UFC 155 results: Velasquez batters Dos Santos to recapture heavyweight title
(mmajunkie.com)
LAS VEGAS – The rematch between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez was the war the first fight wasn't.
Velasquez emerged victorious, retaking the heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision in the hardest-fought victory of his career.
The heavyweight title bout was the main event of Saturday's UFC 155 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44 for Velasquez, who avenged a loss to Dos Santos 13 months prior at UFC on FOX.
"It was the hardest fight I've ever been through," Velasquez said afterward. "I was so tired, but I kept thinking, 'Do it, do it, do it.'
"This is my wife's Christmas present. Baby, I got your Christmas present right here."
The smattering of boos that accompanied Dos Santos, whose face was badly swollen, at the weigh-in for the event were surprisingly present during his time at the post-fight mic.
"His game is very effective, and tonight, he was better than me," he said. "Cain Velasquez, like you said, I'm going to come back, and I'm going to take my belt again."
Fabricio Werdum earns title shot with win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in June 2013
(mmamania.com)Following his stint coaching on season two of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, Fabricio Werdum will square off against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. A win would earn him a heavyweight title shot, if UFC President Dana White is to be believed.
By the time the night is out tomorrow evening (Sat., Dec. 29, 2012) at UFC 155 in Las Vegas, Nevada, we'll know whether Junior dos Santos kept his heavyweight championship or whether Cain Velasquez pried it from his big Brazilian hands.
Because it's never too early to look ahead, we're wondering who the winner has to look forward to. After all, the 265-pound weight class is supposed to be as deep as it's ever been, right?
Well, according to UFC President Dana White, Fabricio Werdum has the opportunity to earn a crack at the crown if he can defeat Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when the two square off following the conclusion of their stint as coaches on season two of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil, which is tentatively scheduled for June 2013.
UFC 155 Weigh in results
(fighthubtv.com)Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Cain Velasquez (240) – for heavyweight title
Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Jim Miller (156)
Tim Boetsch (186) vs. Constantinos Philippou (186)
Alan Belcher (186) vs. Yushin Okami (184)
Derek Brunson (185) vs. Chris Leben (185)
Brad Pickett (136) vs. Eddie Wineland (135)
Byron Bloodworth (136) vs. Erik Perez (136)
Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Jamie Varner (155)
Myles Jury (155) vs. Michael Johnson (154)
Philip De Fries (245) vs. Todd Duffee (249)
Leonard Garcia (146) vs. Max Holloway (145)
Chris Cariaso (125) vs. John Moraga (126)
Illness knocks Goldberg from UFC 155 broadcast; Anik joins Rogan in booth
(mmajunkie.com)LAS VEGAS – The UFC will try out a new broadcast pairing on Saturday for UFC 155 – though that wasn't the plan until this week.
An illness will keep regular pay-per-view play-by-play voice Mike Goldberg at home, and Jon Anik will join analyst Joe Rogan in the broadcast booth.
UFC officials on Friday confirmed the change to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Nick Newell Unlikely to Find a Home on UFC Roster
(mmaweekly.com)By now just about everybody in the world has heard or read about the amazing story that is MMA fighter Nick Newell.
Newell was born with only one arm, but has managed to put together an incredibly impressive streak of wins in his MMA career, currently sitting with a perfect 9-0 record, with 8 wins coming by way of submission or knockout.
The Connecticut born fighter recently wrapped up his first major title when he won the XFC lightweight strap in early December, and just about everybody started to wonder if he would one day end up in the UFC.
As amazing as Newell’s story truly is, UFC President Dana White just isn’t sure he’ll ever have a home in the Octagon.
“Never, no,” White answered when asked if he would consider bringing Newell into the UFC fold.
UFC BOSS EXPLAINS WHY HE ALLOWED ERIK PEREZ'S LUCHADOR MASK AT UFC 155
(mmajunkie.com)LAS VEGAS – Sunglasses, fanny packs, dog collars, Speedos, wigs, chains, sequin dresses, chest-hair arrows and a super-sized turkey club have all have accompanied UFC fighters on fight week.
With UFC bantamweight Erik Perez, though, UFC President Dana White drew the line at a luchador mask.
The headgear has long been tied to professional wrestling in Perez's home country of Mexico, but White initially nixed the 23-year-old plan's to don such a mask this weekend at UFC 155.
Dana White Talks About the End of Strikeforce – “I’m So Glad It’s Over”
(mmaweekly.com)The long, slow painful death of Strikeforce will finally come to an end on Jan. 12, and UFC President Dana White is glad the whole ordeal is coming to a close.
When Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, first purchased Strikeforce there were high hopes to keep the promotion running as a sister organization with fight cards airing on Showtime, and a completely separate roster of fighters.
Unfortunately a rough relationship with Showtime never got smoother, and Dana White’s hopes to influence and build the promotion just did not come to fruition. Now the former San Jose based promotion will soon land in the organizational graveyard alongside Pride Fighting Championships, and many others that couldn’t survive when push came to shove.
“I’m so glad it’s over,” White said on Thursday about the demise of Strikeforce...
Eddie Alvarez Situation Still Not Settled, Dana White Expects Things to Get “Ugly”
(mmaweekly.com)It appears Eddie Alvarez’s free agency won’t be coming to an end in the near future without a fight happening first but it’s not a battle in the cage.
No, the battle is likely to take place in negotiations because the former Bellator lightweight champion appears locked in a fight between the two suitors who both want to sign him.
Following Alvarez’s last fight, he officially became a free agent after competing under the Bellator banner for the last few years. While the promotion retained a matching period to offer Alvarez equal money to that of any other organization courting his services, they allowed him to seek out the best deal before they decided if they would try to re-sign him or not...
Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez likely to get quick title shot in UFC
(mmajunkie.com)LAS VEGAS – Now that the fate of Strikeforce has been determined, the fates of many of its marquee fighters are starting to trickle out.
For lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, that could wind up meaning an instant title shot against UFC champion Benson Henderson.
UFC President Dana White on Thursday told a small group of reporters following a pre-event news conference for UFC 155 that Strikeforce's top fighters will be making their way to the UFC now that the promotion officially will fold following its final show – a Jan. 12 card in Oklahoma City.
Alistair Overeem applies for Nevada license
(mmafighting.com)The official verdict for sanctioning the scheduled Feb. 2 Alistair Overeem (36-11, 1 no contest) vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (17-4) fight at UFC 156 will come down on Jan. 8 at a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer confirmed that Overeem sent in an application Thursday morning for a new license. It was the first day he was allowed to do so after being turned down at a hearing on March 27 for a license because he failed a test for elevated levels of testosterone.
Injury To Caio Magalhaes Allows Buddy Roberts To Step In Against Michael Kuiper At UFC on FOX 6
(themmanews.com)UFC middleweight Michael Kuiper (12-1) has had a second opponent fall to the wayside due to injury after replacement fighter Caio ‘Hellboy’ Magalhaes (5-1) was forced off the upcoming UFC on FX 7 card.
Stepping in will be Buddy Roberts (12-3) who coincidentally defeated Magalhaes in his Octagon debut last summer. Instead of squaring off at the FX event, the bout has been switched to the UFC on FOX 6 show.
News of the change was announced by UFC officials on Thursday afternoon.
UFC veteran Chris Lytle would come out of retirement to fight a ‘Nick Diaz type guy'
(mmamania.com)"You know, there always is [an interest in fighting again] and it never really left me, but the reason I kinda retired was I just wasn't putting in enough time in the family and I just can't commit myself to that kind of training anymore where I'm gone at all times every time, so, you never know. I always say if maybe something came up with a guy I want to fight, something happens to his opponent like a week out I might take that, so that could happen. Barring that? No I'm not, I'm not going to go back to training full time."
"No, I don't really care about [it being a title fight], it's more about the type of person, you know I want - there's a few guys, you know man like a Nick Diaz type guy who, I like Nick I wouldn't really want to fight him, but maybe something like who, I like the way he comes forward to fight you, to punch you in the face and take you go out and just go the whole time and doesn't really care about a decision. That's the way I am, so, guys like that, you know, I always like the way certain guys like that fight. Maybe like a Carlos Condit, something like that those type of fights interest me. But, you know, those are kind of big fights that I don't see happening unless their opponent pulls out at the last minute and they need somebody."
Daniel Cormier Officially Signs With The UFC, eyes Frank Mir and dual-division run in UFC
(mmajunkie.com)This past weekend Strikeforce heavyweight-grand-prix champion Daniel Cormier signed a new contract that paves his way to the UFC.
Now, Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) just has to beat Dion Staring (28-7 MMA, 0-0 SF) at Strikeforce's final event, which takes place Jan. 12 on his alma mater's home turf.
If Cormier is successful, which is widely expected to be the case, he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that he'd like to fight Frank Mir inside the UFC octagon in April.
Cormier, who said his new deal is a "shorter contract," recently received a text message from a friend alerting him to a respectful callout from Mir on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight."
"So I go, 'OK, Frank Mir and I are going to fight, then,'" said the Olympian and Oklahoma State University grad, who co-headlines the "Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine" event with Staring at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. (Main-card fights air on Showtime following prelims on Showtime Extreme.)
UFC Champ Jon Jones Makes Top 20 List in ESPN 2012 'Cross-Sport' Power Rankings
(bleacherreport.com)Following a dominant year of title defenses and star-making headline news, Jon Jones has been rated as one of the year's Top 20 athletes across all sports.
That list, compiled by ESPN, places the UFC light heavyweight king at No. 18 overall, ahead of more famous stars like Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.
However, Jones is a long way from the peak of the list, which is topped by LeBron James of the Miami Heat, one of the highest-paid and most prolific athletes in the world...
Alan Belcher: ‘Scared’ Yushin Okami will be ‘crapping his pants’ if UFC 155 fight stays straight
(mmamania.com)"Every second we're on the feet, I'm going to be bringing the pain to him. I'm going to make him make him not want to be in there with me. I want it worse than him, I want this win worse than any fight ever. If he can't get me down, he's going to be crapping his pants. Whenever I hit him, he's going to realize when he looks in my eyes that I want it a lot more than he does, and he's just going to be the best he can just fighting off his instincts, his heart's not really going to be in it because he's going to feel my heart and my ferocity. He will be scared."
Heavyweight Fighters Predict UFC 155 Main Event
(bjpenn.com)One of the most anticipated heavyweight clashes in history takes place this Saturday at the UFC’s year end show in Las Vegas.
Several of the sports heavyweight fighters took to various media outlets to discuss their opinion on the match up and MMAMania.com compiled the following:
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