dianneorr4: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Following knockout of promotion's champ, Tyson Nam facing potential Bellator lawsuit

Tyson Nam's stunning knockout of Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas has drawn interest from major promotions, according to his trainer.

But that...

Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=125409&goto=newpost

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie

Randy Orton Is A Work Horse, Stacy Keibler/George Clooney

– Many people that have tickets to the Night of Champions PPV stated they were invited to take part in a group survey to discuss upcoming WWE Studios films. They would be paid $20 to watch scenes from a film and discuss the positives and negatives. WWE has John Cena’s Family Reunion, Edge’s Inside Out, and the horror film No One Lives on the way.
– It has been reported that from August 27th through September 5th, World champion Randy Orton wrestled every day except for one that was used for ...

Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/09/randy-orton-is-a-work-horse-stacy-keiblergeorge-clooney/

Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga

Strikeforce Rockhold vs Kennedy Predictions- Kamik

Strikeforce Rockhold vs Kennedy- Saturday July 14th 2012Strikeforce Rockhold vs Kennedy Predictions- This Episode of the show covers Predictions for the 4 Main Card Fights on the Strikeforce Rockhold vs Kennedy card along with predictions for all ...

Source: http://www.mmanews.com/video/mrj86/1256

Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard

Sarah Kaufman Vs. Kaitlin Young Booked For Oct. 6th At Invicta FC

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Aug. 27, 2012) ? Former Strikeforce Women?s Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada will look to return to her winning ways when she faces off with prolific striker Kaitlin Young (7-6-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at the Invicta Fighting Championships world championship women?s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Memorial Hall in Kansas City on Saturday, Oct. 6. 

Tickets for Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama, priced from $25, are on sale and can be purchased at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. 

?Invicta FC has made huge waves for women in MMA over the last five months. It?s been amazing to watch so many of the top women all fight on the same card, so I?m looking forward to be a part of their next show,? said the 26-year-old Kaufman, who is looking to rebound from a first-round (:54) submission (armbar) defeat at the hands of undefeated Strikeforce champion Ronda Rousey. 

?Kaitlin is a very strong 135 pounder,? said Kaufman. ?She?s got a lot of height and is quite technical in many areas. I?m excited to get in there against her, especially in the wake of the worst performance of my career. I?m hungry to get back in there and prove why I?m ranked at the top of my weight class.? 

A former professional dancer, Kaufman began training MMA after a martial arts studio opened underneath her dance studio seven years ago. Her competitive spirit pushed her to enter the fight world and, under trainer Adam Zugec, she reeled off victories in her first 12 professional bouts, defeating fellow former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate as well as superstar Alexis Davis and submission ace Shayna Baszler along the way. 

Like Kaufman, the 26-year-old Young will look to return to the win column following a second round (3:34) submission (rear-naked choke) loss at the hands of rising star Liz Carmouche on the last Invicta FC card on July 28. 

?Sarah is a great fighter who has made a big name for herself in the sport, so I?m looking forward to the challenge,? said Young, who took up Tae Kwon Do at the age of 14 and earned her black belt in the discipline before discovering Muay Thai. 

To date, Young has earned six of her seven professional wins by KO. In her third start, she scored a memorable KO on Tate with a head kick just 30 seconds into their matchup. 

Young earned ?Fight of the Night? honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event, slugging it out with Leslie Smith in a relentless, see-saw battle for three rounds before the fight was declared a majority draw. 

In the Invicta FC 3 main event, superstar Jessica Penne (9-1) of Laguna Hills, Calif. will face off with undefeated phenom Naho ?Sugi Rock? Sugiyama (8-0) of Kyoto, Japan at atomweight (105 pounds) in the first-ever Invicta FC women?s world title bout. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Shayna ?The Queen of Spades? Baszler (14-7) of Sioux Falls, S.D. will return to action in the bantamweight co-main event and take on Invicta FC 2 winner Sarah ?The Monster? D?Alelio (6-2) of San Jose, Calif. 

Another Invicta FC 2 victor, Barb ?Little Warrior? Honchak (6-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa, will collide with rising star and furious finisher Aisling ?Ais The Bash? Daly (13-3) of Dublin, Ireland in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest. 

Invicta FC will welcome one of the original pioneers of women?s MMA, submission expert Tara LaRosa (21-2) of Woodstown, N.J., who will lock horns at flyweight with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vanessa Porto (14-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

Leslie ?The Peacemaker? Smith (3-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will meet an opponent to be determined in a bantamweight matchup. Smith?s original opponent, Cat Zingano, has withdrawn from their scheduled matchup. 

Michelle ?The Karate Hottie? Waterson (9-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. will also make her first start under the Invicta FC banner against Lacey ?The Ladie? Schuckman (7-5) of Lakewood, Colo. in an atomweight scrap. 

In the leadoff main card bout, Julia ?The Jewel? Budd (3-2) of Port Moody, Canada will meet Elaina ?Beef? Maxwell (7-4) of San Jose, Calif. at featherweight (145 pounds). 

The six-bout preliminary card will be topped by a strawweight (115 pounds) matchup between Carla Esparza (7-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. and Lynn Alvarez (5-2) of Las Vegas. 

Two undefeated prospects, Ashley Cummins (3-0) of St. Louis, MO. and Joanne Calderwood (3-0) of Glasgow, Scottland will collide at flyweight. 

Amy Davis (3-3) of Idaho Falls, Idaho will face Stephanie Frausto (3-4) of Middletown, Ohio in an atomweight affair. 

Fresh off her professional debut win at Invicta FC 2, Jessamyn Duke (1-0) of Richmond, Ky. will face unbeaten Marciea Allen (1-0) of Sioux Falls in a bantamweight battle. 

Tecia Torres (0-0) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Kaiyana Rain (0-0) of Los Angeles, Calif. will make their respective professional debuts against each other at strawweight. 

Unbeaten Xtreme Couture prospect Katalina Malungahu (2-0) of Las Vegas, Nev. will battle an opponent to be determined at featherweight after her original opponent, Taylor Stratford, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury. 

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Source: http://www.mmanews.com/home.php

Junie Browning Paul Buentello Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett Murilo Bustamante

UFC 152: Brian Stann Pre-Fight Interview

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/1672/ufc-152-brian-stann-pre-fight-interview-2

Andre Amade Dean Amasinger Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen Alex Andrade

ENNIS: Lay of the Land - Comprehensive Breakdown of UFC's Lightweight Division (August 2012, Part Two)

By: Shawn Ennis, MMATorch Senior Columnist

This is the second of a two-part series breaking down the UFC's lightweight division. For Part One, click here.

Continuing the theme from the last "Lay of the Land," this section will break down the scheduled UFC lightweight fights into tiers. Each tier means something different as far as relevance, which will be explained below. For each tier we'll break down the fights and give a quick prediction. After all the fights are broken down, I'll break the rest of the fighters into groups and match them up in fights I'd like to see. Note: If I mentioned them in Part 1, I won't mention them again unless they're fighting someone in the pool. Here we go.

Tier 5
These fights are the bottom of the heap - that's not necessarily saying that these are the worst fighters in the division, but these are the guys whose jobs are either on the line now, or could be shortly

Marcus Levesseur (21-6) vs. Carlo Prater (30-11-1) - UFC on FX 5 ? October 5

Both of these fighters are only coming off of one loss, but there are extenuating circumstances. Prater was brought into the UFC 10 years into a well-traveled career. But the veteran was given a gift DQ win over Erick Silva in his debut (though admittedly he was fighting out of his weight class,) and in his lightweight debut for the company he was given a one-sided decision loss to T.J. Grant. I'm pretty high on Grant, so it's hard for me to count that too much against him. On the other hand, you have Levesseur. He was brought in to fight Cody McKenzie in his debut, where he lost by guillotine choke. If you lose by guillotine to Cody McKenzie, you probably don't belong in the UFC. And if Prater loses to Levesseur, it doesn't do wonders for his chances to stay with the promotion. I've got Prater winning this one by submission and sending Levesseur back to the local circuits.

Yves Edwards (41-18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8) ? UFC on FX 5 ? October 5

I hate having either one of these guys in danger of leaving the UFC, as both put on fun fights. But Stephens is coming off of back-to-back unimpressive losses (albeit against Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis). Edwards is in a little better position, having only lost his last fight, but he's 2-2 over his last four, and the wins were over Cody McKenzie and Rafaello Oliveira, who are not exactly the cream of the crop (though both are still with the UFC for now.) I think Stephens probably wins this one, and it'll be a lot of fun to watch. I don't know if Edwards would be let go right away, and I'd hate to see a guy like that go, but being 1-3 in his last four isn't going to do him any favors.

Mac Danzig (21-9-1) vs. Takanori Gomi (33-8) ? UFC on Fuel 6 ? November 19

Seeing Takanori Gomi anymore just makes me sad. The only way he's gotten a win in the last three years is by beating up blown up featherweights. And Danzig hasn't had a relevant win since 2008 when he won the aforementioned fight against Mark Bocek. Even with both fighters coming off of wins, you could hardly be surprised if the loser is cut. As for a pick, I hardly even know how to make one, but I'm going with Gomi for old times' sake.

Tier 4

These fights will have debuting or newer fighters, along with those who are declining or seem stuck in a rut but aren't necessarily in danger of being cut.

Jacob Volkmann (14-3) vs. Shane Roller (11-6) ? UFC on FX 5 ? October 5

The ramifications of this fight are a little tough to anticipate. It could very easily be in Tier 3, 4 or 5 depending on what the UFC thinks of Volkmann. "Christmas" entered the UFC as a welterweight and went 0-2 in short order against Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. He then dropped to lightweight and won five straight before becoming the latest victim of the "Sassangle" employed by Paul Sass. So. Do those who make the decisions regard Volkmann as a guy who won five straight before losing to Sass, or do they see him as the guy who won five straight un-electrifying decisions over guys who are mostly out of the UFC (Danny Castillo being the lone exception?) That will be what decides Volkmann's fate should he lose to Roller. Shane Roller, should he lose, will be in the unenviable position of having gone 1-4 in his last five fights. It could be tough to justify keeping him on the roster with that kind of recent history. I think Volkmann probably picks up a close decision win here.

Reza Madadi (12-2) vs. Cristiano Marcelo (12-4) ? UFC 153 ? October 13

I like Madadi as a prospect but I do have my doubts about him. The fight with Marcelo should be a revelation. Marcelo's striking game, unless something changes drastically from the last time we saw him against Sam Sicilia, is non-existent. Madadi was being handled on the feet against Yoislandy Izquierdo before catching him in a guillotine. The smart gameplan if you've got even decent striking is to keep the fight standing against Marcelo. Whether Madadi does that, or whether he's able to win the standup, will give a better (if still incomplete) idea of whether he'll have some staying power in the UFC. I tend to think that Madadi will win the standup battle but not look as impressive as you would expect a real prospect to look en route to a decision win. Marcelo will likely be cut at that point, while Madadi is given a stiffer test.

Tim Means (18-3) vs. Abel Trujillo (9-4) ? UFC on Fox 5 ? December 8

On the surface, this one seems pretty simple. From what I've seen out of Trujillo, in order to win this fight he's going to have to take it to the ground. From what I've seen of Means, that won't be an easy task. I'm definitely high on Means as a prospect and I think he makes this one look pretty easy, either cruising to a decision or scoring a TKO. Not a foregone conclusion by any means, but that's the most likely scenario in my book.

Daron Cruickshank (11-2) vs. Henry Martinez (9-2) ? UFC on Fox 5 ? December 8

This one is a little tough to call. Martinez debuted in the UFC a weight class above his own when he fought Matt Riddle at UFC 143. He had a good showing for a guy who was massively undersized but ended up on the wrong end of a decision. After that, I was expecting big things from him against Bernardo Magalhaes. Martinez did pull out the win, but it wasn't exactly a coming out party. That could be due at least in part to the fact that Magalhaes seems to be the kind of guy against whom it's not easy to look good against, but Tim Means managed to do just that in his debut. Cruickshank, on the other hand, showed a more striking-oriented game during his time on the TUF Live season, but abandoned that in a business-like decision over Chris Tickle at the finale. So in essence, I'm not sure what to expect from either guy. I think Martinez probably has a little more upside than Cruickshank, though that's not a sure thing, so I'll give him the edge to win a decision in December.

Ramsey Nijem (6-2) vs. Joe Proctor (8-1) ? UFC on Fox 5 ? December 8

In a battle of TUF standouts, TUF 13 runner-up Nijem takes on TUF Live contestant Proctor. Nijem, while obviously not facing top-tier competition since his loss to Tony Ferguson, has looked pretty good in his two bouts since the finale. Proctor looked pretty game as well in his two fights on the show, and his finish of Jeremy Larsen at the TUF Live Finale was quite impressive. This is one of your typical TUF vs. TUF fights that won't bean a whole lot in the long run, but the result could be more telling in retrospect than it will as it happens, if that makes sense. This is a tough one to call, and I think I'm going to go with Proctor here if only because I think his game is more complete. I will stipulate, though, that I could be completely wrong.

Tier 3

This is your "middle of the pack" tier. The fighters in this category are probably fringe top 25 guys and below who are usually fighting to get into "the mix," as it were. From time to time you'll see a tier 3 fighter matched with a tier 5 fighter, or someone who's on the verge of being sent packing. Those fights will usually end up here, though there's no hard and fast rule about that.

Michael Johnson (11-6) vs. Danny Castillo (14-4) ? UFC on FX 5 ? October 5

I was not high on Michael Johnson at all coming out of his season on The Ultimate Fighter. After his loss to Paul Sass at UFC on Versus 6, I figured that would be the beginning of the end of Johnson's UFC run. But then something happened when he fought Shane Roller at the UFC's second Fox show this past January. Michael Johnson looked terrific. That continued when he faced TUF winner Tony Ferguson at the third Fox show. Johnson has been training in Florida with the Blackzilians camp, and that seems to have made all the difference. Castillo, besides having one of the few great nicknames in MMA, has gone 6-1 in his last seven fights. Most recently he took out John Cholish, who I thought had a decent chance to win the fight before it happened. And despite being wrong about that one, I'm going against Castillo again here. I think Johnson will continue his hot streak. I don't know how long it will last, but I've seen enough of him to convince me that he'll get past "Last Call," probably via decision.

Thiago Tavares (17-4-1) vs. Dennis Hallman (51-14-2) ? UFC on FX 5 ? October 5

It had been a while since Dennis Hallman fought at lightweight, but after losing to Brian Ebersole at UFC 133, the veteran of almost 70 professional fights decided to return to 155 pounds. He made an impressive debut, taking out the 9-0 (at the time) John Makdessi in quick and definitive fashion at UFC 140. Tavares has been winning fights, but his four wins since 2009 have come against the murderer's row of Manny Gamburyan, Pat Audinwood, Spencer Fisher, and Sam Stout. Stout is a tough guy but not exactly a world-beater. If Tavares doesn't get injured before this fight happens (which is a real possibility,) I think Hallman wins big. Don't look now, but I've got Hallman making a run. Not a title run, mind you, but a run toward the top 15 or so. You heard it here first.

Tier 2

This category contains fights with at least one top 20 fighter, and usually both will be in the top 20-25.

Evan Dunham (13-2) vs. T.J. Grant (18-5) ? UFC 152 ? September 22

Tell me if this one sounds familiar: After debuting at welterweight and going 3-3, TJ Grant dropped to lightweight in October of last year and promptly looked very good in his first two wins, going 2-0. Though his lightweight debut against Shane Roller was stopped prematurely by Fernando Yamasaki (otherwise known as "being Wario'd,") Grant should have been ahead on the cards and would likely have picked up the win either way. He followed that up by putting on a clinic against Carlo Prater on the UFC's third Fuel card. Evan Dunham is a bit of a different story. The Xtreme Couture lightweight started off going 4-0 in the division before losing a robbery of a decision to Sean Sherk at UFC 119, then being plastered by Melvin Guillard, which at least temporarily derailed his hopes of being a title contender. He has since rebounded with wins over Shamar Bailey and Nik Lentz, but Grant will be tougher than those two. I think both of these guys have a chance at being highly-ranked fighters, but I'm seeing Dunham getting the job done this time. As it happens, I wouldn't rule out Grant actually having a brighter future at lightweight than Dunham, but right now I'm feeling good about the latter's chances at UFC 152. This one more than likely goes to decision, but it should be a fun grappling-centric match.

Gilbert Melendez (21-2) vs. Pat Healy (28-16) ? Strikeforce Melendez vs. Healy ? September 29

I don't have much to say about this one. The only reason it's tier 2 and not tier one is that you've got a top 5 lightweight fighting a guy who's unranked. Melendez rolls here. Also, it's a joke that he's not in the UFC. Please kill Strikeforce.

Paul Sass (13-0) vs. Matt Wiman (14-6) ? UFC on Fuel 5 ? September 29

Let's not mince words here: I'm going with Sass. Let's look at some numbers: 13 ? number of wins; 12 ? number of submissions; 9 ? number of triangle chokes; 3 ? number of heel hooks; 2 ? number of times outside the first round. These numbers wouldn't be completely insane if they all came outside the UFC (Cody McKenzie, anyone?) But when you consider that Sass is 3-0 in the UFC with three first round finishes? That's incredible. Everyone knows he's got triangles and heel hooks, and so far no one has been able to stop them. Will Matt Wiman suffer his first submission loss when they meet in Nottingham? I say yes. I think Wiman is often unfairly overlooked, but I also think that Sass is the real deal.

Josh Thomson (19-5) vs. Caros Fodor (7-2) ? Strikeforce Melendez vs. Healy ? September 29

Again, Josh Thomson is a top-20 lightweight. If he's got a contract with Zuffa, he should be in the UFC. Thomson wins in the second. Please kill Strikeforce.

Eddie Alvarez (23-3) vs. Patricky Freire ? Bellator 76 ? October 12

Alright, usually I don't count non-Zuffa fights because this is a breakdown of the UFC lightweight division after all. But I think it's worth paying attention to this fight. This will be the last fight on Alvarez's contract with Bellator. If he wins, there's probably a better chance that he'll show up in the UFC than if he loses. And of course, there's also the fact that I've been driving the Eddie Alvarez bandwagon since he was fighting as a welterweight in Bodog back in 2007. His fights with Tatsuya Kawijiri and Joachim Hansen in the 2008 Dream Grand Prix were epic. His first seven fights in Bellator (six stoppages) were dominant. His fight with Chandler, even in a losing effort, was a classic. I think he gets by Freire in October (though "Pitbull" is a nice fighter in his own right) and I hope that means he'll end up in the UFC in early 2013. There are a lot of great fights waiting for him there.

Mark Bocek (11-4) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (17-6) ? UFC 154 ? November 17

I'm torn here. Bocek is a good fighter, and possibly somewhat underrated. I've got him somewhere between top 15 and top 20. The problem is that he's either faced elite competition and lost, or he's beaten guys whose UFC tenures don't last. The only current UFC fighter Bocek has beaten in his seven wins is Nik Lentz, and he's at featherweight. Bocek's losses? Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, Jim Miller, and Mac Danzig. Danzig is a bit of an outlier, but it happened in 2008. Dos Anjos is 6-4 in the UFC. His wins are against better names, but his losses are against smaller ones. I'm not trying to play MMA Math here of course, but it's worth mentioning. And now that I've said I'm not necessarily picking the guy with the more impressive record, I think dos Anjos takes this one. Bocek's grappling is very good, but dos Anjos is no slouch on the mat either, and his striking is better than Bocek's. I think dos Anjos will be able to stay out of trouble on the floor and win the fight on the feet en route to a late stoppage or decision.

Tier 1
These fights have at least one top 10 fighter, and this is also where the #1 contender fights go.

Joe Lauzon (22-7) vs. Gray Maynard (11-1-1) ? UFC 155 ? December 29

Gray Maynard can't catch a break. He draws Frankie Edgar in his first title shot, then loses his second via TKO, then even when he wins against Clay Guida, the fight was terrible. Though you could count it as a win for him as he picked up some fans during that fight for goading Guida and trying to push the pace. Either way, he won't have that problem against Lauzon. And as for Lauzon himself, every time he's had a chance to make the leap into contendership, it hasn't gone well. His momentum has stalled out three times. Once against Kenny Florian, once against a streaking George Sotiropoulos, and most recently in a spectacular knockout loss to Anthony Pettis, who will presumably fight Donald Cerrone for a title shot sometime in the near future. I'd love to pick Lauzon to win this fight, but I just can't do it. And while I'd love to say it'll be a lot of fun to watch, I'm not so sure about that either. Maynard's best shot is to take Lauzon down and control him. Lauzon has good submissions, and that's probably his best shot at winning, but I think Maynard's wrestling wins the day here.

For the rest of the fighters, I'm going to follow a similar pattern. They'll be grouped into tiers and then matched up according to their tier and whether they won or lost their last fights. Guys who are ascending may fight someone in a higher tier, or vice versa. This is the first time I've attempted to be quite this meticulous with this part of the division, so let's see how it goes.

Tier 5: Aaron Riley, John Makdessi, Jeremy Larsen, John Cofer, Mitch Clarke, Rafaello Oliveira, Spencer Fisher, TJ O'Brien
Tier 4: Al Iaquinta, Anthony Njokuani, Anton Kuivanen, CJ Keith, Fabricio Camoes, James Vick, John Cholish, Justin Salas, Michael Chiesa, Myles Jury, Paul Taylor, Sam Stout, Terry Etim
Tier 3: Edson Barboza, George Sotiropoulos, Jamie Varner, Sean Sherk, Tony Ferguson
Tier 2: Diego Sanchez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Melvin Guillard
Tier 1: Clay Guida, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller

TJ O'Brien is a strange case, because he's on the UFC's roster, but his last two fights have come outside the UFC and he doesn't have anything scheduled at the moment. But if we look at the other fighters on the fifth and fourth tier, here's what I'm seeing:
I want to see whether John Makdessi can bounce back. So I'm going to give him Mitch Clarke in your traditional "loser leaves town" fight. CJ Keith didn't look so good in his debut against Ramsey Nijem, so I'm going to see how he does against another TUF guy in Jeremy Larsen. This is probably another one in which the loser doesn't stick. James Vick was on the TUF Live season but has yet to make his official debut. I'd stick him in there with Anton Kuivanen and see what happens. Even though Al Iaquinta is coming off of a loss and Rafaello Oliveira won his last fight, I like that matchup. I'm not a believer in Oliveira, so I'd be interested to see how Iaquinta would handle him.

Aaron Riley is an interesting case. Though I've got him in a tenuous position as far as his UFC career is concerned, he's still a tough out for anyone and he's been around forever. I'd probably match him up with someone like George Sotiropoulos. Even though I've got the Aussie two tiers ahead of Riley, he'll be coming back from a long layoff, and Riley is a vet. To finish off the fifth tier, let's match up John Cofer, who was knocked out by Justin Lawrence at the TUF Finale, with Justin Salas, who was pretty highly regarded coming into the UFC. He was hurt early by Tim Means and never got into the fight, so Cofer would be a good gauge for him. Note: I'm leaving off Spencer Fisher because I'm not sure if he's actually retired, and I'm leaving off O'Brien because I don't know what his actual deal is.

The rest of the fighters in the fourth tier match up pretty naturally, I think. Hopefully Paul Taylor is healthy in this fantasy matchmaking world, because I love a fight between him and Myles Jury. I'm high on Jury, and that would just be a fun fight. And even though Micheal Chiesa won the TUF Live season, I'm not as high on him. Let's see how he does with Sam Stout. That leaves two victims of Edson Barboza in Terry Etim (who could forget that one?) and Anthony Njokuani. I like that fight quite a bit as well. And to finish up the fourth tier, let's match Fabricio Camoes with, well, who else? Edson Barboza. That puts Camoes in with two straight fearsome strikers as he just lost his last fight to Melvin Guillard, but that's just life in the UFC.

Speaking of Guillard, we're going to leave him off for now. We've got nine fighters left (not including Sherk, who is on the roster but has been MIA since his gift win over Evan Dunham in September 2010,) which means one is going to be left out. And since Guillard just got pasted by Donald Cerrone, he gets a break.

So the rest of the division shakes out like this: Diego Sanchez makes his return to lightweight in a fight that is going to be fantastic when he takes on Jamie Varner. Tony Ferguson fights Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ferguson is coming off of a loss, and Nurmagomedov just beat Gleison Tibau, but we're going to let that slide here, especially since the decision in Khabib's favor wasn't without controversy. We already know that Donald Cerrone is fighting Anthony Pettis to see who will potentially get the next title shot, so that one goes without saying. And finally, doesn't it seem like Clay Guida and Jim Miller have fought before? Well they haven't, and now is a time that makes perfect sense for that fight. I'd like to see the loser of that one fight a debuting Eddie Alvarez next year.

A couple of guys who weren't mentioned but bear mentioning: Michael Chandler, who will defend the Bellator Lightweight Title against Rick Hawn, who has looked very impressive as a lightweight, and Shinya Aoki, who is floating around the Asian promotions and will probably never fight for Zuffa (which is just as well, because he would get stomped).

To summarize, and for easy reference to see how many of these matchups come true, here is the final list of matches I would make for the fighters who don't have fights scheduled:

John Makdessi (9-2) vs. Mitch Clarke (9-2)
CJ Keith (8-1) vs. Jeremy Larsen (8-3, 1 NC)
James Vick (4-0) vs. Anton Kuivanen (17-5)
Al Iaquinta (5-2-1) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (15-5)
Aaron Riley (30-13-1) vs. George Sotiropoulos (14-4)
John Cofer (7-2) vs. Justin Salas (10-4)
Paul Taylor (11-6) vs. Myles Jury (10-0)
Michael Chiesa (8-0) vs. Sam Stout (18-7-1)
Terry Etim (15-4) vs. Anthony Njokuani (15-7, 1 NC)
Edson Barboza (10-1) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-7-1)
Diego Sanchez (23-5) vs. Jamie Varner (20-7) - loser fights Guillard
Tony Ferguson (13-3) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0)
Clay Guida (29-13) vs. Jim Miller (21-4)

So that's about it. Did I miss anyone? Let me know what you think in the comments, shoot me an email at ennistorch(at)gmail(dot)com, or hit me up on Twitter - @shawnennis.

History of the UFC Lightweight Championship

*Bold indicates title changing hands

2/23/01 ? J. Pulver def C. Uno (Decision)
9/28/01 ? J. Pulver def D. Hallman (Decision)
1/11/02 ? J. Pulver def B. Penn (Decision)
*Pulver stripped due to contract dispute*
2/28/03 ? B. Penn draw C. Uno
*Lightweight division dissolved*
10/14/06 ? S. Sherk def K. Florian (Decision)
7/7/07 ? S. Sherk def H. Franca (Decision)
*Sherk stripped due to positive steroids test*
1/19/08 ? B. Penn def J. Stevenson (Submission)
5/24/08 ? B. Penn def S. Sherk (TKO)
8/8/09 ? B. Penn def K. Florian (Submission)
12/12/09 ? B. Penn def D. Sanchez (TKO)
4/10/10 ? F. Edgar def B. Penn (Decision)
8/28/10 ? F. Edgar def B. Penn (Decision)
1/1/11 ? F. Edgar draw G. Maynard
10/8/11 ? F. Edgar def G. Maynard (TKO)
2/26/12 ? B. Henderson def F. Edgar (Decision)
8/11/12 ? B. Henderson def F. Edgar (Decision)

Longest Title Reign: B.J. Penn ? 812 days
Most Title Defenses: B.J. Penn/Frankie Edgar (3)
Current Title Reign: Ben Henderson (186 days, 1 defense)

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Ennistake/article_14262.shtml

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

UFC 153 odds: Jose Aldo opens as -175 favorite over Frankie Edgar

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/8/31/3282890/ufc-153-odds-jose-aldo-favorite-frankie-edgar-underdog-mma-betting-lines

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie

DW's UFC On FOX 4 Vlog #1

Source: http://www.mmanews.com/video/MMANewsStaff/1262

Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan

Bellator 73 ratings: 'Summer Series' concludes with small ratings decline

This past weekend's Bellator 73 event averaged 167,000 viewers on MTV2, which gave this year's "Summer Series" events an average of 180,000 viewers.

That's actually an improvement over the ratings for this year's sixth season, which averaged 155,000 viewers over 11 events.

MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the ratings information with industry sources.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/Rw5UC-jeK3E/bellator-73-ratings-summer-series-concludes-with-small-ratings-decline.mma

Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto

UFC on Fuel 6 in China adds Silva-Nedkov, Danzig-Gomi

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Two more fights are headed to the UFC on Fuel 6 event in Macau, China, as Thiago Silva will return to action against Stanislav Nedkov, and Mac Danzig will meet Takanori Gomi on the Nov. 10.

Silva was scheduled to take on Mauricio "Shogun" Rua last month at UFC 149, but an injury took him out of that fight, partially leading to a summer shake up that moved Rua to Fox. Silva wants to halt a three-fight winless streak, one that featured a year-long suspension for an altered urine sample sandwiched by losses to Rashad Evans and Alexander Gustafsson.

He'll now meet Nedkov, who returns to action for the first time in 15 months. He made his UFC debut last August at UFC 134, taking out Luiz Cane in the first round to move his undefeated career record to 12-0.

Danzig and Gomi both get back into the cage for the second time this year, with both hoping to secure their second straight win. Gomi bounced back from two straight losses in February, knocking out Eiji Mitsuoka in a come-from-behind performance at UFC 144 in Japan. Danzig defeated Efrain Escudero at UFC 145 in April, his third win in his last five fights, bouncing him back from a loss to Matt Wiman last October.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14237.shtml

Aldrin de Jesus Todd Duffee Marvin Eastman Stav Crazy Bear Economou Yves Edwards

Who is to blame for UFC 151 cancellation?

Plenty of anger bubbled up after UFC 151 was canceled. From UFC president Dana White to fans who posted on Cagewriter's Facebook page, people are angry there won't be fights in Las Vegas next weekend. Anger quickly turns into a search for blame. Who do you blame for UFC 151's demise?

Jon Jones: When an injury happens, fighters often have to make sacrifices to still be able to fight. Ask Rich Franklin about the many times he has stepped up when the UFC needed him to, and how he's been rewarded. Jones didn't do that, and missed out on an opportunity to win a ton of fans. He made a business decision, but now will have to face the business consequences for how fans react when fights at UFC 152.

The UFC: In planning a top-heavy card with UFC 151, they were playing with fire. Main event fighters are injured all the time. Even Jones has had to postpone fights for an injury. Putting a holiday weekend pay-per-view on the backs of two fighters was begging for a problem, as was hoping for a late replacement after a very busy summer of MMA.

Greg Jackson: UFC president Dana White threw some blame towards Jackson, Jones' coach.

"Jones's trainer, Greg Jackson, told Jon that taking the fight with Chael would be the biggest mistake of his life. That's what he told Jon Jones. Let me tell you, this guy (Greg Jackson) is a sport killer," White said on a media conference call.

"When you are a champion, much less one of the guys who is supposed to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, you are supposed to step up. Jon Jones is a guy a lot of fans don't like, and I don't think this is going to make him any more popular. Lorenzo Fertitta (UFC chairman and CEO) and I are disgusted with Jon Jones and Greg Jackson."

Dan Henderson's knee: And here we come to the real culprit behind the cancellation of UFC 151. How dare you become injured when training in a brutal, dangerous sport, knee?

Canada: Always blame Canada.

Does any one person or group deserve the blame for UFC 151 being canceled? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/blame-ufc-151-cancellation-120222893--mma.html

Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino

WatchKalibRun is Closing Its Doors -- The Last Post

Source: http://www.watchkalibrun.com/2011/1/14/1935564/watchkalibrun-is-closing-our-doors-the-last-post

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney

Thursday, August 30, 2012

UFC 151 Cancelled; UFC 152 Gets New Main Event (Updated)

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-151-cancelled-press-release-082312

Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans

Introducing... Mikkel Parlo

Danish standout Mikkel Parlo (7-0) is featured in this week's 'Introducing...' article. Tomorrow night, the 22-year old will face Cage Warriors...

Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=125334&goto=newpost

Jermaine Andrè Yoji Anjo Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski

UFC 151 off after cancellation of headlining title-fight between Jon Jones-Dan Henderson

A day ago the MMA community was consumed with the upcoming bout between UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and Dan Henderson. The scrap, set for September 1 at UFC 151, was one of the most anticipated match-ups of the year. Unfortunately, it was also apparently a proverbial stopper inside a sink.

Earlier this afternoon it was revealed Henderson had been forced out of the meeting due to a knee injury. The UFC then offered Chael Sonnen as a replacement, though Jones turned the fight down. As a result, the entire card has been cancelled.

Greg Jackson Reacts to Star Student’s Situation

Jones? decision has also set of a firestorm of opinion from fighters, fans, and even UFC President Dana White with camps split between blaming Jones for refusing to face Sonnen and faulting the UFC for putting together a relatively weak overall show.

Fortunately, Jones will not be out of action for long as he has agreed to take on Lyoto Machida on September 22 at UFC 152 (possibly numbered as UFC 151 given the day?s events). The show also features a title-fight between flyweights Joseph Benavidez-Demetrious Johnson as well as Michael Bisping-Brian Stann in a middleweight meeting.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/23/ufc-151-off-after-cancellation-of-headlining-title-fight-between-jon-jones-dan-henderson

Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen Chris Dolman Edson Drago Tomasz Drwal

Lyoto Machida, Shogun, Joe Lauzon: The UFC on FOX 4 Postscript

Now that the dust has settled on UFC on FOX 4, it's time for measured, analytical observations derived from the data gleaned from watching a bunch of high-level fighters try to take each other's heads off.�Wait, did I say "measured, analytical observations"?�Ha.� I've been told my post-fight stuff is best described as "jibba-jabba", so maybe you should be the judge.

When it came down to trying to "impress" their way into a shot at the UFC light-heavyweight belt, former champ Lyoto Machida sure did it with his slick KO of TUF winner Ryan Bader. You know who did the exact opposite of "impress"?�Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.�Sure, Brandon Vera fought hard and fought better than we've seen him do in ages, but Shogun looked nothing like the guy that wrecked Forrest Griffin and Machida in their rematch. If anything, Shogun looked? old.� All those wars have taken their toll.

[Kevin Iole: Machida stands out, earns title shot at UFC on Fox 4]

Where does Bader go from here?�A definitive loss to Tito Ortiz and now to Machida has put him firmly in the realm of "I Shall Never Be Champ". Should Bader consign himself to be the official gatekeeper of the 205-pound weight class? He's tough, skilled and dangerous, he's just not there yet in terms of challenger for the belt, and�it's possible he'll never get there.

Two judges had it at one round apiece for Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner going into the third round of their fight, while one judge had Rounds One and Two for Varner.� What that means is, if Lauzon had never gotten that submission, but kept up the intensity, he would've likely taken the split decision.� What THAT means is that even on short notice, Varner was able to deliver the goods against a pretty damn decent opponent.� There will always be a place for Lauzon in the Octagon, as evidenced by the obscene amount of Fight of the Night dough he's gotten over the years; however, there's a spot there for Varner, too.� Whatever corner he's turned in his career seems to have made him someone worth paying attention to.

I said before that Mike Swick scoffed at the concept of "ring rust" with his performance against Damarques Johnson, and I still stand by that statement. In fact, I'd hazard to guess that Swick's next venture into the cage will be even more impressive, as he will be even further re-acclimated to competition. In other words, yo, Swick's next opponent ? watch out!

Cole Miller is now 0-2 as a featherweight, but I thought he gave Nam Phan a heck of a fight.�He just fought someone who was probably slightly better than him on the ground (jiu-jitsu black belt vs. brown belt), and who was definitely more seasoned with their hands. Miller should give the 145-pound weight class another shot. That insane height and reach advantage has got to pay off eventually.

Whatever was holding Josh Grispi back is still there, preventing him from realizing the potential we'd seen when he was rocketing up the ranks.�With the loss to Rani Yahya ? in a bout that hardly seemed competitive ? Grispi should be sent back to the minor leagues to iron out what's wrong. He's got all the talent in the world, he's just not pulling the trigger.

Oli Thompson looked perfect for the next Bellator heavyweight tournament.� I hope they can find him a slot in it.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/lyoto-machida-shogun-joe-lauzon-ufc-fox-4-142138047--mma.html

Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi

Cat Zingano signs with Strikeforce, meets Amanda Nunes in Sacramento

Strikeforce has added another up-and-coming talent to its roster.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on Wednesday announced the signing of Cat Zingano, who will make her debut next month against Amanda Nunes at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy."

"Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy" takes place Sept. 29 at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif., and features a lightweight title fight between champion Gilbert Melendez and Pat Healy.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/xOehGZYQKwU/cat-zingano-signs-with-strikeforce-meets-amanda-nunes-in-sacramento.mma

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau

Tim Sylvia Plans To Send Andrei Arlovski Into Retirement With His Fists

A battle of former UFC heavyweight champions will take place at ONE FC 5: Pride of a Nation Friday morning, as Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski square off in the Philippines. The card, which can be purchased for streaming at the ONE FC website, will feature the fourth meeting between Sylvia and Arlovski. Sylvia (31-7) [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/N8gZWX0C6Ig/

Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet

Initial autopsy report inconclusive in South Carolina fighter?s death

An initial autopsy performed on Tyrone "Teestea" Mims, an amateur fighter who died on Saturday night after competing at a regional fight show in South Carolina, has proven inconclusive, according to the Charleston County Coroner.� Toxicology tests are pending.

Mims was stepping into the cage for the first time, and was competing at an event called "Fight Night at the Point VI."� He allegedly suffered minimal damage during his bout, and witness accounts had him dominating throughout the first round.��But Mims began appearing exhausted in the second round, and�when the 30-year-old seemed unable to improve his position, the referee stopped the bout.� Mims was taken backstage; when his condition deteriorated, he was taken to Medical University Hospital, where he died.

Mims, a Georgia resident, was taking part in a reality show titled "Georgia Boy's Grits-n-Glory."� The show released the following statement:

One of the fighters, who happened to be our own Tyrone "Teestea" Mims, was fatally injured tonight, possibly as a result of his fight.� The promoters and the South Carolina Fight Commission consulted with the fighters and all involved and decided as a result of the death of one of their own we should call off the rest of the fights.� The promoters and the Athletic Commission did everything in their power according to protocol and this accident was beyond their control.� We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you'll understand as we deal with the gravity of the situation.� Our thoughts and prayers are with Teestea and his immediate family, which include his five children.

This is the second mixed martial arts-related death in South Carolina history.� In 2010, amateur fighter Michael Kirkham died from a brain hemorrhage after suffering a knockout at an event in Aiken, S.C.

As per state regulation, amateur fighters must pass an eye exam, be screened for HIV and Hepatitis, and pass a cursory examination by a physician prior to getting in the cage.� It is unknown if Mims had completed those requirements.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/initial-autopsy-report-inclusive-south-carolina-fighter-death-025710893--mma.html

Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan

Watch ?All Access: Ronda Rousey? here

Check out the second episode of Showtime's "All Access: Ronda Rousey" right here. It's 23 minutes long, but well worth your time. There is some not safe for work language, so turn the volume down.

Things to watch out for:

1. How both women break into laughter after their face-off, and what they discuss next. I expect fighters to be intense during their weigh-in day faceoffs because it's so close to fight time. Breaking into laughter months in a staredown months before the fight is what I expect.

2. "It's brutal. She's an Olympian." Rousey has no problem throwing around Nick Diaz.

3. "I get to hit stuff and make noise."

4. Rousey's face when she sees her ESPN the Magazine cover, and the discussion with her mother. On the downside, she sees a video of her online exposed much more than she had agreed to.

5. Sarah Kaufman's friend doesn't know when she's fighting. Also, Victoria, BC, being insanely beautiful.

6. Greg Jackson being as Greg Jackson as possible, yelling, "You're doing extremely well!" All coaches should rock grammar like Jackson.

7. Why you shouldn't ask Kaufman or her coach if she's working on armbar defense.

8. The narrator's voice. Without looking, who can identify that voice?

9. "Women being put in their place is part of what's wrong this world." Well said.

Related MMA video from Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/watch-access-ronda-rousey-222659869--mma.html

Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi

GIVEAWAY: 5 Dan Henderson Walkout Shirts and Signed Hat

I wanted to pass along a killer giveaway we are doing at FighterStyle to the NinjaShoes Forum Community. We are giving away 5 Dan Henderson Walkout Shirts and a Signed Hat by Clinch Gear for UFC...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79096-GIVEAWAY-5-Dan-Henderson-Walkout-Shirts-and-Signed-Hat&goto=newpost

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

Benson Henderson?s title defense, B.J. Penn vs. Rory MacDonald and ?Shogun? vs. ?Mauler? will headline UFC on Fox 5

The last two UFC on Fox 5 cards have been lackluster, and there hasn't been a title fight on the network since the UFC's debut there. UFC on Fox 5 will change those two trends. USA Today reports the next network show will be on Dec. 8 at a site to be determined.

The three fights added to the show's slate:

-- Benson Henderson will defend his lightweight heavyweight (Ed. note -- Sorry, still recovering from Olympics) belt against Nate Diaz, who is riding a three-fight win streak. Diaz earned the title shot with a submission of Jim Miller in May.

-- In the co-main event, Alexander Gustafsson will fight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Gustafsson has five wins in a row at light heavyweight, but has been ignored by the UFC for a title shot. Perhaps a win over Shogun, who just beat Brandon Vera on the last Fox card, will do the trick.

-- B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald's bout, which was postponed because of a cut MacDonald sustained in training, was rescheduled to this card.

With a title fight, a possible title contender's fight and the mainstream starpower of Penn, the UFC is giving Fox a welcome change from the less-than-thrilling recent cards. Though the UFC reported an increase in ratings from their May show to the August one, it was modest. The May show also experienced a steep drop-off in ratings from the two previous shows on Fox, so the improvement shown on the August show still didn't get the UFC anywhere near the four million viewers who watched the first two UFC on Fox shows.

Will you tune in? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/benson-henderson-title-defense-b-j-penn-vs-130338352--mma.html

Mike Brown Junie Browning Paul Buentello Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett

Antonio Banuelos signs with Legacy Fighting Championship, debuts vs. Josh Sampo

Antonio Banuelos has signed with Legacy Fighting Championship and will debut for the promotion at Legacy FC 14 next month.

With Rafael De Freitas out with an injury, the former UFC and WEC fighter will meet Josh Sampo in the co-main event. Legacy promoter Mick Maynard on Tuesday confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.com.

Legacy FC 14 takes place Sept. 14 at Houston's Arena Theater, and the main card airs on AXS TV (formerly HDNet).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/qigbZz0LZ_o/antonio-banuelos-signs-with-legacy-fighting-championship-debuts-vs-josh-sampo.mma

José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez

Former Wrestlemania opponents John Cena-The Miz reunite on WWE Monday Night RAW

Last night on RAW, John Cena�defeated The Miz who won a prior WWE Championship match against Cena a few year’s back at Wrestlemania. Their rematch was unannounced and slipped into the middle of RAW, and while it was a solid effort capped off by the usual Cena win, it was st ill unfortunate to see the company treat the Cena-Miz rivalry as such a small deal.

Of course, it’s been a long, winding road for Miz over the last year after going from long-reigning champ to tagging with R-Truth to get squashed by Cena and The Rock�to being fed to the likes of Brodus Clay. But, despite losing to Cena once again, the WWE Intercontinental Champion continued to demonstrate a certain meanness in his offense and look (maybe it’s just the 5 o’clock shadow )that’s getting his character back on track.

Check out the bout between Miz/Cena below:

PHOTO CREDIT – WWE

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/28/former-wrestlemania-opponents-john-cena-the-miz-reunite-on-wwe-monday-night-raw

Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

MMA to air on NBC Sports Network?

MMA Fighting reports that MMA organization the World Series of Fighting received its promoter?s license from the Nevada State Athletic� Commission� which allows it to promote its first fight in Nevada.� The organization is scheduled for November at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. MMA Fighting has obtained documents which indicate that NBC Sports Networks will [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/Bp8liwal2g0/

Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik

UFC 150 Main Card Predictions- Kamikaze Overdrive

UFC 150- Henderson vs Edgar 2 Saturday August 11th 2012UFC 150 Main Card Predictions- This Episode of the show covers Predictions for the 5 Main Card Fights on the UFC 150- Henderson vs Edgar 2 card. The Undercard Predictions are available here: h...

Source: http://www.mmanews.com/video/mrj86/1264

Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson

Diego Sanchez, Don Cerrone, Cain Velasquez: The Morning News Roundup ? 8.7.12

Any day when the news doesn't involve a fighter getting injured, a fighter failing a drug screening or a fighting going to jail is a good one, and hey, today looks like a good one.� A well-liked scrapper is switching weight classes again, a co-main event fighter has given his upcoming bout a thumbs-up, a heavyweight wants his title shot, and another fighter went to the doctor, but that's it.� No cuts requiring stitches, no marijuana metabolites and no 40-person brawls ? as the indomitable Ice Cube would say, "It was a good day."

Winner of the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and longtime fan-favorite fighter Diego Sanchez announced that he's moving down to lightweight.� Again.� If you'll recall, his last trip down to the 155-pound weight class ended with a showdown against B.J. Penn, and that match-up wasn't even competitive.� However, Sanchez's recent return to welterweight yielded mixed results, so you know how that goes.

�

UFC lightweight stalwart Don Cerrone says that he's cool with fighting Melvin Guillard this weekend at UFC 150.� Which is good because it's only the co-main event and Cerrone signed the bout agreement months ago and if he were to suddenly say he wasn't cool with it the UFC would probably sue him for breach of contract plus damages.

�

Who will be next to challenge UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos?� Will it be Dutch behemoth Alistair Overeem, who's currently serving a suspension for excessive horsemeat?� Or should it be former champ Cain Velasquez, who turned Antonio Silva into a Dexter-ish blood-splatter pattern on the Octagon floor back at UFC 146?

�

Brazilian light-heavyweight striker Wagner Prado reportedly saw a doctor yesterday for his eye injury, which he incurred via accidental foul at the hands (or fingers) of Phil Davis on UFC on FOX 4 Saturday night.� No word yet on the prognosis, but it's great that Prado is getting professional help.� Eye injuries are no joke.�

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/diego-sanchez-don-cerrone-cain-velasquez-morning-news-132037148--mma.html

Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki

Pat Miletich on UFC 151?s Cancellation

Former UFC champion and current Strikeforce analyst Pat Miletich recently spoke out to MMA site Bloody Elbow on the cancellation of UFC 151. "The Croatian Sensation," while understanding of the pressure facing the UFC, he was critical of the company's handling of the situation. Miletich, who has ran an established training center for years, was understanding of Greg Jackson's reasoning to suggest that UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones decline a fight with Chael Sonnen.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/30167/pat-miletich-on-ufc-151s-cancellation/

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill

ROUNDTABLE: Did the UFC make the right decision in canceling UFC 151? What could have been done without Jon Jones?

Did the UFC make the right decision in canceling UFC 151? If not, what should (or could) they have done to keep the show on without a Jon Jones fight?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Depends who you ask. If you ask the 20 non-main event fighters who aren't getting paid until weeks or months later when they get rescheduled, then it was a horrible decision. I mean, babies won't be fed, wives won't be clothed, homes will be foreclosed upon, locusts and plagues will descend. If you ask UFC management, who was looking at a grand total of 42 PPV buys and not one more ticket sold from the moment Jones pulled out until the night of the fight, then yeah, good call Skippy. If you ask me, with no financial stake in the decision, I too am ambivalent. I mean, on one hand the UFC just sent a major slap in the face to Jake Ellenberger, Jay Hieron, Dennis Hallman, Yasuhiro Urushitani, et. al. by making it clear that the UFC cares more about their own bottom line than the bottom lines of the mid-card (and below). But on the other hand, the idea of a UFC PPV in an empty airport hangar, with a card devoid of even one drawing card would wind up being the source of even more ridicule than the cancellation of the event itself.

Of course, the three biggest sources of blame are getting off scott-free here. Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida, and Dana White are far more responsible than their convenient scapegoat Jon Jones (although Jones really should have done them a solid, and isn't blameless). Henderson was injured for weeks before he told the UFC he was injured. Even if he thought he was going to be ready for September 1, he had a responsibility to keep the UFC in the loop so they could make backup plans. You know, as opposed to cancelling the card in a panic. Had the UFC known in time, they could have discreetly gotten another fighter (even Chael) to start training hard on a parallel course so that if Henderson pulled out, UFC management could have said, "Hendo is out. But in our infinite wisdom we strategerized a backup plan, and Jon Jones will now defend agaonst (fill in the blank)." If Chael was willing to take the fight on eight days notice, he clearly would have taken it on 24 days notice. And if Jones is willing to fight Chael on September 22, then he would have been willing to fight Chael on September 1 had he known immediately upon Henderson's injury.

While we're holding feet to the fire, Lyoto Machida also could have done the UFC a solid by accepting the September 1 fight with Jones. Seeing as how he already fought the man once, he's seen all the tape. He's with an elite camp who is more than well aware of what Jon Jones brings to the table. It's not perfect for Machida to take Jones on nine days notice, but it's not like Jones would have been training for Machida for three months either. Had Machida manned-up, we might still have a fight week to gear up for.

And of course, the UFC is to blame here. I understand that they are running approximately seven events per day this year so the cards are thin as a result. But this is a bed they made for themselves. They signed off on a model where they're booking a zillion fight cards, and a lot of those fights that are going to Fox, FX, and Fuel would have been solid PPV fights. But I don't remember anyone pointing a gun at Dana White's head forcing to run so many cards. What happened to UFC 151 was completely predictable. The last time Jon Jones fought, Che Mills was in the co-main event, okay? Numerous people were speculating about what would happen to UFC 145 if Jones or Rashad Evans got injured, and now we know the result.

It's fine for the UFC to book a thin undercard when they have a potentially massive main event, but there's a different between thin and non-existent. In a perfect world, injuries don't happen, every card that is booked stays fully in tact, I win the damn lottery, Brad Walker loses 75 pounds without blowing out both hamstrings, and Dan Moore gets his green card. But that aint the world we live in. So in conclusion, everyone is to blame, s*** happens, UFC 152 is less than four weeks away, and I'm glad to have more than three days between PPVs.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I don't think they made the right decision canceling. As soon as Anderson Silva tells me that he's willing to fight I run with that. I don't care if they already starting the process of canceling, you've got a chance to have the greatest fighter of all-time filling in on short notice. No one in their right mind would complain about that. Considering that Chael Sonnen and Chris Weidman were also willing to fight on short notice, there's no reason to cancel now. Match Sonnen and Weidman against each other, and then ask around to see if anyone is willing to fight Silva on short notice. I'm sure there would be at least a couple guys willing to do that.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

This is such an interesting question with so many variables. First, we should talk about who is at fault for this entire situation. It's Dan Henderson's fault. If he had told the UFC when his injury occurred, this whole thing could have been avoided. We have enough reasons to dislike Jon Jones, the cancellation of UFC 151 should not be one of them. Seriously, do you think Fedor would have taken on Randy Couture on one week's notice? HELL NO! It is not Jon Jones' fault, but we can still dislike him for the DUI, allegedly being in the company of two women who were not the mother of his children when he got the DUI, his super arrogance, and his disrespect of so many fighters in MMA. The UFC could have moved the card to free TV and made the fans happy. I agree the card would not have made a great PPV, but how many crappy PPV shows have we seen in recent memory? I think this is a case of Dana White being mad, because he lost control of one of his largest superstars. I think Jon Jones will become an even bigger thorn in the side of Zuffa after he starts to get some of the fame that will come along with his forty million dollar Nike sponsorship. Jon Jones did the right thing by waiting for his next opponent. Many fighters will do what the UFC and White ask, because they cannot make a living in any other organization. I think as long as fighters are doing exactly what White wants, things are fine. When fighters do not surrender to his whims, White makes these split- second, poor decisions like the cancellation of UFC 151 and everyone loses. Cancelling this UFC was a mistake and handling it any other way would have been better.

BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

From a business standpoint absolutely not. Jones vs. Sonnen would have still been an entertaining fight, with Jones coming out as the victor. If Dana White had not rushed to cancel the card we may have wound up with an equally as good fight with Anderson Silva fighting at light heavyweight against an unknown opponent. That would have made for every bit of pay per view sales as Jones vs Hendo or Jones vs Sonnen. The call to cancel was too quick and too erratic, and far too dramatic by Dana White, that was a huge mistake that hurt fans, fighters and publicity all at once.

DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR

The UFC were in a no win situation last week, a lot of it self inflicted, some of it just unfortunate circumstance. To start with, they left themselves wide open when putting the card together. Relying on Jones vs. Henderson, and to a lesser extent Koscheck vs. Ellenberger. When Koscheck was unfortunately injured they failed to find a marketable replacement, and went with Jay Hieron. Despite two solid outings in Bellator recently, Hieron isn't a name many people would pay over $50 to see in a PPV main event.

When you've got a (usually reliable) 42 year old in the main event, surely it would have been prudent of the UFC to have a Plan B, Plan C and Plan D, but they didn't. It was however extremely unfortunate that the withdrawal happened so late in the day, and no one should shoulder the blame for that. They were left with Ellenberger vs. Hieron and that wasn't going to entice but the most diehard fanatics. I do wonder if they ever considered bringing the Bisping vs. Stann fight forward 3 weeks. It's a very marketable match up, and I'm sure both fighters would have been game if the money was right. Maybe it was a week too late, but it would have saved the card, and a ton of negative press in the process.

JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

The only way to answer this question with absolute certainty is to open up the Zuffa books, look at their costs, and compare those numbers to projected figures for what they would take in for the show.

But since no one really has access to that kind of information outside of Zuffa, we have to assume that the loss they would have taken for continuing with the show would have been greater than the cancellation.

There isn't anything they could have done to save the show in the time they had to put things together.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_14254.shtml

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Rich Franklin Pre-Fight Interview vs Silva at UFC 147 - UFC 147

After a 16-month layoff, Rich Franklin is ready to step back into the Octagon and face the "tornado"known as Wanderlei Silva. Will "Ace" be able to make it 2-0 against Silva at UFC� 147?

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-147/rich-franklin-pre-fight-interview-vs-silva-at-ufc-147-video_03bb864c3.html

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UFC Tonight Recap: Kenny Florian Discusses Jon Jones, Ariel Helwani Talks Flyweights, Chris Weidman

UFC Tonight wasn’t quite the news-breaking episode of recent weeks, but the show did involve plenty of discussion concerning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. With the news of UFC 151 being canceled happening between the two most recent episodes of the show, that was to be expected. Analyst and former UFC title contender Kenny [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/TP2rDa3cXog/

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Alert for iPhone MMATorch Users: Upcoming Events section update

We've had several questions regarding the "Upcoming Events" section on the iPhone and iPad apps, so we wanted to respond here. On the Android versions of the app, there is an "Event Calendar" that is updated daily; unfortunately that feature is not yet in the iPhone version of the app. Instead, for now, there is one post in the "Upcoming Events" section that is being regularly updated with all of the fights for future events. There are no longer individual events posts, but everything is being kept up to date in the post entitled "Updated Upcoming Events Calendar." Hope that clears up any confusion!

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/mmatorchappalert/article_13406.shtml

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Watch Bellator 73 Live at MMATorch.com!

Bellator finishes out their 2012 summer series tonight with Bellator 73, featuring the finals of their summer series light Heavyweight tournament and much more. Watch tonight's entire event right here at MMATorch.com in the embedded stream below, provided by Spike TV:

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_PPVs_8/article_14224.shtml

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