Monday, August 3, 2009

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

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

Sengoku 9: Mizuto Hirota upsets Satoru Kitaoka to win lightweight championship (Video)

Posted: 02 Aug 2009 10:33 AM PDT

Check out more videos from Sengoku “Ninth Battle” including the Featherweight Grand Prix Final of Masanori Kanehara vs. Michihiro Omigawa after the jump:

Masanori Kanehara vs. Michihiro Omigawa:

Kazuo Misaki vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura:

Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov:

Forrest Griffin war wagon pulls into Philadelphia for Anderson Silva UFC 101 fight

Posted: 02 Aug 2009 09:43 AM PDT

Props: MySpace.com

Quoteworthy:

“In anticipation of the momentous match up between UFC® superstar and Team BSN athlete Forrest Griffin and Anderson “Spider” Silva at UFC® 101: DECLARATION on August 8 in Philadelphia, PA, BSN has produced a monument worthy of the occasion. Fans attending the event at the Wachovia Center next weekend definitely won't be able to miss the 53-foot SYNTHA-6™ RTD semi-truck emblazoned with Forrest's likeness parked out front! BSN has commissioned the truck as a symbol of support for Forrest, who faces arguably his toughest challenge yet in the Octagon®. The truck will be on display outside the arena at the Bud Block Party, allowing BSN to maintain an elevated presence throughout the proceedings while making our allegiance concerning the main event crystal clear!”

Who getting on board?

Dan Hornbuckle knockout of Akihiro Gono at Sengoku 9 (Video)

Posted: 02 Aug 2009 09:37 AM PDT

Has to be up there for knockout of the year … DAYUM!:

Sengoku 9 results and recap for Aug. 2 event from Saitama Super Arena

Posted: 02 Aug 2009 09:33 AM PDT

Sengoku 9, which featured the promotion's featherweight grand prix, took place earlier this morning (Sunday, Aug. 2) from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

For fans in North America it will air via tape delay on HDNet this Friday, Aug. 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Kick-starting the event was a heavyweight showdown that would see Yoshihiro "Kiss" Nakao pick up a tiresome decision victory over Korean import Choi Mu Bae.

We then moved swiftly onto the featherweight grand prix semifinals, with Hatsu Hioki taking on Masanori Kanehara.

Though it was a bout that saw Hioki dominate the majority of, Kanehara didn't give up and showed his tenacity by surviving and scrambling out of numerous submission attempts. He was also mounted several times, enduring punishment as Hioki rained down many blows from the top position.

Kanehara managed to turn his luck around in the third round and mounted a better offense; however, it was not enough to win the fight, which when it came to its conclusion saw Hioki take the decision nod.

And in the other featherweight semifinal Michihiro Omigawa went the distance with Marlon Sandro and ended up scraping a gift decision win from the judges — it was a terrible decision that should have been Sandro's win.

Regardless, Omigawa was headed to the final to meet with Hioki. Of course, both participants were given time to rest and later met toward the end of the show.

In non-tournament action, Akihiro Gono made a return to mixed martial arts action — albeit an  unsuccessful one — that not only saw him lose, but in devastating fashion when he was brutally knocked out by a vicious head kick courtesy of Dan Hornbuckle into the last round of their bout.

Meanwhile, 2008 Combat Sambo World Champion Blagoi Ivanov garnered a decision victory in his MMA debut over hard-hitting slugger Kazuyuki Fujita. He now will have to make a quick turnaround because he's set to take on Aleksander Emelianenko in September at Fighting Mixed Combative.

Kazuo Misaki made short work of judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura in their middleweight showdown by locking on a guillotine choke to submit his foe just three minutes into the bout.

Unfortunately, despite winning his semifinal match-up, Hatsu Hioki due to injuries sustained in his semifinal bout had to pull out of the final on the advice of doctors. The man he defeated, Masanori Kanehara, stepped up to take his place.

And I can't help but feel Chang Sung Jung got the short end of the stick with this. He did after all win the featherweight reserve bout earlier in the evening, which in most cases would qualify him as being the most logical replacement. In addition, he fought Kanehara in a closely contested battle at Sengoku 8 this May, which the verdict of could have easily gone the other way in Jung's favor.

But once again he was passed over.

Even Marlon Sandro would have been more deserving because he never really lost his semifinal bout and giving him a second crack at Omigawa would have made up for how he was wronged earlier. However, it didn’t appear to concern WVR. And from all this hub-bub it seemed that it was much more important to have two Japanese finalist competing whether they should be there or not.

In what has been a stellar tournament feels somewhat tainted now with the two finalist not really deserving of being so.

Despite whether his participation in the final was deserved, Kanehara put a beating on Omigawa for the duration of the bout and went on to be crowned the first Sengoku featherweight champion for his efforts.

The man he lost to, Hatsu Hioki, is likely waiting in the wings for a rematch and a crack at the gold somewhere down the line.

In the main event of the evening, Mizuto Hirota captured the Sengoku lightweight title from Satoru Kitaoka, thanks to some deadly knees on a grounded Kitaoka in the fourth round that would put an end to good a back and forth scrap between the two.

Here are the official results for Sengoku 9:

Sengoku lightweight title bout:
Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1) defeated Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-9) by TKO (Knees) - (-R4)

Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinals:
Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2) defeated Masanori Kanehara (13-6-5) via unanimous decision
Michihiro Omigawa (7-7-1) defeated Marlon Sandro (14-1) via split decision

Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Final:
Masanori Kanehara (14-6-5) defeated Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1) via split decision

Sengoku featherweight reserve bout:
Chang Sung Jung (7-1) defeated Matt Jaggers (11-6) by triangle choke (1:25-R2)

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight Final:
Ikuo Usuda (5-0) defeated Koji Ando (2-1-2) by unanimous decision

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight Final:
Shigeki Osawa (3-0) defeated Toru Harai (6-3) by TKO (Punches) (4:24-R1)

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight Final:
Ryosuke Komori (4-1) defeated Takeshi Numajiri (1-2) via TKO (Punch) (3:25-R1)

Non-tournament bouts:
Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) defeated Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-10) by guillotine choke (3:03-R1)
Blagoi Ivanov (1-0) defeated Kazuyuki Fujita (15-8) via split decision
Dan Hornbuckle (18-2) defeated Akihiro Gono (29-15-7) by KO (Head Kick) (2:50-R3)
Eiji Mitsuoka (16-6-2) defeated Clay French (16-6) by guillotine choke (1:51-R1)
Yoshihiro Nakao (8-2) defeated Choi Mu Bae (9-4) via unanimous decision
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, August 2, 2009

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

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

Fastest knockout in MMA history — three seconds (Video)

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 05:28 PM PDT

Steve Ramirez vs. Darvin Wattree at Pure Combat IX on July 25. Don’t blink:

Sengoku ‘Ninth Battle’ weigh in results for Aug. 2 event

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 12:31 PM PDT

World Victory Road is set to present Sengoku “Ninth Battle” taking place tomorrow (August 2) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

For fans in North America it will be aired on HDNet via tape delay next Friday, August 7, at 10:00pm ET.

The event will of course host the conclusion of the promotion's featherweight grand prix, with the semifinals and finals all set to go down in the same night.

Also on tap is the conclusion to the promotion’s “Gold Rush” tournament with three finals decided in the bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions.

Rounding out the card will be a lightweight title fight between champion Satoru Kitaoka (24-8-9) and challenger Mizuto Hirota (11-3-1).

Fortunately all 24 fighters set to compete tipped the scales at today’s weigh-in event without incident.

Here are the complete Sengoku 9 weigh-in results:

Sengoku Lightweight title bout:
Satoru Kitaoka (69.9 kg/153.8 lbs.) vs. Mizuto Hirota (70 kg/154 lbs.)

Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinals:
Hatsu Hioki (65 kg/143 lbs.) vs. Masanoru Kanehara (65 kg/143 lbs.)
Michihiro Omigawa (64.9 kg/142.8 lbs.) vs. Marlon Sandro (64.7 kg/142.3 lbs.)

Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix Final:
Hatsu Hioki (19-3-2) or Masanori Kanehara (13-5-5) vs. Marlon Sandro (14-0) or Michihiro Omigawa (6-7-1)

Sengoku Featherweight reserve bout:
Matt Jaggers (64.6 kg/142.1 lbs.) vs. Chan Sung Jung (64.8 kg/142.6 lbs.)

Sengoku Gold Cup Lightweight Final:
Koji Ando (69.9 kg/153.7 lbs.) vs. Ikuo Usuda (70.1 kg/154.3 lbs.)

Sengoku Gold Cup Featherweight Final:
Toru Harai (65.1 kg/143.3 lbs.) vs. Shigeki Osawa (65.1 kg/143.3 lbs.)

Sengoku Gold Cup Bantamweight Final:
Ryosuke Komori (60.1 kg/132.3 lbs.) vs. Takeshi Numajiri (60 kg/132.1 lbs.)

Non-tournament bouts:
Kazuo Misaki (83 kg/182.6 lbs.) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (83 kg/182.6 lbs.)
Clay French (70 kg/154.1 lbs.) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (70.1 kg/154.3 lbs.)
Dan Hornbuckle (75.3 kg/165.7 lbs.) vs. Akihiro Gono (76 kg/167.2 lbs.)
Kazuyuki Fujita (112.5 kg/247.5 lbs.) vs. Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov (110 kg/242 lbs.)
Choi Mu Bae (109.4 kg/240.7 lbs.) vs. Yoshihiro Nakao (100.3 kg/220.7 lbs.)

For more on Sengoku 9 click here.

Josh Barnett under consideration for Sengoku return on Nov. 7

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 11:04 AM PDT

Josh Barnett is reportedly under consideration for a return to mixed martial arts action later this year at Sengoku 11 which takes place from the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan on November 7, as reported by Fight Opinion.

Barnett heads back to the "Land of the Rising Sun," a country that’s hosted a good portion of his career and may become his main base at least for the foreseeable future after “The Babyface Assassin” failed a pre-fight drug screening for anabolic steroids prior to a showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: "Trilogy" on Aug. 1.

He returned a positive "B" sample on Friday (July 31) according to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), all but confirming his initial test result from last month which could potentially prevent him from receiving a license to compete on American soil for at least a year.

And should he return to fight in U.S. somewhere down the line it's likely he won't be greeted with welcome arms after much fan backlash directed at him for the incident. It would also seem unlikely that any stateside promoter will be eager to book him after this recent debacle.

The impact from the findings of his positive test caused Affliction to fold as a mixed martial arts promoter after they were unable to scramble and find another opponent for Emelianenko. They instead opted to pack up shop and return to being an official sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

It's also to be noted that the Japanese media hasn't been too forgiving to Barnett for the recent stir he's caused and he's likely to carry some stigma there as well though not on the scale to what he's received from North American fans.

Also while Japan has an almost ‘anything goes’ reputation in regards to mixed martial arts, it won't be the safe haven for Barnett some would think it will be.

World Victory Road with the assistance of JADA (Japan Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) will be conducting drugs tests on its combatants.

Barnett last competed under the Sengoku umbrella in May of 2008, where he picked up a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Monson (31-8) back at Sengoku 2.

World Victory Road (WVR) officials have talked about featuring Barnett alongside Antonio "Big Foot" Silva as well as others in a mini-heavyweight tournament to crown the first Sengoku heavyweight champion for quite some time now.

Also scheduled for the Sengoku 11 card in November is judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii who will make his mixed martial arts debut at the event.

He has also been mentioned as being part of the Sengoku heavyweight tournament, though WVR may want to bring him along slowly and not throw him in the deep end straight away against the likes of Barnett and Silva.

Unlike many other Japanese promotions, WVR has done a pretty decent job in regards to easing in prospects, though with Ishii's heroic stature and drawing power in Japan they might try things differently with him.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how everything transpires.

UFC ‘Countdown’ to 101 video preview for ‘Declaration’

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 09:15 AM PDT

Georges St. Pierre wants to compare karate with Lyoto Machida

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 08:20 AM PDT

Props: Tatame.com

Quoteworthy:

“My Karate style is Kyokushin and Lyoto's is Shootokan, the rules are a little different. But I think it isn't the style that makes the fighter, is the fighter that makes itself, and Lyoto Machida is a great fighter. I would love [to train with him], because I love Karate and Lyoto is a great fighter.”

Georges St. Pierre talks about his desire to train alongside fellow karate practitioner and UFC champion, Lyoto Machida, sometime in the near future. “Rush,” who primarily trains with Firas Zahabi at Tristar Gym in Montreal and Greg Jackson in New Mexico, often mixes up his camps to maximize his performance inside the Octagon. He has enlisted the services of Olympic boxers and wrestlers, as well as Muay Thai under Phil Nurse and kickboxing under French master Jean-Charles Skarbowski. Oh yeah, he also has a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Bruno Fernandes from the Gracie Barra camp. He’s well rounded to say the least. Perhaps a return to his roots — he took up Kyokushin Karate at seven-years-old to defend himself against a bully — is the next evolution of the 170-pound champion? Scary.

Dan Lauzon returns to the Octagon against Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 103 on Sept. 19

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 07:53 AM PDT

Two more stranded fighters from the Affliction: “Trilogy” card have been rescued by the Zuffa regime for an upcoming event.

Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (12-2) — who is the youngest fighter ever to compete for the promotion (18) — will return against Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (8-1) at UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19, according to FiveKnuckles.com.

UFC President Dana White confirmed yesterday that the fighters were picked up; however, he did not mention that they would tangle in Texas.

Lauzon — who was scheduled to square off against Chris Horodecki at the now defunct Aug. 1 event –
is the younger brother of current UFC lightweight and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 alum Joe Lauzon. “The Upgrade” made his initial debut for the promotion at UFC 64 back in Oct. 2006, losing to Spencer Fisher via first round technical knockout.

The loss to “The King” was the first of Lauzon’s young career. He then had another setback three months later on a Cage Fury Fighting Championships card against Deividas Taurosevicius, getting submitted in the second round.

He has, however, put together an impressive eight-bout winning streak since those back-to-back losses, including his most recent win over Bobby Green at the Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” event back in January.

Lauzon has never been in a fight that has gone to a decision, which is undoubtedly a trait that piqued the interest of White and his Zuffa cohorts.

Oliveira is a Brazilian native who holds a black belt in jiu jitsu. He was set to face former Pride FC kingpin Takanori Gomi before the collapse of Affliction MMA. “The Tractor” is probably best known for the fight that produced the only loss on his record.

Last October, the Premier Martial Arts product took on current undefeated Strikeforce contender Lyle Beerbohm on the televised portion of a Sho XC event on Showtime. He was giving Beerbohm all he could handle in the match and looked to be in control of the fight before sustaining a fight-ending cut above his eye late in the first round.

Oliveira has won three straight since the semi-impressive loss to “Fancy Pants,” including two stints on XFC cards. Like Lauzon, he is also an aggressive fighter with a strong rate of finishing fights, having stopped 75 percent of his opponents before the final bell.

UFC 103 will feature a new-look main event between Rich "Ace" Franklin and Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at a 195-pound catchweight. Also slated for the main card is a heavyweight tilt between former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos.

In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title.

For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley vs Brian Foster UFC 103 fight possible for Sept. 19

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 07:16 AM PDT


Former Elite XC number one welterweight contender and Cage Rage champion, Paul Daley (21-8-2) , is expected to make his Octagon debut against fellow promotional newcomer Brian Foster (10-3) at UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19, according to MMAWeekly.com.

UFC apparently wasted no time booking “Semtex” for a fight after recently inking the British brawler to a four-fight deal just a few days ago.

He seemed to be a lock for the upcoming United Kingdom show, UFC 105 on Nov. 14; however, Daley may have wanted to fight sooner because he won’t be in action tonight. He was training to collide with Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron at Affliction: "Trilogy" later on this evening before the event was scrapped.

Daley is currently enjoying back-to-back wins after dropping two out of three to Nick "The Goat" Thompson and Jake Shields prior to that. He most recently put his stamp on Junior Barata, needing less than three minutes to take care of business.

The hard-hitting Brit will look to do the same against Foster; however, he may not get the chance if he can’t stay upright.

Foster is a member of Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad in Granite City, Ill., which would indicate that he is a very solid wrestler — something that could give a guy like Daley fits. However, in his 10 career wins, Foster has almost an even split between (technical) knockouts (six) and submissions (four).

He most recently scored a first round knockout over Kyle Baker at Shine Fights: “Genesis” back in May and made quick work of Mike Jackson before that with a three-second stoppage.

UFC 103 will feature a new-look main event between Rich "Ace" Franklin and Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at a 195-pound catchweight. Also slated for the main card is a heavyweight tilt between former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos.

In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title.

For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

UFC teleconference video with Dana White on Fedor Emelianenko, Tito Ortiz and more

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 06:28 AM PDT

Follow MMAmania on Twitter!

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 06:13 AM PDT

Get all the latest and greatest mixed martial arts news delivered straight to your desktop or handheld with the new MMAmania.com Twitter feed.

To start following us today simply create an account (it’s simple and free) and visit our page right here (Twitter.com/MMAmaniaNews). Click the “Follow” button and you are subscribed — that’s it!

It’s a great way to stay on top of breaking news, as well as “follow” fighters and others involved in the sport to see what everyone is up to. Like our Web site, we intend to update our Twitter account several times each day with the top MMA stories from around the globe.

So what are you waiting for?

Get connected and start following us on Twitter.com today. We’ll even sweeten the pot as we hit certain milestones with shirts and other free swag — we need Maniacs to follow us! CLICK HERE.
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, August 1, 2009

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

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

CSAC confirms results of Josh Barnett steroid test following positive ‘B’ sample

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 11:33 PM PDT

Josh Barnett — who recently failed a pre-fight drug screening for anabolic steroids prior to a showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 — returned a positive “B” sample on Friday (July 31) according to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), all but confirming his initial test result from last month.

Barnett's positive test led to Affliction MMA's house of cards to come crashing down, calling it quits as a fight promoter and returning to the UFC as a corporate sponsor with its clothing brand. Several intriguing fights were scrapped as a result, forcing fighters to search for work elsewhere … Barnett included.

The former PRIDE and UFC star issued a press release earlier this week calling into question the integrity of those results alleged by the CSAC — who does have a fairly sordid history dating back to the Sean Sherk scandal — and beyond.

From his official press release:

Mr. Barnett was shocked at these allegations and was extremely disappointed to learn that Affliction had made the hasty decision to cancel the August 1st event in its entirety. Mr. Barnett vehemently denies intentionally ingesting any banned substances in preparation for the August 1st fight and he is looking forward to presenting his case to the California State Athletic Commission.

Barnett indicated that he intends to appeal this most recent steroid finding with the CSAC but was likely counting on his second "B" sample to help dispute the initial positive result.

In light of this new development, Barnett will not be eligible to reapply for a  license to fight in the United States for at least a year, forcing him to remain exiled in Japan until then. With a Sengoku heavyweight grand prix looming and a successful wrestling career, however, it may not be too difficult to find work.

Keep in locked on MMAmania.com as we'll let you know more on Barnett's future when it's announced.

Tito Ortiz UFC ‘comeback’ tour starts with first training day since back surgery (Video)

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 08:57 PM PDT

Who has two thumbs and is gonna beat Anderson Silva in a rematch?

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 08:30 PM PDT

This guy!:

Props: Twitter.com/DanHendo

Rich Franklin vs Vitor Belfort UFC 103 main event …

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 07:32 PM PDT

… will be contested at a catchweight of 195 pounds, not 205, according to FollowAce:

“Just found out I will be fighting Vitor at a catch weight of 195 as per his request.”

Makes sense for Belfort. He is eager to pursue his career at middleweight, refusing to fight Gegard Mousasi at 205 pounds, but then reversing course and agreeing in principle to take on Fedor Emelianenko at heavyweight on the Affliction: “Trilogy” card that never materialized. Franklin, a former middleweight champion, on the other hand just competed at 195 pounds in a winning performance against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99. However, Franklin is making no real progress at light heavyweight since a return to the weight class last year with a technical knockout win over Matt Hamill. Perhaps it’s time to create a new division? For more on Franklin vs. Belfort click here.

Dana White casts doubt on reaching UFC contract with Fedor Emelianenko

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 04:14 PM PDT

Don't hold your breath on Fedor Emelianenko and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) coming to terms on a contract anytime soon unless a major stumbling block is somehow surmounted.

After a wild week in mixed martial arts that saw one promotion fold entirely, several fighters wondering when their next paycheck will come, and enough press conferences to make you want to unplug your phone, the UFC isn't any closer to signing the most feared heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.

And it's not for lack of trying.

UFC president Dana White today recounted how he went in to recent negotiations with representatives for Emelianenko fully confident that the deal would get done.

"I was so confident this was going to happen," White said. "I went into this thing with the attitude 'We're going to make it happen, we're going to make this thing happen.' The fans really want to see this fight, I want to see how good this guy really is against the best in the world. And it didn't happen."

White and the UFC have struggled to sign the Russian heavyweight for years, often expressing their frustration publicly. While speculation on why a deal couldn't be reached in the past centered on everything from money to the UFC's exclusive contracts forbidding the WAMMA champion from competing in his beloved sambo tournaments, White confirmed that he pulled out all the stops for this most recent deal, which he called "amazing."

"I literally did everything," White said before rattling off several of the obstacles that had existed in the past but are now not holding up the deal. "He got offered a fucking ass-load of money. A ton of money, everything that he wanted, he can go fight in sambo every fucking Thursday night if he wants to, he can do everything he wanted to do. And we showed him nothing but respect … I put my money where my mouth was, laid everything out and tried to make this thing happen, and they're coming up with unrealistic shit."

Therein lies the rub.

The "unrealistic" demands include what Emelianenko's manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein, referred to during his own press conference held on Wednesday afternoon — that any deal to sign Fedor must include a co-promotion deal with M-1 Global, of which Emelianenko is partial owner.

White is adamant that the UFC will never co-promote with any organization, least of all with one that he sees as a bit fly-by-night.

"How are they going to come in and help us co-promote?" White asked. "It's basically them coming in saying, 'Hey, we've got this guy, and some people say he might be the best heavyweight in the world, so for that we want half your business.' Yeah okay. That shit probably works in Russia (laughs). Not here."

White did say that if M-1 ever decides to pull the co-promotion sticking point off the table, he would welcome further negotiations. In fact, he said his offer still stands.

"We haven't pulled anything back. We have an offer out to Fedor," White said. "They can call me right now, they can call me tomorrow, they can call me next month. I'm ready to roll. I'm ready to make this deal. The fans want to see this fight. It's my job to make this fight happen. It's what I do for a living, so I'm trying."

White thinks Emelianenko's management's refusal to come to terms on this deal shows "insanity." And when asked, White seemed to express a genuine confusion for what the big Russian must be thinking — for why doesn't seem to want to fight in the UFC.

"I don't know what the reasoning is," White said. "I've heard lots of different reasons on why he doesn't — that he doesn't like fighting with elbows, he doesn't like this, he doesn't like that. I don't know what the answer is. The bottom line is, I think for the fans or any of the media to seriously call this guy the best in the world, let alone pound-for-pound, is fucking insanity when he won't give you the fights the fans want to see."

Despite dishing out insults to Emelianenko and his management in the past, White insisted that during these recent negotiations, he was the consummate professional — the "nicest Dana ever." He and partner Lorenzo Fertitta went in ready to do whatever was necessary to sign Emelianenko, but that, in the end, the demand for a UFC/M-1 co-promotion was simply too much.

"We've done deals with the best fighters in the world over the last 10 years. There's absolutely no reason why Fedor shouldn't be fighting in the UFC right now."

Apparently, and unfortunately, there is.

Kurt Pellegrino trains with a brick wall for Josh Neer UFC 101 fight (Video)

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 01:49 PM PDT

Dana White: Dan Henderson is next in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 12:42 PM PDT

A rematch against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, not Rich Franklin at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, is what Dan Henderson can focus on now that company president Dana White has shuffled the deck in the wake of Affliction MMA's demise.

Affliction refugee Vitor Belfort is now booked to replace Henderson opposite Franklin in the UFC 103 main event, which had fans less than thrilled when it was announced earlier this month.

White did not announce a hard date for Silva-Henderson 2, saying that it will all depend on "how banged up" Silva is after challenging Forrest Griffin in a non-title 205-pound special attraction next weekend at UFC 101.

However, if history is any indicator, Silva might be ready to rock on Sunday, Aug. 9 — he has remarkably suffered very little, if any, damage throughout his perfect nine-fight UFC career thus far.

In fact, Henderson is among the few who performed quite well before experiencing the same fate as the rest: Defeat.

Silva and Henderson first met at UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion" back in March 2008. Henderson controlled much of the first round, using his Olympic-caliber Greco Roman wrestling skills to takedown the Brazilian and implement effective ground and pound.

He also took time between throwing punches to smother Silva's airway — a rarely seen, albeit legal, maneuver to disrupt the breathing of an opponent. However, it seemed to irritate and anger Silva more than anything else.

Silva came out in the second round a new man, putting it on "Hollywood" with a punishing assortment of pinpoint strikes. Henderson eventually hit the floor and Silva capitalized by securing a fight-ending rear naked choke with just 12 seconds to spare before the frame expired.

Since losing his Pride FC title to Silva that night, Henderson has strung together three consecutive victories against very tough opponents.

He notched victories over Brazilian jiu-jitsu powerhouse Rousimar Palhares and former middleweight champion Rich Franklin, as well as dismantled Michael Bisping at UFC 100 with an epic punch/flying forearm punch combination that will go down as one of the best knockouts ever.

In short, Henderson has seemingly earned another opportunity to challenge for the 185-pound world title. And his stock has never been higher thanks to the Bisping beatdown.

Silva, on the other hand, has had to pack-on 20 extra pounds in an effort to rekindle the excitement that earned him the title as the most dangerous fighter in the sport. He's fresh off back-to-back underwhelming — albeit winning performances — against middleweight challengers Thales Leites and Patrick Cote.

White matched Silva up against Griffin with the idea that it would spark fireworks — something that has been missing in Silva's two most recent appearances. Apparently, a record-setting nine straight UFC wins — seven of which were all stoppages that never went longer than two rounds — is not good enough these days.

He'll look to add Henderson's name to that impressive hit list, again, when the pair rematch later this year.

Tito Ortiz returns to the UFC, may face Mark Coleman in late 2009

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 12:38 PM PDT

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz was on the July 31 media conference call to officially announce his return to the Octagon. While “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” didn’t get into specifics, he did confirm that he will finish his fighting career under the Zuffa umbrella.

The speed of his return took many by surprise, as the bad blood between Ortiz and UFC President Dana White seemed to reach an all-time high after Ortiz was relegated to signing autographs at an off-strip casino when officials banned him from the UFC Fan Expo on July 10 and 11.

Ortiz is coming off major spinal fusion surgery to correct a back problem that plagued him in his most recent bouts. His last appearance was in May 2008 — a unanimous decision loss to now 205-pound champion, Lyoto Machida.

He spent his time on the sidelines “searching for a record contract” while flirting with a variety of promotions, including Elite XC, Strikeforce and Affliction MMA, where he did a guest commentating spot at January’s “Day of Reckoning.”

While he speaks highly of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, Ortiz told the media that his decision to return to the UFC was based on the level of competition — something he didn’t feel Renato Sobral or Frank Shamrock offered him in San Jose.

When asked for a timetable on his return, White interjected that he was presently considering Mark Coleman as his first opponent for late 2009. Ortiz then reiterated that he was in no hurry to rush back to competition after having major surgery.

It’s been more than a year since Ortiz saw action in a performance that had him in trouble early only to nearly finish it with a triangle-to-armbar transition that “The Dragon” barely escaped.

Ortiz has all 22 of his professional fights (except for one) under the UFC banner in a career that dates back to 1997.

He has three wins, two defeats and one draw since he returned to action in 2006 from a brief hiatus. And those three victories have come at the expense of a past-his-prime, Ken Shamrock (twice), and a controversial split decision over Forrest Griffin.

Whether or not a surgically repaired back will help him return to form and make a serious run at the light heavyweight championship remains to be seen.

And I think Mark Coleman might have something to say about his chances later this year.

Vitor Belfort signed for UFC 103 to fight Rich Franklin in Dallas Sept. 19

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 11:19 AM PDT

Dana White confirmed today that Vitor Belfort (18-8) has been acquired from the fallout of Affliction MMA and will replace Dan Henderson against Rich Franklin (25-4) in the main event of UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19.

White cited fan apathy towards the original main event between Franklin and Henderson as a catalyst for the change. “The Phenom” has agreed to meet “Ace” at a catchweight of 195 pounds — despite rejecting a recent Affliction fight against Gegard Mousasi because it was outside of his new home at 185-pounds.

Dan Henderson will now be granted a rematch with Anderson Silva with a timetable pending the results of “The Spider’s” Aug. 8 fight against Forrest Griffin.

Company president Dana White made a surprise announcement during "Inside the Octagon" back on June 20 that he was interested in bringing Vitor back under contract to possibly face Anderson Silva.

It was a bit strange because Belfort was booked to battle Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix winner Jorge Santiago at Affliction 3: "Trilogy" on Aug.1, 2009, but White seemed confident that the Brazilian would return to the eight-sided cage for a third tour of duty after he satisfied his commitment to the "tee-shirt guys."

That commitment ended sooner rather than later.

Belfort has indeed looked fantastic since he made the decision to shed 20 more pounds and compete at 185 pounds.

He iced Terry Martin in the second round at Affliction: "Banned" with a nice combination that was set up by a flying knee. He followed up that performance at "Day of Reckoning," pulverizing Matt Lindland with a brutal first round blitzkrieg, landing six of seven strikes en route to a scary-looking knockout.

Whether or not a move back up in weight will affect that recent success remains to be seen — though he may have little margin for error against the former middleweight champ.

Franklin scored a big win over the always dangerous Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99: "The Comeback" via unanimous decision back in June at a catchweight of 195 pounds. It was the third win in the last four attempts for the Cincinnati, Ohio, native, solidifying his position as a serious, and capable, light heavyweight contender.

It’s going to be a ridiculous main event between two established veterans — don’t even think about missing this one.

Recently confirmed for UFC 103 is the heavyweight tilt between former Pride FC superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos. In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title.

For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

Dana White conference call for July 31 to break latest UFC news and developments

Posted: 31 Jul 2009 11:03 AM PDT

UFC President Dana White will be holding a special conference call today (July 31) at 2pm ET to discuss all the latest news and developments within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

And there’s certainly a lot to talk about.

First order of business is of course the fall of Affliction MMA — who quickly returned to the UFC as a talent sponsor after closing up shop, bringing some leftover fighter contracts with them.

Also on tap is the recent UK television deal with sports network giant ESPN, who will now broadcast UFC events and programming throughout the UK and Ireland.

And let’s not forget about the return of a certain “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” as former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is expected to be announced back into the fold.

Who knows, maybe we’ll even get a few surprises along the way.

To help you stay current with all the latest happenings, we’ll be live blogging the media call and keep you posted on breaking news just as soon as we get it, so be sure to refresh often.

Let’s get on with it.

2:05pm: Came to the table willing to give up anything except co-promotion to sign Fedor Emelianenko. Offered “amazing” deal that he won’t see elsewhere but M-1 turned it down.

2:07: Vitor Belfort is signed and will fight Rich Franklin in Dallas at UFC 103 due to fan apathy towards Franklin vs. Dan Henderson.

2:08: Belfort vs. Franklin will be contested at light heavyweight.

2:09: ESPN to carry UFC programming in high definition for UK and Ireland.

2:10: Tito Ortiz is back and will finish his career in the UFC — plans to fight before the year’s end, possibly against Mark Coleman.

2:15: Dan Henderson is next in line for Anderson’s Silva belt, Demian Maia not far behind.

2:20: Some uninteresting questions followed by some serious UFC butt-smooching.

2:25: Dana slams the sport of boxing.

2:30: UFC shooting for Vancouver in 2010.

2:33: If co-promotion was off the table, Fedor would be in the UFC right now.

2:35: UFC has no interest in Tim Sylvia or Andrei Arlovski.

2:38: No hard feelings towards Affliction and Atencio.

2:40: Dana still working on a deal that will “change the UFC forever.”

2:50: Ten minutes of Dana screaming about the Fedor deal.

2:55: More Tito talk. Dana and Tito are in a good place according to them. Tito picked the UFC because he would have smashed Babalu and Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce anyway.

3:00: Tito won’t give specifics but will fight in the UFC for the rest of his career, thinks Coleman would be a good test.

3:05: Call ends with Dana and Tito being giggly.
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