UFC events

UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[1] The third UFC Fan Expo is also expected to coincide with this event. The event will also be the first the UFC has held in Massachusetts.

Alessio Sakara and Nate Marquardt were originally set to face each other at UFC 116, but the fight was cancelled due to the death of Sakara's father. Both ended up fighting on this card, but with different opponents. Sakara's replacement opponent, Jorge Rivera was later forced off the card with an injury. Rivera was replaced by Gerald Harris. Phil Baroni was scheduled to face John Salter, but Baroni was forced off the card with an injury. Dan Miller will serve as Baroni's replacement.



Main card

* Lightweight Championship bout: United States Frankie Edgar (c) vs. United States B.J. Penn
* Heavyweight bout: United States Randy Couture vs. United States James Toney
* Middleweight bout: United States Nate Marquardt vs. Brazil Rousimar Palhares
* Lightweight bout: United States Kenny Florian vs. United States Gray Maynard
* Welterweight bout: United States Nate Diaz vs. United States Marcus Davis

Preliminary card (Spike TV)

* Middleweight bout: United States Gerald Harris vs. Italy Alessio Sakara
* Lightweight bout: United States Joe Lauzon vs. England Terry Etim

Preliminary card

* Lightweight bout: England Andre Winner vs. United States Nik Lentz
* Welterweight bout: England Nick Osipczak vs. United States Greg Soto
* Welterweight bout: United States Mike Pierce vs. Brazil Amilcar Alves

Despite rumors that he might return sooner rather than later, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will not be returning anytime soon following recent knee surgery, despite trying to push for a return:

"This kid keeps pushing it to get out there faster and faster. I completely respect him for that. He's an animal. I love it. But there's no way he's going to be ready by December. People keep asking why he's had so many knee surgeries. That's exactly why he's had that many knee surgeries. I doubt [there will be an interim title]. When we did the belt for Brock Lesnar, we didn't know if Brock was ever going to come back or if he'd be out for a year or two. No interim title. We know this kid is coming back. He's already had the surgery. He knows exactly the date he can come back."

Controversial mixed martial artist Nick Diaz talks about the time he got into a fight with two guys, and got stabbed by a pen. Sounds like just another day in the life of the Diaz brothers.

Never known for biting his tongue, Chael Sonnen recently opened a can on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in the form of a verbal thrashing during the recent press conference held to promote their meeting.

“You knew when you asked him a question that you were setting yourself up for a boring answer, and you got one,” said Sonnen following Silva mentioning his recent training with Steven Segal to prepare for Sonnen in response to a question. “So what are you going to do? This is just Anderson yet again. He truly believes the answer he gave a few minutes ago, that people are putting in (money) to see a fight and not see anything else. He really means that. He feels like he’s taking the moral high ground. He couldn’t be more wrong.

“Does he know anything about business? Has this guy ever done anything? That’s not what people are tuning in to see. People don’t just want to see two people fight. They want to know why they’re fighting. He comes on here and says something stupid as though he’s saying some Nobel Prize-winning statement. He couldn’t have this industry more backward. It’s shocking that he actually believes it and stands there with his chest out like we should all pat him on the back and go, ‘Oh, good job, Anderson. You’re training really hard.’”

Now targeting his words like a bullet at the middleweight champion, Sonnen continued, “Well guess what, dummy. I’ve been training really hard since I was 9 years old, and I still have time to bring interest to people seeing me whip your ass on August 7.”

Unsurprisingly, Silva had little to offer in his defense.

“I don’t really have much to say because there’s really not much to say about this,” responded Silva. “What we’re going to do is we’re going to go out there on Aug. 7 and, winning or losing, I’m going to go out there an do my job, and I’m going to fight.

The pair will have the chance to settle the score during UFC 117 on August 7 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, August 1, 2010. Originally scheduled to take place at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, the UFC was forced to move the event to a different venue due to low ticket sales. On June 14, 2010, the event was moved to San Diego, California to be held at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The event will be the second UFC event to be broadcast on Versus; the first being UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones.

Jim Miller and Gleison Tibau were set to fight at this event, but it was later moved to UFC Fight Night 22.

Two bouts have been moved to this event due to visa issues. Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann from UFC 116 and Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira from The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale.

Joe Stevenson suffered a knee injury in training and was be unable to fight Takanori Gomi. Stevenson was replaced by Tyson Griffin

Willamy Freire also suffered an injury, forcing the cancellation of his fight with Thiago Tavares.

"Big" John McCarthy will be a referee at this event, the first time he has refereed at a UFC event in almost 3 years



Main card

* Light Heavyweight bout: United States Jon Jones vs. Belarus Vladimir Matyushenko
* Middleweight bout: United States Mark Muñoz vs. Japan Yushin Okami
* Welterweight bout: United States John Howard vs. United States Jake Ellenberger
* Lightweight bout: United States Tyson Griffin vs. Japan Takanori Gomi

Preliminary card

* Lightweight bout: England Paul Kelly vs. United States Jacob Volkmann
* Welterweight bout: United States DaMarques Johnson vs. United States Matthew Riddle
* Light Heavyweight bout: United States James Irvin vs. Croatia Igor Pokrajac
* Middleweight bout: United States Brian Stann vs. United States Mike Massenzio
* Lightweight bout: United States Darren Elkins vs. Brazil Charles Oliveira
* Middleweight bout: United States Rob Kimmons vs. United States Steve Steinbeiss

Tito Ortiz will step into the cage on October 21st at UFC 121 against Matt Hamill, who Ortiz coached on the third season of TUF and "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" talked about fighting his former student and training partner in the fall after signing the contract:

"Matt, I’m sorry. Business is business, though.... It sucks, but this is business.... UFC made the decision, I was bummed, I love Matt, I think he’s an awesome athlete and he’s an awesome person. You won’t see any shit talking from me about Matt Hamill because I think he’s an awesome guy, but it’ll make it even a better fight when it comes October 23 when I cave his face in. No bad feelings. No bad emotions. Just punishment."

Thiago Alves is finally healthy and ready to give us the rematch everyone has been waiting for. He will look to be the first UFC fighter to finish Jon Fitch on August 7th

A sneak peak from THE VOICE vs MAYHEM MILLER. Here Mayhem talks about the fighter he most dislikes and wants to "beat up", NICK DIAZ.
Also on THE VOICE vs MAYHEM MILLER:
- A truly "unique" discussion of the Strikeforce Brawl
- Mayhem talks celebrity status and bedding women
- A funny game with some intriguing answers
- Bully Beatdown talk
- UFC vs Strikeforce vs DREAM
- Fantasy match ups including Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva
and more!

A look at Anderson Silva training for upcoming fight UFC 117 with Steven Seagal.

The UFC 121 announcements are coming fast and furious, and a heavyweight matchup is the latest addition to the card.

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and "The Ultimate Fighter 10" blogger Brendan Schaub (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) have agreed to meet at the Oct. 23 event.

Featuring a heavyweight title clash between champion Brock Lesnar and challenger Cain Velasquez, UFC 121 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and airs live on pay-per-view.

Gonzaga fights for the first time since a March loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC on Versus 1. The Brazilian heavyweight, who will always be remembered for his head-kick knockout of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, is just 1-2 in his past three outings, though the losses came to top prospect dos Santos and recent title challenger Shane Carwin.

A threat with his submission game as well as a strong striker, "Napao's" remaining career losses came in an August 2007 bid for the UFC title against Randy Couture and in a January 2008 fight with Fabricio Werdum, who recently defeated Fedor Emelianenko.

Meanwhile, Schaub returns to action for the third time in 2010 and a little more than three months removed from a 67-second destruction of Chris Tuchscherer.

Schaub also defeated Chase Gormley in March for his second-consecutive win following a disappointing knockout loss to Roy Nelson in the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" tournament. An explosive competitor who fights out of Colorado's Grudge Training Center, "The Hybrid" has never fought beyond the first round and has averaged just 58 seconds of cage time in each of his six career wins

In the ever-growing undercard of UFC 121 "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" on October 23, it will be Ortiz fighting his former Ultimate Fighter pupil Matt Hamill in a light heavyweight contest.

Ortiz (15-7-1) last fought in November of 2009, dropping a close decision to Forrest Griffin in a rematch of their April 2006 contest, which Ortiz won via razor-thin decision. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is coming off a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter 11, a gig that went unfinished due to Dana White throwing Ortiz off the show for being unable to fight rival coach Chuck Liddell at the conclusion of the season. Ortiz has undergone the surgery that resulted in his exit from the show, and is ready to get back in the cage in October.

Hamill (9-2), a favorite of Ortiz during Ultimate Fighter season three, is coming off a close majority decision victory over "The Dean Of Mean" Keith Jardine in June, a victory that resulted in Jardine's exit from the UFC. Hamill is riding a four-fight win streak, if you count his disqualification victory over Jon "Bones" Jones last December, looks to improve to 5-0 over his former TUF coach.

UFC 121 "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" emanates from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on October 23. The event's appeal continues to increase as UFC continues to stack the deck, loading the card up more than usual. Already confirmed for the event in top matches are Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, Jake Shields' UFC debut against Martin Kampmann, Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago, Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brendan Schaub and Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor. Also rumored for the card is Ultimate Fighter 11 winner Court McGee's official UFC debut against middleweight contender Ryan Jensen.

UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 7, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, United States.

UFC President Dana White announced via ESPN on Jim Rome is Burning that Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva would face Chael Sonnen on August 7 after having choice words for the champion. The winner will face Vitor Belfort in a matchup currently targeted for November.

White has threatened to cut Silva from the UFC if he fights the same way he did in his last bout in Abu Dhabi. "I'm telling you right now, if he acts like that again in the ring, I will cut him," said White. "I don't care if he's the pound for pound best fighter in the world. I don't care if he's the middleweight champion."

A bout between Joey Beltran and Matt Mitrione was reported to be in the works. The fight was later moved to UFC 119.

Dana White confirmed that the winner of the Nelson/dos Santos fight will get a UFC Heavyweight title shot



Main card
Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva (c) vs. Chael Sonnen
Welterweight bout: Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Junior Dos Santos

Preliminary card
Light Heavyweight bout: Thiago Silva vs. Tim Boetsch
Welterweight bout: Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Christian Morecraft
Welterweight bout: Johny Hendricks vs. Charlie Brenneman
Welterweight bout: Ben Saunders vs. Dennis Hallman

The UFC loyalists are having their moment. Fedor Emelianenko, the mythic Russian heavyweight who was unbeaten over the last eight years and held the position of top heavyweight in the sport was defeated. All those who have long doubted Emelianenko’s dominance are screaming, “I told you so.” And the reaction is both warranted and unnecessary.

In absolute terms, this loss means very little. Everyone loses. Georges St-Pierre was put on his backside by Matt Serra, a far bigger underdog than Fabricio Werdum, the fighter who will go down in history as the man to have beaten the seemingly unbeatable Emelianenko. At the same time, this loss means everything; a massive blow for the argument that the UFC isn’t the be all and end all of mixed martial arts and quality competitors can exist out from under the Zuffa umbrella.

Yes, Fedor Emelianenko lost. It sucks, especially for those of us who believe “The Last Emperor” to be the greatest fighter in the history of this sport. We’re going to be forced to listen to countless catcalls about the overrated Russian who lost to a “can,” despite the fact that said can was the top-rated heavyweight whose loss launched the career of UFC contender Junior dos Santos.

In truth, this loss is actually less incredible than Anderson Silva’s submission defeats to Ryo Chonan and Daiju Takase. Fedor lost to a top 10 heavyweight, while Silva was beaten by Japanese journeyman who never amounted to much. The rub is that Silva’s success has come in the UFC, while Fedor’s loss came outside of the top organization in the business, and that makes all the difference.

The problem -- for Emelianenko fans and those who understand that there is life outside of the UFC vacuum -- is that this win gives legitimacy to the argument that life in fact does not exist outside of the UFC. Fedor was the last bastion of hope that proved the UFC didn’t have a complete monopoly on the talent market and that someone other the UFC heavyweight champion could be the top heavyweight in the world.

Those plans have been dashed now.

While Werdum is a top 10 heavyweight and everyone knew going in that the ground was a dangerous place for Fedor to venture, the spin will be that Emelianenko lost to a substandard opponent, thereby signifying that any future meetings with the top UFC heavies would result in sure defeat. Perception is reality, and the perception is now that Brock Lesnar and/or Shane Carwin are the best heavyweights in the world.

It’s true and untrue all at once, and no matter what happens from here on out, nothing will change that.

Ten months ago, Lyoto Machida was the best light heavyweight on the planet. As of April 10, B.J. Penn was the unquestioned top lightweight in the world. They each lost their next fights, yet no one is ready to cast them into oblivion as overhyped, Eastern European creations of an organization long since dead.

But that is the fate that awaits Emelianenko.

When your mystique is tied to your unbeatable aura and string of success, a loss is more than a loss; it’s an indication that everything you ever did was overvalued and nothing you did mattered at all.

Except it’s not at all true; everyone loses, and now that includes Emelianenko.


More coverage
For more MMA news and analysis, check out Heavy.com.
In the real world, it’s nothing more than a loss. But in the overcritical, not-entirely-realistic world of MMA fandom, a whole bunch of people who always doubted Fedor’s dominance were just given their “I told you so” moment, and they plan on enjoying it for quite some time.

IBO cruiserweight boxing champion Danny Green was recently interviewed by FOX Sports and the subject of UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar came up.

Green said he would like to fight the UFC heavyweight champion, but with stand-up only rules.

Green is known to many fans as the guy who knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in the first round of their fight in December of 2009. The loss for Jones temporarily screwed up plans for a long-awaited showdown between he and fellow boxing legend Bernard Hopkins. For the record, even at that point a Jones-Hopkins fight was insanely past its' due date - by years - and despite the loss, the fight ended up coming together anyways. That's boxing for ya.

Or Strikeforce based on moves being made in their heavyweight division lately.

Green told FOX Sports, "Would I like to fight Brock Lesnar? Absolutely. The IBO champ continued, "It would have to be a stand up fight. I know my limitations and there's no way I could compete with Lesnar on the ground. The bloke outweighs me by plenty and was a champion college wrestler. But to stand inside a steel cage and use fists and elbows, I'd even fight bare knuckle if that's what it take to get him Down Under and inside a steel cage."

And that's the beginning and end of the legs on that story.

Why pro boxers even bother talking about fighting ground-based MMA stars in stand-up only boxing rules matches is completely beyond me. How would it prove anything if Green beat Lesnar in a boxing match? Is it because Lesnar is a champion of a fighting sport, so he's open to be challenged by boxers to fight their rules only? The best is when a situation like this happens and the MMA fighter ignores the story (as they all should, and as Lesnar will in this case) and the boxer claims the MMA fighter is ducking him, or in some way avoiding his challenge.

The following is an excerpt from a new Nottingham Post-exclusive pre-fight blog from UFC 120 competitor Dan Hardy.

In the blog, "The Outlaw" does what he does best, as he begins the pre-fight trash-talk with UFC 120 foe Carlos Condit.

UFC star Dan Hardy writes exclusively for the Nottingham Post

I'M getting ready to come back to Nottingham after spending the last few months in LA with my girlfriend.

I bought a new apartment in Nottingham earlier this year and am looking forward to getting back home and seeing my family and friends.

I've enjoyed my time in the US, though. Since I did the 'Primetime' show (where cameras follow you 24-7 during the build-up to your fight) I think a lot of American fans have got a better appreciation of my sense of humour.

I've done a lot of signings and personal appearances. The fans have been very kind. It's a weird concept to me, people waiting in line for 90 minutes just to meet me for 20 seconds.

It is very weird and humbling as I'm just a guy from Nottingham who likes to compete.

The rumour mill, again, is true and I will be fighting Carlos Condit at UFC 120 at the O2 in London on October 16 in the co-main event.

It is a great fight and one I am already excited about. Condit is a former world champion who has only lost once in nearly five years, and that was on a split decision to top contender Martin Kampmann.

He's a great opponent for me, after losing my UFC welterweight title challenge to Georges St-Pierre in March.

I didn't want to drop too far down the pecking order and a win over Condit will make sure I stay right in the title mix.

Carlos actually asked for the fight. He went to the UFC and requested me as his next opponent, I guess thinking that beating a world title challenger would look nice on his record.

It is very much a case of 'be careful what you wish for' because I've taken it upon myself to do him a favour and beat the stupid out of him.

Laguna Beach, CA - July 20, 2010 - FORM Athletics welcomes Jon "Bones" Jones to the team! FORM Athletics CEO and founder Mark Miller says, "Jon Jones is the type of athlete that inspired us to create FORM Athletics. Amazingly talented, intelligent, confident and articulate, plus he has a great sense of personal style. We are proud that Jon chose to wear FORM Athletics and we look forward to seeing him walk out "head to toe" in FORM Athletics apparel. We wish him the best of luck in his fight with Matyushenko."

In response to the exciting new alignment, Jones' Manager Malki Kawa states "We at First Round Management are very excited for Jon and couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to work with than the guys at FORM."

A light heavyweight in the UFC, the twenty-three year old Jonathan D. Jones was born and raised in upstate New York. Jones was state wrestling champion in 2005 while a senior at Union-Endicott High School and national Junior College Champion at Iowa Central Community College where he earned an Associate's degree. With his eye originally set on a career in law enforcement and a higher degree in criminal justice, Jones instead found his path in the UFC where he signed a four-fight contract, making him the youngest UFC fighter on the roster at the time and with the longest reach at 84.5 inches.

Jones' debut UFC fight against Andre Gusmao at UFC 87 in 2008 was impressive, his use of takedowns, unorthodox striking, spinning elbows, and a spinning back kick overcame his underdog status and awarded him a victory by unanimous decision. With similar victories in his second and third fights at UFC 94 and 100 against Stephan Bonnar and Jake O'Brien, Jones' was off to a riveting career. Facing off against fellow light heavyweight prospect Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale, Jones was controversially disqualified. Next up, Jones fought Brandon Vera at UFC Live: Vera Vs. Jones, where he won the fight by TKO (elbow) and also won the Knockout of the Night Award.

Having a healthy personal life helps keep Jon focused in his training. Jon is engaged and has two lovely daughters, Leah and Carmen Nicole.

Co-founder and fellow athlete Urijah Faber predicts great things for Jones, saying "I feel Jon Jones is the next big thing in MMA. He's young, confident, and creative with the highest level of athletic pedigree. He fits the FORM Athletics brand because he is a fighter with heart and talent, as well as a class act both in and outside of the cage. Jones' exciting style and positive attitude make him the type of fighter that will be loved whether he wins or loses. There is no doubt in my mind that he is on track to be a UFC world champion."

On joining the FORM family, Jones says, "I am really excited about FORM Athletics and this opportunity I have with them. I love the clothes and can't wait to introduce the new Jon Jones collection when I fight on August 1st on Versus 2."

Expected to face former IFL Light Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Matyushenko on August 1, 2010 at UFC Live: Jones Vs. Matyushenko, we welcome Jones to the FORM Athletics family and wish him well in the fight!

Jon "Bones" Jones FORM Athletics walk out kit available through the FORM website and at select retailers this August.

A long-anticipated battle between two former UFC champions is likely to take place this fall.

Jackson teased the contest on his official Twitter account...
"Almost ready to sign the bout agreement," Jackson stated on his Twitter account. "I would tell ya'll who I'm gonna get down with, but I can't spell his name. Hahaha."

As Jackson alluded to in the post, bout agreements have yet to be finalized.

A location for the Nov. 20 card (which could potentially serve as UFC 123) has yet to be determined, and UFC officials are said to be considering a handful of potential venues.

Jackson looks to bounce back from a May loss to nemesis Rashad Evans at UFC 114. The contest was the culmination of 14 months worth of rivalry and a coaching gig on "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Evans.

Prior to the loss, Jackson had earned back-to-back victories over Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva.

Meanwhile, Machida also looks to bounce back from a loss – the first defeat of his career. "The Dragon" was knocked out in the first round of his May rematch with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and relinquished his belt in the process.

Prior to the defeat, Machida had earned eight-straight UFC wins and both claimed and once defended the UFC's light heavyweight title.

Jackson was said to be interested in a rematch with Forrest Griffin – the man who took the title from "Rampage" in July 2008 – but the original winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" is currently sidelined following shoulder surgery.

The winner of the Jackson-Machida contest will undoubtedly return to top-contender status in a stacked 205-pound division.

Interviewing the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir at the Weigh Ins of Armageddon Fighting Championships 3. Frank was in the corner of his good friend and training partner Robert Drysdale for his pro debut.

Vitor Belfort is back to training in the gym, where he awaits the winner of the UFC 117 main event between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

Jack Shields, the father and manager of former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields, confirmed with the Sherdog.com website today that his son has finally signed his multi-fight contract with the UFC.

Jack Shields also confirmed that Jake would make his debut against Martin Kampmann in a welterweight fight, as has been rumored for days now. The bout is scheduled for UFC 121.

The headline bout that evening will of course feature UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in his next title defense against legitimate challenger Cain Velasquez.

Shields last fought at Strikeforce: Nashville in April, winning his middleweight title defense against former PRIDE two-division champion and UFC veteran Dan Henderson. The fight, as we can now confirm, will end up being the last one for Shields at 185 pounds for the forseeable future.

The man in the non-UFC spotlight for heavyweight MMA, Fabricio Werdum, recently spoke to PVT Mag in Brazil about his thoughts on how his UFC tenure ended back in late 2008.

After a tough first round TKO loss to top UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October of 2008, Werdum was not kept on the UFC roster. Werdum batted .500 inside the octagon, dropping two fights - the aforementioned dos Santos bout, as well as a decision loss to former champion Andrei Arlovski in a three-round snoozefest at UFC 70 in April of 2007. Werdum did however pick up two wins in the octagon, both against legitimate fighters. He took out Brandon Vera with punches in the closing moments of the first round of their fight at UFC 85, a stoppage that was somewhat controversial at the time. Werdum's most impressive statistic during his UFC stint came at UFC 80 in January of 2008, when he stopped fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga via TKO in the second round of their fight in the semi-headline position of the UK-based event.

Despite the 50/50 run, Werdum feels his exit from the company wasn't exactly handled with as much respect as he would have liked. The now revived heavyweight contender told PVT Mag that he felt used by the UFC. “They kind of used me and threw me out. That UFC business is complicated," Werdum said to the Brazilian publication.

He continued, "It’s tough to swallow that they would terminate your contract after two nice wins just because you lost the last one, regardless of how it happened. Business is business, it seems, and there’s no soft spots involved. That’s how it works - if they don’t like it, you’re out."

Werdum concluded, "Naturally there’s a little resentment, but since we must be professional with everyone, I can’t take it personally. If that’s the road you choose, you could get in trouble so it’s best to stay professional.”

With UFC in the rear view mirror at the moment, things are looking up for Werdum. His last match is one everyone aware of the sport has at least heard about by now, as he marked his spot in history being the man who ended Fedor Emelianenko's 28-fight undefeated streak. Werdum submitted the former heavyweight kingpin with relative ease, needing just a few ticks past the one-minute mark of the first round of their meeting at the Strikeforce/M-1 co-promotion in June of this year.

With the win, Werdum improves his Strikeforce record to 3-0, remaining undefeated since losing the fight to dos Santos that ended up becoming his UFC send-off. Despite his newfound appeal, UFC won't be getting Werdum back in their world-famous octagon anytime soon, as Strikeforce recently announced a long-term deal with the highly ranked heavyweight in a radio appearance last week.

The MMA world continues to wait for the answer of what's next for Werdum. One thing is for sure, we won't see a Werdum-Fedor rematch anytime in the near future, as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has short-listed Fedor's next possible opponent down to three: Alistair Overeem, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva or Sergei Kharitonov.

The hold up in a Werdum-Fedor II has nothing to do with Werdum shying away from backing up what many call the biggest upset in MMA history, as Werdum has recently stated he wants to fight Fedor in Russia in 6-8 months, proving he's not afraid of doing it again.

As Werdum said in reference to his UFC departure, "business is business," and regardless of what happens next with Werdum, it should be big business for the man who dethroned MMA's unbeatable king. The real business comes when Strikeforce sorts out their heavyweight mess right now, and whatever direction they set up, the Werdum-Fedor II fight finds its' way in the forefront.

Kimbo Slice may have been cut from the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world following a convincing loss to Matt Mitirone at UFC 113 in May but that doesn't mean the internet fighting legend won't be returning to action.

"We're working on that now, my man" Kimbo's manager "Icy" Mike Imber told MMANews.com last night when contacted by text message.

Slice, who holds a 4-2 MMA record (1-1, UFC), could return this fall according to Imber "He could be back in the ring or cage by October or November. We have offers on the table."

When asked if the ring or cage could mean a fight overseas in Japan, Imber replied "It's possible, they have been calling."

There had been rumors that Slice could possibly fight Mariusz Pudzianowski at the rumored second Moosin MMA but those were shot down almost immediately after they started.

Although it is up in the air where Slice could next fight, fans are clamoring to see his return to action and whichever promotion does happen to land the star of two of the most watched fights in the USA, dollar signs will be lighting they're eyes.

BJ Penn Informs Media: “He’s going to be shocked when he finds out the real me.”

BJ Penn recently conducted an interview with Hawaii News. While Penn wouldn’t reveal too many details about his game plan for the August 28th rematch, he did divulge a few details.

Penn will indeed show up fight night with the same team. Troy Mandaloniz has spent plenty of time helping train Penn in Hawaii, and from there he’ll head to Orange County at the RVCA gym from some final preparations. Penn expects to arrive in Boston 10 days prior to the bout.

Significant details omitted, Penn did have this to say:

“Without giving too much away, I really don’t think he’ll be able to compete with me come August 28th. I think we’re going to have too much for him. I think he’s going to have a false sense of security. He really doesn’t know who I am after the first fight. He’s going to be shocked when he finds out the real me.”

Former UFC Light Heavyweight (205lbs.) Champ Vitor Belfort had a title shot lined up against 185lb. king pin Anderson Silva at UFC 112 before an injury to his shoulder forced him off the card and put his title aspirations on the back burner. Now the shoulder appears to be a non-issue and with the injury now healed "The Phenom" is getting back in the gym and setting his sights on a return.

Belfort talks his return to training in the USA, "I’m thrilled. I’m back to the trainings and I’m very glad. Today I’ll rest a bit, stay with my family and tomorrow we’ll train again. The guys will be here supporting me, I’m training with Shawn Thompkins and Ray Sefo… It’s been great."

Belfort, who is not a fan of Sonnen's pre-fight trash talk, also broke down the fight as he sits in wait to for the UFC 117 main event to be decided, "If they keep the fight standing, Anderson will beat him easily. If it goes to the ground, Anderson also has a strong game over there he’ll try to impose his rhythm so that Anderson gets tired." Belfort continued "I can’t say much because I truly don’t know. I want to face the winner of this fight, I want to fight for the belt. Now let’s wait and see who will it be."

UFC heavyweight no. 1 contender Cain Velasquez believes champion Brock Lesnar is the next level but won't stop him from achieving his dream of wearing UFC gold.

The UFC middelweight champion of the world is prepared to give fans the best performance possible.

Chael Sonnen will finally find himself in front of Anderson Silva and he believes he can defeat the champion.

When it comes to combat sports, the human body just isn’t build for decades of abuse (particularly the brain). Broken bones, repeated concussions, excessive lacerations, they’re all a part of the sport, and a part of life no man should endure for years on end.

Boxing has long been criticized for the lasting effects ring wars often create. Just take a look at any boxer who enjoyed a long running career: Joe Frazier, Thomas Hearns, hell even the MMA transitioning James Toney isn’t exactly an articulate speaker. And these are just very few examples, there are countless pugilists who now suffer permanent brain damage as a result of too many blows to the head.

Sadly, mixed martial arts is beginning to see some of those same symptoms arise in long time competitors. As a fan with a deep love for combat sports, it’s heart breaking to see athletic icons suffer irreversible damage simply because they refused to allow themselves to walk away from a sport, smarts fully intact (though I can understand the extreme desire for competition). Even more depressing, we’re seeing it more and more frequently in the MMA community; a sport which was touted as less dangerous on the brain due to a variety of different ways to finish fights.

Ken Shamrock: Shamrock’s mind still seems to be functioning fairly well, but, like Liddell his ability to take a punch has all but disappeared. With 43 bouts on his résumé, Ken has absorbed far too many injuries, undergone multiple surgeries and seems to have lost his ability to match the sports current competition. With only two victories in his last 10 bouts, it’s time for Shamrock to contemplate retirement while his brain is still in a fairly fully functional state.

Jens Pulver: The UFC’s first lightweight champion has experienced a myriad of success and failure within the sport. In his prime, Jens packed one of the nastiest left hands the sport has seen. With 13 technical knockouts there’s little question the man has the ability to put away his opponents in vicious fashion. The problem however lies within Jens’ current placement in the sport. A one time great has now become a punching bag journeyman often served up to rising prospects in order to gain victory over a recognizable name. For a man who has put his heart and soul into this sport, it’s a sad and disrespectful way to treat one of the greatest lightweights we’ve seen. Having gone 3-7 in his last 10 bouts, Jens certainly needs to examine retirement.

Shannon Ritch: Unlike the rest of this list, Ritch failed to make a memorable mark on the sport. The big stages have alluded him throughout his career, and given his less than stellar record it’s not the least bit surprising. With only 45 wins in 119 fights, it’s time for Shannon to look into a safer, and potentially more lucrative career. Kudos to the man for refusing to give up, but sometimes the heart can be the brains worst enemy.

Kazushi Sakuraba: Being a longtime fan of this skilled (but over achieving) athlete, it’s hard to add him to this list, though it is indeed appropriate. A laundry list of quality foes have fallen at the hands of Sak, but the Japanese warrior has endured just as much punishment himself throughout his 14 year career. Carlos Newton, Marcus Silveira, Vitor Belfort, Royler Gracie and Guy Mezger highlight a few of Sakuraba’s career victories, but definitive defeats to the likes of Ralek Gracie, Kiyoshi Tamura, and Antonio Schembri indicate that Kazushi is losing a step, and perhaps the desire to fight. As depressing as it sounds, it may be time to step away from the game, and preserve his longtime health.

There are plenty of fighters who could have easily made this list, including the exciting but battered Elvis Sinosic, Mark Kerr, Kevin Randleman, and of course the war torn Mark Coleman, to name a few.

Wait a second. Someone has to help me out here. Did Floyd Mayweather really take home the ESPY for "Best Fighter" after the award ceremony on ESPN this past Wednesday night? I'm not sure which is more offensive: the "decision-makers" behind the ESPY winners for selecting Mayweather as best fighter, or Mayweather for having the gull to accept the award and actually go home with it as if he legitimately earned it.

After clearing up some confusion I had in my 2010 ESPY Awards recap article earlier today, I have become confused about something completely different. In the article, I pondered whether or not fights Mayweather and Georges St-Pierre had in 2010 counted towards the voting. From a completely speculative standpoint, I assumed they had to, otherwise Mayweather won the award for a lone victory over a man in Juan Manuel Marquez who fought multiple weight classes higher than his fighting weight for the first time in his pro career.

Certainly that doesn't warrant the nod over UFC welterweight champion GSP, who by comparison took out B.J. Penn, a top-five (at the time) pound-for-pound ranked fighter who was also a UFC world champion (also at the time) inside the five-round distance before successfully defending his welterweight title against the division's number one contender in Thiago Alves. A fight, by the way, that St-Pierre won after toughing out multiple rounds with a torn abductor muscle that he suffered during the fight.

But that part is okay. That's the confusion I was able to clear up after digging around the web a bit. Apparently, the ESPYS did take into consideration Mayweather's decision victory over Shane Mosley in May of 2010. They did not, however, mention a peep about St-Pierre's fight two months prior to Mayweather/Mosley, a bout that saw GSP defend his title again against UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy in March.

By the way, since we are including the first-half of 2010 bouts for each guy, wouldn't that be a detriment to Mayweather as opposed to additional support to back the claim that Mayweather topped GSP and Manny Pacquiao as the best overall fighter of 2009?

Although the nice and tidy label put on the Mayweather-Mosley fight was that Mayweather "won a dominant" decision that night, despite suffering perhaps the worst trouble in the early rounds he's faced in his 41 professional bouts. In addition to that, he dropped four rounds on one judges card, and two on both of the others.

St-Pierre, in his apparent uncredited 2010 performance, secured a unanimous decision victory over top contender Dan Hardy, winning every round on all three judges cards. He even scored two 10-8 rounds one one card and a single 10-8 round on a second judges card.

The moral of the story so far is - how did Mayweather beat out GSP for the "best fighter" award at the 2010 ESPYS? But there's still one more question that needs answered. Say he did out-shine GSP in 2009. He didn't, but for the sake of a point I intend to make here in just a moment, let's say he did. He was a better fighter than Manny Pacquiao in '09? C'mon now.

Pacman's 2009 saw the Filipino native rack up two huge wins over then-highly ranked pound-for-pound pugilists Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, both of whom went into the fight with a single loss a piece, and a world title to their credit. Both left the building that night the victim of a Pacquiao stoppage inside the distance. In the case of Hatton, the United Kingdom's favorite son couldn't find it in him to complete two full rounds with Pacman, ending the contest flat on his back fully unconscious. Cotto simply took a beating for 12 rounds before ultimately being forced to have his night cut short just shy of the distance due to a relentless assault from Pacquiao. The two wins in title fights landed Pacquiao a spot in the history books as he became the first boxer to win world titles in seven seperate weight classes.

If we're including Pacman's 2010 performance, a unanimous decision victory over Joshua Clottey, which the ESPY nominee listing did cover, that's when you can nit-pick and find some negative things to mention, as Pacman was less than his usual self in dealing with the awkward style of the Accra, Ghana-born fighter back in March.

ESPN changed the name of the ESPY award covered in this piece in 2007 from "best boxer" to "best fighter", recognizing MMA's popularity taking off and their acceptance factor growing within the combat sports media. You could look at a breakdown of past nominees for this very category that represented MMA, check their stats out for that given year, and see for yourself that there is an apparent bias against MMA when it comes time to decide who the best fighter on the planet is.

Last year "best fighter" MMA nominees Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva finished behind ESPY winner Manny Pacquiao. Pacman may have deserved that one, putting together an amazing year with wins over Oscar De La Hoya (TKO, rd. 8), David Diaz (TKO, rd. 9), Juan Manuel Marquez (split decision) and Marco Antonio Barrera (unanimous decision).

In 2007, the debut year of availability for MMA fighters, Randy Couture and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson were nominated, but fell short to this year's winner, Floyd Mayweather.

While we still have a ways to go before the next "best fighter" ESPY is handed out, one would have to assume that a win over Cain Velasquez in October would be enough to push UFC heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar over the edge to secure at least a nomination for the coveted annual award. I don't think anyone would complain if MMA champions Jose Aldo, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Jake Shields were in the running as well.

Regardless of which MMA fighters the ESPY crew decides to acknowledge at the 2011 ceremony, you can more than likely put your money on whichever pro boxer is in the running and clean up at the betting windows without worrying even the slightest bit.

Fabricio Werdum discusses how he beat Fedor Emelianenko

After reacting for the most-part respectful following his submission victory via achilles lock over Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM 15 this past weekend in Saitama, Japan, top-ranked MMA lightweight Shinya Aoki (ranked #4 by UFCEVENTS.net) is showing signs of the bad boy in him that has surfaced in the past.

The same Aoki that flipped off Mizuto Hirota after beating him and injuring him with an armlock at the K-1 Dynamite!! show on New Year's Eve resurfaced in a recent interview with SportsNavi.

Aoki said the following in regards to Kawajiri facing potential bodily harm from the leglock he refused to tap to, "When I caught him and tried to submit him, I heard a loud crackle sound. He did not tap so I thought ‘Ok, this match just became a death-fight’ and I was going to destroy his leg. I knew Kawajiri never taps so I could not win without breaking his bone." The current DREAM lightweight champion continued, "I was hoping for an open-fracture."

Aoki also alluded to feelings of disrespect from people going into the fight with Kawajiri, and reminded everyone that he hasn't forgotten about Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez either. "After I lost, many people blamed me, but she [Aoki's fiancé] helped me through it all. The people who mocked me in my fight versus Melendez, I wanted to kill them all. Even in this fight, too many people said ‘Kawajiri would win!’. I felt like telling these people ‘Go to hell!'"

Aoki dropped a devastating one-sided decision loss to Melendez at Strikeforce: Nashville back in April. As soon as the Kawajiri fight was behind him, Aoki was already calling out Melendez for a rematch on his turf -- the DREAM ring in Japan. Aoki challenged Melendez to a rematch at DREAM 16, which is planned for September in Nagoya. The Melendez camp has since responded, saying September is too soon for them, but that they are more than willing to give Aoki the rematch in DREAM in Japan sometime in the future.

Chris Leben was on Tuesday's edition of The Daily Line, talking about his thrilling victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama, why he took the fight on less than two weeks' notice and his desire to fight Wanderlei Silva after they square off as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.

The most interesting part of the interview, by far, is Leben's admission that he thought he submitted Akiyama in the second round, not the third. That's how out of it he was after the barrage of blows he swallowed in the second round.

Makes his win over the "Sexy" one all that more impressive.

A welterweight match up in the form of James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick is likely to take place at UFC 120 on October 16 in London, England. The event, featuring contests between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama as well Dan Hardy and Carlos Condit is set to air on tape delay on Spike TV in the U.S.

Mauro Ranallo of The Fight Show first reported the bout yesterday.

Wilks disposed of DaMarques Johnson to win The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale last June and has gone 1-1 since being crowned the next "Ultimate Fighter."

While on the Spike TV reality show, James ran through Che Mills and a double shot of Frank Lester as a member of Team UK but really got people talking with his complete domination of Johnson to win the show.

Unfortunately "Lightning" didn't strike twice for Wilks in his second appearance inside the UFC cage. After steamrolling DaMarques Johnson at the June 2009 TUF Finale, he was upset by "The Immortal" Matt Brown in front of his fellow countrymen at UFC 105 last November.

Star-divide

James did recover nicely however, as he got by Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision back at UFC 115: "Liddell vs. Franklin." A second win in a row won't come easy as he takes on the Canada native with an eye-popping 11-fight win streak.

Claude Patrick may not have the name recognition that Wilks holds, but what he does have is an impressive record and a sick ground game to go with it.

"The Prince" just recently made his Octagon debut in victorious fashion defeating Ricardo Funch via guillotine in round two at UFC 115.

"I know he allegedly broke his foot in the fight against Sylvia, but he didn’t show anything before he quit. Pudzianowski has no stand-up and as strong as he is, he punches like a girl. All he does is throw arm punches. He needs a lot of help. He’s the 5-time World’s Strongest Man but hits like a 130-pounder, not a strong man who weighs 270 pounds. He doesn’t have the skill level to get to the level he wants to fight. Once he gets a stand-up game – you can’t have a ground game working without one – he could be a force in MMA. He still needs some work on his ground game, too. We all know he’s very strong but that’s not enough at the highest level of MMA. I don’t know who has been coaching him but that trainer should be fired. Pudzianowski needs to prove himself, showing he has a good stand-up game by beating a good MMA fighter, before he gets another big fight like a spot on the October 9 show."

Interview with Scott Coker at the Strikeforce: Houston press conference.

Dana White confirmed reports last week that UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Shogun Rua will not defend his belt for the remainder of 2010. An injury will sideline Shogun Rua until March 2011. Is it time to move on or should the UFC wait for Shogun to return?

The news about Shogun Rua’s knee injury is devastating to the UFC. Shogun Rua came back and dominated a rematch against Lyoto Machida at UFC 113. The UFC had a new superstar with his performance and response coming off a controversial first encounter. The injury halts the momentum that Shogun Rua would take into his next fight and the potential for some big money matches with Shogun in the immediate future.

Rashad Evans becomes the most impacted fighter other than Shogun with the news. Rashad Evans comes off one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history with a win over Rampage Jackson. The win guaranteed Evans a title shot at Rua. Shogun Rua vs. Rashad Evans for the UFC light heavyweight title would have been huge. As big as the fight will still be, the delay takes a ton of steam off of two guys at the top of the UFC hype machine right now.

Dana White has a critical decision to make here. Could Dana White allow the UFC light heavyweight championship to just lay dormant for almost a year? He did allow the UFC heavyweight title to lay dormant for close to a year before finally acquiescing to an interim title match in March. It is really a shame to take a title away from a guy who won it such a dominating factor. However, Shogun Rua is not big enough to put a pause on the entire division at least in my opinion.

Rashad Evans has already stated that he has no plans to fight before the Rua match. That now keeps two of your biggest stars off of the cards for almost a year. Some may criticize Evans for this, but Shane Carwin did the same thing before being signed to an interim UFC title match. Evans’ hard stance likely forces Dana White’s hands into making a UFC light heavyweight champion. The biggest question is who in the world do you match Evans with in an interim UFC light heavyweight title match?


Ideally the opponent for Rashad Evans has to be coming off a win. Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida are out of the mix for that reason. Forrest Griffin is coming off a win, yet does anyone really think that a win over Tito Ortiz should qualify Forrest Griffin for a light heavyweight title bout? Randy Couture is a possible name but let’s be honest about this fight. Griffin’s win over Ortiz gives him better claim than Couture’s win over Vera or whatever happens with James Toney. Little Nog is a nice name but the controversial win over Jason Brilz is hardly anything that should propel someone into a title match.

The name is an obvious one and could be a mega match. Anderson Silva. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is undefeated in light heavyweight competition. Sure other than Forrest Griffin he hasn’t fought top competition but let’s face it, he deserves a crack at the title. Before he flat out refused to fight his “brother” Lyoto Machida, Dana White and Joe Silva were considering giving him a UFC light heavyweight title shot. I could write the proverbial line, “of course this is all on the condition he beats Chael Sonnen,” but do I really have to? Even if for some crazy reason he loses, it still shouldn’t his record in this division.


Rich Franklin is the only other choice I see here that would make a tiny bit of sense. Franklin has gone 2-1 in his last three fights. Yet, what makes Franklin’s wins over Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell any more impressive than Griffin’s win over Ortiz? He also lost in between to Vitor Belfort (another option). The jury is also still out on Franklin’s broken arm and he may wind up sidelined as long as Shogun Rua. A healthy Rich Franklin would arguably be the best fight to make here in this situation. Unfortunately Franklin’s injury likely takes him out of this equation.

This brings us to Vitor Belfort. Vitor hasn’t fought at 205 in awhile, but he does hold a win over Rich Franklin in his last fight. Apparently that win was good enough to get Vitor a title shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, so why not match him up against Rashad Evans for the interim light heavyweight title? Belfort is expected to challenge the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117. Belfort vs. Evans would be a very intriguing match to MMA fans. With enough hype behind him, Vitor could be seen as a devastating challenger in the division. A win could mean big business for a Vitor Belfort vs. Shogun Rua unification match in 2011.

So I say move forward with Anderson Silva vs. Rashad Evans for the interim UFC light heavyweight title. There are no other options. Rampage Jackson and Little Nog are rumored to be fighting in September or November. By the time the winner would be ready to fight Evans, Rua will be coming back. Anderson Silva vs. Rashad Evans is money and could be the toughest fight Silva has in his career.

And back up the brinks’ truck for Anderson Silva vs. Shogun Rua for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2011.

At UFC 116, Shane Carwin gave Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar a run for his money in the first round of their title fight, coming what could have been one more properly placed punch away from winning the belt. Carwin would lose to Lesnar in the second round via choke but it can't be forgotten just how close Carwin was to dethroning Lesnar.

Carwin now looks to get back in the gym and get back to where he was as he explains his comeback on the UG

"At 35 who knows how much longer my body will allow me to compete at the highest level. I love to compete and I want to be the best at what I do. We have a lot to work on but standing at the base of the mountain you already climbed is a lot less daunting then climbing it for the first time. I have no idea what the UFC has planned for me yet. I am going to get back to work and try to solve some of my shortcomings, My goal is to face Brock again as soon as possible. I would like another chance and I am willing to work my butt off to get one. Part of the quest will be to win the UFC belt from whoever has it. I want to face the best fighter in MMA and make sure I leave a legacy behind."

UFC Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre has been spending some time at the Wild Card Gym ran by renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach and the trainer of such boxing champs such as Manny Pacquio spoke to Fighthub.tv about his pupils progress as well as a special invite he received from GSP:

"[St. Pierre's] like a sponge, he took in what I taught him and really practiced. He would come back the next day and know the move, I’d say 'You went home and practiced that move all night long' and he would just smile at me. (He's a) great guy; really didn’t know much about boxing per se but ability-wise, he absorbed everything I taught him. He asked me about making an appearance on his (TUF 12) show, he’s a coach I said 'I won’t show them what I showed you!' Working with one of the best guys in the sport, its kind of an honor for me to help guys like that out."

Chael Sonnen calling out Anderson Silva at UFC Fan Expo 2010

exclusive interview with Wanderlei Silva - 7/10/10

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ and current #1 contender "Suga" Rashad Evans sits down with MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant for his first filmed interview after defeating Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 113. Hear about the pre-fight smack talk, the decision victory and whether or not Rampage is actually crazy. Rashad also talks about the possibility of fighting Lyoto Machida for the interim title as the current Champ, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, rehabs after knee surgery.

Gegard Mousasi's Post-Fight interview of DREAM.15 (July.10.2010 / Saitama Super Arena, Japan). Vs. Jake O'Brien

Nate Diaz, in Edmonton as a guest of Aggression MMA to host their VIP section for the "Victory" event and teach an MMA seminar at the Hayabusa Training Centre, talks about his upcoming UFC 118 bout with Marcus Davis. He also talks about his move up to welterweight, who he wants to fight, and what it is that makes the Cesar Gracie team such a formidable force in the world of MMA.

Wanderlei Silva throws a birthday party at his Wand Fight Team Gym in Las Vegas, open to all his fans and friends.
Also celebrates 4th of July with his friends.
Featuring Fabricio Werdum , King Mo , Chris Leben , and more.

How does the old saying go? Never wake a sleeping giant? You probably don't want to "wake" the pound for pound best fighter on the planet either, Chael Sonnen.
As avid MMA fans, we have all been witness to the media blitz that Sonnen has been on the last few weeks, hyping the fight with Silva next month at UFC 117. A fight that was already a "must see" has now had the stakes raised, with plenty of media clips that will be played over and over in these last 3 weeks leading up to the fight.
I thought Dana White was going to put Silva on the undercard? Anyways...
Evidently, the politician Sonnen, isn't to fond of baggy pants either.
"He’s a grown man with earrings. He’s a grown man with saggy pants, pink t-shirts and crooked hats. Go join a gang, don’t get in the UFC. If you want to hang out as a street thug, go do it. But if you stand in my way, I am going to run right through you."
Holy Moly. Sound like Chael has some other things eating him up, but we will focus on the fight. This fight will end up like all of the other fights Silva has had in the octagon though, only this time, he is going to have to work for the victory like he never has before.
Yes, we did see a game Dan Henderson and Travis Lutter turn in 2 of the best performances against Silva, but the results were the same nonetheless. I always like Chael's gritty attitude and style, and even gave him more respect after a tough win over Nate Marquardt. I still can't believe that one...
For the sake of a good fight, I hope that Silva gets pushed to the brink, which in turn, should produce the best performance of the world's best fighter, earning him back some of the respect he might of lost over the last couple of fights. This type of verbal public flogging is what Silva needed, and I'm sure a big reason why Dana White made the fight date sooner than later. He knew of Chael's feelings towards Silva, and figured this was a good why to hopefully get the champion's warrior spirt back where it needs to be.
Surely Silva wouldn't put the same antics on display again, would he? Either way, I don't think Sonnen will let that happen. It will be a hell of a night if Anderson is able to showboat on Sonnen and still put a hurtin on him.
At first, I liked what Sonnen was doing, but at this point, I think it's overkill. Go join a gang? Eh?
Wouldn't you want to watch your trash talking in the likely event you get your a** kicked by "The Spider?"
Maybe Chael knows something the rest of don't about the night of August 7th.
Silva, not one to do alot of talking of any type, recently commented on the huge fight on the horizon and the skillset that Sonnen possesses.
"Chael is good fighter," said Silva in broken English. "I'm training with my friends 'King Mo' [Lawal], Lyoto Machida. I don't know, it's a fight. You ready? I'm ready."
Anderson also likes the matchup a "go for broke" style like Sonnen brings to the table. Is this exactly what Silva needs to get back in the UFC and fans good graces? Does he think a fired up Chael coming directly at him bodes will for the night?
"Cool," said Silva. "Nice. Nice idea."
"I want a kiss from him at the end," said Silva.
I don't think that will happen, but I really can't picture any concessions made by Sonnen in the likely event that he loses.
"Of course," said Silva when asked if Sonnen poses to him any problems. "Chael Sonnen has a lot to offer. He's a hell of a fighter. You know, we're joking around but it's a title fight and I expect a great fight from him."
Alot of the talk has centered on the antics of Silva in his last fight against Damian Maia. Was Sonnen as turned off as everybody else watching?
"I [saw] those antics against Forrest (Griffin); Forrest got baited into it and got knocked out for his efforts, so I don't blame [Silva] for doing that stuff, and I don't consider it unsportsmanlike because I don't know what's in his heart. Meaning to be a jerk, well, that's unsportsmanlike. When he doesn't mean to be a jerk, it's kind of hard to pin that on him."

Being a self proclaimed angel, I was surprised to hear those comments from the challenger, but it will soon be settled either way.
Fight night yet?

Check out this EXCLUSIVE MMABay Radio interview with former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz

This is your last chance to hop on the Shinya Aoki bandwagon before it leaves your neighborhood. It only comes around once a year so kiss your parents goodbye and don't forget to pack your toothbrush. Look, I even saved a seat for you. Unfortunately the MMA world will never get to see Penn vs. Aoki unless Penn goes on hiatus and fights in every possible weight division in Japan for a few years (hey, it happened before). In the meantime, check out Shinya Aoki's post-fight interview conducted by SportsNavi, translated by GryphonJapan and cleaned up by myself (and the few years I repeated Japanese 101 in college).

Did you plan on using the heel hook before the fight?
No, it was just a flash of inspiration that happened in the ring.

Did you think Kawajiri could escape out of the hold when he started to kick away?
When I grabbed him, I felt that I could finish it.

At some moments in the fight, it seemed like you tried to re-grip Kawajiri
When I caught him and tried to submit him, I heard a loud crackle sound. He did not tap so I thought 'Ok, this match just became a death-fight' and I was going to destroy his leg.

Did you believe you would win when you first grabbed his leg?
I knew Kawajiri never taps so I could not win without breaking his bone. I was hoping for an open-fracture.

Could you feel Kawajiri's 'lionheart' in this fight?
Yes, yes. No one could have endured [that submission] like Kawajiri. His heart is iron.

You did not wear your famous long spats. What was the reasoning behind your decision?
There was no reason and there's no reason to wear long spats in every fight.

You said something to Kawajiri after the fight, what was it?
"I could show you 100% [meaning either he could have fully destroyed his leg or he didn't give the fight his full potential] but I chose not to because I respect you. Thank you for this fight."

At the end of the fight you said you're getting married...
She supported me in April [at Strikeforce Nashville]. After I lost, many people blamed me, but she helped me through it all. The people who mocked me in my fight versus Melendez, I wanted to kill them all. Even in this fight, too many people said 'Kawajiri would win!'. I felt like telling these people 'Go to hell!'. Oh, what was the question? About my marriage...

You defended your title, what will you do in the future?
If Kikuno defeated JZ, then I hoped I would face Kikuno. He lost, so it all depends on Sasahara. I will take part in DEEP in October. It is a memorial event for DEEP.

Just because Shinya Aoki rocks technicolor, seizure-inducing pants doesn't mean that the dude isn't the alpha male. Don't let the extremely catchy walk-out song fool you. [Source]

DREAM.15 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix 2010 First Round was a mixed martial arts event held by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion DREAM. The event took place on July 10, 2010 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event aired live in North America on HDNet.



Background

A Light Heavyweight Grand Prix was originally expected to start at DREAM.14, with a eight man tournament. However, DREAM.15 hosted the opening round of the Grand Prix, with only a four man tournament.

Alistair Overeem was briefly rumoured to be fighting Ricco Rodriguez, but the fight was called off.

* Lightweight Championship bout: Japan Shinya Aoki (c) vs. Japan Tatsuya Kawajiri