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

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• The Shoot! Nick Diaz prepares for KJ Noons rematch with Strikeforce (Video)
• Fabricio Werdum prefers 2011 rematch with Fedor, not Alistair Overeem
• TUF 12 Finale tickets at 'The Pearl' in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 4, on sale soon
• Ed Soares: 'Jose Aldo's dream fight would be Frankie Edgar'
• Collision Course: 'Diaz vs Noons II' video (Episode 2)
• MMA Quick Quote: Donald Cerrone doesn't care who's next, ready to fight at WEC 52
• UFC 127: Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin in the works for February 5
• Brock Lesnar makes a 'redneck' fruit salad with a shotgun (Video)
• Strikeforce: Robbie Lawler meets Matt Lindland on December 4 in St. Louis
• Former UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin tweets that he's scheduled for UFC 125 on...
• MMA 'Global Invasion' featuring Keith Jardine, Paul Buentello, Dean Lister and more on Nov. 13 in Punta Cana
• Strikeforce: Gesias 'JZ' Cavalcante training video for Josh Thomson fight on Oct. 9
• Strikeforce weigh in results, information and details for 'Diaz vs Noons II' on Oct. 8 in San Jose
• If you think Jose Aldo is pound-for-pound king, Dana White thinks you're (expletive) nuts
• Dan Hardy: 'Carlos Condit volunteered for a savage beating by calling me out' (Video)
• How will Scott Coker maintain order at Strikeforce: 'Diaz vs Noons II?'

The Shoot! Nick Diaz prepares for KJ Noons rematch with Strikeforce (Video) Posted: 06 Oct 2010 03:36 AM PDT

Fabricio Werdum prefers 2011 rematch with Fedor, not Alistair Overeem Posted: 06 Oct 2010 01:24 AM PDT "Vai Cavalo's" manager, Richard Wilner, tells MMAweekly his fighter's wishes for 2011: "He's still undergoing physical therapy, and physical therapy is more intense than one might imagine, and it includes a number of plyometric exercises and weightlifting. He started light training about 10 days ago, so he's progressing remarkably.... Be it against Alistair (Overeem) for the belt, although Fabricio's already beaten Alistair, so some may see that as a step back, although Alistair is a completely different fighter now. By step back, we absolutely mean no disrespect to Alistair, we just mean that they fought before and while it was a long time ago, I don't even know if it would be considered a rematch, but if it was considered a rematch there's one guy out there that’s arguably deserving of a rematch more than Alistair, and that's Fedor (Emelianenko)." It's been almost four months since Fabricio Werdum turned the MMA world upside down when he submitted the man who many believed was the best fighter in the sport today, Fedor Emelianenko. Since then, Werdum has been sidelined after undergoing elbow surgery and will continue to be out of action until 2011. The bout with "The Last Emperor" was thought of to be a number one contender bout, but "Vai Cavalo's" surgery and Emelianenko's contract status has left Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem's next contender up in the air. Would you rather see a rematch between Werdum and Fedor or a rematch with Werdum and the "Demolition Man?"

TUF 12 Finale tickets at 'The Pearl' in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 4, on sale soon Posted: 05 Oct 2010 03:09 PM PDT Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale, which is slated for "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 4, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 8, at 12 p.m. PT. UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption. 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 Grove and Demian Maia are also expected to do battle as well as gritty welterweight bangers Ricky Story and Johny Hendricks. Here is the TUF 12 Finale tickets sales schedule (all times are PT): UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. UFC Newsletter presale: Thursday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. General tickets sale: Friday, Oct. 8 at 12 p.m. TUF 12 Finale tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET on fight night. For more on TUF 12 Finale stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out the latest fight card and rumors right here.

Ed Soares: 'Jose Aldo's dream fight would be Frankie Edgar' Posted: 05 Oct 2010 02:15 PM PDT Props: The MMA Hour (via Versus.com) Quoteworthy: "To be honest with you, if you were to say, ‘What would be your dream fight for [Aldo]?' I think a dream fight for him, which I think would just be a fight that everyone would love to see, would be Frankie Edgar vs. Jose Aldo. That fight to me is the fight that everybody would want to see simply just because, not to disrespect anybody at the 155-pound division to think that Jose has the right to go up there without fighting in it, I just think that, as their styles, the way they match up, it would be one of the greatest fights of all-time, I think. It has the potential to be, just because of their styles." WEC featherweight wrecking machine Jose Aldo's manager Ed Soares brings a little music to all of our ears. With seemingly no challenge left for him in the WEC, Soares stated that a dream fight for Jose would be that of UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar. Oh boy. If Frankie can avenge a previous loss to Gray Maynard at UFC 125, and Aldo disposes of yet another opponent, this contest could very well come to fruition. Jose has said in the past that he has hopes of owning three belts at once. A fight with Edgar would be a good place to start attaining that goal. So I ask you, who would take this match up? Frankie couldn't rely on a size advantage despite taking on a guy moving up in class, but he does have superior wrestling and great stand up himself. Tough bout to call. What say you?

Collision Course: 'Diaz vs Noons II' video (Episode 2) Posted: 05 Oct 2010 02:14 PM PDT For more on Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" click here.

MMA Quick Quote: Donald Cerrone doesn't care who's next, ready to fight at WEC 52 Posted: 05 Oct 2010 01:08 PM PDT "[In a perfect world Jamie Varner is next]. There's a couple other guys I'd like to fight though. [Chris] Horodecki would be nice, I'd like to stand and fight with him. But I really don't care. Whoever they [WEC} want. I'd like to fight in Las Vegas in 38 days if they let me. I just want to keep at it. I'm healthy. I just want to get after it again because I like money."  Fresh off his dominant WEC 51 win against sworn enemy Jamie Varner last week, Donald Cerrone joined Larry Pepe of Pro MMA Radio to discuss amongst other things his future plans. "Cowboy" said that though in a perfect world a trilogy fight with Varner would be next, he's open to fighting other guys. One name Cerrone did mention was that of Chris Horodecki, who was victorious at WEC 51 himself taking home a split decision over Ed Ratcliff. Who's feeling that bout? What are some other fights would you like to see Donald take? Time to play matchmaker.

UFC 127: Forrest Griffin vs Rich Franklin in the works for February 5 Posted: 05 Oct 2010 12:29 PM PDT UFC light heavyweight veterans Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin appear to be heading toward a Super Bowl Weekend showdown at UFC 127 on February 5 in Las Vegas. MMA Fighting brought word of the pending match up today. Griffin has sat out all of 2010 after undergoing shoulder surgery this past spring. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 1 winner most recently defeated Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 last November via split decision. Forest was scheduled to meet Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114 earlier this year but was forced to pull out of the contest due to the aforementioned shoulder injury. A win over the always tough Franklin could catapult Griffin back towards the top of the 205-pound class. Rich Franklin has enjoyed decent success of late and a victory over Griffin would likely put him near the top of the light heavyweight division as well. "Ace" was of course last seen knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 this past June. Prior to that win, Franklin was a victim of a KO loss himself when Vitor Belfort ended his night early at UFC 103. Rich was coming off a controversial win against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99. Early favorite in this boutt? Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more on what looks to be a stacked Super Bowl Weekend card.

Brock Lesnar makes a 'redneck' fruit salad with a shotgun (Video) Posted: 05 Oct 2010 12:06 PM PDT  Looks tasty.  HT: URDirt.com

Strikeforce: Robbie Lawler meets Matt Lindland on December 4 in St. Louis Posted: 05 Oct 2010 11:40 AM PDT "Ruthless" meets "The Law" for Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu." Strikeforce officials have confirmed that Robbie Lawler will face Matt Lindland in St. Louis on December 4 earlier today. The bout will be part of the televised broadcast. Former Elite XC champion Robbie Lawler has struggled to hit his stride in Strikeforce going 1-2 with the organization. Lawler's debut with Strikeforce was a disappointing one, tapping out to Jake Shields in just over two minutes. "Ruthless" would bounce back in January of this year with a highlight reel knockout of Melvin Manhoef. Lawler dropped his last bout to Renato "Babalu" Sobral back in June by unanimous decision. Matt Lindland suffered back-to-back losses before his recent bout in which he defeated Kevin Casey via TKO. Lindland suffered a devastating KO loss to Vitor Belfort back in January of 2009 at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning." The 40-year-old then suffered a submission loss to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in December of last year. "The Law" carries an overall record of 22-7. Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" takes place on December 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on this fight cards as it breaks. (This FanPost was edited and promoted to the front page by James Kimball)

Former UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin tweets that he's scheduled for UFC 125 on... Posted: 05 Oct 2010 09:31 AM PDT Former UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin tweets that he's scheduled for UFC 125 on Jan. 1 against an opponent to be named. Update: Multiple reports peg Roy Nelson as the likely candidate; however, "Big Country" tweets that he's still in rehab for his surgically repaired knee.

MMA 'Global Invasion' featuring Keith Jardine, Paul Buentello, Dean Lister and more on Nov. 13 in Punta Cana Posted: 05 Oct 2010 09:24 AM PDT Just when you thought he was out, they pull him back in. Keith Jardine is persistent, if nothing else, as "The Mean 1" tries to snap a five-fight losing streak when he takes on Francisco France at "MMA Global Invasion" on Nov. 13 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Nemesis Fight Promotions announced the upcoming fight card in a recent press release (via MMA Fighting). The good news for the "Dean" is that he'll be joined by some familiar faces, including fellow Zuffa castaway Paul Buentello, who takes on former "Ultimate Fighter" Kerry Schall. In addition, Dean Lister will hook 'em up with Kyle Seals while Eliot Marshall throws hands with Chris Davis. All that plus an appearance from former UFC Octagon girl Ali Sonoma. Check out the current "MMA Global Invasion" fight card after the jump. 205 lbs.: Keith Jardine vs. Francisco France 265 lbs.: Paul Buentello vs. Kerry Schall 205 lbs.: Eliot Marshall vs. Chris Davis 155 lbs.: Jeff Curran vs. Travis Marx 185 lbs.: Terry Martin vs. Marcus Hicks 125 lbs.: John Dodson vs. John Moraga 185 lbs.: Dean Lister vs. Kyle Seals Sounds like a decent line-up, except it goes head-to-head with UFC 122: "Marquardt vs. Okami" on Spike TV from Germany. Thoughts?

Strikeforce: Gesias 'JZ' Cavalcante training video for Josh Thomson fight on Oct. 9 Posted: 05 Oct 2010 09:02 AM PDT

Strikeforce weigh in results, information and details for 'Diaz vs Noons II' on Oct. 8 in San Jose Posted: 05 Oct 2010 08:19 AM PDT The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" is set to take place on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, at the HP Pavilion Concourse in San Jose, California. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. PT. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the Strikeforce weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. Leading the charge back to San Jose will be welterweight champion Nick Diaz, as he puts his 170-pound title on the line against nemesis K.J. Noons in a rematch from their controversial bout under the Elite XC banner way back in 2007. Also throwing hands in "Shark City" is former women's 145-pound number one contender Marloes Coenen, as "Rumina" drops a few pounds to see if she can wrangle the belt from current 135-pound queenpin Sarah Kaufman. In addition, a fantastic lightweight showdown between Gesias Cavalcante and Josh Thomson has also been made official. Here is the current Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" line up: Main event: 155 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons Main card (Televised): 135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen 155 lbs.: Gesias Cavalcante vs. Josh Thomson 170 lbs.: Andre Galvao vs. Tyron Woodley Under card (May not be broadcast): 170 lbs.: Bret Bergmark vs. James Terry 185 lbs.: Ron Keslar vs. Eric Lawson 155 lbs.: Jess Bouscal vs. Luis Mendoza All fights officially confirmed by Strikeforce For those fortunate enough to be in San Jose this week remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 3:30 p.m. PT. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II," beginning with the Showtime telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. 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 Strikeforce coverage you can handle.

If you think Jose Aldo is pound-for-pound king, Dana White thinks you're (expletive) nuts Posted: 05 Oct 2010 07:14 AM PDT Props: Comcast Sports Net Quoteworthy: "Are you (expletive) nuts? [Aldo is] POTENTIAL FUTURE pound for pound king. Anderson Silva hasn't lost since 2006! He's never lost in the UFC! ... Anderson Silva is a pain in my ass. This isn't Chuck Liddell, we aren't best friends. But you can't deny what the man has done. He (Silva) HASNT LOST in the UFC! The guy has not only cleared out his division, he's gone up to 205 and beaten a guy like Forrest Griffin, who beat Rampage Jackson AND Shogun Rua. And Frankie Edgar is right there too. I might actually put him at No. 2. This guy is for real. He beat BJ Penn twice, and kicked his ass in their last fight. I love and respect Manny Gamburyan, but he's no BJ Penn. And the only thing keeping GSP out of the top 3 is (a KO loss) to Matt Serra." Sorry "Rush" fans, but neither Canada's best nor the featherweight phenom can claim the pound-for-pound spot as it still belongs to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. At least in Dana White's mind. The promotion prez laced into Carmichael Dave for even suggesting that "Junior" was now top dog after dismantling Manny Gamburyan at WEC 51 last Thursday night and it sounds like the "Terror" loss will haunt Georges St. Pierre until he retires. So how about it Maniacs, is White losing his marbles? Or do the numbers support "The Spider's" reign at the top?

Dan Hardy: 'Carlos Condit volunteered for a savage beating by calling me out' (Video) Posted: 05 Oct 2010 06:33 AM PDT Is "The Outlaw" underestimating the "Natural Born Killer?"

How will Scott Coker maintain order at Strikeforce: 'Diaz vs Noons II?' Posted: 05 Oct 2010 06:25 AM PDT The Strikeforce CEO tells The MMA Hour that he's busting out the tried-and-true "wall of security" to prevent another televised melee... "I'll tell you what – if we leave those two guys in a room alone, I think you know what's going to happen. So it's up to us – we're going to have a wall of security there. We've brought extra police to handle the weigh-ins, the press conference and pretty much a wall of people will be there for the night of the fight. We have to take precautionary measures because these guys have this big feud – and it's not just them, it's their camps. We're going to make sure that we host it properly, and part of that is adding extra security and police officers, and it'll be fine." Will it be enough? Aside from the "Nashville" incident on CBS last April, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz had his legendary "Don't be scared, homey" post-fight showdown with KJ Noons and his Dad Carl in Hawaii that (surprise) also involved Nate Diaz and a foreign object that took flight shortly after Noons Sr. tried to step up. Is there enough security in San Jose to keep this thing from turning into a rumble on Oct. 9? Or will things (for once) actually go off without a hitch?

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