wrapping it and just enduring the pain, but Wednesday, I was back to wrestling and my groin tore all the way through. As I laid on the mat I knew it was bad, but it wasnt until Friday that I realized that it would be impossible to be ready for my upcoming bout."

The UFC has yet to announce a possible replacement.

UFC 123 is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight match up of top contenders Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Karo "The Heat" Parisyan has also been given a second chance at UFC stardom against the venerable Dennis "Superman" Hallman.

For the current UFC 123 fight card and rumors click here.

Brock Lesnar UFC 121 breakdancing GIF

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 08:43 AM PDT

Brock Lesnar UFC 121 breakdancing GIF

Cain Velasquez, UFC Heavyweight Champion, gets the ending he dreamed of against Brock Lesnar at UFC 121

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 07:49 AM PDT

And USA Today already has him pegged as a "next generation MMA star:"

"It was a sweet feeling. All the work I put in was for that moment. I pictured it playing out that way. It was the best ending I could think of, as far as the whole story, but I've got to keep getting better and look out for whoever is coming. We've worked extremely hard on this. We worked on getting that single-leg (takedown), dumping it, and if that doesn't work, we run him down. Every Saturday, we drilled the same situations. I'm really proud of my coaches and the people I have training with me."

Newly crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez can finally stop and smell the roses after dethroning former division kingpin Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. The pride of Mexico crumpled Lesnar in the first round of their headlining title affair but knows he may not be able to replicate that performance so easily as Junior dos Santos awaits him in 2011. Is Velasquez the next generation of MMA stars? Or just a commercial until "Cigano" gets back?

UFC 121 video recap with Dana White on ESPNs 'MMA Live'

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 06:44 AM PDT

Brock Lesnar Round 5 MMA collectible UFC 121 predictions contest winners announced!

Posted: 25 Oct 2010 06:40 AM PDT

BROCKTOBER has (unofficially) ended.

And while Brock Lesnar came out the loser at UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" last Saturday night in Anaheim, five lucky MMA maniacs came out winners, by correctly predicting all five outcomes on the UFC 121 televised pay-per-view (PPV) card on Oct. 23.

In association with Round 5 MMA, the high end retailer responsible for mixed martial arts' most recognizable collectible figurines and merchandise, we are awarding the grand prize winner with a full set of Ultimate Collector Series 4 figurines including the Brock Lesnar Championship Edition.

And we've even got a couple prize packages for the runner-ups, because this is an MMAmania.com contest and you wouldn't expect anything less.

See if you're one of the chosen few after the jump.

1) Killtheking
2) Jon G
3) TFung15
4) Kenny Chueng
5) Jennifer Rogers Dixon

Nice work, guys (and gals). You're the proud recipient of some free collectibles thanks to the generosity of our good friends at Round 5 MMA. Make sure to send us your address and a link to your FaceBook profiles (send to contest@mmamania.com) so we can confirm your contest eligibility.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. For more information on Round 5 MMA and to check out their stellar line-up of mixed martial arts figurines and merchandise click here.

Shane Carwin: Don't Write Off Brock Lesnar Just Yet

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 11:45 PM PDT

Props: Shane-Carwin.com

Quoteworthy:

"What Cain did is what great fighters do, they learn from what they can study. How would have my fight turned out if I had let Brock stand and knock him down again and again? It really doesn't matter about what happened last night or in July the only thing that matters is what is to be ... Those of you writing Brock off don't. The man walked into the UFC at the top level (who does that?) and won and defended the UFC HWT Belt. He took a beating from me and came back and found a way to win, he nearly lost his life and he came back and found a way to win, he is 4-2 in MMA and some of the wins are UFC title DEFENSES ... He is a real champion, a real warrior and as long as he keeps training and learning MMA he will continue to be a force. Every great champion will lose the great ones rise again and it would not surprise me to see Brock defending a title again one day. Win or lose he should be respected for being the warrior he is ... The UFC HWT division has an amazing crop of fighters right now with four worthy title holders (Cain, Brock, JDS and myself) and a lot of amazing talent knocking on door to get their name on the list for a title shot... This is going to be the era of the UFC HWTS and I am here to make a impact."

Former UFC Heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin doesn't believe we've seen the last of Brock Lesnar as a major force int he UFC heavyweight division after coughing up his strap to undefeated Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. "The Engineer" was almost the man to do it, until his body betrayed him in the second round, leaving him vulnerable to a Lesnar submission that sent him to the back of the line. Carwin still wants to be a force in this division -- will he be able to overcome the prodigious girth of Roy Nelson in 2011? And what fight awaits him if he does?

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

2010-10-25T05:09:00.001-07:00

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

Cesar Gracie: Jake Shields is the man to beat Georges St. Pierre (Video)
NostraMaine-iac: Did Tim Sylvia predict Brock Lesnar's future back in 2007?
HeadBlade review: No tricks, just treats for the bald and the beautiful this Halloween
Junior dos Santos ready to take the belt from 'tough' Cain Velasquez (Video)
Tito Ortiz 'isn't even close' to calling it a career after UFC 121 loss to Matt Hamill
Does Jake Shields deserve a title shot with split decision win at UFC 121?
UFC 121 video recap with Dana White on Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Tito Ortiz and more (Video)

Cesar Gracie: Jake Shields is the man to beat Georges St. Pierre (Video)

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 04:05 PM PDT

NostraMaine-iac: Did Tim Sylvia predict Brock Lesnar's future back in 2007?

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:59 PM PDT

Sounds like he came pretty close based on his late 2007 interview with Steve Cofield on ESPN 1100:

"I don’t think he’s going to have a future in MMA ... He’s a baby. Don’t kick him [because] he doesn’t want to get hurt. He’s a helluva wrestler and he’s strong. But he can’t punch and doesn’t know how to kick. He can only go straight forward. He can’t survive as just a takedown guy."

After watching former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar turtle under the striking of both Shane Carwin at UFC 116 and more recently Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23), serious questions remain about Lesnar's ability to survive as a title contender when paired with heavy-handed strikers who can stay off the mat. Was Sylvia, who spent some time training with Lesnar prior to his UFC 81 debut, accurate in his assessment of the former WWE star? Or was "The Maine-iac" just taking potshots to keep his fading career in the spotlight?

HeadBlade review: No tricks, just treats for the bald and the beautiful this Halloween

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:59 PM PDT

Who can believe it's that time of year already?

Yes, I'm talking about Halloween, which will soon be upon us, complete with all the usual scares we can attribute to October 31st. Ghosts and Goblins, Dracula and Frankenstein, and of course the most frightening thing any man would ever dare face.

Head shaving with a conventional razor.

If you or one of your fellow fight fans is a regular head shaver, you'll know there's more than just the leaves that are turning yellow this time of year. And that's because not even Michael Myers could wreak the kind of havoc that a traditional beard buster does when applied to the scalp.

Well, I'm here to offer the four most reassuring words in mixed martial arts history: Don't be scared, homie.

If you didn't know there was a hassle free way to shave your head without turning it into a kaleidoscope of scrapes and burns, then you better ask somebody. Or you can continue getting your girl's permission to shave with that pink razor she uses on her legs.

You know, the one with those gooey secretions that make your head look like a roll-on deodorant. That's a good look for a guy these days, right alongside the European shoulder bag and spandex gym shorts.

Personally, I prefer to leave no doubt in regards to my gender, which is why I finally wised up and took my plight to the experts at HeadBlade, who know a thing or two about the bald and the beautiful.

Like me.

HeadBlade razors are specifically designed for the scalp, including an adjustable finger ring and unique concave base that rolls or glides along your head with both precision and ease. No more giving my cranium sloppy seconds with a banged-up blade that just came from my face and neck.

I figure if HeadBlade is confident enough to use their product on a persnickety power puncher like UFC heavyweight contender Shane Carwin, then it's got to be good enough for a keyboard warrior like myself.

I'm just sorry I didn't start using it sooner.

Besides not having to Spackle my head with toilet paper after every shave, I can now fly through airport security as I jet off to MMA events using the HeadBlade Executive Sport Kit.

They even have you covered for Halloween.

Sooner or later that mask is coming off, and no matter how dimly lit the nightclub is during its masquerade ball, you can forget about any after-party tricks or treats if your dome is glazed over like an Easter ham.

No worries, one wipe with the HeadBlade HeadWipe and the runway is clear for takeoff. Of course you wouldn't be glowing like a ballpark floodlight if you had bothered to use HeadBlade's HeadLube Lotion Matte, which gives you the moisture without the shine.

Don't be a pumpkin head. Check out the HeadBlade inventory by clicking here and become a bona fide HeadBlader. The results are sweeter than a pillow case full of Halloween candy (minus the tooth decay).

Junior dos Santos ready to take the belt from 'tough' Cain Velasquez (Video)

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 09:56 AM PDT

Tito Ortiz 'isn't even close' to calling it a career after UFC 121 loss to Matt Hamill

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 09:53 AM PDT

Despite four consecutive defeats -- and winless since 2006 -- "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" still sees his mixed martial arts glass half full:

"I'm not even close to the end of my career. The decision lies in Dana's hands, but I've gone through some surgeries that people don't come back (from). I feel great. Besides my face being a little sore, I feel fine. I need to get back to wrestling. I need to get back to my roots."

His boss, UFC President Dana White, sees it perhaps half empty:

"I don't know what it is, I think it's four in a row, and we know what happens when you lose four in a row in the UFC. This is the big leagues."

Is it possible that White and Ortiz will once again (and soon) part ways after a healthy Ortiz couldn't smash the "Hammer" last night at UFC 121? At this stage of his career, is Strikeforce perhaps a better option for the former light heavyweight champion? Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Does Jake Shields deserve a title shot with split decision win at UFC 121?

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 08:10 AM PDT

UFC President Dana White still seems to think so:

"How could you not be impressed with his performance? He had a tough guy in Martin Kampmann -- Martin Kampmann is no joke. When you come [into the UFC] -- and I don't care where you've been, who you've fought or what you've done -- the guys who you fight in the UFC fight the best in the world three times a year. These guys are no joke and he kept his composure. Yeah, you know, Jake's in the mix. I don't think any less of Jake Shields today than I did yesterday."

It’s not an all-out vote of confidence, but White appears to be sticking to his pre-UFC 121 guns, saying that former Strikeforce and Elite XC champion, Jake Shields, deserves a shot at UFC championship glory despite a not-so-dominant win in his Octagon debut over Martin Kampmann. In his defense, Shields — who has won an incredible 15 straight fights — indicated that a tough weight cut and debut jitters likely contributed to his performance against the "Hitman." But is that a good enough explanation? White made a similar promise to Jon Fitch before and after his most recent win over Thiago Alves, only to turnaround and promise the same prize to Shields. So now that the results are in will White book a true number one contender match between Shields and Fitch or will he really hand Shields the winner of division champion Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck just like that?

UFC 121 video recap with Dana White on Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Tito Ortiz and more (Video)

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 07:19 AM PDT

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

2010-10-24T05:18:00.001-07:00

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

UFC Quick Quote: A 'relaxed' Cain Velasquez 'was in a perfect position' to finish Brock Lesnar in Anaheim
Work? Or shoot? WWE star "The Undertaker" gets in the face of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 121...
UFC 121: Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez fight video recap
'Hammer' time: Matt Hamill wanted to show the world what he's capable of against Tito Ortiz
UFC 121 gate and attendance announced during the "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" post-fight press...
FightMetric UFC 121 report scores 'Shields vs Kampmann' a draw
UFC 121 bonuses and awards for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' PPV fights
Did Cain Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar at UFC 121?
UFC 121 results recap from last night for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
UFC 121 post-fight press conference video airs LIVE on MMAmania.com following 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
UFC 121 videos blog with Dana White (Episode three)
Will Cain Velasquez' skill 'out-do' Brock Lesnar's power tonight at UFC 121?
UFC Quick Quote: 'Disciplined' Diego Sanchez wants to 'amaze' Dana White tonight with finish of Paulo Thiago at UFC 121
Strikeforce Challengers 11 results recap for 'Bowling vs Voelker 2'

UFC Quick Quote: A 'relaxed' Cain Velasquez 'was in a perfect position' to finish Brock Lesnar in Anaheim

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:05 AM PDT

And won the UFC Heavyweight Championship not because he fought harder than Shane Carwin, but because he fought smarter...

"It's kind of surreal right now, I'm still kind of taking it in ... It kind of surprised me how much pressure (Lesnar) did put in, he did surprise me with that. When I felt that he was close (to getting stopped) I saw Herb Dean out of the corner of my eye start coming in, but I wasn't sure that he was going to stop it because the same thing happened with him and Shane Carwin. I didn't want to exert so much energy and just throw punches wild. I wanted to look for my shots because he was covering up well. I was just trying to be relaxed and look for the shots. I was in a perfect position and didn't need to go crazy and go wild. It was kind of hard because he was covering up well."

Newly crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez used brains as well as brawn to dethrone former division kingpin Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 last Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. The pride of Mexico tells Ariel Helwani that he learned from Shane Carwin's mistake, who also crumpled Lesnar in the first round of their contest back in July but gassed himself out trying to finish with a flurry. Will he have similar success against Junior dos Santos when they collide in 2011? And was Joe Rogan right about the possibility of this sport entering the "Velasquez Era?"

Work? Or shoot? WWE star "The Undertaker" gets in the face of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 121...

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 01:03 AM PDT

Work? Or shoot?

WWE star "The Undertaker" gets in the face of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 121 loss to Cain Velasquez in Anaheim.

See video of their bizarre confrontation here.

UFC 121: Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez fight video recap

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:08 PM PDT

'Hammer' time: Matt Hamill wanted to show the world what he's capable of against Tito Ortiz

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:02 PM PDT

Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"I feel great because I want to show people where I'm standing and I want to show the world what I'm capable of. A lot of people still think I'm [green] but I'm more than that. If they want to beat me, it takes more than that to beat 'The Hammer.' It was a real honor to fight my former teacher and I'm just glad it's over. That pressure is off my shoulders. Now I can go see my daughter on Monday after school. I just want to relax and lay on a hammock."

UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill is relieved to have rid himself of the pressure of fighting former division champion Tito Ortiz. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 student dropped the "Hammer" on his former teacher, cruising to a unanimous decision victory over "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" on Oct. 23 in Anaheim. Did his lopsided win have more to do with Hamill's skill? Or Tito's rapid deterioration? Let's hear your take on where these two fit in the current landscape of the 205-pound division.

UFC 121 gate and attendance announced during the "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" post-fight press...

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:44 PM PDT

UFC 121 gate and attendance announced during the "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" post-fight press conference.

Gate: 2.15 million
Attendance: 14,856

UFC 121 bonuses and awards here.

FightMetric UFC 121 report scores 'Shields vs Kampmann' a draw

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:38 PM PDT

Do you agree?

Thanks to FightMetric.com for the stats. Check out the total performance rating for "Shields vs. Kampmann" and a closer look at the grappling report after the jump.

For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC 121 bonuses and awards for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' PPV fights

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:11 PM PDT

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, has officially wrapped, which means that it’s time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts.

To the tune of $70,000 each.

The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 22 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving Orange County with second sack of simoleons.

The "Cain Train" is pulling out of the station with the UFC heavyweight belt and a cool 70k to pad it with thanks to Cain Velasquez's "Knockout of the Night" over Brock Lesnar.

The former champ tried to bumrush the undefeated challenger to open the fight, but couldn't keep his chin out of harm's way and resorted to the tried-and-true turtle defense to run out the clock.

Referee Herb Dean wasn't having it.

In other action, Paulo Thiago tried to send Diego Sanchez back to the lightweight division for good. Unfortunately the "Nightmare" had other ideas.

The Brazilian was active with his submissions, but just couldn't repel the relentless assault from Sanchez, who took home the unanimous decision win and a boatload of green that he earned in his "Fight of the Night" against the B.O.P.E. supercop.

Rounding out the post-fight awards was Daniel Roberts. The "Ninja" made a "Joker" out of Mike Guymon, wrapping him up in an Anaconda choke and squeezing a "Submission of the Night" from him on the untelevised portion of the preliminary card.

Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC 121:

Fight of the Night — Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Knockout of the Night — Cain Velasquez
Submission of the Night — Daniel Roberts

Again, each fighter received $70,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible.

For complete UFC 121 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Did Cain Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar at UFC 121?

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:48 PM PDT

Mr. Velasquez, you are the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Besides a stacked card and pay-per-view (PPV) draw Brock Lesnar, a big selling point for UFC 121 was that Cain Velasquez would get a chance to make history and become the first Mexican heavyweight champion.

Velasquez did just that at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The fight started off in explosive fashion. Lesnar immediately went for the takedown on Velasquez, but couldn't hold it. Lesnar then threw a knee that led to an exciting exchange between the two heavyweight gladiators.

The champion ate a few shots and eventually lost his balance, stumbling across the Octagon. That's when his undefeated challenger smelled blood in the water.

What followed next spelled the end of Lesnar's title reign.

Velasquez unloaded on Lesnar, dropping the champion and continuing the onslaught on the ground. Referee Herb Dean called a halt to the bout as Lesnar turtled with just under a minute left to go in the first round, crowning "Brown Pride" the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

What's next for Lesnar after losing his title? Will he meet Frank Mir for a third time? Is a second fight with Shane Carwin on the horizon? What about the first ever Mexican UFC champ? Will he be up to the task of facing Junior dos Santos?

Let us know your thoughts. What's next for these two warriors?

UFC 121 results recap from last night for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:30 PM PDT

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" went down earlier this evening (Oct. 23) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Most of the talk surrounding the promotion's return to Orange County was the opportunity for Cain Velasquez to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history.

Tonight was that night.

Brock Lesnar heard the opening bell and flipped the switch, charging his smaller foe with a Minnesotan bloodlust that put Velasquez on his keister on two separate occasions to start the main event.

Keeping him there would be another story.

"Brown Pride" kept his composure and retaliated in a calm and collected manner, picking his spots and landing right on the button again and again.

The barrage sent the former champ stumbling and crumbling, and there would be no second round heroics in this contest. The official stoppage came at 4:01 of the first round via technical knockout.

And Cain Velasquez is the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Jake Shields finally made his UFC debut after years of toying with the competition in Elite XC and Strikeforce. The Cesar Gracie disciple, above all else, was looking to secure his spot as number one contender in the UFC's crowded 170-pound division.

And get the respect he deserves in the process.

Standing in his way was welterweight stalwart Martin Kampmann, who made it tough, but not impossible to secure the split decision win. Shields established his grappling dominance early, getting it to the ground and imposing his will in all three rounds.

And he had a little help from "The Hitman's" trunks.

The infraction was hardly a difference maker, and although Shields was completely spent for the second half of the fight, Kampmann played by his opponent's rules, opting to mix it up on the ground when he was on the offensive.

It cost him at least one round, and maybe even the fight.

Was the Dane too concerned about the takedown to let his hands and feet go? And did the speed in which Shields deteriorated leave anyone else wondering if he can be a threat to a cardio machine like Georges St. Pierre?

We may need to see more of him at welterweight to know for sure.

Original "Ultimate Fighter," Diego Sanchez, came into Anaheim at a crossroads, stuck between the division that made him famous (170) and the one that may give him career longevity (155).

Tonight, his dominating unanimous decision win over Paulo Thiago likely helped him with his decision.

The Brazilian supercop was sharp and savvy through the first five minutes, but after Sanchez hulked up and delivered a highlight reel powerslam early in the second stanza, the ticking clock became a "Nightmare" for Thiago.

That's because the bastion of B.O.P.E. was out of gas for the third and final frame, and had no answer for the Sanchez onslaught. Whether it was the suffocating top game or the relentless ground-and-pound, the "Old Diego" looked like he was back -- and back for good.

How much credit does Greg Jackson get for his return?

After four years, a myriad of injuries and a short-term ban from the Octagon, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz desperately needed a win to remain relevant in the 205-pound division.

Not on Matt Hamill's watch.

"The Hammer" went from student to master, beating him to the punch and delivering some trademarked ground-and-pound that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" made famous earlier in his career.

Ortiz came out hard and heavy to start the fight, but by the second round looked his age, and his declining speed and reaction time left him open for a couple of big takedowns that all but secured the unanimous decision win for Hamill.

Have we seen the last of Tito?

Kicking things off in the opening fight of the night was Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 finalist Brendan Schaub, who wanted to prove he was ready for a step up in competition after the promotion paired him with perennial heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga.

Mission accomplished.

"The Hybrid" was the far more effective striker from the outset, landing at will on the flat-footed Brazilian and nearly finishing him in the waning seconds of round one.

Despite his impressive grappling resume, Gonzaga's efforts to get things to the ground were few and far between. Schaub was stingy in his defense, and aside from a few thunderous leg kicks, "Napao" was content to play Frankenstein, lumbering forward with arms outstretched but not really doing much in the way of damage.

Gonzaga celebrated and raised his hands at the end of round three, but he wasn't fooling any of the cageside judges, who awarded Schaub the unanimous decision victory (30-27).

Overall, it was an entertaining night of fights.

That’s enough from us — now it’s your turn to discuss "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" in the comments section below. Are you pleased with all the decisions and their outcomes? How about the return of Diego Sanchez? Can Jake Shields improve upon his performance tonight -- or does he belong at middleweight? Is Tito Ortiz facing a mandatory retirement?

Sound off, Maniacs.

For complete UFC 121 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

UFC 121 post-fight press conference video airs LIVE on MMAmania.com following 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:24 PM PDT

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., is now in the books.

Immediately following the event, promotion president Dana White and a handful of participating fighters will be on hand for the UFC 121 post-fight press conference, which is now embedded below (after the jump) for an approximate 1:00 a.m. ET start time.

A replay will also be available below for those who turn in early or miss the live broadcast altogether.

Be sure to tune in for post-fight reactions from all the major players as well as up-to-the-minute results of all the post-fight bonuses including "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night."

Check out the video below:

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com

For UFC 121 live results and play-by-play click here.

UFC 121 videos blog with Dana White (Episode three)

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 02:22 PM PDT

It's almost showtime!

Will Cain Velasquez' skill 'out-do' Brock Lesnar's power tonight at UFC 121?

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:49 AM PDT

Two-time Olympic-level wrestler Daniel Cormier, who has been helping prepare Cain Velasquez at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) for his fight with heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar tonight at UFC 121, thinks so:

"You can't really find many guys like Brock because he's such a big, fast and explosive wrestler, but what Cain has already is that he's a good wrestler. So we touch on the things that he's good at already and then we implement different techniques because skill will always out-do muscle. We've been working on his skills, trying to lock some things down and make sure he's ready in all areas. I think we've got that accomplished.... We're going to scramble. We're going to make him wrestle. We're going to make [Brock] fight from all positions. It's going to be a tough fight, a long fight, but we're not going to lay under him like a lot of guys have done so far. We're going to take the same approach Randy [Couture] took and get right back up if he does take us down. We're prepared for everything. And like I said, skill will take over power a lot of times, and we've worked on the skills that we need to incorporate into this fight."

The gameplan seems like a good one ... on paper. But everyone seems to think they have a good plan until they get punched in the face. If Velasquez can avoid the takedowns and brutal ground and pound of the powerful champion, can he secure an upset victory? Or is Brock just the exception to the rule, so different that he able to impose his will no matter how fast or strong his opponents? Let's hear it, Maniacs, once and for all. It's almost that time!

UFC Quick Quote: 'Disciplined' Diego Sanchez wants to 'amaze' Dana White tonight with finish of Paulo Thiago at UFC 121

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:47 AM PDT

"That last fight with Hathaway I wasn’t disciplined, wasn’t focused and was making the wrong decisions with my personal life. I had this idea in my head that I was gonna go in there and just knock him out. Karma came around and bit me in the ass pretty hard with a big knee in the face in the first round.... When it’s all said and done, I got my life together; I got my act together. I stopped partying. I said, ‘Hell, I don’t want to lose any more fights in my career.' The only thing I can tell you is I was very humbled by God, and I had to humble my whole lifestyle. I made a lot of changes. I realized what I want in my life. Now I’m just moving toward the positive. The main thing I learned from my losses was that, in the fight game, you earn the victory.... I know in my heart that was a watered-down version of Diego Sanchez. This time around, Dana White is gonna be saying, ‘Holy sh-t, Diego looks amazing at 170."

-- Former number one lightweight contender Diego Sanchez tells Sherdog.com that he intends to finish Paulo Thiago tonight at UFC 121, which is something that Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann have been unable to do before him. Sure, the Brazilian lost two of those four matches (Fitch and Kampmann), but he showed that he is incredibly resilient and can hang with the top guys in the division even in defeat. Is the "Nightmare" -- who currently appears torn between the welterweight and lightweight divisions -- the one who can put actually put Thiago away? Or is Sanchez just a bloated 155-pound fighter who should be happy with a win at 170 pounds regardless of how it happens?

Strikeforce Challengers 11 results recap for 'Bowling vs Voelker 2'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 10:46 AM PDT

Strikeforce Challengers 11: "Bowling vs. Voelker II" has come to a close from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and "Vicious" Bobby Voelker has his revenge.

The granite-chinned Voelker did all he could just to hang on during the first encounter between the two dynamic 170-pound prospects five months ago. He was bullied pretty badly in that fight, and although an accidental poke to the eye brought the fight to a premature end, there was no mistaking that Roger Bowling was the victor.

Tonight, there would be no mistake, either, only it would be Voelker doing the bullying.

Bowling came out with a similar strategy to what he used in the first fight, which was to land with one or two quick punches on his feet and then score with takedowns. But the 31-year-old, battle-tested Voelker was more than ready this time around, stuffing most of Bowling's shots and doing a much better job using his size to score from the outside on his feet.

Bowling's aggression carried him through the first round and probably even had him ahead on points, but round two was all Voelker. He tagged Bowling with big punches on his feet and finished the smaller fighter off with a devastating display of ground and pound that even Chael Sonnen would have to give props to.

It was a big win for Voelker and a bad night for Bowling, who suffered the first loss of his career. Even so, the score is now tied up one apiece.

Another Strikeforce trilogy?

Heavyweight knockout artist Lavar "Big" Johnson was featured in the co-main event opposite fellow heavy hitter, Virgil Zwicker, and the "Big" man did not disappoint, wasting no time finishing off his seventh straight opponent by way of early (technical) knockout.

This was his third straight victory on a Challengers card, and with another dominating performance, he's clearly earned his way onto one of Strikeforce's bigger shows. He wasn't shy about naming possible opponents after the fight, either. Andre Arlovski, Bobby Lashley and Brett Rogers to be specific.

Be careful what you wish for, Lavar.

Undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista returned to action from injury for the first time in nearly a year, locking horns with Waachim Spirit Wolf in what turned out to be a fantastic 165-pound catchweight bout.

Spirit Wolf came out of the gates strong, dropping the Muay Thai specialist with a big punch early and then scoring with some nice takedowns. But once Evangelista shook off the cage rust and established his takedown defense, he found his groove and battled back to win the last two rounds to secure the unanimous decision.

It was a great fight and a good battle for the young Evangelista to have to work his way through in his return from the injury. A fight like that should definitely help clear the cobwebs.

Accomplished female Muay Thai fighter Julia Budd got a chance to put her talents on display for the Showtime audience tonight in what was her mixed martial arts debut. She did not disappoint, laying a beatdown on Shana Olsen en route to a second round technical knockout victory.

A good portion of the fight was contested on the ground, but that didn't seem to bother the stand-up specialist. She looked just as sharp there as she did on her feet. Olsen didn't have an answer for her anywhere.

It's a little crazy to talk about title shots when you've just made your MMA debut, but Cyborg Santos was the topic of conversation in the post fight interview, nonetheless. Budd was respectful of the champ, but there is no lack confidence.

She's one to keep an eye on for sure.

John Devine and Brandon Cash rounded out the main card with their heavyweight contest. It wasn't much of a contest, though. Devine took Cash down with ease and used dominant positions on the ground to work his way to a first round rear naked choke finish.

In undercard action, Cesar Gracie trainee David "Tarzan" Douglas was victorious, handing Dominic Clark the first loss of his career via second round technical knockout.

Next up for the promotion's Challenger Series is a trip to the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., on Nov. 19 for Challengers 12: "Shaolin vs. Wilcox."

Justin Wilcox, an AKA product, will make his fifth start under the Strikeforce banner, previously compiling a record of 3-1 for the promotion. His main event opponent, Vitor Ribeiro, is a submissions expert with a ton of world class experience from his time overseas in the Japanese fight organizations. The match-up should be an excellent technical battle between a fantastic wrestler and a world renowned Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner.

Ryan Couture, son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture, will also be in action on the Showtime telecast, although his opponent has not yet been determined. Stay locked to MMAmania.com for more on that developing fight card.

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

2010-10-23T05:07:00.001-07:00

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

UFC 121 results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (Oct. 23) for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
LAST CALL!: Brock Lesnar Round 5 MMA collectible predictions contest for UFC 121!
Strikeforce Challengers 11 results and LIVE fight coverage tonight (Oct. 22) for 'Bowling vs Voelker!'
UFC 121 weigh in photos gallery for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
UFC 121 weigh ins video highlights for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
UFC 121 weigh in results LIVE from Anaheim for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'
Carlos Condit: George St. Pierre 'plays it safe'
Bellator 33: Ben Askren avoids last minute disaster to capture welterweight title.
UFC 121: Patrick Cote will finish Tom Lawlor in the 'second round for sure'
WEC 53: Jamie Varner vs Shane Roller on tap for Dec. 16 in Arizona
UFC 121: Montezuma's Revenge > Brock Lesnar
Cain Velasquez Sport Science evaluation by the numbers: - Velasquez's heart rate maxes out at 167...
UFC 121 predictions, preview and analysis
MMA Quick Quote: Is Scott Coker trying to save Gilbert Melendez from the wrath of Eddie Alvarez?
UFC 121: 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live'
Brock Lesnar on Jim Rome video interview for UFC 121

UFC 121 results, updates and live play-by-play TONIGHT (Oct. 23) for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 05:01 AM PDT

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez."

Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET and round-by-round coverage of the main card pay-per-view (PPV) action is set to start at 10 p.m. ET! Our coverage of the Spike TV "Prelims" special will begin at 9 p.m. ET.

If you’re going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC 121 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

LAST CALL!: Brock Lesnar Round 5 MMA collectible predictions contest for UFC 121!

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 04:54 AM PDT

So, how do you celebrate BROCKTOBER?

If you answered "By going to MMAmania.com and winning an Ultimate Collector Series 4 Brock Lesnar Championship Edition Figurine," then friend, you've come to the right place. That's right, we're back yet again with another UFC contest give-away featuring none other than UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

In association with Round 5 MMA, the high end retailer responsible for mixed martial arts' most recognizable collectible figurines and merchandise, we will award one lucky Maniac with a full set of Ultimate Collector Series 4 figurines including the Brock Lesnar Championship Edition.

Heck, we'll even throw in a couple of prize packages for the runner-ups because this is an MMAmania.com contest, and you wouldn't expect anything less.

So what do you have to do to get your hands on the "Toughest S.O.B. in the UFC?" It's quite simple, really. Check out complete contest entry details after the jump!:

How do you win the Round 5 Brock Lesnar Prize Package?

STEP 1: You must Round 5 on Facebook to be eligible for this contest. Click here: .

STEP 2: Predict the following winners for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" by leaving your predictions in the comments section below (ONE submission per fan member):

Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann
Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill
Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

STEP 3: Post your entry in the comments section below BEFORE 7 p.m. ET on October 23, 2010.

That's it!

As with any contest, certain stipulations must be met in order to become and remain eligible throughout the duration of the contest.

PLEASE NOTE: *One submission per fan member only and if more than one submission is posted, ALL posts for that member will be void. *If you leave the Round 5 Facebook Fan Page at any time after submitting your prediction, your submission will be invalid -- even if you qualify as the winner.

The first FIVE fan members to correctly predict ALL the UFC 121 main card winners will be awarded with the following Ultimate Collector Series prize packages, in this order:

GRAND PRIZE: Full Set of Ultimate Collector Series 4 with Brock Lesnar Championship Edition

SECOND PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 4

THIRD PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 4

FOURTH PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 3

FIFTH PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 3

Since you have to correctly identify all the winners from the UFC 121 main card in order to win, prizes will be awarded in the order they were received.

What does that mean?

It means you need to get the heck outta Dodge and leave your predictions ASAP. Time is of the essence and you don't want to find out after the event that you placed sixth and won squat because you took your sweet time entering the contest!

Good luck and have fun!

For more information on Round 5 MMA and to check out their stellar line-up of mixed martial arts figurines and merchandise click here. In the meantime, let's hear from all you Lesnar fans! Remember, submission deadline is 7:00 p.m. EST on October 23, 2010.

Strikeforce Challengers 11 results and LIVE fight coverage tonight (Oct. 22) for 'Bowling vs Voelker!'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 06:35 PM PDT

The eleventh installment of Strikeforce's Challenger Series is set to air tonight (October 22) on Showtime from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The five-fight main card will air live on the premium cable channel beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Welterweight prospects Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker will headline the card in a rematch from five months ago that saw Bowling win by technical decision after the bout was prematurely called in the third round due to an accidental eye poke from Voelker.

Heavyweight knockout artists Lavar Johnson and Virgil Zwicker are also set to lock horns in the co-main event, while undefeated Muay Thai specialist Billy Evangelista returns to action from injury to face Waachiim Spiritwolf in a main card lightweight affair.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after the show.

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS 11 QUICK RESULTS:

Bobby Voelker defeats Roger Bowling via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:58 of round two
Lavar Johnson defeats Virgil Zwicker via knockout (strikes) at 2:17 of round one
Billy Evangelista defeats Waachim Spiritwolf via unanimous decision
Julia Budd defeats Shana Olsen via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:51 of round two
John Devine defeats Brandon Cash via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:05 of round one
David Douglas defeats Dominic Clark via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:33 of round two
Paul Ruiz defeats Gregg Baker via submission (armbar) at 1:23 of round one
Richard Parra defeats Avery Kaykeoa via knockout (punch) at 0:56 of round two
Chris Bonilla defeats Alvaro Corral via submission (triangle choke) at 1:26 of round one
Keith Cutrone defeats Brandon Horton via submission (armbar) at 0:16 of round one
Matt Perez defeats Nathan Roberts via technical knockout (strikes) at 1:17 of round three
Christian Buron defeats Mike Gonzales via split decision

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS 11 PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:

James here!

170 lbs.: Roger Bowling vs. Bobby Voelker

Round one: Voelker shows a right and eats a string of kicks from Bowling. Now a huge left hook from Bowling. Both guys busy with kicks. Bowling shoots. Voelker defends it well. Now Bowling gets him to the mat. He uses the cage to get back to his feet, but Bowling is all over him. Voelker sets up a guillotine and pulls guard. Bowling is punching to the body and now he's free of the choke and in Voelker's full guard. To half guard now against the fence. Voelker gets back to his feet and connects with a nice left. Big kick from Bowling. Bowling goes upstairs with a kick. Now he shoots for another takedown. Voelker stuffs it and they're clinched against the cage. Knees from Bowling. Now a quick takedown, but Voelker is back up right away. Knees from Bowling with Voelker's back pinned against the fence. Dirty boxing from both. Bowling going low for the takedown. Voelker does well to defend it. Nice punches from Bowling on the separation. Good counter right from Voelker. Bowling shoots again, but he has nothing. Tied up against the fence again. Knees from both. Bowling goes low again. Again Voelker shrugs it off. Nice exchange after they separate momentarily. Back to the clinch now. Nice shoulder punches from Voelker. Trip takedown from Bowling just before the bell. 10-9 Bowling.

Round two: Voelker with the center and he's jabbing. Nice kicks from both fighters. Voelker the aggressor early in this round. Nice leg kick from Bowling. Nice left from Bowling as he closes the distance for a takedown attempt. Voelker shakes it off and they separate. Jabs from both fighters. Nice left hook from Voelker. Bowling shoots. Voelker sprawls and lands several punches. Bowling is getting hit a bunch here. Now a big left hand rocks Bowling against the fence. He stands tough, though, and shoots for another takedown. Voelker sprawls and lands more punches from there. Now Bowling pulls guard and Voelker lands with more punches. Bowling trying for an armbar. He can't get there. He's trying again. Voelker postures and rains down more ground strikes. Voelker is straight up bullying Roger Bowling here. Fantastic ground and pound from Voelker. The referee has seen enough and he steps in to save Bowling. Wow! Huge win for Bobby Voelker.

Final Result: Bobby Voelker defeats Roger Bowling via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:58 of round two

-end-

265 lbs.: Lavar Johnson vs. Virgil Zwicker

Round one: Zwicker looking bouncy. He fakes a kick. Johnson stalking and swings with a right. Hard leg kick from Zwicker. Now a knee from Johnson and they tie up momentarily. Nice kick from Zwicker. He's showing good movement early. Johnson misses with a big right hand and Zwicker makes him pay with a leg kick. Johnson moving forward with jabs and he misses again with that right hand. Zwicker staying busy with punches and kicks, but he walks right into a huge punch from Johnson. Now he's backpedaling. He still kicking, though. Johnnson with a flurry of punches now. Zwicker looking for a clinch. Knees from Johnson as he drives Zwicker into the fence. Uppercuts now from Johnson. Big punches from Johnson and Zwicker is done! The referee steps in and Lavar Johnson continues to dominate the Challenger Series.

Final result: Lavar Johnson defeats Virgil Zwicker via knockout (strikes) at 2:17 of round one

-end-

165 lbs.: Billy Evangelista vs. Waachim Spiritwolf

Round one: Evangelista moving forward with Spiritwolf circling. Spiritwolf connects with a lunging right hand. Evangelista goes tumbling backward and Spiritwolf is all over him. He appears to be okay, but Spiritwolf is on top looking to land punches. Evangelista eats a couple of solid shots and then works his way back to his feet. Still clinched and against the fence now Spiritwolf working knees. Knees from both now. Spiritwolf goes low looking for a takedown. He gets it. Evangelista gives up his back but gets back to his feet. Spiritwolf picks him up and slams him back into the mat! Evangelista climbs back to his feet again, but Spiritwolf is still latched onto him. Knees from a busy Spiritwolf. Now a right hand. Now a single leg takedown attempt. Evangelista makes him pay with a nice knee, but Spiritwolf is still working for the takedown. More knees from Evangelista. Now a nice uppercut on the separation from Evangelista. Evangelista coming forward now and he lands a huge knee as Spiritwolf closes the distance for a clinch. Nice reversal from Evangelista and another knee. Spiritwolf still working for a takedown. Evangelista still defending it well and landing knees. Knee from Spiritwolf now. Another. Big misses from Spiritwolf on the separation. Evangelista now connects with a bomb! Spiritwolf looks wobbly. Elbow from Evangelista. Uppercuts from Spiritwolf. Back into the clinch with Spiritwolf looking for a takedown. The round ends there. Good round. Spiritwolf 10-9.

Round two: Evangelista takes the center right away. He ducks a right hand and they're back in the clinch with Spiritwolf driving him into the fence. Spiritwolf makes good on the takedown now. Evangelista reverses nicely and takes the top position. Nice punches from Evangelista. Spiritwolf climbs back to his feet, but they're still clinched. Knees from both fighters. Spiritwolf goes back to working for a takedown. Evangelista sprawls and shows a knee on the separation. Evangelista moving forward. Uppecut from Spiritwolf. Kicks from Evangelista. Nice uppercuts from Spiritwolf again. Evangelista shoots now, but Spiritwolf defends it well. Clinched against the cage again here and Spiritwolf scores with a takedown. Evangelista is back up and he lands a couple knees. More uppercuts from Spiritwolf. They separate and Spiritwolf looks gassed. Evangelista walking him down. Nice left hand from the undefeated fighter. Leg kick from Spiritwolf. Big right hand from Evangelista. Jab now. Inside leg kick from Evangelista. Hard left hand. Now a right. Now he shoots. Spiritwolf sprawls and now he's working for a takedown. They separate quickly and Evangelista goes back to work with punches on a tired Spiritwolf. Leg kicks from Spiritwolf. Nice exchange with both guys landing. Spiritwolf looking for the takedown again. Evangelista defends it and jabs before the bell. Nice round again. Tough to judge.

Round three: Evangelista stalking. Jabs from Spiritwolf. Right hand from Evangelista. A left hand from Evangelista turns Spiritwolf. He misses on a follow up high kick, but has some momentum built up here. Nice punches from Evangelista. Now he lands with a kick to the face. Spiritwolf falls into a takedown attempt. Evangelista has done a lot of takedown defending against the cage in this fight. They separate and Evangelista walking forward with punches. Spiritwolf still firing back. Body kick from Evangelista. More punches and a high kick from Evangelista. He's starting to open up now with his strikes. Spiritwolf misses with a right hand and eats two from Evangelista for it. Nice one-two from Evangelista. Superman punch from Evangelista. Spiritwolf still jabbing and firing punches, but he's eating a lot more than he's landing. Evangelista with another kick upstairs! Spiritwolf shoots again, and they're back against the fence. Spiritwolf is very tired. Evangelista finally gets separation and he goes back to work with punches. Jabs from Spiritwolf! Great action here at the end of the fight. Both fighters punching and connecting. Slamming takedown from Spiritwolf at the bell! Wow! Awesome ending. I think Evangelista did enough to win the last two rounds, but what a great showing from Spiritwolf!

Final result: Billy Evangelista defeats Waachim Spiritwolf via unanimous decision

-end-

145 lbs.: Shana Olsen vs. Julia Budd

Round one: Budd with some stiff jabs right away. Olsen shoots in for the takedown. Budd defends it well against the cage. Budd has Olsen pinned into the fence now and she's working some knees and dirty boxing from there. Nice elbow on the exchange from Budd. Olsen circling and she eats a nice flurry of punches from Budd. Budd stalking bigtime here. Nice punches and kicks from a confident Budd. Leg kick from Olsen finds a home. Now she catches a body kick from Budd, but she can't get the takedown. She works for a body lock and now she has the takedown. Nice reversal from Budd and she takes the top position in half guard. Budd moves Olsen towards the fence and she's working a guillotine from half guard. Olsen gets out and moves away from the fence. Olsen trying to sweep, but Budd shows good control. Hammerfists from Budd. Now she postures up and lands a punch before Olsen can tie her back up. The referee calls for a stand up now and he's going to take a point away from Julia Budd for an illegal elbow on the ground. Wow. Back underway. Olsen moving forward with weak jabs, but she eats a couple from Budd instead just before the bell. 9-9 with the point deduction.

Round two: Budd takes the center, but Olsen shows some aggression with a flurry of punches before initiating a clinch. Budd reverses and puts Olsen's back into the fence. Knees from Budd. Both women working hard for position. Foot stomps from Budd. Again Budd connects with an elbow on the separation. Olsen closes the distance right away and gets back to the clinch. She's working hard for the takedown, but Budd lands on top of her in side control. Now to full mount and she's raining down the punches. Olsen gives up her back now and Budd continues to land punches. Back to full mount. More ground strikes. Olsen is in deep trouble. And that's it. The referee has finally called a stop to the onslaught. Impressive showing for Budd in her debut.

Final result: Julia Budd defeats Shana Olsen via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:51 of round two

-end-

265 lbs.: Brandon Cash vs. John Devine

Round one: Gloves touch and we're underway with the first fight of the night. Cash has the center with Devine circling. Hard leg kick from Cash. Jab from Devine. Now he shoots for a single and he gets it. Cash gives up his back, but he works back to his feet. Devine is latched onto him. Cash bent over eating some punches against the fence now. The referee steps in for a separation. Devine jabs and Cash kicks low. Another hard leg kick from Cash before Devine closes the distance and gets another takedown. Cash gives up his back again. Devine landing punches, and now he has both hooks in. More punches from Devine. He flattens Cash out and he's setting up the choke. It doesn't take him long. He slaps on the rear naked and Cash taps right away. Excellent win for John Devine.

Final result: John Devine defeats Brandon Cash via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:05 of round one

UFC 121 weigh in photos gallery for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 06:22 PM PDT

Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery)

For complete UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" weigh in results click here. To view UFC 121 weigh in video highlights click here.

UFC 121 weigh ins video highlights for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 06:14 PM PDT

Check out another version after the jump:

UFC 121 weigh in results LIVE from Anaheim for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 12:53 PM PDT

The official weigh-in event for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" went down earlier today (Oct. 22, 2010), from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Each fighter scheduled to compete on tomorrow night's pay-per-view (PPV) card hit their respective mark without incident.

Aside from a few intense staredowns, there was very little in terms of fireworks, though Tito Ortiz went to the well (yet again) with a tee-shirt directed at Dana White, this time proclaiming the UFC President his "hero."

Uh-huh.

Complete UFC 121 weigh in results and video replay after the jump:

Main event:

265 lbs.: Brock Lesnar (264) vs. Cain Velasquez (244)

Main card (Televised):

170 lbs.: Jake Shields (170.5) vs. Martin Kampmann (170)
205 lbs.: Matt Hamill (203.5) vs. Tito Ortiz (206)
170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez (170.5) vs. Paulo Thiago (170.5)
265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga (254) vs. Brendan Schaub (239)

Spike TV "Prelims" (Televised):

185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen (185) vs. Court McGee (184.5)
185 lbs.: Patrick Cote (185) vs. Tom Lawlor (185)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

265 lbs.: Gilbert Yvel (249) vs. Jon Madsen (254.5)
155 lbs.: Sam Stout (155.5) vs. Paul Taylor (155)
170 lbs.: Mike Guymon (170) vs. Daniel Roberts (170)
185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Dongi Yang (186)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 121 beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 23. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com.

Carlos Condit: George St. Pierre 'plays it safe'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 12:51 PM PDT

Props: TapouT Radio (via Fighters Only)

Quoteworthy:

"A fight with me and Fitch would definitely make sense and a fight with GSP would be a huge opportunity for me, I definitely wouldn’t turn it down. Georges St. Pierre didn’t have the same gameplan against Dan Hardy that I did. Like you guys say he is playing it safe these days and that is his prerogative, but I come to finish no matter who it is."

Top welterweight contender Carlos Condit apparently doesn't mind fighting his Greg Jackson partner, welterweight champion George St. Pierre if the opportunity presented itself. He also believes the champ would rather play it safe than risk it all, a contrast to the style of the "Natural Born Killer." Condit leapfrogged the welterweight division with his stunning first round knockout of Dan Hardy at UFC 120. Is there tension brewing between the Greg Jackson fighters? Or is Condit just being honest?

Bellator 33: Ben Askren avoids last minute disaster to capture welterweight title.

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 12:43 PM PDT

Bellator 33: Ben Askren avoids last minute disaster to capture welterweight title.

UFC 121: Patrick Cote will finish Tom Lawlor in the 'second round for sure'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 11:15 AM PDT

Props: MMA Weekly

Quoteworthy:

(In response to Lawlor exchanging with him) "Fine with me. If he wants to do that, his night could be really, really short. If it’s not in the first round, it will be in the second round for sure. Especially with his style and my style, there is no way this fight goes to a decision.

Patrick Cote doesn't believe Tom Lawlor stands much of a chance if he engages in a standup battle tomorrow night (Oct. 23) at UFC 121. Cote will square off against Lawlor in the first bout of the live prelims on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. "The Predator" looks to get his first win since having surgery on his right leg, but "The Filthy Mauler" stands in his way. Can Cote make a comeback at UFC 121? Or will Lawlor hand the Canadian middleweight his third loss in a row?

WEC 53: Jamie Varner vs Shane Roller on tap for Dec. 16 in Arizona

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 10:31 AM PDT

An interesting lightweight matchup is brewing between two accomplished 155-pound juggernauts at WEC 53 on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona. The two fighters are former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner and submission ace Shane Roller.

Sources confirmed to MMA Weekly that the fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.

Varner has enjoyed success in the WEC, winning his first four bouts and capturing lightweight gold upon his entrance in the organization. Things haven't been as smooth lately for "Showtime," going 0-2-1 in his last three fights. Not only does Varner want his first win since January of 2009, but he would also like to wash away the taste of defeat to his long-time enemy Donald Cerrone.

Varner isn't the only one looking to come back from a loss.

Roller was on a roll with WEC, going 5-1 in his last six bouts, winning four of those bouts by submission. With wins over Marcus Hicks, Danny Castillo and Anthony Njokuani, Roller was making a name for himself in the lightweight division. The NCAA Division I Wrestling standout was stopped in his tracks when he submitted to a triangle choke courtesy of Anthony Pettis in August. Roller now looks to get back on the winning track with a big win over a former champion.

In the main event of a stacked WEC 53 card, Ben Henderson looks to keep his run as WEC lightweight champion going strong as he defends his title against "Showtime" Anthony Pettis. Another exciting title bout will be the co-main event when Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defends his belt against Scott Jorgensen. Also recently announced, top WEC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone battles once undefeated top prospect Chris Horodecki.

Stick with MMAmania.com for more updates on WEC 53: "Henderson vs Pettis" as they become available.

UFC 121: Montezuma's Revenge > Brock Lesnar

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 10:18 AM PDT

Props: TMZ.com

Quoteworthy:

"I'm not too big of a fan of Mexican food but every once and awhile I'll have a burrito or two. A burrito and a Corona -- but don't drink the water, baby."

From epic beards to epic beers, UFC Heavweight Champion Brock Lesnar is getting bombarded by Mexican-related questions heading into his UFC 121 main event against Cain Velasquez on Oct. 23. Is the "Brown Pride" factor becoming a distraction to what is (on its own) a stellar match-up between two great heavyweights? Or does the significance of crowning a Mexican champion warrant these increasingly wacky questions?

Cain Velasquez Sport Science evaluation by the numbers: - Velasquez's heart rate maxes out at 167...

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 09:37 AM PDT

Cain Velasquez Sport Science evaluation by the numbers:

- Velasquez's heart rate maxes out at 167 BPM, very low, on par with elite endurance athletes
- Velasquez's punch registers at 2230 lbs of force, a harder punch than any boxer ever measured in the Sport Science lab
- Velasquez's takedown generates 5000 watts of power in his hips and 2700 lbs of force, on par with NFL defensive pro Dwight Freeney

Video of his trip to the fight lab can be seen in this week's "MMA Live" video (Part 4) by clicking here.

Props: Bloody Elbow

UFC 121 predictions, preview and analysis

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 07:46 AM PDT

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, is finally upon us, as the world's largest fight promotion brings its stable of stars back to Orange County tomorrow night (Oct. 23) live on pay-per-view (PPV).

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET.

How special is Brock Lesnar?

I would argue that even the most jaded mixed martial arts fan is fired up about Saturday night's main event. Love him or hate him, people turn out to see Brock Lesnar. Haters have already crowned opponent Cain Velasquez the new division champion, while the gopher-huggers are busy breaking down a Lesnar vs. Dos Santos fight for 2011.

One of those two sides will have some apologizing to do on Sunday morning.

Of course let's not overlook the long-awaited Octagon debut of Jake Shields. A lot of pundits were calling for the ex-Strikeforce champ to go right to the top of the food chain.

The UFC had other plans.

Will Martin Kampmann play spoiler, and hand yet another high profile free agent a debut loss inside the cage? Or will Shields all but cement his status as welterweight number one contender?

I've also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant.

Now, enough with the formalities ... we've got work to do:

265 lbs.: Brock Lesnar (5-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (8-0)

Nostradumbass predicts: Brock Lesnar is the UFC Heavyweight Champion -- and that's a title I fully expect him to have come Sunday morning. In his last three fights, the pasty-faced Goliath defeated two former world champions (Mir, Couture) and survived a five-minute shellacking to come back and submit the sport's most powerful puncher.

Not impressed?

I laugh when people tell me Lesnar was "exposed" in the Carwin fight. Exposed as what? A genetic freak who can bench-press a Volkswagen and doesn't like to get hit? I'm sorry, did we not know that already? And how come the same people who praised Anderson Silva for having the "heart of a champion" against Chael Sonnen slam Lesnar for the same performance?

Is Lesnar one of our better technical fighters? Hardly. But he doesn't need to be. All he needs to do to be successful is to nullify his opponents strengths using his speed and power.

And that's exactly why I favor him over Velasquez, because there is nothing Cain brings to the fight that Lesnar cannot withstand, neutralize and give back tenfold.

Now, I keep hearing how Cain is the better wrestler. I went back and compared their collegiate records side-by-side and well, I just don't see it. Let's give Velasquez the benefit of the doubt. We'll call them equal mat rats. If that's the case, then I'm sticking with the old bar-fight maxim that a good big man will always beat a good little man.

"Yes, but Cain is the superior striker," they'll say. Well, if you count quantity over quality then sure, I guess so. But keep in mind that Velasquez hit Cheick Kongo over 250 times and couldn't finish him. Yeah, that was UFC 99, the same fight where Velasquez folded up faster than George Jetson's car every time Kongo touched his chin.

How many times did "Brown Pride" hit Ben Rothwell at UFC 110 before the referee got bored and decided to call it a day? And if his punches were so deadly, how come "Big" Ben was still getting to his feet when it was stopped?

And please, I beg of you, don't put too much stock in his knockout win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The poor guy is one head-bouncer away from adult diapers, he shouldn't even be competing at this point.

Cardio? I saw Brock do three rounds with ease against Heath Herring and he's in much better shape for this fight. If you're throwing the "more muscle, less oxygen" medical babble at me, don't bother. Lesnar is a bona fide athlete, not a swollen strongman who can't pay the bills.

Cain Velasquez is a talented fighter with a well-rounded arsenal and I definitely have him in the top five of his division. However, I don't believe he would have ever gotten this title shot if he had to go through Shane Carwin, and perhaps the UFC didn't either since they hastily canceled that fight in 2009.

In the end it won't matter. He was good enough to get to the top -- but Lesnar will prove on Saturday night that he's just not good enough to stay there.

Betting lines (as of Oct. 22):

Lesnar: -145 ((Bet Now))

Velasquez: +115 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Lesnar via technical knockout

170 lbs.: Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (17-3) vs. Jake Shields (25-4-1)

Nostradumbass predicts: Why make Georges St. Pierre fight Jake Shields when you can force him to rematch Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch? Nothing fans like more than when a promotion holds a division hostage for months on end. Now we may never see these two mix it up because Martin Kampmann is going to ruin it for everybody.

That's not a knock on Shields. I think he's one of the world's best. But if there is any fighter he matches up poorly against it's Martin Kampmann. There's a reason the great Dane is 15-3, because he's that friggin' good. Remember all that jazz about Paulo Thiago's run at the title?

Kampmann's two UFC losses hurt his credibility but they probably shouldn't have. He was knocked out by Nate Marquardt in a division that he had no business fighting in even in spite of his success at 185. And his loss to Paul Daley? That's what happens when you fight with your ego and not your gameplan.

Shields biggest strength is his grappling (duh). But in 18 fights, Kampmann has never been submitted. Thales Leites couldn't do it. Neither could Carlos Condit or Paulo Thiago. That suffocating top game that Jake put on display as a middleweight in Strikeforce had a lot to do with his size. The extra weight afforded him the muscle gain to bully guys around. You can say goodbye to that power at 170, which means that even if he does get "The Hitman" to the floor, he may not be able to keep him there.

That tells me all Marty has to do is stick-and-move. He's a far better striker than Shields and remember, it's a three round fight. He only needs two of them to win. Is it unreasonable to think he can't stuff a few takedowns and be busier in the stand-up?

I think Shields will be still be feeling the effects of cutting weight for his first fight back at 170. That, coupled with a back injury in training camp (yes, it was 12 weeks out, but it's still time away from camp while you recover), and I just think Jake has all his eggs in one basket. If he can't get this thing south, he's in big trouble.

I predict Kampmann plays it safe and cruises to a decision.

Betting lines (as of Oct. 22):

Shields: -200 ((Bet Now))

Kampmann: +160 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Kampmann via unanimous decision

205 lbs.: Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (9-2) vs. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-7-1)

Nostradumbass predicts: Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Tito Ortiz, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and original "Bad Boy," is so far removed from relevancy in his division that he's not the main event, not the co-main event, heck, he's not even favored to beat one of his former students.

That's what happens when you build a career on Ken Shamrock.

All kidding aside, if you take away the Shammy fights, his last (T)KO win was over Elvis Sinosic at UFC 32 almost ten years ago. Yikes. He couldn't beat Randy Couture, he couldn't beat Chuck Liddell, and his three wins outside of the Lion's Den were two split decisions (Griffin, Belfort) and a UD over Patrick Cote.

It's hard to build a case for Tito, but I'll try anyway, because I do think he wins.

Matt Hamill likes Ortiz. What happened the last time he liked his opponent? Ask Rich Franklin. "The Hammer" is a tough scrapper and he hits hard, but I don't think he'll have the killer instinct in this fight. Without it, I can see "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" getting the takedowns. At will? No, but enough to steal the rounds.

If you look at what Hamill has done, he knows how to hang. I thought he won the Bisping fight (but lost the Jones fight) so his record still balances out. Anyone who doesn't think he has power should re-watch the Mark Munoz fight.

Basically we have two good wrestlers, two average strikers and one giant head. It wouldn't surprise me to see this thing even after two rounds of ugliness, but Hamill's gas tank will betray him in the final frame, and Ortiz will land that last convincing takedown to squeak out a split decision win.

Betting lines (as of Oct. 22):

Hamill: -170 ((Bet Now))

Ortiz: +140 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Ortiz via split decision

170 lbs.: Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (21-4) vs. Paulo Thiago (13-2)

Nostradumbass predicts: Diego Sanchez used to be a "Nightmare" at welterweight -- until the rest of the division eventually woke up. Gone are the days of David Bielkheden and Luigi Fioravanti, there are some talented prospects at 170 and Sanchez found that out against John Hathaway earlier this year.

I was surprised he ever left 155. Yeah, he was turned inside out by BJ Penn, but that's hardly a knock on anyone's career. All the tools that made him dangerous as a welterweight were magnified in the smaller class and who didn't want to see if "KenFlo" could exact his revenge?

When a fighter bounces in and out of weight classes, it sends up a red flag. The same red flag as when fighters bounce from camp-to-camp. I think Diego knows deep down that he can't be a champion in either division and it's probably messing with his head. There was a time when I didn't think Sanchez could be rattled, but I don't like where he's at mentally for this fight.

And Paulo Thiago is not a flash in the pan.

He was null and void against Martin Kampmann not because he lacked the skill, but because "The Hitman" had a superior gameplan. I think that loss did more for the Brazilian than a win, as it afforded him the opportunity to come up with a "Plan B" when the fight starts to get away from him.

Trying to find a weakness in Thiago is difficult. Outside of being frustrated by Kampmann, his only other defeat in 15 fights was to Jon Fitch, who did what Jon Fitch does better than anyone else, so again, there isn't much to glean from that loss.

Thiago is probably more respected for his ground skills, but his stand-up is underrated. Forget about knocking out Koscheck, that was more instinct than execution, but his hands have evolved and that makes him better all around than Diego.

Sanchez is one dimensional. He always has been. But it never became a liability because he knew how to apply that one dimension so effectively. Unfortunately the sport has evolved and Diego hasn't, which is why I see him falling on the scorecards for the second straight fight.

See you at 155 (I hope).

Betting lines (as of Oct. 22):

Thiago: -130 ((Bet Now))

Sanchez: +100 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Thiago via unanimous decision

265 lbs.: Gabriel "Napao"Gonzaga (11-5) vs. Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub (6-1)

Nostradumbass predicts: Funny how getting knocked on your keister can change the trajectory of your entire career. Fortunately for "The Hybrid," I don't hold the KO loss to Roy Nelson against him. Like Schaub, I believe it was the best thing that ever happened to him as a fighter.

The former TUF 10 finalist didn't respect Roy Nelson's power. Heck, he didn't respect Roy Nelson period and he paid for it. The good news is that by his own admission, Schaub had to become a more "cerebral" fighter. That means leaving your ego at the door and focusing on winning.

And who better to have your back than Greg Jackson?

Schaub has six wins -- all by technical knockout. In fact, he's never even seen a round two. Sound like any other heavyweights you might know?

I like him in this match-up. He's quicker, more technical on the feet and just savvy enough to stay out of Gonzaga's submissions.

Now, the Brazilian Yeti is a household name, but just like people have a tendency to put too much stock in a loss, "Napao" enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top by doing the Reginald Denny on Cro Cop's Croatian cranium. In 2007, beating Cro Cop was big news. These days, it's barely noteworthy.

Prior to the Filipovic win, Gonzaga was beating up a bunch of people you've never heard of. And after? Well, he was stopped by a much smaller Randy Couture and slapped silly by Fabricio Werdum for the second time in his career.

The bottom line is that Gonzaga can't get the big win. I named "The Natural" and "Vai Cavalo" but he also crumbled against Carwin and Dos Santos. I know they're all elite, but you need to have one big win over a top name to be considered a major player in this division.

I don't want to pull one of those "You're only as good as your last fight" bits, but the way this sport evolves, a 2007 win over a burned out Cro Cop just isn't enough to convince me that Gonzaga can still hang with the best and the brightest heavyweights.

Speed kills, and aside from a few rough patches, this should be Schaub's fight all day.

Betting lines (as of Oct. 22):

Gonzaga: -165 ((Bet Now))

Schaub: +135 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Schaub via technical knockout

That's a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez."

What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.

MMA Quick Quote: Is Scott Coker trying to save Gilbert Melendez from the wrath of Eddie Alvarez?

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 07:06 AM PDT

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney seems to think so:

"There aren’t promotional issues. There aren’t any barriers. There aren’t any hurdles... What television network is it going to be on? We’ll do it on Showtime. Where will the fight happen? Well, let’s do it in San Jose. The answers to the questions are very simple. There’s no reason that fight shouldn’t happen but for the fact that the promoter of Gilbert Melendez doesn’t want it to occur."

So does the Bellator Lightweight Champion:

"Scott Coker doesn’t want it to happen. He’s trying to obviously protect his champion. I guess he has every right to. He has a business to run. Whatever... I want to be number one in the world, and the only way to do that is to fight people like Gilbert [Melendez]. If we can get our hands on him and the contracts work out, then that’s what we’ll do. Until then, it’s just talk. The paper’s gotta be signed. Let’s make it happen."

Well, things started off playful and nice, but now the Bellator boys (via Bloody Elbow) sound like they're past the talking stage of these negotiations. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently entertained the possibility of bringing the 155-pound champions (and consensus top five ranked lightweights) into a superfight under a co-promotion agreement. Of course there exists several obstacles when two promotions come together but if Coker can make it work with M-1, they can likely make it work with anyone -- and for probably a fraction of the price. Rebney has already conceded venue and network. What say you now, Mr. Coker?

UFC 121: 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' video preview on ESPN's 'MMA Live'

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 06:23 AM PDT

Brock Lesnar on Jim Rome video interview for UFC 121

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:39 PM PDT

I haven't heard but Rome brings up some negative comments that Sonnen stated against Brock. Brocks answer was priceless and I believe he was serious? I think Sonnen is using Brocks name to get his own along with some much needed publicity with the possibility of him being suspended for a year, but once again comes out ass a jackass. The beard was a topic once again and mayhemmike FYI he grows it every winter.

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

2010-10-22T05:34:00.001-07:00

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

UFC 121 videos blog with Dana White (Episode two)
Bellator 33 results: Alvarez dominates Huerta, Askren claims welterweight title
Strikeforce Challengers 11 preview and predictions for 'Bowling vs Voelker'
Jake Shields vs Martin Kampmann UFC 121 video preview
WEC 53: Donald Cerrone vs Chris Horodecki booked for Dec. 16 in Arizona
Bellator 33 headliners Eddie Alvarez and Roger Huerta confident heading into tonight's (Oct. 21) main event
Beard Science: Lesnar facial hair draws cheers at UFC 121 press conference
UFC 121: Brendan Schaub 'more a of cerebral fighter' heading into Gabriel Gonzaga fight (Video)
Once more, with feeling: Tito Ortiz is healthy, wealthy and wise
UFC Quick Quote: Are teammates not fighting because one guy is scared of the other?
Boost Mobile announces partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as "Official Wireless...
'Nightmare' returns: Diego Sanchez 'dropping back to 155' after UFC 121
Fedor Emelianenko: 'To my knowledge, Alistair Overeem is against fighting me' (Video)
UFC Quick Quote: 'Cole Konrad is the key to Brock Lesnar's success'
Former pro wrestling manager Paul Heyman snaps a pic of "the beast in his O.C. lair" prior to UFC...
Report: Chris Leben arrested on suspicion of DUI following Oct. 19 car crash

UFC 121 videos blog with Dana White (Episode two)

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Bellator 33 results: Alvarez dominates Huerta, Askren claims welterweight title

Posted: 22 Oct 2010 04:59 AM PDT

Philadelphia, PA -- Bellator Fighting Championships hailed from the City of Brotherly Love tonight with a star-studded and stacked card.

Philadelphia fans were treated to a night of world-class MMA with the Bellator 33 which took place at the Liacouras Center in downtown Philadelphia. The night featured a special non-title Super Fight between Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and UFC veteran Roger "El Matador" Huerta.

Also on the card was a Bellator World Title Fight between reigning champ Lyman Good and Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champ Ben Askren.

"What an incredible night of fights, my first thank you tonight is to the city of Philadelphia," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "The crowd, the energy was great, I’m glad Philadelphia fans were treated to a world-class mixed martial arts display."

In the night’s main event Bellator Lightweight Champion and hometown hero Eddie Alvarez took on former UFC fighter Roger "El Matador" Huerta in a non-title Super Fight. With Philadelphia fight fans on their feet the two took the center of the cage looking to bang with chants of "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie," echoing throughout the arena.

"Definitely a success tonight, everything I could have dreamed of went exactly according to plan. Everything went perfectly I couldn’t be more happy," said Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.

The champ found his range early with powerful shots that hurt Huerta in the first round. The high octane action continued throughout the round with Alvarez buckling Huerta against the cage with heavy shots; however, Huerta was able to recover and employ some effective counter punching that kept the crowd on their fight.

The two fighters traded kicks early in the second round with Alvarez becoming the aggressor yet again, taking the center of the cage and backing Huerta down. The champ consistently found openings for his upper cut and lead straight right that Huerta did not seem to have an answer for.

At the end of the 2nd round it appeared that Huerta had sustained an injury, this was confirmed when the referee waved off the third round, giving Alvarez a TKO victory, much to the delight of the fans in attendance.

Hailing from New York, the powerful undefeated Bellator World Welterweight Champion Lyman Good found himself with a largely hometown crowd behind him in his title fight against Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Champion Ben Askren.

Askren, a former Olympian who is widely regarded as one of the most talented wrestlers to transition to MMA, took the champ down within the first ten seconds of the fight. Good looked to methodically improve his position throughout the first round with brief stints on the feet only to be taken back to the ground by Askren.

Askren mounted Good easily in the second and third rounds, and the defending champion was unable to defend against Askren’s superior wrestling. The referee stood the two fighters up briefly in the fourth round, which saw exchanges from each fighter, but ended with Good on his back yet again.

Late in the fifth round Good found a home for a devastating upkick that caught Askren directly on the chin stunning him briefly and giving Good the opportunity to grab an arm and sink in a deep triangle/armbar; however, with the heart of a champion Askren regained his composure and ended the 25 minute fight in the full mount position.

The tremendous effort by Askren resulted in a passing of the torch in the Bellator Welterweight Division and crowned him the new undisputed Bellator World Welterweight Champion.

"I’m glad people got a chance to see my heart. I’m pretty happy with my performance. I told people I was ready to five and that’s what I did," said Askren. "I’ve only been punching things for about a year, so I have a lot of room for improvement."

Earlier in the evening Former Olympic Judoka Rick Hawn battled powerful striker LeVon Maynard. Both fighters were cautious early, feeling out each other’s power and range. However, after a failed trip attempt by Maynard, Hawn found his opponent in position for a perfectly executed Judo toss, which he executed beautifully, following it up with powerful hammer fists that put an end to the fight.

The referee stoppage occurred at 4:53 of the first round.

Also on the main card was Brazilian submission specialist Wilson Reis taking on dangerous WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius. In the back and forth fight, both fighters found comfort on their feet but it was Reis who proved to be the more aggressive fighter, ultimately awarding him a Split Decision victory [29-28, 29-28, 29-28].

Local Feature Fights:

Tim Carpenter def. Jamal Patterson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Kenny Foster def. Lester Caslow via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Luiz Azeredo def. Eduardo Guedes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nick Cottone def. Tuan Pham via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fran Evans def Lewis Cassner via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 3:20

Strikeforce Challengers 11 preview and predictions for 'Bowling vs Voelker'

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:09 PM PDT

The Strikeforce Challenger Series will resume on Showtime this Friday night (Oct. 22) from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California with "Bowling vs. Voelker," the eleventh event in the series. The main card will air live on the premium cable network beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given some quick analysis and predictions for those featured fights. Check it out below.

170 lbs.: "Relentless" Roger Bowling vs. "Vicious" Bobby Voelker

The first fight between these two was entertaining as hell, but for the most part it was a one-sided beating being laid down by Bowling. Had the fight gone the full fifteen minutes, he probably would have taken his dominating decision victory and moved on up the ladder with the likes of Tyron Woodley.

But since it ended prematurely after an accidental eye poke, Strikeforce is going to cash in on the rematch. I don't blame them, and I'm not complaining, either. Like I said, the first fight was action packed and very entertaining. I'm all for watching it again, but I'm not expecting a different result in the win/loss column.

Sure, Voelker showed he could take a lot of Bowling's best shots and keep on fighting, but before the eye poke, he was still getting schooled in basically every aspect of the fight. Bowling was tagging him on his feet, out-wrestling him in the clinch, and beating him up on the ground.

I think Bowling was more surprised than anything by how much punishment Voelker could take. He was used to finishing guys early, and with the shots he was landing, he had to be thinking he was close to putting him away. He probably came out a little bit defensive in the third round, with it being unfamiliar territory, and with him basically having the fight already in the bag at that point anyway.

The fight wasn't all that close, though, and the bottom line is that Bowling is better. He proved that he can take Voelker down and be effective with ground and pound. He also confirmed what we already knew about his superior boxing and overall stand up game. And now he knows what it's like to be in a war, one-sided or not.

It's hard not to be a Bobby Voelker fan, but I think he's out-classed by Bowling and it will show again in this rematch.

Final prediction: Roger Bowling via decision

265 lbs.: Lavar "Big" Johnson vs. Virgil "The Rezdog" Zwicker

This will be Lavar Johnson's second fight since being gunned down at a family picnic in Bakersfield, California just over fifteen months ago on Fourth of July weekend, 2009. He'll be looking for his seventh straight win by some type of knockout in this fight.

Zwicker is a hard hitter, himself, with six of his eight wins coming by TKO, and his overall record is impressive at 8-1. His only loss was by decision to a last minute replacement opponent that out-weighed him by forty pounds. Still, the quality of competition he's faced versus who Johnson's been in there with, is a big difference, and that's saying something, because Johnson's resume isn't anything to necessarily shine a light on.

The point is that Zwicker is stepping up onto a bigger stage against a tougher and more skilled opponent, and I don't think he's going to last very long, especially with his aggressive style. I think he's going to end up like most of Johnson's other recent opponents, on the wrong end of a knockout.

Final prediction: Lavar "Big" Johnson via knockout

165 lbs.: Billy Evangelista vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf

This has "showcase" written all over it for Evangelista.

Strikeforce hasn't had the opportunity to get their undefeated prospect any cage time over the past eleven months because of an injury he suffered to his thigh in the Jorge Gurgel fight at "Challengers 4," but before that setback he was considered to be near the top of the Strikeforce 155 pound division.

There were even talks of possible number one contender bouts on the table for the Muay Thai specialist. He was on the fast track to a potential title shot. But now that he's been on the sidelines for so long, the promotion has clearly given him a tune-up fight here with Spiritwolf, no disrespect.

Spiritwolf has competed fifteen times in just over four years of professional fighting, and during the time Evangelista has been out with the injury, he's only been getting better by staying very active and compiling a record of 2-1-1 in four fights.

But even so, a healthy Evangelista should prove to be too much for him because a healthy Evangelista has enough wrestling to keep the fight standing, and he has enough technique and power to earn some type of finish from there.

Cardio has always been an issue for him, though, and the longer this fight goes, the more chance there is for cage rust to become an issue. It's also worth noting that the fight will be contested at a catchweight of 165 pounds because Evangelista has apparently put on a little bit of weight.

I will say this, if Evangelista isn't completely healed up or he's not in fighting shape, he may be in for a much tougher battle than I'm giving credit for. But I still say he'll come out firing and win by knockout early.

Final prediction: Billy Evangelista via knockout

That's a wrap. Sound off with your predictions in the comments section below, and remember to check back on fight night for our live blow-by-blow coverage of the event.

Jake Shields vs Martin Kampmann UFC 121 video preview

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 02:15 PM PDT

WEC 53: Donald Cerrone vs Chris Horodecki booked for Dec. 16 in Arizona

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 12:13 PM PDT

An intriguing lightweight battle between two 155-pound warriors will take place at WEC 53 on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Arizona as top WEC lightweight title contender Donald Cerrone takes on once top undefeated prospect Chris Horodecki.

Sources close to bout agreements confirmed the matchup with MMA Weekly.

Cerrone recently put on one of the best performances of his career, defeating long time rival Jamie Varner late last month. The "Cowboy" has gone an even 2-2 in his last four bouts, losing to the current WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson twice. Holding victories over Anthony Njokuani, Rob McCullough, Ed Ratcliff and "Showtime" Varner, Cerrone is ready to make Horodecki his next victim.

Horodecki was a top undefeated lightweight prospect before running into Ryan Schultz who delivered an upset TKO loss to the Canadian back in 2007. After losing to Njokuani in stunning highlight reel fashion in his WEC debut, "The Polish Hammer" racked up two much needed wins over Danny Downes and "9 mm." Horodecki will try to build on his momentum by defeating Cerrone, which would be the biggest win of his young career.

In the main event of WEC 53, Ben Henderson will look to continue his impressive run as WEC lightweight champion as he defends his title against "Showtime" Anthony Pettis. Also on the card is another title bout as Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defends his belt against Scott Jorgensen.

Stick with MMAmania.com for more updates on WEC 53: "Henderson vs Pettis" as they become available.

Bellator 33 headliners Eddie Alvarez and Roger Huerta confident heading into tonight's (Oct. 21) main event

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 11:22 AM PDT

Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will meet Roger Huerta in a non-title match-up tonight (Oct. 21) at Bellator 33 live from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

And both "The Silent Assassin" and "El Matador" believe they have the skills to knock the other one off their perch.

This long-awaited bout has been under consideration ever since Huerta made his Bellator debut earlier this year. The former UFC lightweight standout was able to win his first contest with the organization by submitting Chad Hinton, however, was not able to keep the momentum going as he suffered an upset unanimous decision loss to Pat Curran in the lightweight semi-finals tournament less than a month later.

"The Silent Assassin" on the other hand, has been on quite a roll as of late. The 26-year-old champ hasn't lost since New Years Eve of 2008 when he was submitted by current Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Since then, Alvarez has been on a five fight winning streak. He defeated all five opponents by submissions including three rear-naked choke wins over Eric Reynolds, Toby Imada and most recently Josh Neer.

Alvarez (20-2) realizes that Huerta (21-4) has heart, but the champ believes he has the skills to finish his opponent. Through Bellator, he stated "My intentions will be to finish this fight, especially in my hometown. I want to make sure I give them what they paid for."

In the past, some fighters haven't exactly been on the best of terms with Bellator such as Dave Herman, but don't expect the lightweight champion to bad mouth the organization. "The relationship I have with Bellator right now is amazing. They're really giving me a voice as a fighter and treating me like a professional athlete. They're compensating me correctly and I couldn't be happier. It makes me want to give back to them even more."

Alvarez will be competing in his hometown when he steps into the cage tonight. "The Silent Assassin" feels that will be a big advantage for him. "The only times I've ever lost have been outside of the United States. I've never even lost a fight here in the states so I'm definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That's not going to happen. Not a chance."

Going into his bout with "El Matador," Alvarez won't be satisfied with an unconvincing victory. He wants to beat Huerta like he's never been beat before. "Roger is a great fighter and I love this fight, but my fight is never with my opponents. It's more about me. I'm not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It's important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I'm one of the best lightweights in the world. I've fought a lot of guys that supposedly had "iron chins" and almost every time, they're the guys I put away."

If you thought "The Silent Assassin" would come into this fight looking to outpoint "El Matador," think again. "My intentions will be to finish this fight, especially in my hometown. I want to make sure I give them what they paid for. I know I can fight. I know I'm one of the top lightweights in the world, and I know I can finish my opponents -- whoever they put in front of me."

Huerta has competed with top lightweights including Clay Guida, Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard, but Alvarez believes he's capable of defeating any challenge thrown his way. "I feel like there's not a lightweight out there that I can't beat. This is something I've been looking for. This is something the fans have wanted to see for a long time now. I don't care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you're obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, they're obviously trying to make moves."

Alarvez has a ton of confidence going into tonight's bout, but will he be facing the most dangerous Huerta yet? "El Matador" seems to think so.

Huerta explained why he's more focused than ever. "Losing to Curran put the fire back into my training and completely revived my hunger for competition. I respect Eddie for all of his accomplishments in the sport. I believe that he's one of the best lightweights in the world, if not the best."

Knowing that it's been a tough road thus far, Huerta want's to prove to the world that he's still a threat at 155Ibs. "This is the biggest fight of my entire career. "I believe that I'm one of the best fighters in the world and being matched up with Eddie will bring the best out of me. When I beat Eddie, I'll show that I'm one of the best in the world too. I've lost a lot of close decisions and they're all very heart breaking for me every time. I just can not leave it in the judge’s hands. Nobody can. Those hard decisions have taught me to try to finish my fights."

"El Matador" wants people to realize that not only is he still relevant in the lightweight divsion, but he's also one of the best.

Huerta looks to prove it tonight. "I believe that I'm one of the very best in the world. I just need to show up. I need to go out there and prove it. I need to be ready. The last few years have been quite a slump for me. I've a lot of issues in my personal life, but it's up to me to come back and me strong. I feel like I'm in a better place mental than I have been for a while."

Who will come out on top in this thrilling lightweight clash?

Beard Science: Lesnar facial hair draws cheers at UFC 121 press conference

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 10:19 AM PDT

Props: MMA Fighting

Quoteworthy:

"I finally hit puberty and I just wanted to try it. No, It's wintertime, I'm going hunting, and I'm from Minnesota. It's that time of year. We just grow beards."

Sorry conspiracy theorists, but UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is not getting scruffy to give his chin an extra layer of padding in his UFC 121 title fight against Cain Velasquez.

The crowd shows its hairy love after the jump (1:57 mark):

UFC 121: Brendan Schaub 'more a of cerebral fighter' heading into Gabriel Gonzaga fight (Video)

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 10:10 AM PDT

Once more, with feeling: Tito Ortiz is healthy, wealthy and wise

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:55 AM PDT

Props: Sherdog.com

Quoteworthy:

"I’d like to be in those (championship) shoes once again, and Saturday night will be the first step to make that happen. Camp’s gone perfect. No injuries. The first time in seven years that I haven’t had any injuries, and I’m very, very thankful. Someone’s looking over me. It’s time to battle. Time to go to war ... I’m in a good place. I’m in a very good place. Physically and emotionally, I’m in a place that I’ve always wanted to be in. I’m not going to hold anything back. I’m not going to leave it in the judges’ hands. I’m going to fight with my heart, my determination, my mind, as hard as I possibly can. I’m going to leave it all out in the cage."

Hear ye! Hear ye! "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is alive and well! A surgically repaired Tito Ortiz wants to make sure the fans know he's perfectly healthy and had a "great" training camp heading into his UFC 121 fight against Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 pupil Matt Hamill on Oct. 23 in Anaheim. Of course if he loses, what will he have to say for himself? If every loss in the past four years can be attributed to an injury, what does it mean if the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion falls on Saturday night? It could mean he's done, and the stakes have never been higher for his "Punishment" career. Can he pull it off?

UFC Quick Quote: Are teammates not fighting because one guy is scared of the other?

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:51 AM PDT

According to UFC President Dana White, that may be the case:

"The bottom line is, and the way that that's been in the UFC, it's been a camp thing. You'll find a couple of camps that are saying, 'oh no this guy's my friend, I'm not fighting him.' What? This isn't personal, this isn't, 'oh I hate him, I'm going to fight him.' You train, you work hard to be the best mixed martial artist you can be, and you're going out to compete against other mixed martial artists to prove you're the best. Me personally, what I think, is when one guy says, 'oh he's my friend I won't fight him,' that means I train with this guy and this guy's probably going to kick my ass. That's what I get out of that. I'm not confident enough to fight this guy."

The Zuffa boss was on the Jim Rome show (via MMA Weekly) talking teammates and not surprisingly, he's trying the psychological approach to perhaps goad some stubborn camps into throwing down. Now all he needs is the media to play their part in his scheme at the next press conference. "Excuse me, this question is for Mr. Koscheck. Dana White said you might be afraid to fight Jon Fitch? Your response to that?"

Boost Mobile announces partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as "Official Wireless...

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:39 AM PDT

Boost Mobile announces partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as "Official Wireless Partner" beginning with UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" on Oct. 23 in Anaheim.

'Nightmare' returns: Diego Sanchez 'dropping back to 155' after UFC 121

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:42 AM PDT

Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"He’s a tough guy. I think his striking’s good, but I don’t think it’s great. I think he kinda got lucky with the Koscheck knockout and I don’t think he’s some flashy standup guy. I see a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guy; that’s his base, that’s his foundation, and that’s his strength. As far as his wrestling goes, he’s been outwrestled in the past by several guys so I see holes in his game. I think he’s very tough and I think he’s the perfect opponent for me right now in my career. And just for the record, I do plan on dropping back to 155 after this fight. Me and Greg (Jackson) and the team are just gonna work together and see what (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) can get lined up for me. And like I said, my whole mindset is to earn the victory and that’s it."

The original "Ultimate Fighter," Diego Sanchez, may be making his final appearance as a welterweight when he takes on Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 this Saturday night (Oct. 23) in Anaheim. Promotion President Dana White, along with many mixed martial arts pundits, believed his "nightmare" loss to 170-pound rising star John Hathaway at UFC 114 back in May was a clear indication that he was better suited for the lightweight division. Is there a chance we may finally see that long awaited rematch with "KenFlo" in 2011?

Fedor Emelianenko: 'To my knowledge, Alistair Overeem is against fighting me' (Video)

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 08:41 AM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: 'Cole Konrad is the key to Brock Lesnar's success'

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 07:35 AM PDT

That's according to MMA analyst Franklin McNeil, who shares a few words from the undefeated Bellator Heavyweight Champion (pictured) on ESPN.com.

Says Konrad:

"There are a few areas in Cain's game where you can exploit some openings, and he's pretty vulnerable for some heavy shots. Some of [the vulnerabilities] stem off his wrestling style in some different positions. I know Brock has worked on those positions extensively. Cain is an athletic, tough dude; there's no other way around it, but he's got some holes Brock is looking to exploit ... [Lesnar's size] will play a huge role. He's 265 pounds, he's solid and it's a big load to carry around. It gets an opponent tired; even if he has good wind, he's going to get tired having that weight that's constantly moving and pulling and jerking at him the whole time. It's a big advantage for Brock. Besides, he's so focused now; his improved diet was just another piece to the puzzle. He comes in every day, and he's on his A-game. He has better endurance every day and he brings it every day in practice. He's in great shape."

Will "The Konrad Factor" come into play against Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in Anaheim? McNeil thinks the experience Konrad has against Velasquez as a collegiate wrestler could be the edge Lesnar needs as they prepare for his Oct. 23 title defense. So how about it, does Brock benefit from having Konrad at his gym on a daily basis? Or will it make no difference since the NCAA and MMA are two completely different animals?

Former pro wrestling manager Paul Heyman snaps a pic of "the beast in his O.C. lair" prior to UFC...

Posted: 21 Oct 2010 06:53 AM PDT

Former pro wrestling manager Paul Heyman snaps a pic of "the beast in his O.C. lair" prior to UFC 121 in Anaheim.

Report: Chris Leben arrested on suspicion of DUI following Oct. 19 car crash

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 08:18 PM PDT

UFC Middleweight Chris Leben has reportedly run afoul of the law for the second time in the past three years, as "The Crippler" was allegedly arrested on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after crashing his vehicle in the early morning hours of Oct. 19.

From the Hawaii News Now:

Officers arrested Christian Leben, 30, a middleweight fighter known as the Crippler, on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant Tuesday. He was released from custody after posting $1,000 bail.

Police say Leben was driving on the west-bound side of the H1 Freeway just before 2 AM, when he lost control of his pickup and crashed into a wall near the Kapiolani Boulevard off ramp. He was allegedly driving without a license and without insurance.

Leben, who has admittedly struggled with substance abuse throughout his adult life, served time for a DUI charge back in 2008.

The original Ultimate Fighter (TUF) bad boy was released from the Clackamas County Jail in Portland, Oregon, back on May 15, 2008, after serving time behind bars for a probation violation stemming from an outstanding DUI arrest in 2005.

He was sentenced to a 35-day bit with credit for time already served and was originally slated to go home on May 27, but was able to complete his time under home detention. His time behind bars wiped out a fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 85, but it eventually took place a few months later at UFC 89.

Leben would go onto lose the fight via unanimous decision and then test positive for performance enhancing drugs. He was suspended by the promotion for none months shortly thereafter.

Leben -- who recently resurrected his career with back-to-back wins over Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama in a span of two weeks is currently booked to battle Brian Stann at UFC 125, which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan 1, 2011.

It's unclear at this time if this latest brush with the law will change those future fight plans. Stay tuned for more details.

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

2010-10-21T05:28:00.001-07:00

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

Dana White: I call Cain Velasquez 'The Terminator' -- he won't stop until he finishes you (Video)
Bellator 33 weigh in results for 'Alvarez vs Huerta'
Bellator 33 weigh in results for 'Alvarez vs Huerta'
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 6 recap and discussion
UFC 121 pre-fight press conference airs today (Oct. 20) LIVE on MMAmania.com at 5 p.m. ET
UFC 121: Jake Shields ready to earn his respect with a debut win over Martin Kampmann in Anaheim
Cain Velasquez video on ESPNs 'SportsCenter' to promote Brock Lesnar fight at UFC 121
UFC Quick Quote: Cheick Kongo wanted a 'high-crotch,' not a handful of shorts
MC Hammer's Alchemist MMA today announced the acquisition of six new MMA fighters, including former...
Jon Jones: 'I will never fight Rashad Evans'
UFC 121: Paulo Thiago will 'contain' Diego Sanchez on Oct. 23 in Anaheim (Video)
Programming reminder: UFC 116 & Primetime 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' tonight (Oct. 20) on Spike TV
Eddie Alvarez: 'I'm going to finish' Roger Huerta at Bellator 33
UFC 121: Brock Lesnar and his epic beard will 'nullify' Cain Velasquez on fight night (Video)
Latest UFC 121 odds and betting lines for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23
UFC 124: Rafael Natal vs Jason Bongfeldt booked for Dec. 11 with Jason MacDonald hurt
Tonight, the role of 'Pot' will be played by Yoshihiro Akiyama ...
UFC Quick Quote: What happens to Cain Velasquez if Brock Lesnar doesn't get tired?

Dana White: I call Cain Velasquez 'The Terminator' -- he won't stop until he finishes you (Video)

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:20 PM PDT

Bellator 33 weigh in results for 'Alvarez vs Huerta'

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:16 PM PDT

Philadelphia, PA. (October 20, 2010) - On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships' debut in Philadelphia, the fighters competing in tomorrow's event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this afternoon.

Bellator 33 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Roger Huerta (155 lbs.) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs.) @ 155 lbs.

Ben Askren (170 lbs.) vs. Lyman Good (170 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.

Deividas Taurosevicius (145 lbs.) vs. Wilson Reis (146 lbs.) @145 lbs.

Rick Hawn (171 lbs.) vs. LeVon Maynard (171 lbs.) @170 lbs.

UNDERCARD:

Jamal Patterson (206 lbs.) vs. Tim Carpenter (206.5 lbs.) @205 lbs.

Edward Gueddes (159 lbs.) vs. Luis Azeredo (159 lbs.) @ 160 lbs (catchweight).

Nick Cottone (130 lbs.) vs. Tuan Pham (129.5 lbs.) @ 130 lbs (catchweight)

Kenny Foster (146 lbs.) vs. Lester Caslow (146 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.

For more on Bellator 33: "Alvarez vs. Huerta" click here.

Bellator 33 weigh in results for 'Alvarez vs Huerta'

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:15 PM PDT

Bellator 33 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

MAIN CARD:

Roger Huerta (155 lbs.) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs.) @ 155 lbs.

Ben Askren (170 lbs.) vs. Lyman Good (170 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.

Deividas Taurosevicius (145 lbs.) vs. Wilson Reis (146 lbs.) @145 lbs.

Rick Hawn (171 lbs.) vs. LeVon Maynard (171 lbs.) @170 lbs.

UNDERCARD:

Jamal Patterson (206 lbs.) vs. Tim Carpenter (206.5 lbs.) @205 lbs.

Edward Gueddes (159 lbs.) vs. Luis Azeredo (159 lbs.) @ 160 lbs (catchweight).

Nick Cottone (130 lbs.) vs. Tuan Pham (129.5 lbs.) @ 130 lbs (catchweight)

Kenny Foster (146 lbs.) vs. Lester Caslow (146 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.

For more on Bellator 33: "Alvarez vs. Huerta" click here.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 6 recap and discussion

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 07:00 PM PDT

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 12, featuring welterweight coaches (and division rivals) Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre, is back for Episode 6 and Koscheck opens the episode by "double teaming" Michael Johnson while he stretches out.

Spirits are up for Kos and Co. now that they finally bagged their first win. He turns to the team to get some input on the final matches. Assistant Coach Dave Camarillo is playing field general and shares the stress behind trying to match up the fighters to their advantage.

Back at the house, Johnson continues to get his buttons pushed, now that Team Koscheck is "acting immature" and "not like good sports" following Nam Phan's win on Episode 5. Coach K shows up at the pad to ruffle a few feathers -- especially Johnson's.

Time for the first fight announcement and Marc Stevens will fight Cody McKenzie, who flicks Koscheck in the face after the stare down.

Coach St. Pierre finally makes an appearance and he tells his team not to fall for the antics of Team Troll, who just want to get a rise out of them by acting like bozos.

McKenzie trains for Stevens, who they've dubbed "Little Koscheck," and admits to not being a wrestler or athletic guy, but likes to scrap and throw hands.

And of course he has that tricky guillotine.

He runs into Koscheck in between the changeover and McKenzie tells the camera with a straight face that if they ever fought he "would give him a beating."

Uh-huh.

Stevens gets busy in the gym and drops the tried-and-true "He's never fought anybody like me." He's also adamant about not getting submitted. While McKenzie sees him as a "paycheck," Stevens considers his fight just another day at the office.

Both fighters weigh in without incident.

Dana White drops by for another stellar analysis. He's calling Stevens the favorite and that takedowns will be few and far between because of the fear of the guillotine.

Unfortunately McKenzie tells the guys that Stevens is better than him and every area but "once we get in there it doesn't matter what we learned." Sounds like a good philosophy. So what the hell are these guys paying Greg Jackson all that money for?

Stevens promises to send Cody back to his Crown Royal and chew.

Elimination fight #5: Marc Stevens (12-5) vs. Cody McKenzie (10-0)

Round 1: Wow, it's 10:31. This must be a quick fight if they plan on getting another one in before the show's over. And what happens? Stevens dives in for the takedown on a high kick attempt, lands it, and gets caught in the one place he didn't want to be: The friggin' guillotine. Peace out.

Cody McKenzie defeats Marc Stevens via submission (rear naked choke).

Koscheck looks shell-shocked. Stevens mans up and congratulates McKenzie before promising to come back stronger if given another chance. Hard to knock a guy like that.

In the locker room, GSP warns the team not to pound the walls or act like A-holes just because they pulled off the huge upset. Better to act nice and go crazy inside the cage.

In the opposing locker room, it's eerily quiet, almost like Jonestown. Nothing but a bunch of still bodies slumped across the wall and on benches.

Fight pick, take two, and Coach St. Pierre (back in control) picks Jonathan Brookins to fight Sevak Magakian.

Brookins is outside getting his yoga on, stretching and becoming one with nature. Then he's shown kicking some butt in training and getting plenty of accolades from Coach GSP. Brookins refers to himself as "just a baby" in this sport.

Unfortunately they go head-to-head on the mat and "Rush" gets busted open. He tries to keep it hidden from Koscheck but nope, Kos sniffs it out and starts the name calling.

"The Crazy Armenian" gets his chance to shine and Coach K calls him the "Alpha Male" because Sevak growls a lot and scowls in training. He wants to win to honor his late father and the rest of his supportive family.

And he knows Judo, go figure.

Koscheck says being a fighter is not about training or athleticism, it's about heart. And to think these guys wasted all that time in the gym when all they needed was to murk the Tin Man and jack his goods.

Elimination fight #6: Jonathan Brookins (11-2) vs. Sevak Magakian (8-3)

Round 1: 10:55. Another quickie. Both guys a little tentative on the feet. Sevak rushes in and Brookins soufflés him like a rag doll. They scramble on the ground and Sevak jumps up. Brookins is all over him, takes his back and rides him like a monkey. It's only a matter of time before he locks in the rear naked choke and Sevak crumbles to the mat. Dana White approves.

Jonathan Brookins defeats Sevak Mgakian via submission (rear naked choke).

Brookins doesn't want to be feared, he wants to be respected. Uh, mission accomplished.

Stay tuned next week as we get the final preliminary fight between Dane Sayers and Sako Chivitchian, the coaches challenge has Koscheck and St. Pierre going yard and the wild card is announced!

See you in seven!

UFC 121 pre-fight press conference airs today (Oct. 20) LIVE on MMAmania.com at 5 p.m. ET

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:56 PM PDT

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" is set to take place this Saturday night (Oct. 23) from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated number one contender Cain Velasquez.

In addition, 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.

In preparation for this weekend's return to Orange County, the UFC will hold a pre-fight press conference featuring the major players from the event including Lesnar, Velasquez, Shields, Kampmann, Ortiz, Hamill and of course, UFC President Dana White.

The press conference will air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com at 5 p.m. ET after the jump.

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com.

UFC 121: Jake Shields ready to earn his respect with a debut win over Martin Kampmann in Anaheim

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:55 PM PDT

Former Elite XC welterweight and Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (25-4) will face Martin Kampmann (17-3) at UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" this Saturday night (Oct. 23) on pay-per-view.

Dana White stated that if Shields wins this fight, then he will likely become the number one contender for the UFC welterweight title.

Despite defeating the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Robbie Lawler, Jason Miller and most recently Dan Henderson, Shields admits to Pro MMA Radio that he probably isn't getting the recognition he deserves.

"It's really frustrating because I've beaten all these top fighters and pretty much got no recognition for it. Even before the Henderson fight I was a 4 to 1 underdog even though I've beaten pretty even competition to him. It feels nice to finally get a little respect, especially now coming into the UFC."

Being a top fighter in other promotions probably won't mean much to the causal fans. Shields is fully aware that the hardcore fans may recognize other fighters, but the casual fans want to see fighters in the UFC to earn their respect.

"Fedor was considered one of the best in the world by the hardcore fans, but I think you do."

With a win over Kampmann, casual fans may know the competitor Shields is.

One might think that being a title holder would get you praised by the promotion, but Shields didn't feel like a champion in Strikeforce as time passed.

"In the beginning Strikeforce treated me good so I don't have anything bad to say. They kinda knew I wanted to go to the UFC so they weren't really treating me that good. I can understand them being upset, but they could've treated me a little better. So far I'm new to the UFC and they've been treating me great. They're treating me the way I felt Strikeforce should've been."

Having held titles in both the welterweight division and middleweight division, Shields feels more comfortable now fighting at welterweight.

"I'm in better shape at 170 and I can move faster, quicker in and out. I do like the strength at 185, but I feel like I've kept most of it dropping down. Dropping the weight sucks, but I've pretty much got all the weight off. I'm at 184Ibs right now. It wasn't fun getting down here, but I'm down."

Defeating "The Hitman" can be a tough task for any welterweight. 20 fighters have tried, but only three succeeded. Shields, however is up for the job.

"I think he's a great fighter. He keeps a really good distance. He circles really good, stays out of range so it's hard to shoot on him because he knows how to stay out of that punching range by using punches. Punches and kicks, great sprawl, good takedowns, great guillotine. He's a really dangerous guy, I think people are overlooking him or being stupid. I'm certainly not overlooking him, he's a true challenge for me."

While Kampmann respects the takedown abilities of Shields, he didn't really give him credit for his skills outside of grappling. The Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighter believes that's a mistake.

"We've never boxed or anything so he really doesn't know what to expect. I think he's underestimating my standup, but again my game plan's gonna be to take him down and submit him."

Knowing that not only does a possible welterweight title shot hang in the balance, but also making his UFC debut on the biggest card of the year, Shields admits that he feels a bit of pressure to perform well.

"I don't wanna go out there and squeak out a decision. I gotta go out there and win, try to finish him and make it exciting. It's my UFC debut, I need to make fans, I need to make Dana say yeah he deserves a title shot."

If Shields is able to earn a title shot by beating Kampmann, he'll meet either Josh Koscheck or George St. Pierre down the road. He knows it would be a tough fight either way and gives his prediction on their fight at UFC 124.

"It's a tough fight. They're both great wrestlers, great athletes, good standup and well-rounded. Tough fight to predict, but I'm leaning toward GSP. He's been so consistent, I just think he might have Koscheck's number."

The birth of his daughter gave Shields a whole new approach to MMA. Despite getting himself pumped up before the fights, it doesn't hurt to have a little extra motivation.

"I'm a self motivated type person and driven anyways, but it gives you an extra motivation thinking you gotta make it in fighting because I kinda put all my eggs in one basket. I dropped out of college and I don't have too many job skills at this point, so I need to make some good money so I can get my daughter a good life."

We'll see if daddy Jake can gun down "The Hitman" at UFC 121.

For more on Shields, check out MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio by clicking here.

Cain Velasquez video on ESPNs 'SportsCenter' to promote Brock Lesnar fight at UFC 121

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:54 PM PDT

UFC Quick Quote: Cheick Kongo wanted a 'high-crotch,' not a handful of shorts

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:54 PM PDT

"My take on it is that it was something of a simple, honest mistake. He looked to me like he was reaching between Browne’s legs looking to get a position for a high-crotch or something, but just coming away with a handful of shorts each time.”

Wolfslair Muay Thai coach Dave Jackson (via Fighters Only) doesn't believe Cheick Kongo is a dirty fighter. Kongo was deducted a point in his bout at UFC 120 with Travis Browne that could've won him the fight. Referee Marc Goddard took away the point when his warnings of repeated short grabbing were ignored by the French fighter. Instead of a win for Kongo, the fight ended up being a 28-28 draw on all three judges' scorecards. This isn't the first time Kongo has been accused of being a dirty fighter. In his win over Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 75, Kongo was able to land multiple knees to the groin without getting penalized. Do you give Kongo the benefit of the doubt? Or do you think the UFC vet has gone too far?

MC Hammer's Alchemist MMA today announced the acquisition of six new MMA fighters, including former...

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:45 PM PDT

MC Hammer's Alchemist MMA today announced the acquisition of six new MMA fighters, including former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho.

Jon Jones: 'I will never fight Rashad Evans'

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:24 PM PDT

Props: ESPN.co.uk

Quoteworthy:

"Absolutely not. If Rashad Evans won the belt, which I'm hoping he does, my only goal would be to be the toughest contender there is, and keep whipping butt without being champion. I'd stay at 205 and be the second best. That would be my goal. As I said, I'm hoping he wins, we're very proud of him. I couldn't [fight him], he's my mate. All my dreams and aspirations are in the light-heavyweight division, and I'm growing and getting older, but I have quite some time left in the light-heavyweight division. I have a good work ethic because of the wrestling, cutting weight comes easily to me, so I'll wait until weight-cutting becomes miserable before I step up."

UFC light heavyweight contender Jon Jones is pulling for Rashad Evans when "Suga" faces Mauricio Rua in Spring 2011 -- even if it means he never gets a title shot while Evans is champion. Of course "Bones" has to first get past Ryan Bader on Feb. 5 to even be considered for a title bout, but if he does, can he put an end to the "Shogun" era? Or will Evans hold the title hostage for the immediate future? And what will Dana White have to say about Jon Jones taking over for Keith Jardine in the "I won't fight Rashad" fan club?

UFC 121: Paulo Thiago will 'contain' Diego Sanchez on Oct. 23 in Anaheim (Video)

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:21 PM PDT

Programming reminder: UFC 116 & Primetime 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' tonight (Oct. 20) on Spike TV

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 01:17 PM PDT

Brocktober continues!

The UFC returns with "Primetime," a three-part series featuring an in-depth look at the upcoming UFC 121 heavyweight title fight between reigning division champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated number one contender Cain Velasquez..

Episode three will air TONIGHT (Oct. 20) at 9:30 pm ET on Spike TV and lead into episode six of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12.

And of course, this being "Brocktober," that's just the tip of the iceberg from a programming standpoint.

Things get started nice and early as UFC 116: "Lesnar vs. Carwin" makes its way to the cable television network starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Check out the rest of this month's television line-up after the jump.

UFC PRIMETIME: LESNAR VS. VELASQUEZ
Premiere Episode #3 - Wednesday, October 20 at 9:30pm

UFC 116: LESNAR VS. CARWIN (re-air)
Wednesday, October 20 (7:00pm-9:30pm)

UFC UNLEASHED
Lesnar vs. Herring - Saturday, October 23 (6:00pm-7:00pm)
Lesnar vs. Couture - Saturday, October 23 (7:00-8:00pm)
Lesnar vs. Mir 2 - Saturday, October 23 (8:00-9:00pm)
Lesnar vs. Mir 1 - Saturday, October 23 (3:00-4:00pm)

UFC 121 COUNTDOWN
Thursday, October 21 at 12:30am
Saturday, October 23 at 1:00pm

UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" will air live on pay-per-view Saturday, October 23, from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, at 10:00 PM ET.

For the complete UFC 121 fight card and line-up click here.

Eddie Alvarez: 'I'm going to finish' Roger Huerta at Bellator 33

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 11:14 AM PDT

Props: Sherdog

Quoteworthy:

"I’m going to get in his face like nobody’s got in his face before. I’m going to finish him. I don’t think there’s going to be a part of the fight where Roger’s dominant. I want to get right after him and beat him like nobody’s beaten him."

Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez believes he has the tools to dominate Roger Huerta in their non-title bout tomorrow night (Oct. 21) at Bellator 33. "The Silent Assassin" hasn't lost a bout since December of 2008 when he tapped to Shinya Aoki's heel hook. It's a different story for "El Matador" who is 1-3 in his last four bouts. Can Huerta get back on the winning track by stunning lightweight champion Alvarez? Or will the champ be too much to handle for the once promising UFC lightweight contender?

UFC 121: Brock Lesnar and his epic beard will 'nullify' Cain Velasquez on fight night (Video)

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:23 AM PDT

Latest UFC 121 odds and betting lines for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 09:11 AM PDT

The clock is ticking ... literally.

We're just a few days away from the upcoming UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" pay-per-view event, which takes place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday, October 23.

And the closer we get to showtime, is less time that you have to place your bets.

This weekend's action is, of course, headlined by UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, as he defends his title against undefeated number one contender Cain Velasquez.

As the "Cain Train" continues to pick up speed, the yawning chasm that was the betting lines in favor of Lesnar are now nothing more than a crack in the sidewalk.

We're three days away from the promotion's biggest event of the year, and Lesnar is now a -135 favorite to Velasquez, the underdog at +105.

In contrast to the main event, Shields (-220) has remained below the -200 mark since his contest against "The Hitman" (+175) was announced. Will the great Dane make the bookies pay the price for their lack of vision?

Here are the latest UFC 121 odds (- = favorite; + = underdog):

Brock Lesnar	-135	BET NOW
Cain Velasquez	+105	BET NOW
Jake Shields	-220	BET NOW
Martin Kampmann	+175	BET NOW
Matt Hamill	-155	BET NOW
Tito Ortiz	+125	BET NOW
Paulo Thiago	-130	BET NOW
Diego Sanchez	+100	BET NOW
Gabriel Gonzaga	-165	BET NOW
Brendan Schaub	+135	BET NOW

To check out the complete UFC 121 odds and betting lines for the preliminary fight card click here.

For the latest UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" news and notes click here.

UFC 124: Rafael Natal vs Jason Bongfeldt booked for Dec. 11 with Jason MacDonald hurt

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 08:29 AM PDT

There's hurts ...and there's "not exactly."

Unfortunately for Jason MacDonald, he qualifies for the latter after withdrawing from his UFC 124 bout against Rafael Natal on Dec. 11 in Montreal.

Natal's management group today tweets that Canadian MMA fixture Jesse Bongfeldt will step in to replace "The Athlete" at Quebec's Bell Centre.

McDonald's 2010 return to the Octagon went from dream to nightmare after breaking his leg while defending a takedown against opponent John Salter at UFC 113 back in May. The grisly injury required surgery and has kept the former division contender away from action for several months.

Now it appears he will remain on the disabled list until 2011.

Natal entered the Octagon as a highly touted but relatively unknown fighter with a record of 12-2. "Sapo" would drop his promotion debut to Ultimate Fighter (TUF) cast member Rich Attonito by unanimous decision on Sept. 15.

He needs a win to avoid the dreaded 0-2 debut, but don't expect Bongfeldt (21-6) to make it easy on him.

"Water" has been terrorizing the regional circuit for the past three years, winning seven straight fights including a 2008 submission win over UFC veteran TJ Grant. Is he ready for the big time? We'll know soon enough.

UFC 124 will be headlined by Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre taking on fellow TUF 12 coach Josh Koscheck. Thiago Alves and John Howard as well as Dustin Hazelett and Mark Bocek are also expected to hook 'em up.

For the latest UFC 124 fight card and rumors click here.

Tonight, the role of 'Pot' will be played by Yoshihiro Akiyama ...

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 07:50 AM PDT

... as he calls the kettle "black" (via MMA Fighting):

"I only went for one takedown (at UFC 120) but Bisping's body was really slippery. Even if I do say so myself..."

And if anyone has experience with being slippery, it's Akiyama, who cemented his status as one of Japan's biggest heels after going Exxon Valdez on Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba at K-1 Premium Dynamite!! in 2006. His TKO victory over the legend was changed to a No Contest after some questions were raised about his pre-fight ritual of getting intimate with a jar of Olay and a Japanese "grease-gate" was born. Is "Sexyama" trying to save face overseas? Or was "The Count" hitting the Jergens on fight night?

UFC Quick Quote: What happens to Cain Velasquez if Brock Lesnar doesn't get tired?

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 07:12 AM PDT

"[Brock] went three rounds with Heath Herring and was fine. We expect this is going five rounds, and we expect him to be there all five rounds. If you go in with the idea he’s going to get tired, what happens if he doesn’t? Cain is more skilled than Brock Lesnar at every aspect of the game. But can that overcome the size and strength? That’s the big question. If they execute their game plan and we don’t, they win. I think I know what their game plan is, and it’s a good one. But if they execute their game plan and we execute our game plan, we win. If it goes to a decision, we’re winning the decision."

American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) chief Javier Mendez (via Yahoo! Sports) wants to have all his bases covered heading into UFC 121 on Saturday night (Oct. 23) when his star pupil, undefeated heavyweight number one contender Cain Velasquez will try to dethrone reigning champion Brock Lesnar in the night's main event. Mendez is confident that gameplan-to-gameplan, the great Mexican hope is in a better position to win. But what if Lesnar has an answer for every "big question" they have? We'll find out in just a few days.