June 2012 MMA News Archive - Page 6

In another three-round battle, Sam Stout (17-7-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) on Friday wrapped up a rare MMA trilogy with Spencer Fisher (24-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC). But it likely will be the last fight for Fisher, who had hinted in the weeks leading up to the rubber match that it might be his final bout before retirement. Though Fisher did not attend the post-fight news conference and was not interviewed in the octagon following the loss, he told FUEL TV in a post-fight interview that his decision to retire is likely to hold up. He did leave the door open for a return, but said if that happens it will come at featherweight.

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Representatives for Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante want to confirm the fighter tested positive for stanozolol prior to a May 19 Strikeforce event in San Jose, Calif. They have asked the California State Athletic Commission to screen him again. CSAC Executive Director George Dodd informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Cavalcante's "B" sample from his drug test following "Strikeforce: World Heavyweight Grand Prix Final" will be tested for performance-enhancers and drugs of abuse. Additionally, Cavalcante's camp has requested that one of its representatives "view the opening" of the sample and "possibly the lab analyzing the sample," Dodd wrote in an email. MMAjunkie.com initially reported that Cavalcante had filed an appeal but later learned that the fighter's camp will decide what action to take after the second test, which is expected to take place June 26. The CSAC employs a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) test facility at UCLA in Los Angeles.

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One of the most experienced competitors to join "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," Rodrigo Damm rightfully was a tournament favorite as the show began filming. While his performances didn't include the flashy finishes of some of his contestants, he earned a spot in the semifinals with wins in the elimination round and quarterfinals. Fate then intervened. Damm was forced to withdraw from the show when he suffered kidney damage cutting weight for a bout with now-finalist Godofredo "Pepey" de Oliveira. On the eve of his first fight since the misfortune, he's determined to pick up where he left off. "I believe I would have won (the show)," Damm told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I was supposed to face 'Pepey.' It would have been a favorable fight for me. He is good on the ground, but he isn't a striker." Oliveira meets Rony "Jason" Mariano Bezerra in the reality-show tournament's featherweight final, which takes place Saturday at UFC 147. Damm (9-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC), meanwhile, takes on Anistavio "Gasparzinho" Medeiros (15-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the event's FX-televised preview, which precedes the pay-per-view main card.

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Friday night's UFC on FX 4 drew an announced attendance of 4,652 fans, a sell-out in the promotion's return to Atlantic City, N.J. UFC officials announced the number at the event's post-fight news conference, which was attended by MMAjunkie.com. Live gate figures for the card were not immediately available. UFC on FX 4 took place at Ovation Hall at the new Revel Atlantic City. The night's main card was broadcast on FX. Preliminary-card fights were broadcast on FUEL TV and Facebook.

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The fans at Revel Atlantic City didn't seem to be happy with Friday's main event, and UFC president Dana White wasn't, either. Gray Maynard won a five-round split decision against Clay Guida, but it was Guida's game plan that had Maynard, the fans – and White – riled up. "The fight sucked. I don't know how to expand on it anymore," White told MMAjunkie.com at the post-fight news conference. "... This isn't (expletive) 'Dancing With the Stars.' You can't win a fight by running around in circles – that's not how fights are won."

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There were plenty of heated moments in Friday's UFC on FX 4 main event between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida. Most took place in the octagon, including a couple sets of prominent Maynard middle fingers. Another happened outside the cage, right after Maynard's split-decision victory. But after the fight, the two lightweights put to bed their short-lived beef. Guida's game plan was a subject of frustration for Maynard (11-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) in the fight. Maynard spent the majority of the fight trying to chase down his opponent, who bounced and danced and backpedalled and slipped – and "ran," as UFC president Dana White saw it. And though Maynard appeared to chase Guida (29-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) down verbally in the fight, as well, and flipped him the bird twice, he said such behavior is not customary for him and he merely lost his cool. "Personally, I don't act like that," Maynard said at Friday's post-fight press conference, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) attended. "It's a fight, but I was pissed off. I'm a human, too. I get mad."

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Cub Swanson, Dan Miller, Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher each earned $50,000 bonuses for their performances at Friday's UFC on FX 4 event. Swanson earned the "Knockout of the Night" bonus, Miller picked up the "Submission of the Night" award, and Stout and Fisher were named "Fight of the Night" winners. UFC officials announced the winners following the event. UFC on FX 4 took place at Revel Atlantic City in New Jersey. The event's main card aired on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook. Swanson, a nearly 2-to-1 underdog against Ross Pearson in the opening bout on the main card, was in a dogfight in the first round while trading kicks and punches with the "TUF 9" winner. But in a back-and-forth second round, Swanson landed a crisp left hand to Pearson's chin that had him falling awkwardly to the fence. As referee Yves Lavigne moved in to stop the fight, Swanson got off a pair of extra shots on the ground then mugged for the cameras as Lavigne was pulling him off. Miller, a New Jersey resident and fan favorite, snapped a two-fight losing skid at middleweight and picked up a win in his first fight at welterweight. In the third round against Ricardo Funch, he jumped guard and landed a guillotine choke. He rolled with it as Funch tried to roll free, but Funch quickly had to tap for his fourth UFC loss. Stout and Fisher met in the co-headliner and the rubber match of their trilogy. Unlike the first two meetings, which were closely contested, Stout kept a decent lead through each round and took the unanimous decision via 30-27 scores in a fairly entertaining lightweight bout.

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Several of the UFC on FX 4 winners are expected to meet with the media shortly after the conclusion of the main event showdown between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, courtesy of UFC.com at 11 p.m EST.

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As Clay Guida is being mandated to braid his hair due to a complaint by Gray Maynard's camp, VFD Sports has released the first images of Guida's hair style that he will be sporting in tonights headline fight at UFC on FX 4. Guida is going for a "Calibus" look from "Clash of the Titans" one of Guida's favorite movies, complete with a form of devil's horns in the front.

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ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) is proud to announce leading American automotive company Chevrolet as the Official Automobile for Asia’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Mr Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ said, “Since our inaugural event, I promised that ONE FC would only partner with the best fighters, the best promotions, the best gyms and the best sponsors, and I will continue to do so. With that in mind, I would like to welcome global giant in the automobile industry, Chevrolet, onboard as the Official Automobile for ONE Fighting Championship™. This partnership with Chevrolet further attests to the phenomenal progress ONE FC is making across the region and the globe.”

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Entertaining welterweights Tarec Saffiedine (12-3 MMA, 3-1 SF) and Roger Bowling (11-2 MMA, 4-2 SF) have been targeted for a fight at Strikeforce's late-summer show. The 170-pounders are expected to fight at an Aug. 18 event likely to take place at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. MMAjunkie.com learned of the tentative matchup from sources close to the fighters. The event, which also is expected to feature women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs. former titleholder Sarah Kaufman, includes a main card on Showtime and prelims on Showtime Extreme.

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"Got my blue belt today from sidney silva" Chris Leben earns his blue belt the Brazillian way (video) - Leben will be eligible to return in November of 2012 after failing a post-fight drug test (Oxycodone and Oxymorphine) following his loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 138 last November in Birmingham, England.

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Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Fabricio Werdum, Mike Russow and the rest of the UFC 147 fighters are slated to step on the scale at approximately 3 p.m. ET. Today's weigh-ins take place at Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the same venue that hosts Saturday's event.

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"We do anticipate another season (which will air in March)," said UFC managing director of international business Marshall Zelaznik. "It's certain that we'll do it." "Brazil is quickly becoming the No. 1 market for the UFC when it comes to fan support," Zelaznik said. "You're talking about 10 million people watching each week. We're No. 1 in the timeslot. The AB demographic is the most upscale demographic, and we're the highest-rated reality show in Brazil." ... “The next event that we will do (in Brazil) later in the year, will likely be in Rio,” said UFC managing director of international business Marshall Zelaznik on Thursday. “That would be in October.” “And then for next year, we’re talking about potentially twice as many events in Brazil, if not more,” he added. “So you can expect that Bela Horizonte is in that mix along with all the other cities. We’re trying to bring the event to all of the country.”

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Russian mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko has announced his retirement after knocking out Brazilian veteran Pedro Rizzo. It took Emelianenko just 44 seconds to knock out Brazilian veteran Pedro Rizzo on Thursday, putting him on the ground with a serious of punches and then finishing with more strikes to the head. "I think it is time I quit," Emelianenko said. "My family influenced my decision. My daughters are growing without me, that's why it's time to leave."

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Live from Brazil hear what the fighters have to say about their upcoming bouts at 12:00 p.m. ET. At the UFC 147 press conference, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin and other top fighters at UFC 147 will answer questions from the media Thursday.

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Watch all fighters weigh in LIVE from Atlantic City at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. In the main event, lightweights Gray Maynard and Clay Guida will square off in a five-round bout.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship officials confirmed three more bouts for this September’s upcoming UFC 151 pay-per-view event. Not previously announced (by this site at least) is a lightweight bout between Team Alpha Male standout Danny “Last Call” Castillo (14-4) and TUF 12 Finalist Michael ‘The Menace’ Johnson (11-6). Also confirmed, but previously reported, was a featherweight bout between Dennis Siver, who drops to 145-lbs for the first time, and ‘The Filipino Phenom’ Eddie Yagin, as well as a fight at bantamweight between Japanese striker Takeya Mizugaki and submission specialist Jeff Hougland. UFC 151 is expected to take place on September 1, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight title match between current UFC champion Jon Jones and former Strikeforce title holder, Dan Henderson.

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Yesterday, Alistair Overeem said he was going to fight in December but that was shot down by Lorenzo Fertitta. Today, he apparently took a blood test for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, even though he is unlicensed and it isn't required of him. He tweeted about it, and sent a message to UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos as well:

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Later this summer, Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returns to the cage. In the past year, the Olympian and undefeated MMA fighter has become arguably the biggest name in women's MMA, and she recently headlined a major event on Showtime. But soon, she thinks she could be plying her trade in the UFC octagon. "I think it's a distinct possibility," Rousey recently told "UFC Tonight" correspondent Ariel Helwani. "Women are tough. Women are clever. We're going to find a way to get everywhere. "You can't stop us. We'll be there at some point."

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