For Renzo Gracie,It's All About Family
(mmaweekly.com)Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich, Carlos Newton, Maurice Smith, and Oleg Taktarov. What do all these mixed martial arts pioneers have in common? Renzo Gracie has defeated them all.The same Renzo Gracie who, slightly more than 18 years after his first professional bout, will finally be making his UFC debut when he steps in the Octagon opposite Matt Hughes in April.On a three-fight winning streak, it will have been more than three years since Gracie last fought.
Soares says Silva is Willing to Take on GSP after 112
(tsn.ca)
Anderson "The Spider" Silva remains undefeated in his UFC career. His ten-fight winning streak is the longest in UFC history, putting his name in every conversation about the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
The current middleweight champion has been so dominant since joining the UFC in 2006 that he may need to venture outside of his weight class to find a challenge, something his manager Ed Soares claims he is more than willing to do.
UFC Announces Brilz vs. Schafer on Versus
(mmaweekly.com)
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Thursday announced additional bouts for UFC on Versus 1, the promotion’s debut on the sports network home of its sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting.
A light heavyweight bout pitting Jason Brilz against Eric “Red” Schafer was added to the March 21 card, and the previously reported fight between James Irvin and Alessio Sakara was confirmed.
Brilz (17-2-1) is coming off of a loss after a 13-fight unbeaten run. He lost a unanimous decision to Eliot Marshall – who faces Vladimir Matyushenko on the Versus card – at UFC 103 in Dallas. Brilz won his first two bouts in the Octagon.
Schafer (11-4-2) is making his second tour of duty in the UFC. He went 1-2 in his first go around, but has flipped that around this time, defeating Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes before losing his last bout to Ryan Bader.
Terry Etim vs. Rafael dos Anjos in the works for UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi
(mmajunkie.com)
A lightweight match-up between British fighter Terry Etim (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is close to being finalized for UFC 112 in April.
Sources close to the bout told MMAjunkie.com (mmajunkie.com) that both parties have agreed to the fight and hope to sign bout agreements shortly.
The match-up was first reported by British-based Fighters Only magazine.
A press conference formally announcing UFC 112 for April 10 in Abu Dhabi is expected for next Wednesday, according to Yahoo! Sports. The event could take place in an outdoor arena – constructed specifically for the promotion's first trip to the Middle East – which would mark the first outdoor show in UFC history.
Phillipe Nover Says He's '100% Fine' Following Recent Health Scare
(mmafighting.com)When Dana White called Phillipe Nover "the next Georges St-Pierre" prior to the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, the MMA community's expectations for the Brooklyn-born fighter immediately skyrocketed. Unfortunately for Nover, things have gone downhill for him since: he lost the TUF 8 finale to Efrain Escudero and then lost via controversial stoppage to Kyle Bradley at UFC 98. Then, prior to his UFN 19 fight against Sam Stout, Nover fainted backstage and was rushed to the hospital. The health scare forced him out of the bout and left many questioning whether he would ever fight again.
Gleison Tibau vs. Caol Uno likely for UFC Fight Night 21 in March
(mmajunkie.com)The UFC's busy March schedule is rapidly filling, and a lightweight matchup between Gleison Tibau (20-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Caol Uno (25-12-5 MMA, 3-4-2 UFC) is the latest likely addition to the plans.
Tibau and Uno have verbally agreed to meet at UFC Fight Night 21 on March 31 in North Carolina, and bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.
News of the matchup was first reported by Brazilian outlet Tatame.com, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since verified the report with sources close to the event.
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown official for UFC 111 prelims in March
(mmajunkie.com)An intriguing welterweight matchup between veteran submission ace Ricardo Almeida (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and slugger Matt Brown (11-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is now official for "UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy."
The UFC today officially announced the contest, which is slotted for the evening's preliminary card but seems an obvious choice for a potential Spike TV slot should the network elect to air a few undercard bouts.
UFC 111 takes place March 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., with a pay-per-view championship double-header.
Coleman talks Couture & Canceling Christmas
(punchdrunkgamer.com)Mark Coleman “The Hammer is ready for The Natural”
PDG: There has been mention that injuries were taking their toll on you but it almost seems like a blessing in disguise; instead of fighting someone that has been out of the game for 18 months, you are headlining UFC 109 against Randy Couture.
Mark Coleman: That is exactly what this sport is all about and sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. When I was hurt and couldn’t fight Tito Ortiz I was devastated because at the time I felt that nothing could match the magnitude of that fight. I had no idea what was waiting in the wings and I certainly didn't anticipate fighting Randy Couture but yes in hindsight it was definitely a blessing in disguise and in my mind and that of most of the fans this is definitely a bigger fight than one with Tito Ortiz but I still wouldn't mind getting a piece of that douche bag when the time comes.
ABC President urges Edmonton to revert to Unified Rules
(mixedmartialarts.com)Top MMA News received a copy of a letter today from the head of the Association of Boxing Commissions that was sent to the Executive Director of the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission – Pat Reid. The letter, dated January 20th, was in reference to the proposed changes to the MMA rules that the Edmonton Commission regulates.
“This correspondence shall place the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission on notice that the ABC is not in support of these drastic changes to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts adopted by the ABC”
Manitoba defending health care after bashing by UFC champ Brock Lesnar
(ow.ly)WINNIPEG - Manitoba does not provide "Third World" medical care, provincial health officials said following a public bashing from UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Health Minister Theresa Oswald said she's willing to listen - and act on - criticism of the provincial health-care system. But she said she's a little more skeptical about comments from a self-proclaimed "conservative Republican" speaking out against the socialization of American health care.
"I will listen to critics and learn from critics but also evaluate the point of view from which they're coming," she said Thursday. "This is more about partisan American politics and bashing American health-care reform, and I'm not particularly interested in getting engaged in that. Canada has lots to be proud of in terms of providing health care for everyone.
Razor Rob Joins Tito Ortiz On TUF11
(mmaweekly.com)Former WEC lightweight champion “Razor” Rob McCullough is joining longtime training partner Tito Ortiz as a coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike TV.McCullough posted the news on his web site Wednesday, saying, “So I am one of the assistant coaches for this season’s Ultimate Fighter show. I will be helping coach Tito Ortiz versus Chuck Liddell's team.”
Rolles: BJJ is the weapon to beat Lesnar
(tatame.com)Gracie family, responsible for the creation of UFC, saw only one of his representatives to fight on the octagon. Although, years after Royce to win 11 fights on the tournament, will be Rolles Gracie’s turn, son of the legend Rolls, to debut on Ultimate.
UFC 112 Expected to Be the First Outdoor UFC Event
(bloodyelbow.com)"We're going to have a big press conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (Jan. 27th), with our new partners from the region, Flash," said Marshall Zelaznik, UFC's managing director of international expansion.
"(Zuffa CEO) Lorenzo and myself will be there with some of the biggest names on the UFC roster. I don't want to give away the official announcement, but this will be a very unique show and not just because the card itself will be as good as any in UFC history."
The show is expected to be the first outdoor UFC event in history.
Royce Gracie Likes GSP's Approach
(mmafighting.com)Royce Gracie, the original UFC champion, hasn't fought in almost three years. But in a wide-ranging interview with Emirates Jiu-Jitsu, he demonstrated that he can still offer a lot of smart commentary on MMA.
Among Gracie's interesting comments: He's a huge fan of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
"GSP knows how to use a lot of strategy," Gracie said. "It's tough to find somebody to beat him right now. That's one of the guys who knows how to use strategy -- he's not just good but he brings strategy. I like guys who can use strategy, not just tough guys. GSP is at the top of my list in knoing how to use strategy, how to bring an opponent out of his game, how to beat a guy without taking a beating. And he's good in standup and good at grappling."
DaMarques Johnson, UFC 112 both appear headed to Abu Dhabi
(mmajunkie.com)"The Ultimate Fighter 9" finalist and former MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) blogger DaMarques Johnson (10-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is the latest name associated with the as-yet-unannounced UFC 112 event.
Johnson posted notice of his new assignment on Twitter late Wednesday night, though he stopped short of saying who he would fight.
"Just got off the phone," Johnson stated. "Looking like it's going to be April 10, UFC 112. Time to put on my work pants."
Report: Florian-Gomi To Main Event UFN 21
(mmajunkie.com)That crafty Kenny Florian has done it again. Just one week after denying to MMAjunkie that he had any knowledge of a potential bout with Japanese import Takanori Gomi, Florian is expected to reveal on today's edition of ESPN.com's "MMA Live" that he will face "The Fireball Kid" at UFC Fight Night 21 in North Carolina. News of the impending announcement was first posted on the official Twitter account of "MMA Live," a show that Florian co-hosts. Fellow co-hosts Jon Anik and Franklin McNeil have since followed suit.
UFC 113 Moved To May 8, Still In Montreal
(mmaweekly.com)It looks like we have to wait another week for our MM-Eh in May. UFC announced last night that UFC 113 has been moved from May 1 to May 8, but will remain in Montreal. The reason is boxing, namely a possible (but not done yet) Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley fight on May 1. Bell Centre was able to reschedule a concert planned for May 8, allowing UFC to make the move ahead of time and get more time to promote 113.
White says Lesnar could return for UFC 114; champ welcomes fight with "stalker" Mir
(mmajunkie.com)With the silence finally broken, now the speculation can really begin.
After UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) revealed on this morning's edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" that he has been blessed with a miraculous recovery from a potentially career-ending case of diverticulosis , UFC president Dana White issued a generic target date of "summer" for the champ's return.
On a media call following the "SportsCenter" appearance, White and Lesnar both got a little more specific about the possibilities.
With the UFC's December announcement that it would hold its second-ever UFC Fan Expo in conjunction with a Memorial Day weekend event, believed to be UFC 114, White today admitted that scheduling the heavily anticipated return of Lesnar at that card might make sense.
Ross Pearson Returns At UFN 21, Opponent TBA
(mmajunkie.com)TUF 9 Lightweight winner Ross Pearson will make his second official post-TUF appearance at UFN 21 in March, joining teammate and fellow TUF 9 castmate Andre Winner on the card. Pearson doesn't have an opponent yet for the event, he had been expected to face Matt Wiman but that won't happen due to a Wiman injury.
|
|
