Surgically Repaired Hand Likely to Sideline Brandon Vera Until April
(thefightnetwork.com)Don't be afraid to tell Brandon Vera his October fight against Tim Sylvia sucked. He agrees with you.
Vera (8-1), who has five fights left on his current contract with the UFC, vowed to redeem himself inside the Octagon once his injured hand fully heals but not before. He said he was offered a fight in early March but indicated his doctor and manager did not believe he will be healthy enough to compete by then. Vera declined to name the opponent he was offered.
Big John” Set to Make Big Announcement Friday
(mmajunkie.com)“Big” John McCarthy, a legendary mixed-martial-arts referee who made his octagon debut at UFC 2, has scheduled a media conference call for Friday to make a big announcement.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has been told by multiple sources that the legendary referee may be announcing his retirement as an MMA referee, though the news could not be confirmed.
Hansen to Zuffa: ‘Soul not for sale’
(thefightnetwork.com)PRIDE veteran Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen appeared content backstage at Cage Rage 24 “Feel the Pain” on Saturday at Wembley Arena. After a painful and stressful year, he is finally a free man.
Zuffa LLC, parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, officially released Hansen (15-6-1) from his contract last month, a contract it inherited with its purchase of PRIDE Fighting Championships on March 27. The Norwegian lightweight did not mince words when it came to discussing the Las Vegas-based promotion.
“I just hope people understand that the problems [with Zuffa] weren’t about the money,” Hansen said. “It was about them treating me with honor and keeping their word. I would rather fight for free, then to bend down to them. My soul is not for sale.”
UFC in Final Negotiations For Canadian Debut (UFC 83)
(mmaweekly.com)Mixed martial arts fans, particularly those in Canada, have long been awaiting the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut north of the U.S. border. According to UFC vice president Marc Ratner, the wait may soon be over.
He stated to MMAWeekly.com, “The UFC is looking at April 19 right now to come to Montreal, Canada. It’s still tentative as we’re in final negotiations with the Bell Centre, but we’re very confident that it’s going to happen.”
The UFC’s plans to promote an event in Canada have been in the works for a very long time. Their plans have long hinged on the participation of current welterweight contender and former champion Georges St-Pierre. He is very popular in the U.S., but even more so in his home country of Canada.
Matt Serra to Host UFC 79 Party — in New York
(mmajunkie.com)Scratched from his UFC 79 main event with Matt Hughes because of injury, UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra has now been booked to a host a party for the Dec. 29 event — at Madison Square Garden.
While UFC 79 is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Serra (a New Yorker) will host a viewing party at New York’s world-famous sporting venue. “The Garden” is located in the heart of New York City.
UFC fan club members will get the first crack at tickets starting this Thursday, Dec. 6. The price is $30 for a general admission ticket — or $25 if you order before Dec. 22. (Fan club members also get to take part in a pre-event autograph session.)
Sherk to California: Never Again
(sherdog.com)If given the chance to fight in California a fourth time, UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk won't say yes.
Almost a half year removed from a positive test for nandrolone, Sherk -- one of 41 mixed martial artists popped for banned substances in the Golden State since a widespread anti-doping policy was implemented in March -- finally had a chance to defend himself in front of the California State Athletic Commission.
"At this stage of my career, there's absolutely no way I'd do something like that," Sherk said during his opening statement.
UFC 81: Terry Martin vs. Marvin Eastman (Exclusive)
(mmamania.com)Hard-hitting Terry Martin (16-3) will look to get back on the winning track at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” against veteran Marvin Eastman (14-7-1) on February 2 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) learned about the middleweight bout earlier this afternoon.
Martin suffered a surprise defeat via third round knockout courtesy of a perfectly placed Chris Leben punch in his last appearance inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 11 on September 19. It was a back-and-forth battle that Martin would have more than likely won on the judges scorecards if it went the distance (”The Crippler” was docked a point for a fence grab earlier in the bout).
Eastman has competed in the light heavyweight class for the better part of his long career. He was booked to clash with Demian Maia at UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” on October 20; however, an eye injury forced him off the Cincinnati card.
Sean Sherk's Suspension Reduced
(sherdog.com)UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures), who was suspended for one year after testing positive for Nandrolone Metabolites following his victory over Hermes Franca (Pictures) at UFC 73 on July 7, had his suspension reduced to six months on Tuesday, reports Sherdog.com editor Josh Gross.
The California State Athletic Commission upheld a fine of $2500. Sherk, 34, will be eligible to return to the Octagon in January.
Texas agency responds to Vasquez death
(sports.yahoo.com)The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations announced Monday that its review of an Oct. 20 mixed martial arts show in which a fighter was seriously injured and later died showed the event was conducted in compliance with all regulating procedures.
The aftermath of the Oct. 20 Renegades Extreme Fighting Championship show at the Toyota Center in Houston culminated in tragedy on Friday with the death of 35-year-old fighter Sammy Vasquez.
Sean Sherk’s Fate Decided Tuesday
(mmajunkie.com)Current UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk should — finally — learn his fate from the appeal of a failed UFC 73 drug test tomorrow.
Sherk, who defended his title with a unanimous-decision victory over Hermes Franca in July, tested positive for elevated testosterone levels and nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, during an event drug test. The event took place July 7 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., and the California State Athletic Commission subsequently suspended Sherk one year and fined him $2,500.
Randy Coutre Turns Down Title Defense
(mmaweekly.com)In a meeting with Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White last Tuesday, current heavyweight champion Randy Couture turned down a proposed title defense against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81 on Feb. 2, 2008.
There was also some fence mending to be done at the meeting. Following Couture’s resignation from the UFC in October, the two went a couple of rounds through the media, disputing the basis of the resignation. With the meeting, Couture said he was able to air out the issues addressed in his decision and looks forward to a cooperative relationship with his employer of eleven years.
“We’ve cleared the air, and hopefully we’ll move forward with some sort of relationship,” Couture said. “I’ve got a lot of fighters and a lot of things that hinge around mixed martial arts and the UFC as well. I want to continue to work with them and I think that they want to continue to work with me, so we’ll figure out how that happens.”
Ben Saunders: I Want A Rematch With Speer
(mmanews.com)TUF 6 competitor Ben Saunders, who lost to Tommy Speer on the show, is lobbying for a rematch. He's claiming his medical issues played a huge role in his losing the fight and feels he deserves a rematch, and is now trying to drum up support online.
Sylvia vs. Nogueira Title Fight Set For UFC 81
(mmanews.com)The following is a translated note from an article on Portaldovt:
"In first hand, the fight between Minotauro and Tim Sylvia was signed hours ago, and it will take place in UFC 81, feb. 2nd, in Las Vegas.
Randy did not reach agreements with UFC and the vague title will be disuputed between Minotauro and Tim"
Shogun to fight in Canada?
(mmafightline.com)Shogun announced to fans and members of the media in London that he would make his return to the cage at UFC 83. The event will likely take place in Canada. No opponent has been revealed as of yet.
As a Canadian this would be a dream, I would love to see Shogun live.
TV success is a reality
(bostonherald.com)You might not expect Dana White to make comparisons to “American Idol,” but the UFC president doesn’t hesitate to point out the similarities between his organization’s reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter,” and the highest-rated show on television.
“This (TUF) and ‘American Idol’ are probably the two most significant reality shows on television,” White said. “The reason is they have all these reality shows now where you watch a bunch of (expletive) idiots on TV making jackasses out of themselves and when the show is over, you never see them again.
CBS, NBC Could Soon Televise MMA
(mmajunkie.com)CBS and NBC are talking with mixed martial arts promotions about becoming the first major broadcast network to televise the sport.
Nothing is official, but television and MMA insiders expect a deal between CBS and the Ultimate Fighting Championship to be announced shortly.
UFC president Dana White said he didn’t want to discuss a deal that is still being negotiated, but White did say that UFC 80 on Jan. 19 would be a pay-per-view event. It had been rumored that would be the first CBS show if a deal was reached.
MMA insiders believe CBS is looking at a Saturday night prime-time slot. CBS averaged a 4.5 rating in prime time on Nov. 24, a number no UFC event has approached. However, major UFC events such as Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz in 2006 and this year’s Dan Henderson vs. Quinton Jackson Pride vs. UFC title unification match have beaten all network programming in the highly sought 18-34 male demographic despite airing on basic cable’s Spike TV.
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