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

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• Frank Trigg latest to be cut by UFC
• UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck plans to rearrange Paul Daley's already messed up teeth on May 8
• Any axe murderers stop by *your* office today? Wanderlei Silva completes final paper work before...
• John 'Coward' Howard excited to settle serious beef with Anthony 'Crumple' Johnson on March 21 (Video)
• Andrei Arlovski vs Fres Oquendo exhibition boxing match booked for Feb. 27 in Miami
• UFC cuts Hall of Famer Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman following lackluster performance at UFC 109
• UFC 110 video preview for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez' on Feb. 21 (Extended)
• Josh Koscheck willing to bet 100k of his own money that he can beat Tito's ass
• UFC 110 weigh in results, information and details from Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 20
• UFC 109: The story of one man's 'Relentless' conversion to MMA fandom
• BJ Penn wants to return to welterweight. How about a rematch with Matt Serra to get him started?
• UFC Quick Quote: Krzysztof Soszynski preparing for a bloody war against Stephan Bonnar on Feb. 21
• Thiago Alves trying for the knockout in Jon Fitch rematch at UFC 111 (Video)
• Cousin Renzo: Rolles Gracie's UFC debut was 'embarrassing'
• Akihiro Gono, Yoshihiro 'Kiss' Nakao and Henry 'Sentoryu' Miller added to Sengoku 12
• Michael Bisping: 'Rampage thinks I will beat Wanderlei easily'

Frank Trigg latest to be cut by UFC Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:12 PM PST Former welterweight top contender Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg is the latest casualty in a long list of unfortunate souls who have been cut by the UFC following disappointing performances at UFC 109. Joining Frank on the unemployment line today was Phillipe Nover, Tim Hague, and Mark Coleman. Trigg announced the news earlier today on his Twitter account. His termination from the UFC comes after losing to Matt Serra inside of the cage, and quite frankly outside of the cage, at, and leading up to UFC 109. Trigg, like his free agent counterpart Mark Coleman, was in his second go around with the promotion following a long layoff. And much like Coleman, Trigg didn't enjoy nearly the success the second time as he did in his first stint with the company. Both of Trigg's defeats, to Josh Koshceck at UFC 103 and Matt Serra at UFC 109, came via knockouts in the first round. Even with a win against Serra last weekend, there wouldn't have been a long line of people waiting to drive the "Twinkle Toes" bandwagon. Though his time with the UFC has come to an end, Trigg has stated that he unsure of where his MMA career is heading next. You folks have any ideas? Is he heading to Strikeforce? Japan? His couch? Let's hear it.

UFC Quick Quote: Josh Koscheck plans to rearrange Paul Daley's already messed up teeth on May 8 Posted: 10 Feb 2010 06:29 PM PST "Paul Daley is talking a lot. Paul is going to get his mouth shut. I've been in this game for a long time and yeah I talk a lot of trash but guess what, I back it up at the end of the day. If Paul Daley's going to talk, is he going to come into the cage on May 8 and back it up? I can guarantee I am.... I plan on rearranging them teeth in his mouth. He already has those braces and those messed up teeth. So maybe we'll put some railroad spikes in there.... Don't be afraid to talk a little bit to entice me to stand. Because I have good standup and I have a good chin. I have a lot of power. and if I put my right hand on your chin, you're going to go to sleep." -- Josh Koscheck finally gets in the trash talk mode, telling CageWriter.com that he plans to stop his confident and outspoken British adversary, Paul Daley, when the welterweights collide at UFC 113 from The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Guess "Kos" wasn't too pleased being branded a Fraggle, indicating that the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout resembles a 1980s-era Jim Henson character. "Semtex," however, has demonstrated incredible knockout power in his two performances inside the Octagon, putting Dustin Hazelett down for an early nap at UFC 108 and temporarily derailing the title aspirations of Martin Kampmann with a flurry of punches before that. Will Koscheck, a far superior wrestler, fall into the mental trap of standing with the British brawler or does he really have the chops to stand and bang with the hard-hitting, and fast rising, 170-pound star?

Any axe murderers stop by *your* office today? Wanderlei Silva completes final paper work before... Posted: 10 Feb 2010 06:29 PM PST Any axe murderers stop by *your* office today? Wanderlei Silva completes final paper work before going 'Down Under' to battle Bisping.

John 'Coward' Howard excited to settle serious beef with Anthony 'Crumple' Johnson on March 21 (Video) Posted: 10 Feb 2010 05:29 PM PST

Andrei Arlovski vs Fres Oquendo exhibition boxing match booked for Feb. 27 in Miami Posted: 10 Feb 2010 05:11 PM PST Miami, FL -- February 9th, 2010 -- Team Pitbull, Team Oquendo and The Consequences Charity announce today that Top 10 ranked heavyweight boxer Fres Oquendo known as "Fast Fres" will take on UFC former UFC heavyweight champ and Top 10 ranked MMA legend Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski in a four round boxing exhibition at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Hotel and Resort on Saturday, February 27th. Once a year, Miami's finest philanthropists, business leaders and the community gather to help raise much needed funds for The Consequences Charity through an annual fund-raising gala known as "The Blacks Annual Gala" hosted by Roy and Lea Black. The charity is dedicated to reducing and preventing adolescent criminal behavior and supporting communities with proactive intervention programs with the purpose of directly impacting the lives of vulnerable youth and their families. Translation: Keep kids out of jail and educate them. Both Oquendo and Arlovski are both known for their vicious striking ability and exciting fights. Both top ranked fighters have now decided to fight to help kids stay off the streets. 100% of all money raised from the sale of tickets and auction items goes directly to the charity - a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. "I am honored to step into the ring with a great fighter like Fres Oquendo. This is going to be an exciting exhibition match but we already know the winner: the children we are helping" says Arlovski. Oquendo says, "I have seen Arlovski in the ring and in the cage and I am excited to be able to showcase my skills against an MMA legend. Believe me, we are going to go at it for four rounds with the goal that every punch and every blow helps this cause. " Lea Black, who is putting together her 5th annual event says, "The Gala is one of the top annual charity events on the South Florida social calendar and has drawn top entertainers such as: Alex Rodriguez, Lance Bass, Jencarlos Canela, Maria Conchita Alonso, Lucia Mendez, Dave Matthews, Hulk Hogan, Lennox Lewis, Mike Piazza, Tracy & Alonzo Mourning to name a few. We are very excited for this year’s main event Mr. Arlovski going against Mr. Oquendo.

UFC cuts Hall of Famer Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman following lackluster performance at UFC 109 Posted: 10 Feb 2010 02:11 PM PST Well how's this for irony. Leading up to his main event showdown with Randy Couture at UFC 109 on Feb. 6, 2010, we were all lead to believe that Mark Coleman still had "it" at the ripe old age of 45. And with a win over fellow 40-something Couture, he would emerge as a contender in the stacked light heavyweight division.  The week after a second round submission loss, "The Hammer" was dropped on the UFC Hall of Famer's career inside the Octagon.  FiveOuncesOfPain.com reports that the first-ever UFC heavyweight champion has indeed graced the Octagon for the last time, no longer able to compete up to the promotion's high standards. Coleman (16-10) had gone 1-2 in the second act of his UFC career following a decade-long layoff. After giving 205-pound number one contender Mauricio "Shogun" Rua all he could handle at UFC 93, Coleman dominated The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) finalist Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100, seemingly resurrecting his distinguished fight career. Though it is unprecedented for a main event fighter to be cut from the UFC the week after the event, the argument can be, and has been, made that Coleman didn't belong there in the first place. What do you think? Did Coleman get a raw deal or is his release for his own good?

UFC 110 video preview for 'Nogueira vs Velasquez' on Feb. 21 (Extended) Posted: 10 Feb 2010 10:45 AM PST

Josh Koscheck willing to bet 100k of his own money that he can beat Tito's ass Posted: 10 Feb 2010 10:45 AM PST Josh Kocheck attempts to tweet his way into a grudge match against Tito Ortiz after "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" made fun of "The Hammer" for losing to Randy Couture at UFC 109: "Relentless" last Saturday night. The AKA standout is on track to battle Paul "Semtex" Daley at UFC 113 to try and quell the British uprising in the 170-pound division but has no problem moving up two weight classes to deliver some Pennsylvania justice after Ortiz fights Chuck Liddell in June. Anyone think "Kos" has a chance at the heavier weight?

UFC 110 weigh in results, information and details from Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 20 Posted: 10 Feb 2010 10:40 AM PST The official weigh-in event for UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" is set to take place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 20, 2010, at 4 p.m. local time. It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, as well as on several other online destinations, via streaming video on Friday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. ET as a result of the disparity in time zones. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the UFC 110 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" pits Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against Cain Velasquez in a bout that could determine the next heavyweight number one contender. In the co-main event, Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva will try to put The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner/coach, Michael Bisping, down for "The Count." Here’s the current UFC 110 fight card: Main event: 265 lbs.: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez Main card (Televised): 185 lbs.: Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva 205 lbs.: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader 155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos 265 lbs.: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell Under card (May not be broadcast): 205 lbs.: Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman 205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski 170 lbs.: Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle 185 lbs.: CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic 205 lbs.: James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac For those fortunate enough to be "Down Under" for the promotion’s debut trip to Australia, remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 3 p.m. local time for the general public. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with UFC President Dana White prior to that at 2 p.m. local time. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Feb. 20), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from Sydney. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts. It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 110 coverage you can handle.

UFC 109: The story of one man's 'Relentless' conversion to MMA fandom Posted: 10 Feb 2010 09:27 AM PST I know, it's hard for us to believe that there are twenty-something males out there who are die hard sports fans that don't know a thing about our beloved sport of mixed martial arts -- nor do they care to. I'm sure that there are plenty of them that surround us daily, but that doesn't mean that we're not baffled as to why they couldn't care less. I happen to work with a few gentlemen who fit this description "to a T" over at the SB Nation. It's not their fault. They're not ignoring our sport on purpose. They just haven't been exposed to that one moment that each of us have experienced at some point in our lives that made us fall in love with the purest form of sport known to man.  That all changed for one person this weekend. Senior Editor at SB Nation, Andrew Sharp, was in attendance at UFC 109. It was the first time he had ever seen what the sport was all about. He had his preconceived notions going in, and they weren't all favorable. But like many of us now know, it takes just one truly memorable experience with the sport to become hooked. Mr. Sharp tells a great story of how it happened to him. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Mixed Martial Arts-and its most prominent brand, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or the UFC-has struggled to gain mainstream acceptance. At least among the more traditional sports fans and media, the fastest growing sport in the world still percolates beneath the surface. Or worse, it gets dismissed altogether. You don't like Mixed Martial Arts? You don't respect it? I used to be in the same boat. Depending on your levels of cynicism, it's either a form of human cruelty, or a slightly more legitimized form of WWF wrestling, equal parts barbaric and cartoonish. And it's stereotypes like those that have kept the UFC relegated to the margins of the mainstream. So far, "serious" people have refused to embrace it, and as a result, idiot sports fans like me just dismiss it. But a note to "serious" people everywhere: Mixed Martial Arts is a sport that, in so many different ways, demands to be taken seriously. Taken seriously by the fighters, by promoters, by advertisers, and most of all, by the fans-the Mixed Martial Arts obsessives that have made MMA and the UFC the fastest growing sport on the planet. People see the UFC as an organization promoting these barbaric cage matches, bastardizing the sports of boxing and wrestling, and turning them into pure bloodsport. The athletes train hard, yes, but can they really compare to other pro athletes? Someone like Randy Couture may be tough, but so is Ray Lewis-can Randy Couture also run a 4.6 40-yard dash? These are the arguments that sports fans use when they're dismissing MMA as a perversion and a waste of time. Much ado about nothing. It may be insanely popular, but so are the Black Eyed Peas. And look at all the fans, wearing those ridiculous Affliction shirts. We're supposed to take this seriously? What the hell is a tap out? This is how people like me have ignored the rise of Mixed Martial Arts over the past decade. It's like there's this awesome party going on, and nobody can be bothered to show up and check it out. And it's our loss. I went to a fight this weekend - UFC 109, which wasn't even supposed to be a spectacular card-and despite some serious skepticism, it took all of five minutes to be converted. The energy gets you first, then it's the fighting styles, then it's the fans, and finally, the fighters, themselves. It's all on par with any big football or basketball game, and yes, a boxing match. The UFC culture is insular, and I was an outsider, but again, all it took was five minutes.     I strongly suggest you check out the rest of his piece over at the SB Nation. It paints a great picture as to what it's like for a young guy like Mr. Sharp, someone who writes about sports for a living, to make the leap that we have all previously made in giving MMA a chance to win us over. The sport has never failed us, and it didn't fail him either.

BJ Penn wants to return to welterweight. How about a rematch with Matt Serra to get him started? Posted: 10 Feb 2010 09:21 AM PST Current UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn is set to defend his 155-pound title for the fourth time against a deserving but perhaps outmatched Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi. If Penn manages to outlast "The Answer," which isn't a knock on Edgar to suggest that he will, "The Prodigy" has already vocalized his intentions of eventually returning to the UFC's 170-pound division. Perhaps sooner rather than later. While the prospect of "Penn vs. St. Pierre 3" elicits a collective groan from much of the mixed martial arts fan base, keep in mind that this is the same promotion that had no problem booking a third dance between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Dana White is open to the idea of the Hawaiian getting another crack at welterweight success, but even he acknowledges that Penn is going to have to work his way back into the upper echelon of 170-pound fighters to even be considered for a title shot. To do that, he's got to win -- and win big. There are a couple of exciting match-ups that come to mind, including a brouhaha with Thiago Alves, but what about a rematch with Matt Serra? Following "The Terror's" UFC 109 win over Frank Trigg, Serra striking guru Ray Longo tells Fight Magazine that it's practically a no-brainer. "I'd love to see (Serra) fight BJ Penn if BJ wanted to come up in weight because obviously Serra can't get any lower. But I thought they had a great fight, I think it's an interesting fight because BJ will stand there with him I think. And they're both not going to go anywhere standing up now. Matt didn't really have the stand-up when he fought him the first time and the ground thing would be exciting. I think that's a really good fight and I'd like to see Matt now stay with the marquee names and some big fights." Matt Serra was able to do something that Penn never could: He beat Georges St. Pierre. While "Rush" fans still can't stop seething over that 2007 loss, it does add a little more to the story, which never hurts when trying to hype a fight. And if it's any consolation to the Penn faithful, he did something that Serra couldn't: He beat Matt Hughes. The Long Islander took Penn to a decision when they first met at UFC 39 back in September 2002. Would things be different in 2010? Possibly, but if BJ Penn wants to come back and make some noise at 170 then he's going to have to start somewhere. I for one would much rather see him mix it up on the ground and on the feet with Serra than play keep-away with the likes of Josh Koscheck or Jon Fitch. You've heard my pick for first welterweight foe. What's yours?

UFC Quick Quote: Krzysztof Soszynski preparing for a bloody war against Stephan Bonnar on Feb. 21 Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:38 AM PST "I’m not expecting to go into this fight and win this fight in the first or second round. Most likely this is going to be a brutal fight, a lot of blood everywhere on both sides. I know he’s going to come out very aggressive. I mean his job could be on the line with him losing his last two fights. He’s going to be preparing 100 percent, be aggressive and come out firing to finish this fight. I’ve watched many of Bonnar’s fights and he is very technical, durable, has a great jiu jitsu game, very long and lanky, and has good hands as well. I’m not too worried about his comments. What else is he going to say? He has to say he’s better then me. He’s gonna say he’s gonna knock me out, submit me or take my heart or whatever. I could say the same thing about him. I feel I can finish him standing, I can finish him on the ground. If I push him hard enough, I could break him too and you know he has to say those things but we’ll see when the fight happens." Krzysztof Soszynski gives Joshua Carey the lowdown on his training camp in preparation for his UFC 110 fight against fellow Ultimate Fighter Stephan Bonnar when the two meet "Down Under" on February 21 from the Acer Arena in Sydney. "The American Psycho" is fighting for his future after dropping two straight following his return to action in early 2009 -- his fourth loss in six fights. Could a defeat to "The Polish Experiment" be the last we see of Bonnar? Or did his polarizing fight with Forrest Griffin in the TUF 1 finale guarantee him employment? Don't be surprised to see this one in the running for "Fight of the Night."

Thiago Alves trying for the knockout in Jon Fitch rematch at UFC 111 (Video) Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:15 AM PST Will "The Pitbull" learn from his mistake at "Ultimate Fight Night 5?" Or will history repeat itself nearly four years later on March 27?

Cousin Renzo: Rolles Gracie's UFC debut was 'embarrassing' Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:02 AM PST Props: GracieFighter.com Quoteworthy: "It was embarrasing. I can tell you he wasn't in that bad of shape. Fact is the nerves drained him of his energy. His stand up and ground work looked bad, nothing at all like he was doing in training leading up to the fight and it was if he couldn't hear what I was telling him. I think the pressure he put on himself overwhelmed him. He'll learn and be back." Famed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Renzo Gracie grades the UFC debut of cousin Rolles, who went belly up in his "Relentless" fight on Feb. 6 against late-replacement Joey Beltran. The heavyweight Gracie came into the Octagon on a three fight winning streak, having finished all three of his victims by way of submission. Apparently the "Mexicutioner" wasn't impressed, keeping the pressure on until Gracie emptied his gas tank in the second round and became a sitting duck. With a win, Beltran will more than likely be back -- but what about Gracie?

Akihiro Gono, Yoshihiro 'Kiss' Nakao and Henry 'Sentoryu' Miller added to Sengoku 12 Posted: 10 Feb 2010 06:33 AM PST Veteran fighters, Akihiro Gono, Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao, and Henry "Sentoryu" Miller have been added to the upcoming Sengoku 12. Also, there may have been some shuffling in the fight card, as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Leonardo Santos and Pancrase veteran, Kiuma Kunioku will now face each other: We previously reported that Santos will face Eiji Mitsuoka and Kunioku takes on Maximo Blanco. Scheduled for March 7 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Sengoku 12 will air on HDNet in North America. Akihiro Gono (31-15-7) comes off an emphatic submission win over fellow Japanese veteran, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai on New Year's Eve at Dynamite!! 2009. The victory has given him a jolt of momentum after a four-fight career drought. Prior to NYE, he recorded three consecutive losses to Dan Hardy, Jon Fitch, and Dan Hornbuckle, punctuated by a lackluster victory over Yoon Young Kim. He has reportedly been training at American Kickboxing Academy in preparation for the upcoming clash against the Swedish prospect, Diego Gonzalez (13-3, 1 NC). Gonzalez, who will make his Sengoku debut at Sengoku 12, is a veteran of European circuits, such as FinnFight, Shooto Finland, and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. He has also fought in Bodog and M-1. Since losing to the current UFC welterweight contender, Dan Hardy in March 2006, he has reeled off eight consecutive victories. Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao(8-2) edged former Korean Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, Mu Bae Choi at Sengoku 9 in August. While he has been lobbying to fight Kazuyuki Fujita, he will make his return to Sengoku against Henry "Sentoryu" Miller (6-9). "Sentoryu," a former sumo wrestler, has garnered spotlight in Pride for his fights against Giant Silva, James Thompson, and Zuluzinho. He has kept a low profile during the last few years in the new stomping ground of Nagoya, Japan-based promotion, Heat. Against Nakao, he looks to build upon a KO win over Min Soo Kim (Brock Lesnar's debut opponent) to reassert his presence in the MMA world. Stay tuned to MMAmania for more news regarding the upcoming Sengoku 12 fight card.

Michael Bisping: 'Rampage thinks I will beat Wanderlei easily' Posted: 10 Feb 2010 06:29 AM PST Props: Telegraph.co.uk Quoteworthy: "We have been discussing tactics for the fight, little tips and discussions about Wanderlei’s movement and shots, and Rampage thinks I will beat Wanderlei easily. He has inspired me and has kept confidence in the camp high. I have to keep my composure in this fight. We know what Wanderlei does – he throws aggressive shots with reckless abandon, and I’m psyched to put my game plan into practise. I have nothing but respect for Wanderlei, but I do believe I’m a better technical fighter and more well-rounded. I was very happy when it was announced that my opponent would be Wanderlei Silva. In fact, there was a lot of talk of it being at UFC 105, and I was delighted. I want to prove I am at this level. I made a mistake against Dan Henderson, but that is the level I want to fight at – and I want membership to that level by beating fighters like Wanderlei Silva." Michael Bisping gets some more encouraging words from his camp as his confidence grows heading into his pending middleweight clash with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21. "The Count" has enlisted the help of friend and training partner Quinton Jackson for the inside scoop on "The Axe Murderer's" gameplan. "Rampage" has a three-fight history with the Brazilian, knocking him out at UFC 92 after getting clowned twice under the PRIDE banner. Will his knowledge be enough to put Bisping on top? Or is Silva going to end this one violently?

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