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

Leonard Garcia has federal drug charges dropped Posted: 03 Jul 2008 08:33 AM CDT Props: MySpace.com “I just wanted to post this to let everyone know that I had the federal charges dropped. I am still dealing with the state but the charges aren’t as serious as they seemed. So I hope to be back in the cage soon … real soon. I’m just waiting on my excellent manager Steven (boogie) Bean to get that straightened out for me. I am gonna be the WEC lightweight champ soon, this is something I feel strongly about. So I’m telling everyone that is my goal and my dream and that is what I’m going to do so I will give it my all to do what I say I’m gonna do.” WEC lightweight contender Leonard Garcia gives fans an update on his current status since his recent arrest. Garcia was arrested on March 28, 2008, for the participation and distribution of cocaine in a drug trafficking crime ring in Texas. Fortunately for him, the federal charges levied against him were dropped so Garcia could avoid serious jail time. No word yet on a court date for his possible state charges. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details.

All bets are off: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with Joe Stevenson Posted: 02 Jul 2008 09:57 PM CDT Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is indeed a family man. But that never stopped him from whooping up on people inside the cage. At just 26 years old, the father of four boys has nearly 40 professional fights to his credit. He's 5-2 in the UFC and is looking to rebound from a recent title bout loss to BJ Penn. When Joe steps into the cage this Saturday night at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” in front of 12,000 screaming fans and millions more tuning in around the world, his eldest son, Joey, will be in attendance, watching his dad fight for the first time ever. And a fight he shall get. Stevenson faces American Top Team's Gleison Tibau (15-5). Known for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling, Tibau himself is coming off a recent loss to Tyson Griffin (11-1), a friend and occasional training partner of Stevenson. It should make for a great fight and for rare back-to-back losses for the loser (Tibau's never had consecutive losses, and Stevenson hasn't since '99 – '00 — when he was 17 years old). We caught up with Stevenson to see how he plans to bounce back this Saturday, find out how he feels about UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn potentially moving up in weight, get details about his brand new gym that just opened up in Victorville, Calif., and to see how family life is treating him. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're set to face Gleison Tibau at UFC 86 on July 5. Tell us a bit about how you've been preparing for this fight. Joe Stevenson: Nothing out of the norm. Same old training camps. This time, instead of going to Big Bear, I stayed up in Victorville, my hometown where my gym is. Other than that, same old practices. I've been working with a guy named Robert Drysdale, who's one of the best jiu-jitsu guys in the world, and he's elevated my jiu-jitsu game even more. In fact, so much that in August, I'll probably be competing in the No-Gi World Championships in Jiu-Jitsu, and I'm excited about that. While I didn't go up to Big Bear, I did do much of the same. I didn't stay with my family — our gym has a house we rent out for trainers — so I wouldn't be as distracted. And I had some great jiu-jitsu guys from Brazil cover my classes, because normally I teach at the schools. And then my buddy, Brandon Shelton from Oklahoma, came in, and he's teaching the kids classes that I normally teach. So everything just really came together. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Both you and Tibau are coming off losses: you, of course, to BJ Penn for the vacant Lightweight strap, and Tibau to Tyson Griffin. How much of a "must win" situation is this for you? Joe Stevenson: It's not a must-win situation. Nothing has changed, except for the fact that I'm upset that I am coming off a loss so I might have put a little bit more into it. It's not a "Ah, I better win this," you know? Fighting is awesome and it's great, and I get a chance to get out and show my skills in front of the world; however, I'm looking to take him out just like I do everyday. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've trained with Tyson Griffin in the past, correct? Joe Stevenson: Yeah, Tyson and I are good friends, actually. We'll probably be eating together after weigh-ins. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you help him train for his fight with Tibau? Joe Stevenson: Yes, I did, actually. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Has Griffin helped you prepare for this fight? Joe Stevenson: Yeah, we ran into each other a couple of times, and I worked with Tyson's coach a few times. But other than that, nothing extra special, because it's hard with family, and because his camp is in Vegas now, so it makes it difficult. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think that that familiarity puts you at any kind of advantage going into this fight? I liken it to when Diego Sanchez fought Josh Koscheck, followed immediately by (Koscheck's training partner) Jon Fitch. Joe Stevenson: Well I would love to say, yeah, I'm at a distinct advantage, due to fact that I trained with Tyson for him prior and for this fight. However, it's not like (Tibau)'s not training at American Top Team with some great, great fighters like Yves (Edwards) who is probably trying to show him everything in the world to try and beat me. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you see yourself measuring up to Tibau's strengths and weaknesses? Joe Stevenson: I think one of the only things I have better than him right now is my looks. That's about all. No, he's a really tough opponent. I can't underestimate him. I can't take him lightly. I'm going to have to go out there and try and match skill for skill, wit for wit, strength for strength, and show him that I've put everything I have into this. Come third round, when we're both in pain and our faces are swollen up, you know, I've been there and done that several times. It's definitely an experience that I enjoy, so we'll have to see if he enjoys it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you see it as a long fight or a quick fight? Joe Stevenson: You know, you always want the quick fight; however, you have to be prepared for the long fight. And that's what I'm doing. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you see yourself trying to stand with him, or will you be more comfortable on the ground, do you think? Joe Stevenson: I think wherever the fight goes, I'm just going to be a little bit better than him. Wherever it goes, whether it's a cardiovascular push, a strength push, an endurance push, a jiu-jitsu push, a wrestling push, a striking push. I'm just going to make sure I'm in a better position than him wherever the fight goes. If he wants to take the fight standing, I'm more than comfortable standing. If he wants to push it to the ground, I don't mind going to the ground with him either. I think he's going to be out of his comfort zone, because whatever pace he wants to push, I'm gonna take it up one notch. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How's making weight going? Joe Stevenson: I'm walking around like 165 right now* so 10 pounds to go, which is about average for me normally before a fight. * (NOTE: this interview took place Tuesday evening, July 1) Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is that just a pain in the butt, trying to cut that last 10? Joe Stevenson: It's more mental toughness to control your diet and to stay hydrated and cut the weight right. I don't want to walk into this fight, you know, the next day (after weigh-ins) weighing 155, but then again, I don't want to walk in weighing 180. I want to come in around 170, 175, and feel strong and have energy. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): BJ Penn has talked openly about wanting to move back up to 170 for a rematch with Georges St. Pierre. Dana White has said he can only do that once he clears out the Lightweight Division. How do you see the situation? Do you think he should first face the winner of Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta? Or are there other Lightweight contenders you see who might deserve a shot before Penn can claim that he's cleared out the division? Joe Stevenson: You've got Gray Maynard, Tyson Griffin, you've got a bunch of guys. Everyone knows that in fighting it's styles that win. So there's a lot of people that he could face. However, I also think it's his prerogative if he wants to go up, he can go up. I don't think he should be pigeon-holed. You know, I think he should be able to do whatever he pleases, and keep the belt if he can make 55 at the same time. I'm one of the more laid-back fighters out there, so I'm not really … As long as he can still maintain the weight or come back and make the weight again, that's up to him, man. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've just opened a new Cobra Kai gym. How has that been going for you? Joe Stevenson: It's been going great. People are shocked when I'm teaching the classes. I guess they thought that I would just put my name on it or something, but that's not how I roll. I like to teach about four times a day — two kids and two adult classes. But I had those covered for this fight, which really worked out well for me. Other than that, this is going to be the first fight that my oldest son, Joey, is going to watch. None of my kids have ever been to the fights to watch, really. They were always too little. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That's gotta be exciting for the household. Joe Stevenson: It is, it is. In fact, I'm sitting in the living room right now with three of my nephews, two of my nieces, one cousin and my four boys, so it's pretty packed. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many gyms do you guys have now? I'm familiar with Cobra Kai Laimon, but with your new one, does that just make two, or are there more? Joe Stevenson: I believe there's a Cobra Kai in Guam, a Cobra Kai in Victorville and a Cobra Kai in Vegas, so that would make three. And then in Vegas, I think they have some charter schools like at Las Vegas Athletic Club and a few other places. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is having these gyms and training young fighters, is that something that you hope to do when your fighting career is over? Joe Stevenson: Personally, I don't mind if it's a fighter, or a person that just wants to get in shape or someone who's learning self-defense. I just like to teach and share what I've learned. It's kind of like I went to college for this, and now I can teach and help share. It's not like I know everything, but if one or two things someone can take away from me that helps them, it's priceless. You really can't put a price on it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have remaining on your contract? Joe Stevenson: I believe I have four. I re-signed with the UFC prior to the BJ fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Joe, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. I've watched your career since the TUF days, and I think you're a great advocate for the sport. Do you have any parting words for your fans out there, or would you like to thank any sponsors? Joe Stevenson: Honestly, there are so many people. Everyone you see on my clothing is someone I'd like to thank, but that would take way too much time right now. I'd like to thank some of the unsung heroes, like my family, my wife, my kids, my parents, my in-laws, my coaches and Robert Drysdale — all these people that have supported me. I did do an interview explaining a lot of my sponsors. It's on JoeStevenson.com and I believe it's also on CageChamp.com, so people can check that out. And I'm sorry that I'm so vague, it's just that I can't really give away the game plan strategy. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I understand. Joe Stevenson: (Laughs) I practice being vague at those questions. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well I know you have a lot of fans at MMAmania.com who are looking forward to the fight. Joe Stevenson: Well one of the cool things is that, the last time I fought an American Top Team guy, my dad was standing in line — I had given him a ticket, and he was going to go watch me fight — and some guy had overheard him talking about me. He didn't know he was my dad (he's my stepdad, you can't really tell, he was with my mom). Anyway, the guy had been like, "Oh, I just put $10,000 down on Yves. You know Joe?" My dad was like, "Yeah, that's my son." And the guy was like, "Oh, I'm sorry." My dad just shook it off and walked away, but he wanted to say, "Well I'm sorry you just lost 10 grand." It'd be interesting to know if that guy put the same bet down this time. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): If he’s remotely smart he won’t make the same mistake twice. Thanks Joe, again, for your time and best of luck this weekend.

Affliction ‘Banned’: Edwin Dewees vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Posted: 02 Jul 2008 09:53 PM CDT Former UFC competitor Edwin Dewees (35-12) has been slated to replace deposed light heavyweight Vernon “Tiger” White at the Affliction: Banned pay-per-view on July 19th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. White, who was originally scheduled to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a televised match airing on FSN, was yanked from the card after testing positive for a banned diuretic following his match against Jeremiah Constant at Xtreme Cage Combat 6 on May 31. While “Tiger” vehemently denies any wrongdoing, a July 9 hearing with the NSAC didn’t leave Affliction officials with enough time to replace him should he be found guilty. Prior to the Dewees signing, Affliction replaced the scrapped Nogueira-White bout on FSN with the light heavyweight match between Vitor Belfort and Terry Martin. Dewees is coming off a submission win over Richard Blake at No limit Fighting last April. That victory snapped a four fight losing streak including a loss to Jorge Rivera at the UFC Ultimate Finale 4 in 2006. Despite going 0-3 in the UFC, “Babyface” has the tools and the experience to make this a competitive fight. And fans may be getting the better of the deal. At 26-32-2, White wasn’t exactly tearing up the circuit. Still, Dewees will have his hands full against Nogueira. “Minotoro” (13-3) is the twin brother of UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and recently stopped Todd Gouwenberg via TKO at HCF: Destiny back in February. Affliction — one of the most recognized and popular clothing brands out right now — made its bid to become the latest mixed martial arts promoter official a few months back during an episode of "Inside MMA" on the HDNet network. It's been known for some time now that Affliction would throw its hat into the MMA ring. In fact, the UFC and Elite XC recently banned their fighters from wearing Affliction gear during events because of the looming competition. And if the inaugural pay-per-view (PPV) fight card slated for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on July 19 is any indication of things to come, then Affliction will indeed pose some stiff competition. So stiff in fact, that UFC President Dana white has whipped up his own little card for the 19th as well. UFC Fight Night 14 will air live from the The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on SpikeTV. Should be one hell of a night for MMA fans.

Wanderlei Silva vs Rich Franklin go at it (Video) … Posted: 02 Jul 2008 09:50 PM CDT … at the 2008 National Rock Paper Scissors Championships: With “Ace” testing the light heavyweight waters once again perhaps we can see the real thing one day soon. Part 2 after the jump.

UFC 89 free on Spike TV … not a PPV Posted: 02 Jul 2008 09:42 PM CDT UFC 89: “Leben vs. Bisping” at The NIA in Birmingham, England, on October 18 will be televised for free on Spike TV, according to Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com. The event so far features two great match ups, including a middleweight slugfest between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben, as well as a tentative welterweight war that pits Thiago Alves against Diego Sanchez. Meltzer indicates that the UFC will likely stage a major pay-per-view (PPV) event one week later on Saturday, October 25. It has not been announced at this time nor is a location or venue known, but we will assume that it will be dubbed UFC 90. Rejoice.

Thiago Alves vs Diego Sanchez UFC 89 fight in the works Posted: 02 Jul 2008 08:03 PM CDT This is what it’s all about. Two of the top — and most exciting — 170-pound fighters in the world will likely collide at UFC 89: “Leben vs. Bisping” at The NIA in Birmingham, England, on October 19. Indeed, MMAWeekly.com is reporting that Thiago Alves (15-3) and Diego Sanchez (19-2) will throw leather overseas, setting the stage for a blockbuster welterweight showdown that will more than likely determine the next number one title contender in the stacked division. Alves is fresh of ridiculous performance against Matt Hughes, taking out the former champion in the second round of their main event tilt at UFC 85: “Bedlam” just last month. Prior to that, “The Pitbull” wiped out another perennial powerhouse, Karo Parisyan, at UFC Fight Night 13. The 24-year-old Brazilian was already on the fast track to an eventual title shot. And a win over Sanchez would certainly put him over the top. “The Nightmare” has rebounded from back-to-back losses in 2007 to stop Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden, respectively, in equally impressive fights. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season one winner seems to have recaptured his form that had most pundits expecting that he would one day soon challenge for a belt. Again, a win over a very explosive fighter such as Alves will put him right there. Talk about a great fight. UFC 89 features the middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben — expect more bouts to be added to the line up in the near future. So far so good.

MMAmania.com caption contest back for UFC 86 Posted: 02 Jul 2008 07:50 PM CDT MMAmania is giving away more than $300 in prizes thanks in part to the good folks over at BetUS.com. The lone requirement to win some green: Creativity. We did this a few months ago and you guys delivered. Now we're bringing it back for the upcoming UFC 86: "Jackson vs Griffin" pay-per-view on Saturday July 5. Here's how it works: Step 1: Go to BetUS.com to create your FREE account. Step 2: Come up with a funny and ORIGINAL caption for the above picture. Step 3: Send your submission and your BetUS account number to our contest email. Want to know what you are playing for? First place: $150 FREE play at BetUS.com Second place: $100 FREE play at BetUS.com. Third place: $50 FREE play at BetUS.com. Honorable mention: MMAmania.com t-shirts. This contest will run until Friday to give you guys enough time to put something solid together, win some cash and bet on the fights this weekend with some FREE bread. Remember to create an account at BetUS.com through this link as soon as possible. We'll need your account number to deposit the winning amounts on Friday. It's better to do it now and it’s required for your submission. For those who already have established accounts at BetUS.com just have the account information handy and ready to send with your submission. We can't wait to see what ya' got.

Bas Rutten video demo of ‘Excorcist’ submission Posted: 02 Jul 2008 02:43 PM CDT Ouie:

MMA Delaware possibly coming soon Posted: 02 Jul 2008 02:21 PM CDT Mixed martial arts (MMA) will soon be legal in Delaware, according to a story in today’s edition of The News Journal. A state legislator had been spearheading an effort to ban the sport as part of so-called “Toughman” laws that were being discussed in the State Assembly. “The safety of the individual is the concern,” Rep. Robert J Valihura Jr. told The News Journal earlier this week. “We intended to outlaw bare-knuckle boxing matches at the turn of the century.” The law, if passed, would have meant fighters and promoters could be charged with a class A misdemeanor for participating in MMA events. However, common sense prevailed and last night the bill was amended to allow an MMA advisor to be placed on the state’s Combative Sports Advisory Council. State officials said it’s likely that a national organization will be placed in charge of future MMA events in the state, which does not have a boxing commission. The neighboring Pennsylvania State Athletics Commission has sanctioned boxing in Delaware for several years. That commission has also never sanctioned MMA. However, the Pennsylvania commission has drafted regulations that could go into effect later this year.

MMA Quick Quote: Rich Franklin trains hard Posted: 02 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Rich Franklin showed up in a house we are staying. I heard he is George’s pupil. As soon as he arrived, he was glued to Playboy. In this house, there are nothing but Playboy magazines. I asked him, “Do you like Playboy?” He said, “I love it”. – DREAM lightweight Hayato “Mach” Sakurai shares his first impression of former UFC middleweight champion Rich “Ace” Franklin via his official blog. “Mach” is currently training in Seattle for a September fight against former UFC competitor, Nick Diaz, in Japan. Thanks to Suki MMA for the translation.

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Jesse Taylor vs CB Dollaway UFC Fight Night 14 fight booked Posted: 02 Jul 2008 08:17 AM CDT Jesse Taylor (6-2) — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 finalist who was kicked off the mixed martial arts reality series this season for going on an alcohol-induced Las Vegas rampage — will take on the man who replaced him the finals, CB Dollaway (6-1), at UFC Fight Night 14 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 19. According to UFC President Dana White — who declared that he was finished forever with his promotion on the show — Taylor has learned from the experience and deserves one more shot. Here’s a snip from White on Taylor via Yahoo!Sports.com: “I've faced a lot of challenges since we've had the UFC, but I have a kid (Taylor) who pissed his pants on television and now I have to turn him into a star…. Without a doubt, the kid deserves another chance. He made himself look like a fool, and he's aware of that, but everyone deserves another opportunity and we're going to give it to him. He acted like a moron. He's embarrassed by it, which he should be, but what he did doesn't amount to enough to ban him forever. Come on. He was just young and stupid, but at least he seems to have learned from what he did." It appears the cooler heads have prevailed indeed. Taylor now trains with the prestigious Team Quest out in California. He defeated Nick Rossborough, Mike Dolce, Dante Rivera and Tim Credeur to punch his ticket to the finals against Amir Sadollah. However, just days after the show wrapped Taylor and a few castmates celebrated in Sin City before packing their bags and heading home. It was during this time that Taylor got into trouble, getting hammered and thrashing a Fertitta-owned casino and harassing its female guests. When he was kicked off the show, Credeur and Dollaway were invited back to compete for the spot vacated by Taylor. Dollaway went on to win the fight, however, he lost to Sadollah at the TUF 7 Finale earlier this month via submission (armbar). Both Taylor and Dollaway are strong wrestlers who prefer to implement the ground and pound. Therefore, the result of this fight will more than likely be determined by who can get to who first. To check out the latest UFC Fight Night 14 card click here. It will air on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET on July 19.

UFC 86 video preview ‘Jackson vs Griffin’ Posted: 02 Jul 2008 07:50 AM CDT

UFC Quick Quote: Forrest Griffin wants ‘nothing to do’ with Lyoto Machida Posted: 01 Jul 2008 11:16 PM CDT “I want nothing to do with that guy [Lyoto Machida]. Not at all. He’s a tough fighter and I’d like to fight a lot of other guys first. There are really about 20 guys who have impressed me — it’s a stacked division, that’s for sure. You’ve got undefeated guys like Rashad Evans, Chuck Liddell can knock anybody out with either hand, and then you’ve got Quinton, Wanderlei, even Wilson Gouveia and Jason Lambert — there are so many guys who are still at the top. Then there’s Thiago Silva, who beat Houston Alexander, Keith Jardine could make a comeback and Stephan Bonnar will be healthy soon.” – Forrest Griffin tells The Sun that Lyoto Machida is not on the top of his list of opponents who he would look forward to fighting anytime soon. “The Dragon” is undefeated and has five wins inside the Octagon against fighters such as Tito Ortiz, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, David Heath and others. Brandon Vera also turned down a fight with Machida because he didn’t feel like he had enough time to prepare for his tricky fighting style that no one appears to be able to figure out. The interesting thing here is that Griffin and Machida were booked to fight at UFC 70: “Nations Collide” last year; however, Griffin had to withdraw from the fight because of a staph infection. If Griffin can get passed Quinton “Rampage” Jackson this weekend he may have no other choice but to go to battle against the Brazilian.

Affliction fights to air on FOX Sports Net for ‘Banned’ on July 19 Posted: 01 Jul 2008 10:58 PM CDT UFC Fight Night 14 won’t be the only free mixed martial arts action available for free on July 19. The UFC struck a hard blow to Affliction MMA in the battle over who can get more viewers on July 19 when the promotion announced its surprise plans to air a free “Ultimate Fight Night” in almost two weeks that will feature perhaps the best pound for pound fighters in the world, Anderson Silva. Affliction MMA, which is rolling the dice and possibly letting the entire future of its young organization ride on the success of its inaugural event, today reaffirmed that several fights would air on Fox Sports Net in the United States and on The Fight Network in Canada prior to the pay-per-view (PPV) telecast on July 19. Clearly, the upstart promotion needs to pull in as many PPV buys as possible, and having Anderson Silva fighting for free on another organization’s event at the same time could be disastrous. This will be the first time ever that an event will start its broadcast on a basic cable channel and move immediately to PPV. The hour-long basic cable portion of the event will begin at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Here’s a quote from Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for FSN, George Greenburg, on the news: “FSN has long been at the forefront of televised Mixed Martial Arts action. Our viewers are loyal, informed and passionate about the sport. This is a great opportunity to deliver a major MMA event to them featuring world-class fighters.” As of right now, Affliction is guaranteeing two fights for FSN and The Fight Network. In particular, the main event for the free broadcast will feature the U.S. debut of Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) — the younger brother of the man who many believe to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. He will take on Paul Buentello (23-10) in what looks to be a good old fashioned, heavyweight slugfest. Prior to that, there will be a light heavyweight bout featured that pits Vitor Belfort (16-8) against the hard-hitting Terry Martin (16-4). Not a bad couple of fights for free to lead into what looks to be a great PPV. Time will tell if this will have any affect on the UFC’s ability to pull viewers away from purchasing Affliction’s show ($39.95), but it certainly adds more options for fans to an already full plate of mixed martial arts action on July 19. Get those DVRs ready boys and girls.

Karo Parisyan isn’t going anywhere … just finally training Posted: 01 Jul 2008 10:23 PM CDT Props: The Lights Out Show Quoteworthy: "No I haven't thought about going up or down [in weight classes], what I have thought about was actually getting in shape for a fight. I'm not partying with the girls so much and I'm starting to really train for the fights." Talented welterweight contender Karo Parisyan — who UFC President recently referred to as a gatekeeper for the 170-pound division — talks about the possibility of moving down to compete in the 155-pound lightweight division in a recent interview (he’s not) … and a lot more (Nate Diaz, how to maim people in street fights, etc.). “The Heat” will look to rebound from a technical knockout loss to Thiago Alves when he takes on Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” on September 6.

UFC 86 after party in Las Vegas at House of Blues Posted: 01 Jul 2008 10:09 PM CDT Props: HOB.com

Previewing UFC 86 with Jesse Holland from MMAmania.com Posted: 01 Jul 2008 10:03 PM CDT Jesse Holland back again and this time I’m previewing UFC 86 with bodybuilding and mixed martial arts expert Larry Pepe for Episode #4 of his stellar new show Pro MMA Radio. Larry is the main MMA writer for Flex magazine and mega-site Bodybuilding.com. Larry and I get into the expectations of UFC 86, including the hype (or lack thereof) surrounding the main event, the one mistake Josh Koscheck can’t afford to make and of course the contrast in styles between the lightweight contests. If that’s not enough, stick around for UFC noisemaker Ricardo Almeida. “Cachorrao” goes into great detail about his upcoming fight against Patrick Cote, the new and improved middleweight division and everything from family to retirement. A big thanks to Larry for having us return to his show. Take a listen! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Rich Franklin vs Matt Hamill UFC 88 light heavyweight fight possible Posted: 01 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin (23-3) is possibly packing on 20 pounds for a light heavyweight clash against Matt Hamill (4-1) at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on September 6, according to MMARated.com. This news arrives on the heels of the recent announcement that UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva would compete against James Irvin at 205 pounds on July 19, testing the waters for a possible move up the division for the Brazilian to chase several big money showdowns. “Ace” is among the best 185-pound fighters in the world. The only problem is that he can’t defeat the “Spider” — he’s lost twice in the past two years in devastating fashion. Perhaps this decision on his part will afford him the opportunity to also take some big fights and earn another title shot at 205 pounds if not 185. Franklin — who is considered big for the division — has competed at light heavyweight inside the Octagon before, bashing Ken Shamrock in the inaugural The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Finale back in 2005. That high profile win earned him a middleweight title shot against then champion, Evan Tanner. Franklin won that fight, as well as five of his next seven. However, it’s the two losses during that span to Silva that have perhaps prompted this latest move. In fact, Franklin has admitted in the past the right now a third fight against Silva just would not be all that interesting for the fans. And he’s right. There’s no telling if this move is permanent or not, but it makes sense at this time. Hamill is a very large and aggressive light heavyweight, winning four out of five fights since his graduation from TUF back in 2006. “The Hammer” has tremendous wrestling ability and improving stand up. He demonstrated those advances in his most recent win against Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 13, taking out “The Barbarian” via technical knockout. Interesting match up here with Franklin to say the least, who also happens to be an Ohio native like Hamill. To check out the rest of the rumored UFC 88 card click here.

UFC 89 tickets for ‘Bisping vs Leben’ at NIA in Birmingham, England, on October 18 Posted: 01 Jul 2008 03:46 PM CDT Today the middleweight showdown between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben was made official for UFC 89: “Bisping vs. Leben” at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England, on October 18. The two were supposed to meet at UFC 85: “Bedlam” earlier this year; however, the 185-pound clash was postponed. There’s no word on whether or not this will be the main event of the evening or if the bill will be split with a soon to be announced match up. Regardless, here is the UFC 89 tickets sales schedule: UFC Fight Club presale: Wednesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. BST UFC Newsletter presale: Friday, July 4 at 10 a.m. BST General ticket sale: Sunday, July 6 at 10 a.m. BST UFC 89 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com. (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out.”) For more on UFC 89 — the first major UFC event to be held in Birmingham — click here.

Coming to hurt somebody: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with Chris Lytle Posted: 01 Jul 2008 02:43 PM CDT There's a school of thought in the fight game that to fight, you have to fight often. The fighters who subscribe to this school have an insane number of fights to their records such as Jeremy Horn (79-18-5) and Travis "Iron Man" Fulton (186-45-9). These are the guys who seem to fight every month of the year. This kind of fighting takes a toll on a fighter. But if they're lucky, they'll make a name for themselves and get scooped up by top tier promotions, like the UFC, where they don't have to fight as often to make coin and allow their bodies to heal between fights. Chris "Lights Out" Lytle (25-15-5) has made a career fighting guys like these. His opponents have a ludicrous combined record of 810 wins, 470 losses and 105 draws. With 45 credited professional fights (he says there's about 15 additional fights that aren't listed on his record), Lytle's got the experience of a truly seasoned veteran. And at 33, he's still got a lot of fight left in him. He's gone toe-to-toe with some of the most accomplished mixed martial artists in the world, including Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves, Matt Serra, Karo Parisyan, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler and Kazuo Misaki. He's got knockout power and 17 submissions to his credit — and he's never been knocked out or submitted. Not once. Lytle doesn't fight 10 times a year like he used to, but that's because he's made the big show in the UFC and can now focus on the one thing that's been thus far out of reach: that big win that's going to propel him to the upper echelon of top welterweight contenders. He'll get his chance when he faces Top 5 ranked Josh Koscheck (10-2) this Saturday night at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. We caught up with the always laid back Lytle to see how he plans to tackle this next obstacle. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've got a crazy record, having been in 45 professional fights and faced some of the top names in MMA. One statistic that I think is completely off the charts, considering the sheer number of fights you've had, is that you've never been stopped in your professional career, except by doctor stoppage due to cuts (which happened twice). You've never been submitted and have never been knocked out. Do you think a lot of people underestimate you? Do you think that they know this about you? Chris Lytle: Well I think the people who actually are looking to fight me, I think that they know that they're going to be in for a long fight. I haven't been submitted or knocked out, so no matter what, it's going to be a long, tough fight. Lots of times I think some people probably don't want to do certain fights. I've been fighting long enough where I have enough knowledge that sometimes I can make people look bad, even if they're winning. If they win the fight against me, usually it's not going to be an impressive victory. They might grind it out and win, but it's not going to be on your highlight reels. It's not going to be, "Wow, he looked great." I think when people are going to fight me, they know it's going to be a pretty long and tough fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): When most people think of you, they think about your heavy hands and solid chin. They might not realize that you've choked out a ton of opponents. In your fight with Jason Gilliam at UFC 73, that was just a crazy armbar — hell, I think it was an armbar, I couldn't exactly tell from the footage… Chris Lytle: (Laughs) Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): …you had him in like a triangle as well. Needless to say, it was sick. How much of your training is dedicated to ground work? Chris Lytle: A lot of it. Probably about half of it. Probably just as much as anything else. I spend a lot of time working on the ground and on takedowns and takedown defense. I spend a lot of time on different strikes. If you look at my record, I've had over 40 fights — and that's just recorded. I've had a lot more fights than that, actually. I've been fighting since '98. Hell, I think they have my first fight as one in Japan, or something like that. That's like the first one recorded … or it used to be. But I wasn't 0-0 when they sent me to Japan. I was like 10-0. But they didn't record stuff on the Internet back in the day. But I probably had … I guarantee I had 15 more fights. Unfortunately for me they were all wins that they didn't record. (Laughs) But I've been around for a long time. Back in the day, I was more of just a ground guy. I learned that if I couldn't take people down, and they could keep me on my feet, I was in trouble. So that's when I started boxing all the time, and I pretty much did that exclusively for a while … for a couple years. People now look at me as a boxer. I think it's funny that I was a ground guy first. Then I started boxing to compensate for my weakness at it, and I felt like I got pretty good at it. Now, people look at me more for that than as a ground guy. But it helps me get submissions, you know? If they're just trying to get me to the ground, they give me a lot of openings, and I'm going to finish them if I get an opening. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Recently, you've seen some bonus cash, including your UFC 78 fight with Thiago Alves earning Fight of the Night, and your 33 second UFC 81 win over Kyle Bradley earning Knock Out of the Night. As a fighter, when you're in the heat of the moment, is that something that's at the back of your mind — giving a good show for the crowd? Chris Lytle: Well I've always wanted to put on a good fight for the crowd and everything, but really honestly, when you're out there — and maybe I'm just not to that level yet — but I can't change what's going on. Fighters are so good at this level that I can't be like, "I'm going to try and do this to get that bonus." Beforehand in your mental preparation and in your game plan training, that's the time when you're thinking about that kind of stuff. Right now I've been thinking to just go out and try and finish the guy as soon as possible, try to hit him as hard as I can, submit him in whatever I do. That's my mindset right now. There were a couple of fights, like when I fought Matt Serra and a couple other times, where I was like, "Okay, this is my game plan: I'm trying not to get taken down, I'm trying to do this." Well, you know, I didn't really fight as well. I felt like I held back a little bit because I was just trying to stick with that game plan. Even though I felt like my game plan might have been right on, it just didn't translate into a good fight. I don't do that any more. I'm like, "I'm going to go out there and be super aggressive and try to end the fight," and see what happens that way. My mental preparation before the fight is when I'm deciding if I'm going to be in the position to win Fight of the Night, or Knock Out, or whatever. At the same time, it takes two guys to make that happen. If I'm out there trying to do everything I can to put on a good fight, and the other guy doesn't, then there's nothing that can happen. It takes two guys to make a good fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Let's talk about this Saturday's fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC 86. You've won three of your last four. Koscheck is coming off a win against Dustin Hazelett. How important is a win here for you? Chris Lytle: Well, I'm 33 now. I've been fighting for over 10 years. I feel like, at this point, I've been flirting around with the top level for a long time. You only get so long to do that — your window's only so big. I felt like last time I was at this place I thought it was my last chance at it. So to be up here again I feel like for sure this is it. (Laughs) So I feel it's a must win for me to obtain my goal. It's now or never. I'm sure (Koscheck)'s probably thinking the same way, so that's what makes for a good fight, hopefully. There's two different ways to go. You both can be trying to not lose, or — and I think with him and I know with me — you can be looking to win. I'm not looking to not lose. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): When I look at this fight, I think a lot depends on the Josh Koscheck we're going to see. Will he try and stand with you, or will he try to take you down. From a fan perspective, I think a lot of people don't want to see a similar strategy from Koscheck that Matt Hughes implemented against you. No offense to Hughes, I just don't think that he wanted to stand with you— Chris Lytle: No, he didn't want anything to do with it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): No, he really didn't. I was actually lucky enough to be at that fight, and it was unfortunate that it went that way for you, but— Chris Lytle: Well my whole game plan was … I figured he would try and take me down, but if I kinda stalemated him then the ref would stand it up, and I'd get five or six chances to knock him out. Well, he got his takedown each round, and they never stood it up one time, so I got three chances to try and hit him, and that was it. I was hoping for a few more. But it kind of threw me off. I definitely didn't think they'd keep us on the ground the whole time. But now — as I said, that was kind of my strategy (against Hughes) to go for that and kind of stalemate him out — but now I'm not trying that anymore. I'll pretend there's no ref, I don't care. If I'm on the ground, I'm trying to get up. I'm not going to sit there and wait for them to stand us up. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well how do you see this fight going — do you expect Koscheck will try to stand and trade with you? Chris Lytle: Well here's the thing, he's been getting a lot better on his standup, and I think he likes the way it's been going over his last couple fights. But I think what's going to happen is I'm going to go out there, and he's going to try and stand up for a while. And I think eventually, I'll hit him a few times, and he'll think, "This is stupid. Why stay up on this guy when I can take him down?" He'll look to take me down. I don't believe he's going to sit there and trade punches with me the whole fight. I think eventually he'll think he can take me down and hold me down, and he'll get in the mindset of "I can't lose this fight," and that's the route it's going to eventually take. I don't think it'll happen right away, but eventually it'll be his mindset. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well that's the other thing: once he has you on the ground, you do have an underrated submission game. So it's going to be interesting to see what he has once he does take you down, and if the refs are going to stand it up, unlike they did with the Hughes fight. Chris Lytle: Well like I said, I'm not going to leave it in their hands. I've learned. If you look at my record — especially in Japan — I've lost a ton of split decisions and a ton of majority decisions, and just a ton of decisions. I don't want to put it in (my opponent's) hands either, and I don't want to put it in the ref's hands. You just don't know how the ref's going to feel that day and if he's going to decide to stand it up. So I'm looking at it like, "Hey, I'm not going to look to this guy for help, I'm looking to get back to my feet on my own." Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Koscheck has said in the past that he trains the same for every opponent. But I've read that you don't do that — that you have a more specific training regimen, depending on the opponent. Do you watch tape of your opponent? What all goes into planning your strategy? Chris Lytle: Oh yeah. Depends on the opponent, but Koscheck's pretty easy 'cause he's fought on T.V. so many times, there's so much footage available. But I'm trying not to look at anything old. I know that back in the day what he did, he was going to try and take you down and try and sit on you. Now days, he's up and he tries to throw a lot more punches, and he's trying to do a lot more. His offense is a lot broader. So I'm just trying to look at it and pick out a few things, like, when he's doing this, I think he's going to shoot. When he's doing that, I think he's going to throw a kick. So I'm just trying to looking for little things so I can pick up on it and be ready for it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Who have you brought in from a coaching or training partner perspective to help you prepare for this fight? Chris Lytle: I've just basically had a couple wrestlers come in … a couple different wrestlers who are higher caliber than I'm used to dealing with … We'll start with them having the double leg in and go from there — Boom — you know, that's difficult to get out of. Just working on stuff like that. How to react when they got me in a bad situation — things like that. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): One question I wanted to ask that's not about Koscheck is that doctor stoppage during the Thiago Alves fight. I know a lot of fans want to see that rematch. Do you? Chris Lytle: Oh yeah. My thought is here, if I'm fortunate enough to get the win against Koscheck, I figured they would rematch the two of us — me and Thiago — 'cause he's on a tear right now. Honestly, after that fight, I thought for sure that was going to be my next fight, I thought we were going to rematch immediately. But it didn't happen. I'd definitely like to do that one again, and it's nothing against Thiago. To be honest with ya, I like the way he fights. I can't see me and him fighting, and it not being a fantastic fight and a fun fight. There are some fights when you are actually in 'em where I just can't think of any place I'd rather be or anything I'd rather be doing — even if I'm taking a lot of shots and I'm delivering a lot of shots. It's one of the reasons right there that I got into this sport. And one of the reasons I enjoy doing it is to be in a fight like that, where he's hitting me and I'm hitting him, and I'm smiling in between, and so is he, and we're just toe-to-toe just seeing who is gonna come out on top. One thing I really liked about that fight was, at the end of it, they stopped it, I didn't really understand why … they even asked him if he thought the fight should have been stopped, and he said, "No, I don't think it should have been." I thought that was real cool, 'cause most guys would have been like, "Yep, yep, he was hurt real bad." But he was a real cool guy about it, so I liked that. I can't think of any time when they would ask me to take a fight with someone like (Thiago Alves) that I would turn it down. So I'd love to do it again. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you know how many fights you have remaining on your contract? Chris Lytle: Yeah I got two. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Does that include this fight? Chris Lytle: Yeah, that includes this fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well hey, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors, and do you have any parting words for your fans? Chris Lytle: Yeah, to my fans, I just want to tell you all that I'm bringing it like I have the last three or four fights, and just expect a lot more of that. I'm coming to hurt somebody and end the fight in the first round. That's what to look for. I'd like to thank my sponsors TapOut and Contract Killers. Just expect some great things here in the future, some real good fights. There's a lot of guys I'd like to fight just because I like their style. I want to fight anybody who's gonna come out and try to hurt me, try to knock me out or submit me. I don't want a guy who's gonna try and win a decision. If your goal's to win a decision against me, I don't even want the fight. Come out and try to hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you, and that'll put the fans in the seats, man.

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Dana White ‘couldnt be happier’ with new UFC video game (Video) Posted: 01 Jul 2008 08:15 AM CDT UFC prez loves new video game Props: MSN.com

Chris Leben: ‘The Evolution of an Icon’ video Posted: 30 Jun 2008 10:30 PM CDT

Writers wanted for MMAmania.com Posted: 30 Jun 2008 10:17 PM CDT I’m a glutton for punishment, but once again we’re on the lookout for a few good writers. Here are all the requirements: Can write, understands correct English grammar and requires little to no edits Possess a solid understanding of mixed martial arts Able to research and mine story ideas independently Can stay up-to-speed with the latest developments and turnaround quick copy Demonstrate a writing style that engages readers Break news with solid contacts or sources (desired … not required) That about does it; however, there are several important things that are probably not on that list. We’ll blow up that bridge if we get that far. Consistency is perhaps the biggest factor — we want writers who are willing to put in the time over the long-term. Not just guys/gals who think it’s cool for a month and then bail when they realize the commitment that goes into being part of our team. To send us an email click here. Please include writing samples or links to previous work. And if you don’t have any experience or previous work to show then write something … impress us. We will not consider submissions that do not have something we can read and/or look at. If you have any other questions feel free to email us and we’ll do our best to get back to you. Don’t take it personal if you don’t hear from us. Based on the sheer volume of responses we anticipate getting it would be impossible for us to respond to each and every interested candidate. However, we appreciate that interest and thank everyone in advance who responds to this call. Important note: If you have a certain promotion or “scene” that you would like to cover please include that in your email. Every little bit helps. With the sport growing so much so too does our need for more talented scribes.

Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva vs Justin Eilers Elite XC fight for heavyweight title Posted: 30 Jun 2008 04:26 PM CDT After weeks of speculation over who would be Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva’s (10-1) opponent in the battle for the first-ever Elite XC heavyweight championship, the mixed martial arts promotion has finally announced Justin Eilers (19-6-1) as its man, according to FiveOuncesOfPain.com. Eilers is probably most known among the casual fans for his three straight losses over a year’s span in the UFC. From February 2005 to February 2006 he dropped three fights — each by first round technical knockout — to Paul Buentello, Andrei Arlovski and Brandon Vera, respectively. However, Eilers is on a very impressive streak as of late, having won 10 of his past 11fights with the lone loss a decision to the hard-hitting Pedro Rizzo last March at The Art of War 1. It seems as though he’s targeted and fixed whatever holes in his game were leading to those knockout losses, and he’s once again ready for the big stage. Apparently Elite XC thinks so, anyway, deeming his resume solid enough to compete for its heavyweight gold. It won’t be an easy task for Eilers, however. In fact, it will be a “giant” one — 6′4″ 265-pound Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has long been touted by Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw as the “best heavyweight fighter in the world,” and he was a lock for the company’s first division title bout. Coming off a less than impressive split decision victory over Ricco Rodriguez in February, “Bigfoot” is eager to show the fans a knee injury he sustained prior to that bout was a factor in his lack luster performance, and that he is in fact a much better fighter than he showed that night. The Elite XC heavyweight division has been gaining depth lately and a title being introduced into the mix was long overdue. This should be a competitive bout, but one that is likely set up for Silva to win. This fight is believed to be the main event of the Showtime portion of the co-telecast with CBS for the ‘Unfinished Business’ event on July 26 in Stockton, Calif. It will be the first of three scheduled title fights taking place on the evening, with Jake Shields and Nick Thompson fighting for the welterweight belt, as well as Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith re-matching for the middleweight strap.

Robbie Lawler vs Scott Smith 2 Elite XC video promo Posted: 30 Jun 2008 03:20 PM CDT

Drew Fickett rant on Jake Shields, MFC, Ryan Ford and more Posted: 30 Jun 2008 02:02 PM CDT Props: MMArated.com Quoteworthy: “I’m a man of my word. I’m a man of my bond. I trained my ass off with my boy Kurt Pellegrino for like six weeks man. We trained balls. I was ready for five rounds against, honestly a superior technical opponent, who I was game to fight and game to beat, and you know try my best. Two days before I’m supposed to fight Jake, he pulls out of the fight. Alright cool, whatever, I’m trying to be a better man and he had a legitimate injury. So I fight Jae Suk Lim, who is actually a very good fighter. I got the best of him real quick and I didn’t get to see what he had unfortunately, because I know he was very talented, and I would have loved to have a little more time fighting him. So I go back and start training for the June card. I get a call…actually I pushed back the fight until July because I ended up hurting my knee. Two months out, my knee’s kind of twisted, and I got to fight five rounds with one of the best guys in the world. So, I’m like, I need more time to train. They’re like alright cool, you’re calling us 2 months in advance, rather than two days. So I’m like cool, I let them know July. Then Jake is like, verbatum from him and his manager, I can’t fight until after August. I messed my back up and can’t fight until after August. So I emailed Jake and said sorry about your injury, let me know when you’re ready. I’m gonna keep fighting because I love to fight every month. He emails me back, hey man I was ready for June. Ok, I don’t know what that means, but thats a little strange and odd. I’m like cool, whatever, I end up fighting a guy that I fought a long time ago who is like 3-10. A very low risk fight in Rage in the Cage. I get my knee taped up by a PT, like master blaster style. The whole time I’m like, alright I’m not gonna kick, I’m just gonna go in there and submit him real quick. What happens? I go in there and submit him real quick. I make like $2,500 bucks. Then I start hearing rumors of Jake talking shit. Before I fought in Rage in the Cage in June, I even emailed him, letting him know, hey man I have to take a low risk fight to make some money. So I’m just letting you know, I’m not avoiding our fight. My knee’s pretty messed up, but I got to fight hurt. I have proof of the email. So he’s like, cool, whatever, we’ll make it happen. Now all of a sudden he’s better, and he’s not injured until August, and he’s fighting Nick Thompson for his little fake ass little belt in July. He’s talking shit, saying I’m ducking him and this and that. I just don’t understand people. You might be able to beat me in the ring or whatever, but trust me, I’m the first guy you want to go to war with.” Drew Fickett gives his side of the events that transpired leading to his absence from the June 14 Elite XC welterweight title fight against Jake Shields. “The Master” went ahead and took a fight just a week before the show, indicating to most that he was indeed not hurt. Regardless, it didn’t sit well with Elite XC and the promotion booked Nick Thompson to challenge Shields instead on July 26. Most recently, Fickett took a fight on short notice to tangle with Luke Stewart at Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Thomson.” However, in doing so he would have violated the terms of his contract with MFC — he has a title fight booked against Ryan Ford in late July. Long story short, Fickett never got to fight Stewart and now MFC has scratched him from its card because of the dust up. Fickett is an original for sure. The interview is pretty funny, and worth a listen if you have some time.

UFC Quick Quote: Gabriel Gonzaga road back to title shot starts at UFC 86 Posted: 30 Jun 2008 01:48 PM CDT “I need to come back with wins. I’ll fight anybody. My goal is to be the champion. When I get a title shot, this is my goal. I had a long way to go to get a title shot, and I’ll do it again. I believe I need a couple of wins. And then more and more fights I need to win…. I’m here. I’m training hard to come back with my best condition to give my best show to my fans. I need to come back with wins, but my goal is still to win a belt.” – Former number one heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga tells Sherdog.com that he intends to once again challenge for the division championship. “Napao” lost his bid to claim the strap against Randy Couture at UFC 74: “Respect” in 2007. He followed that up with another loss to Fabricio Werdum earlier this year. Now he’s set to take on Justin McCully at UFC 86: “Griffin vs. Jackson” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 5. The journey begins all over again. Can he make it?

Forrest Griffin on Rampage Jackson UFC 86 fight (Video) Posted: 30 Jun 2008 12:10 PM CDT

UFC weigh-in 86 Jackson vs Griffin info and details Posted: 30 Jun 2008 11:53 AM CDT The official weigh-in event for UFC 86: "Jackson vs. Griffin" is set for this Friday, July at 7 p.m. ET at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will air LIVE online via streaming video on UFC.com at this time. Of course, MMAmania.com will provide up to the minute coverage of the UFC 86 weigh-in, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. Here's the complete line up: Main event: UFC Light Heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin Main card (Televised): 185 lbs.: Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2) 155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson (28-8) vs. Gleison Tibau (15-5) 170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15) 155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin (11-1) vs. Marcus Aurelio (16-5) Under card (May not be broadcast): 265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Justin McCully (8-3-2) 155 lbs.: Cole Miller (13-3) vs. Jorge Gurgel (12-3) 155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard (21-7-2) vs. Dennis Siver (11-5) 155 lbs.: Corey Hill (2-0) vs. Justin Buchholz (7-2) For those in "Sin City" this Fourth of July weekend remember that the weigh-ins are FREE to attend and open to the public. And for those who want to make the most out of the experience head over to the Mandalay Bay Events Center bar at 1 p.m. local time and get some autographs and photos taken with Amir Sadollah, Jon Fitch and Manny Gamburyan. Sounds like a good time. In addition to coverage of the weigh-in, remember that MMAmania.com will also provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, July 5. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 8:30 p.m. ET. It's going to be a fun night of fights … check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight coverage you can handle.

‘UFC Countdown’ 86 to ‘Jackson vs Griffin’ airs tonight on Spike TV Posted: 30 Jun 2008 09:59 AM CDT “Countdown to UFC 86: Jackson vs Griffin” will air tonight at midnight on Spike TV, kicking off the promotional festivities for the long-awaited 205-pound clash between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Forrest Griffin. It’s the main event that will headline the pay-per-view (PPV) show this Independence Day weekend from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we can certainly expect fireworks. Here’s the description for the hour-long Spike TV special: “Now that latest Ultimate Fighter® series has determined a winner, it’s time for the coaches to get ready for their own test of skills. Go behind-the-scenes with defending UFC® Light Heavyweight title holder Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin as they train in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, respectively.” We will more than likely also get a behind-the-scenes look at the training camps for Ricardo Almeida and Patrick Cote — two middleweights who will go toe-to-toe in the co featured bout of the evening to possibly determine the number one contender in the 185 pound clash. To check out the complete UFC 86: “Jackson vs Griffin” card click here. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card action will the PPV telecast, which begins at 10 p.m. ET. “Countdown to UFC 86: Jackson vs Griffin” will re-air on July 2 at 9 a.m. ET and July 5 at 10 p.m. ET.

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