Josh Koscheck wants Nick Diaz at UFC 157 on Super Bowl weekend
(mmajunkie.com)If Nick Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has to fight at least once more before a title shot, Josh Koscheck (17-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) figures it might as well be against him.
Koscheck recently mentioned Diaz, Demian Maia, Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald as targeted opponents for 2013.
Now, he said he's taking up Diaz trainer Cesar Gracie's challenge for the contenders to meet at the UFC's Super Bowl weekend show, which is expected to be UFC 157 on Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
"I am DOWN! Don't be scared Homie! #559 lol," Koscheck tweeted.
Lyman Good vs. Andrey Koreshkov Tourney Final Targeted For Bellator 82
(mmajunkie.com)If everything goes to plan, Lyman Good (14-2 MMA, 7-2 BFC) and Andrey Koreshkov (12-0 MMA, 4-0 BFC) will fight for Bellator's Season 7 welterweight-tournament championship at Bellator 82.
The event takes place Nov. 30 at a venue to be announced.
Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney said the date isn't set it stone but is currently preferred for the conclusion to the eight-man tournament.
Good and Koreshkov co-headlined this past Friday's MTV-televised Bellator 78 event at Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio. Both emerged victorious in their semifinal-round bouts and now are a win away from a guaranteed title shot against champion Ben Askren or recent tourney winner Karl Amoussou, who are expected to meet in early 2013.
Marlon Sandro Says He's fighting Dustin Neace At Bellator 81 In Rhode Island
(mmajunkie.com)After coming up short in the Bellator Season 6 featherweight tournament finals, Marlon Sandro will look to get back on track next month.
Sandro (22-4 MMA, 5-2 BFC) on Saturday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he's fighting Dustin Neace (23-18 MMA, 0-0 BFC) on Nov. 16 at Bellator 81, which takes place at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I., with a main card on MTV2 following prelims on Spike.com.
Bellator 81 will be headlined by a pair of semifinals in the Season 7 lightweight tournament.
The latest Bellator 81 card now includes:
•Rich Clementi vs. Marcin Held - Lightweight Tournament Semifinals
•Dave Jansen vs. Ricardo Tirloni - Lightweight Tournament Semifinals
•Dustin Neace vs. Marlon Sandro
Ring-Philippou shifts to UFC 154 main card, Diabate-Griggs to prelims
(mmajunkie.com)Rising middleweight contenders Constantinos Philippou and Nick Ring will compete on UFC 154's main card after all.
The fighters have taken a spot previously reserved for light heavyweights Chad Griggs and Cyrille Diabate, who have been moved to the preliminary card.
UFC officials recently made the change to the card, which takes place Nov. 17 at Montreal's Bell Centre. Welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and interim titleholder Carlos Condit meet in the pay-per-view headliner.
Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos Signs With Legacy FC, February Debut Expected
(mmajunkie.com)Veteran welterweight Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos has signed with the Texas-based Legacy Fighting Championship organization, officials today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Santos, a former Strikeforce title challenger, is expected to make his promotional debut in February on AXS TV.
Santos, 34, hasn't fought since a TKO loss to fast-rising contender Jordan Mein more than 13 months ago. It marked his second straight loss.
Before the skid, the former PRIDE fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt had posted back-to-back wins over Daniel Zarate and Marius Zaromskis. The latter, which marked his welterweight debut, came in Strikeforce and set up a title shot with then-champ Nick Diaz, which Santos lost via second-round armbar.
Following the subsequent loss to Mein and with no scheduled fights on the horizon, Santos requested and was granted his Strikeforce release.
Cung Le Not Retiring After Rich Franklin Fight
(fightline.com)Cung Le (8-2) knows that his time in MMA is starting to tick away, but that doesn't mean the undefeated kickboxer is planning to retire after his next fight. Le recently revealed that he has several fights left on his UFC contract.
"This isn't the last fight on my contract," said Le on The MMA Hour. "I actually have a six fight deal, so after this fight it will be my half way mark. I'm taking it one fight at a time, and not looking too far ahead, right now. The crosshairs are on Rich Franklin, and nothing else."
With three fights left on his contract, Le knows age is not a friend of the sport and his career can only continue for so long.
"I'm 40 years old," said Le. "I know I won't be fighting until I'm 50, but I do know that I've got a couple more good fights left in me. I really try not to think too far ahead. For me, it always revolves around my current fight."
Ediane Gomes Signs New Deal, Expects To Meet Hiroko Yamanaka At Invicta FC 4
(mmajunkie.com)Fresh off a win in her debut with Invicta Fighting Championships, Ediane Gomes will stick around a while with the promotion.
Gomes (9-2) submitted Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 3 earlier this month. Now she says she's been rewarded with a new contract – and her next opponent.
Gomes told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) she has re-upped with Invicta for three more fights and will face Hiroko Yamanaka at the promotion's next show.
Gomes said she believes that show, likely Invicta FC 4, will take place around Jan. 4 in Kansas City, Kan. And for the Brazilian, who trains at American Top Team in South Florida, that's OK with her.
"I enjoyed fighting there (at Invicta FC 3)," Gomes said. "It's great. The people are nice. It's just a bit cold, but it's nice otherwise."
Watch today's Cage Warriors 49 event live on MMAjunkie.com at 4 p.m. ET
(cagewarriors.mmajunkie.com)You can watch a live and free video stream of today's Cage Warriors 49 main card on MMAjunkie.com at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. (Please note: Cage Warriors has geo-blocked the stream in the U.K. and Ireland, where you can watch the event on Sky Sports.)
The stream follows prelims on Cage Warriors' Facebook page at 3 p.m. ET.
To watch the main card, which includes a Bruno Carvalho vs. Cathal Pendred headliner, simply click .
Today's full Cage Warriors 49 card includes:
MAIN CARD (4 p.m. ET, MMAjunkie.com)
Bruno Carvalho vs. Cathal Pendred
Greg Loughran vs. Tim Newman
Faycal Hucin vs. John Michael Sheil
Merv Mulholland vs. Daniel Thomas
Lewis Long vs. Paul Redmond
Kris Edwards vs. Alan Philpott
PRELIMINARY CARD (3 p.m. ET, Facebook)
Lee Caers vs. Kevin Reed
Dino Gambatesa vs. Martin McDonough
Karl Harrison vs. Neil Seery
PRELIMINARY CARD (non-streamed)
Sam Gilbert vs. Brett Johns
ONE FC Scraps Plans For December Event, Next Show In February
(mmafighting.com)ONE FC's next event will be in February, not December.
According to a ONE FC official, the promotion has scrapped a planned December event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, due to "lack of venue options and availability." The same official said the decision was not a financial one.
As a result, the Singapore-based promotion is now planning a "big event" in February, and they are expected to hold a press conference in early December to announce more details. The promotion was planning on kicking off a flyweight tournament in December.
ONE FC has held six events in its short history and five of those cards happened in 2012.
Randy Couture Says Chael Sonnen’s Wrestling Will Stop Jon Jones
(fightline.com)"I think Chael has a great opportunity to win this fight, actually," said Couture on MMA Uncensored.
"Technically, I see a similar style fight as Anderson Silva," said Couture. "If he wades through it and can make Jon Jones wrestle him, I think he can win that. I think he can do it, but he needs to make it a wrestling match, start to finish."
"This is a business, and Chael Sonnen is gonna bring it and hype up any single fight he's in," said Couture. "I think Jon Jones, in denying him the fight on eight days notice, made it inevitable that they were gonna have to fight at some point."
Bellator set to expedite Eddie Alvarez's free agency decision
(mmafighting.com)Despite a 90-day window that allows Bellator to exclusively negotiate with sought-after free agent Eddie Alvarez, the promotion's CEO Bjorn Rebney doesn't expect to take nearly that long to determine whether he can strike a deal with the former lightweight champion.
In a Friday night interview with MMA Fighting, Rebney said that Bellator has made Alvarez an offer, and that Alvarez's response will determine the next step. If he accepts it, he stays in the Bellator fold where he will be prominently featured as the promotion moves to its new broadest home on Spike. And if he doesn't, Rebney will allow him to bypass the remaining 70+ days of the exclusive negotiating period and take his talents to the open market, where he will no doubt be MMA's hottest commodity.
Such a move would ultimately benefit both sides, as it would allow Alvarez to restart his career faster than expected, while it would also offer Bellator a chance to properly gauge its assets as it heads into its pivotal 2013.
Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario official for December's TUF 16 Finale in Las Vegas
(mmajunkie.com)A reported fight between heavyweights Pat Barry (7-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) and Shane Del Rosario (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) now is official for December.
Barry and Del Rosario will meet on the main card of the TUF 16 Finale. UFC officials recently announced the fight, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported.
The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale takes place Dec. 15 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with a main event between "TUF 16" coaches Shane Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Roy Nelson (17-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC).
David Mitchell-Hyun Gyu Lim Completes 10-Fight UFC on Fuel TV 6 Bill in Macau
(sherdog.com)Welterweights David Mitchell and Hyun Gyu Lim will square off at UFC on Fuel TV 6, completing the event’s 10-fight bill.
Lim was initially expected to face unbeaten Marcelo Guimaraes at the event before Guimares was forced to withdraw due to injury. UFC on Fuel TV 6 is headlined by a middleweight showdown pitting former UFC champion Rich Franklin against ex- Strikeforce king Cung Le and takes place Nov. 10 at CotaiArena in Cotai, Macau. The show’s preliminary draw streams live on Facebook, while the main card broadcast follows on Fuel TV.
Yves Edwards vs. John Cholish Added To UFC On Fox 5
(fightline.com)UFC officials have confirmed a lightweight contest for December, as Yves Edwards and John Cholish will collide. The two will be part of the prelims for UFC On Fox: Henderson Vs. Diaz.
The card goes down December 8 from the KeyArena in Seattle. UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson defends his title against Nate Diaz in the main event.
Edwards (41-18-1) will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Tony Ferguson. Also, he was scheduled to meet Jeremy Stephens earlier this month, but Stephens was arrested just hours before the contest.
Cholish (8-2) was dealt his first UFC defeat at the hands of Danny Castillo this past May. He had won eight consecutive fights prior, including his UFC debut over Mitch Clarke.
Vitor Belfort Denies Rumor Of Michael Bisping Fight
(fightline.com)Vitor Belfort is planning to return to the middleweight division after a loss to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. However, "The Phenom" has not signed to face Michael Bisping, despite reports stating the bout was in the works.
"I did not sign anything yet that's what came out on the internet," Belfort posted on Twitter. "I will fight with Bisping (if offered). Still have not decided on my next fight. It's all rumor."
New Jersey trainer sentenced for falsifying documents
(mmajunkie.com)A New Jersey-based MMA trainer was today sentenced to probation, community service and fines for falsifying pre-fight medical forms for amateur fighters, the state's attorney general today announced.
Philip Dunlap of Mahwah, N.J., received two years of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine, according to a release.
"Every trainer investigated and arrested for this type of crime enables us to further uphold the integrity of the sport," stated New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Commissioner Aaron Davis.
Josh Barnett's Manager Says Fighter Not Defending King Of Pancrase Title In 2013
(fightline.com)Leland LaBarre, the manager for Josh Barnett, denied a report that Barnett would defend his King of Pancrase title in 2013. A report circulated on Thursday that Barnett had told the promotion he would fight for them next year.
It's not true," said LaBarre, in an interview with Sherdog.com. "I guess (Pancrase) talked to Josh while (Josh) was (in Japan), and they said they would love to have him back, but there was nothing (to it)."
LaBarre said that Barnett is focused on his next Strikeforce bout and that he is "totally back" from suffering a broken hand in a loss to Daniel Cormier.
Barnett won the Pancrase open weight title in 2003. It is unknown if "The Warmaster" will follow other Strikeforce heavyweights into the UFC, but his manager seems to think so.
"If Zuffa wants Josh Barnett to fight in their UFC Octagon after Josh's last Strikeforce fight," LaBarre said, "I think that is where he'll be."
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping scheduled for UFC 156
(fiveknuckles.com)Another blockbuster bout has been scheduled for UFC 156 according to UFC officials, this one between top middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort.
The event is set for Jan. 19 in an, as of yet, undetermined Brazilian city. Cities currently being considered to play host, however, so far include; São Paulo, Porto Alegre and Florianópolis, and Rio de Janeiro.
The card already features a much-anticipated featherweight clash between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
Bisping (23-4) comes into the bout with an impressive 5-1 record in his last six fights. During the streak, he's has collected victories over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera, Jason Miller and Brian Stann.
UFC 154: Stephen Thompson pulled from card with knee injury
(bloodyelbow.com)Yes, we have another injury to report. The preliminary card of UFC 154 has taken a hit as Stephen Thompson has been forced out of his fight with Besam Yousef with a knee injury. MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani has the story:
Welterweight prospect Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson has pulled out of his UFC 154 fight against Besam Yousef due to an injured knee, MMAFighting.com confirmed with sources close to the fight. Thompson recently suffered a torn meniscus in training. He will undergo surgery on Monday and is expected to be out of action for eight weeks.
Streaking lightweight T.J. Grant signs new four-fight deal with UFC
(mmajunkie.com)Riding a three-fight win streak since dropping to lightweight, T.J. Grant has a new deal with the UFC.
The Canadian fighter has re-upped with the UFC for four more fights. Grant announced the news on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Grant (19-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is coming off a "Fight of the Night" decision win over Evan Dunham at UFC 152 this past month.
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