Promoters say MMA fighter Rowan faked death
(espn.go.com)Mixed martial arts promoters Christos Piliafas and Scott DiPonio were shocked to learn that one of their fighters was a suspect in the holdup of a Michigan gun shop this week.
After all, it was only two weeks ago that they raised more than $1,000 to help the amateur heavyweight's family pay for his funeral.
Charles Rowan, 25, didn't die in a February car wreck while en route to his fifth bout, as his girlfriend, Rosalinda Martinez, claimed that night, according to DiPonio. The couple and a friend, Michael Bowman, were in a Gladwin courtroom Friday to hear the charges against them: armed robbery and assault with intent to murder. Each requested a court-appointed attorney.
DiPonio, who owns the Diamond D fight team, said he realized they had been duped when he saw Rowan's mug shot on television identifying him as a person of interest in the Monday robbery of Guns and Stuff in Sage Township, about 100 miles southeast of Traverse City. The store's owner, Richard Robinette, was severely beaten and remained in serious but stable condition Friday in a Flint hospital.
UFC on FOX 8 heading to Seattle's KeyArena in July
(mmajunkie.com)The date has been in place for a while, and now UFC on FOX 8 has a location.
The UFC this summer will head to Seattle for the third time when it brings a nationally televised card to KeyArena. The Seattle Times on Friday brought word of the event, citing the UFC.
UFC on FOX 8 takes place July 27 with what is expected to be a four-fight main card on FOX following prelims on FX and Facebook. No fights have yet been announced for the card.
T.J. Dillashaw replaces Francisco Rivera, meets Hugo Viana at UFC on FOX 7
(mmajunkie.com)It might be time to start talking about the UFC 158 and UFC on FOX 7 connections.
For the third time this week, a UFC 158 winner will step up for an injured UFC on FOX 7 fighter to fill in on a one-month turnaround time. The latest news comes as T.J. Dillashaw (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will get right back to work against Hugo Viana (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) with Francisco Rivera (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) forced off the card with an injury.
UFC officials on Friday announced Rivera's injury and the new booking. Earlier this week, UFC 158 winner Darren Elkins stepped in for Clay Guida to meet Chad Mendes, news first reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), and earlier today, fellow UFC 158 winner Jordan Mein was announced as Dan Hardy's replacement against Matt Brown.
UFC on FOX 7 takes place April 20 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FX and Facebook. Dillashaw vs. Viana will be part of the preliminary card.
The latest UFC on FOX 7 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez - for lightweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir
Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson
Matt Brown vs. Jordan Mein
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)
Darren Elkins vs. Chad Mendes
Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck
Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz Larkin
Myles Jury vs. Ramsey Nijem
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana
Jorge Masvidal vs. Tim Means
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3:35 p.m. ET)
Roger Bowling vs. Anthony Njokuani
Clifford Starks vs. Yoel Romero
Joseph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
CFL Standout WR Chad Owens Set to Try Hand at MMA
(sherdog.com)Once upon a time, nobody knew two-sport dominance like Bo Jackson, who was a star in both the National Football League and Major League Baseball during a storied athletic career.
Chad Owens will probably never achieve the legendary status of Jackson, but the Toronto Argonauts standout is attempting a pretty noteworthy dual feat in his own right. Owens, who set a Canadian Football League record with 3,863 total yards last season, will make his MMA debut on April 6 at Destiny’s “Na Koa III” at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. According to the promotion’s website, Owens will square off with fellow MMA newcomer Junyah Tevaga.
Owens was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2012 as Toronto captured the Grey Cup; it was his third straight season of 3,000 or more total yards. Despite his outstanding resume, the former University of Hawaii football standout felt the need to test himself in another arena.
"I wanted to get into something new. A new challenge. Something to keep me hungry,” Owens told Hawaii News Now. “I always wanted to get into it sometime and this offseason I thought would be the perfect time."
Nevada Commission Discussing Possible Changes to TRT Policy and Testing Levels
(bleacherreport.com)On Thursday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission held a meeting to discuss certain drug testing protocols including the controversial usage of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
TRT has increasingly been in the spotlight over the last few months with athletes like Vitor Belfort, who at 35 years of age now has to have testosterone injections to boost his levels back to normal, and the commission is paying attention.
UFC president Dana White has also come out recently as staunch opposition to the use of TRT by his fighters and now will be independently testing athletes who are on the treatment throughout their training camps to ensure their testosterone levels remain at legal limits...
Riddle Responds to Dana's "Moron" Comment
(fightersonlymag.com)Matthew Riddle was released from his UFC contract after failing a drug test at the recent UFC on FUEL 7 event in London, England.
Riddle, a medical marijuana user, tested positive for cannabis and had his win over Che Mills declared a no contest. He was then returned to the regional leagues, which he declared himself to be happy with because he “didn’t like the direction the UFC is going in anyway”.
Early pay-per-view numbers indicate UFC 158 will top 800,000 buys
(mmafighting.com)Saturday's UFC 158 may wind up being the biggest pay-per-view event UFC's top draw, Georges St-Pierre, has done on his own with preliminary indications that the show will top 800,000 buys.
The show was expected to be the company's most successful show since July's UFC 148 with Anderson Silva's return match with Chael Sonnen. St-Pierre had done numbers in the 750,000 to 800,000 range in previous fights with B.J. Penn, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck and Jake Shields, but this show is expected to finish slightly ahead of those fights...
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