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- Dana White: Randy Couture (not Chuck Liddell) vs Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver
- Report: Rich Franklin replaces Tito Ortiz against Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver
- Nate Diaz ready to pump up Rory Markham at UFC 111 (Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the pic).
- WEC 48: Urijah Faber talks home field advantage against Jose Aldo in Sacramento (Video)
- MMA Quick Quote: Strikeforce won't budge from April 17 for 'Nashville' on CBS
- Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson abruptly leave Arizona Combat Sports
- UFC Undisputed 2010 video teaser for May 25
| Dana White: Randy Couture (not Chuck Liddell) vs Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver Posted: 13 Mar 2010 03:29 PM PST
On the contrary, "Ace" will headline the show opposite former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, in a 205-pound showdown, according to UFC President Dana White. In addition, White assured fans that "nothing happened to Tito" and the he and the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" are still "cool," indicating that he is still set to battle nemesis Chuck Liddell as planned at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11. More on this breaking news as soon as possible. In addition to Couture vs. Franklin, UFC 115 is expected to feature a heavyweight mash-up between Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry while welterweights Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago make their case for 170-pound contendership. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card. |
| Report: Rich Franklin replaces Tito Ortiz against Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver Posted: 13 Mar 2010 11:57 AM PST Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (25-5) has reportedly agreed to return to the light heavyweight division to face Chuck Liddell (21-7) at UFC 115 in Vancouver after Tito Ortiz was forced to withdraw from the June 12 event for undisclosed reasons. MMAWeekly confirmed the change in opponents based on an initial report by Fighter's Only earlier today. Speculation had been mounting regarding the inclusion of Ortiz for the upcoming Canadian event after "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" and wife Jenna Jameson continued to post discouraging tweets via their official Twitter accounts. It's unclear at this time whether or not Ortiz was able to complete his duties as coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 but "Ace" is expected to take his place opposite "The Iceman" in June. Franklin has been on the sidelines ever since a first round technical knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at last November's UFC 103 event in Dallas. Despite a narrow victory over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99, the former school teacher went 1-2 in his 2009 fight campaign after losing a close split decision to Dan Henderson to start the year. While his star may have faded ever since he was obliterated by current division kingpin Anderson Silva in 2006 (and again in 2007), Franklin is still a top level competitor with good hands and an underrated ground game (Ace has never been submitted). He should prove to be a much stiffer test for the icy one if they indeed square off this June. Liddell hasn't competed since a technical knockout loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97: "Redemption" from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, back in April 2009. In fact, since his last stoppage over Ortiz, he's only had one victory in five attempts, a gritty unanimous decision win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79 in Dec. 2007. Company president Dana White tried to convince his good friend and big time money-making machine to hang up the gloves, saying he had made a ton of cash and had nothing left to prove. Liddell — who will be 40 years old by the time his Vancouver fight rolls around — was adamant that he's still got some fight left in him. The two-time TUF coach just wanted a little time to "give his brain a rest" -- and tear up the dance floor on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Now it's back to business for the former light heavyweight champion -- but he should consider himself on borrowed time if he's unable to put forth an impressive performance on June 12. In addition to Liddell vs. Franklin, UFC 115 is expected to feature a heavyweight mash-up between Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry while welterweights Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago make their case for 170-pound contendership. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card. |
| Nate Diaz ready to pump up Rory Markham at UFC 111 (Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the pic). Posted: 13 Mar 2010 11:56 AM PST  Nate Diaz ready to pump up Rory Markham at UFC 111 (Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the pic). |
| WEC 48: Urijah Faber talks home field advantage against Jose Aldo in Sacramento (Video) Posted: 13 Mar 2010 09:14 AM PST Does "The California Kid" have a chance against the seemingly-invincible Brazilian at WEC 48? |
| MMA Quick Quote: Strikeforce won't budge from April 17 for 'Nashville' on CBS Posted: 13 Mar 2010 09:11 AM PST
Counter-programming be damned, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker tells Sherdog.com that he's confident enough in his "Nashville" CBS card to stay put on April 17 whether or not the UFC decides to hastily assemble a competing event on the same night (or even the same town) via Spike TV. Dana White and Co. have a long history of challenging smaller and upstart promotions to insure that he keeps a majority of mixed martial arts fans loyal to his brand. But is it good for business -- and ultimately for MMA overall? |
| Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson abruptly leave Arizona Combat Sports Posted: 13 Mar 2010 06:59 AM PST UFC fighters and former Arizona State wrestling standouts, Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson have left Arizona Combat Sports. With the departure, the three now count themselves among the high-profile fighters who have trained at one point or another at the Tempe, Ariz.-based gym: Joe Riggs, Drew Fickett, Carlos Condit, and TUF 7 alum, Matt Riddle, are some of the former members of ACS. According to MMAmadness.com (via Bloody Elbow)
No information has surfaced regarding the destination of the three fighters or the reasons for their leaving the longtime training ground. Perhaps Bader, Dollaway, and Simpson have felt the need to seek a greener pasture in order to elevate their game to a new level. If so, their decision is commendable, as they refuse to become complacent with their recent victories. Despite possessing strong wrestling foundation, they all have weaknesses that must be fortified in order to achieve success at the highest level. The question is, where will they defect to? Which gym will have the room to accommodate three fighters who have the potential to make some waves in their respective divisions, without posing the dilemma of possible teammate battles that have become common at high-profile gyms? |
| UFC Undisputed 2010 video teaser for May 25 Posted: 13 Mar 2010 06:29 AM PST Full trailer coming on Monday (March 15)... |
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