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

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• UFC 108 video preview for 'Evans vs Silva' on Jan. 2
• WEC 47 official for Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 6
• Georges St. Pierre 2009 Canadian 'Athlete of the Year' (Video)
• WEC 47 tickets on sale Dec. 19 for 'Bowles vs Cruz'
• UFC 108: Martin Kampmann vs Jacob Volkmann likely for Jan. 2 with Rory Markham hurt
• Programming alert: UFC 'Countdown to 108' debuts on Spike TV Dec. 29
• Fabricio Werdum: I imagine my next Strikeforce fight will be against Andrei Arlovski
• Now Playing: Pro MMA Radio featuring Scott Smith, Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen
• UFC 107 video blog with Dana White (Fight night)
• Dynamite!! 2009 news and notes: Fight announcement to come soon
• Frank Mir: Shane Carwin is a better version of Brock Lesnar
• Alan Belcher: I'm the only person with the style to stand with (and beat) Anderson Silva (Video)
• Versus network to air two live UFC events in 2010 under new agreement with Zuffa
• Programming alert: TUF 10 Finale re-airs tonight (Dec. 14) at 9:30pm ET on Spike TV
• Dana White: BJ Penn is one fight away from a return to the UFC welterweight division
• Monday Morning Scrap: UFC 107: 'Penn vs. Sanchez' weekend in review
• Join Scott Smith, Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen on tonight's edition of Pro MMA Radio
• Coming Soon: Wanderlei Silva New Reality Show: 'Fighter Life' Season 1 (Video)
• Polling 'The Prodigy': Is BJ Penn the world's best lightweight fighter?
• Kenny Florian: UFC 107 was my night

UFC 108 video preview for 'Evans vs Silva' on Jan. 2 Posted: 15 Dec 2009 04:29 AM PST

WEC 47 official for Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 6 Posted: 14 Dec 2009 09:01 PM PST After WEC 43 was moved from Youngstown, Ohio, to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, one could only wonder if the promotion would attempt to venture back into the "Buckeye State" anytime soon. Question answered. Nearly three months removed from the abrupt relocation, WEC is set to give it another shot in Ohio at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 6, 2010. WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz" will feature a bantamweight brawl between division kingpin, Brian Bowles, and the super talented number one contender, Dominick Cruz. Not only will the card feature two young guns battling for a belt, but it will also feature the return of first-ever UFC lightweight champion, Jens Pulver, and arguably number one 135-pound fighter in the world, Miguel Torres, in separate fights. Torres looks to rebound after losing the division title to Bowles at WEC 42. Pulver was submitted within the first minute by Josh Grispi at WEC 41: "Brown vs. Faber 2". Each fighter is looking to reclaim their place in their respective divisions. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for updates surrounding this blossoming card.

Georges St. Pierre 2009 Canadian 'Athlete of the Year' (Video) Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:52 PM PST "Rush" beat out Stanley Cup-winning Sidney Crosby to win the honor for the second straight year:

WEC 47 tickets on sale Dec. 19 for 'Bowles vs Cruz' Posted: 14 Dec 2009 08:31 PM PST World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) will march into "The Buckeye State" on March 6, 2010, with a card headlined by bantamweight champion Brian Bowles, putting his 135-pound title on the line against number one contender, Dominick Cruz, in the main event of the evening. Tickets for WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz" are set to go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, at 10 a.m. ET. However, WEC newsletter subscribers will have the opportunity to purchase seats early on Thursday, Dec. 17., 2009, at 10 a.m. ET. Prices range from $25 to $125. In addition to the 135-pound title fight between first-time defending champion Brian Bowles and challenger Dominick Cruz, the March card also features the returns of former champions Miguel Torres and Jens Pulver, making this yet another card with popular fighters that should bring in the viewers. For more ticket-related information for WEC 47 visit StubHub.com, which often has tickets available even if the show is "sold out."

UFC 108: Martin Kampmann vs Jacob Volkmann likely for Jan. 2 with Rory Markham hurt Posted: 14 Dec 2009 07:30 PM PST Hard-hitting welterweight striker Martin Kampmann will try to inch his way back into title contention when he takes on UFC sophomore Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, according to Sherdog.com. Volkmann replaces the injured Rory Markham, who was forced to withdraw from the upcoming event with an Achilles strain. Kampmann last competed at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort," going limp against the heavy hands of replacement fighter Paul Daley. "Semtex" stepped in for an injured Mike Swick and delivered the goods for a memorable UFC debut win. Prior to the loss -- just his second in 13 fights -- "The Hitman" had strung together back-to-back wins after dropping to 170-pounds in an effort to test the waters at a lighter weight class. That's because his nine-fight win streak was snapped by the much larger Nate Marquardt at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" back in September 2008. It was apparently a wake up call for the Danish kickboxer that perhaps he is better suited to compete in a division 15 pounds lighter. Kampmann was in line for a possible shot at reigning welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre, until the misstep against Daley sent him back to square one. Now he has the chance to rebound against the wily wrestler from Minnesota Volkmann had a debut loss after Paulo Thiago ruined "Christmas" at UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2" back on November 21. Prior to that, he was mixing it up at Bellator Fighting Championships back in May, submitting Kevin Knabjian via brabo choke in the first round of the promotion's sixth televised event. In addition to Bellator, Volkmann stayed busy by competing six times in 2008, including stints under the Max Fights and Xtreme Fighting Organization (XFO) banners. A loss to Kampann puts him in an 0-2 hole in the UFC. Not a good place to be for aspiring fighters. UFC 108 features a re-worked main event between former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and the hard-hitting Thiago Silva. It's unclear at this time which fight will serve as the co main event; however, the recently promoted lightweight clash between Sean Sherk and Jim Miller will be featured on the televised main card. To check out the latest UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" fight card click here. It's changed quite a bit.

Programming alert: UFC 'Countdown to 108' debuts on Spike TV Dec. 29 Posted: 14 Dec 2009 06:46 PM PST Countdown to UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" will debut Tuesday, December 29, at 11 p.m. ET on Spike TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Jan. 2. The network special will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and challenger Thiago Silva. For those who miss the "Countdown to UFC 108" premier it will re-air on Wednesday, December 30 at midnight on Spike TV. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Jan. 2), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from Las Vegas. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts. To check out the complete UFC 108 archive click here.

Fabricio Werdum: I imagine my next Strikeforce fight will be against Andrei Arlovski Posted: 14 Dec 2009 06:33 PM PST Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy: "I must fight in February or March, and I imagine that it could be against (Andrei) Arlovski. I lost to him by 2-1, it was an ugly fight, nobody liked, but I never choose opponents, I can fight anyone, but then I wanna fight Fedor." --Strikeforce heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum talks about a possible rematch with Andrei Arlovski in his next fight for the San Jose-based promotion in Spring 2010. "Vai Cavalo" went three rounds with "The Pitbull" back at UFC 70 in a widely-panned bout that Arlovski won via ugly slap-attack. Werdum is still hoping to face Fedor Emelianenko in the near future, but it sounds like Strikeforce might have other plans for "The Last Emperor." Perhaps a rude welcome for the returning Alistair Overeem?

Now Playing: Pro MMA Radio featuring Scott Smith, Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen Posted: 14 Dec 2009 06:05 PM PST Pro MMA Radio will begin playing automatically. Press (||) to turn it off.