MMA News Thread

[RM211]

XFC/Spartan FC vet Cornelius Godfrey killed in motorcycle accident

MMA bantamweight prospect Cornelius Godfrey was killed in overnight motorcycle accident in Ohio.

Godfrey, who turned pro in 2011 and had posted an 8-1 record with six stoppages, reportedly crashed his motorcycle into a guardrail in Columbus, according to nbc4i.com.

According to the report, Godfrey's wife pinged his cellphone after she hadn't heard from him in a couple hours. That ultimately led her to the intersection of the crash, where she found motorcycle parts. A police helicopter eventually spotted Godfrey and the bike.

Godfrey, 25, was driving home from a bar located a mile away from the crash scene, according to police.

The West Virginian, a Golden Gloves champion who boxed professionally, ultimately settled on MMA. His biggest opportunity came a year ago after he opened his career with a 6-0 mark and six stoppages. That earned him a spot at XFC 20, though he suffered a decision loss to Shah Bobonis in an AXS TV-televised bout.

As XFC President John Prisco wrote on Facebook: "Cornelious Godfrey, who fought on XFC was killed in a motorcycle accident a few hours ago. Would like to Dedicate tomorrows show in his honor, we will miss you Cornelious, it's heartbreaking to see people like Cornelious leave us when they had so much life left to live. He left a loving wife and child, RIP Corny."

After the Babonis loss, Godfrey rebounded with a decision victory over "The Ultimate Fighter 14" competitor B.J. Ferguson at Spartan FC 17. Most recently, he earned a decision victory over Corey Simmons at UVC 23.

 

[RM211]

UFC Fight Night 28 winner Glover Teixeira expects Jones to defeat Gustafsson

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil – Glover Teixeira is not the kind of man to call someone out. Humble, even a little quiet, the 33-year-old slugger prefers not to rock the boat. However, with a title shot on the horizon, Teixeira admits he's got a specific target in mind.

With his UFC Fight Night 28 win over Ryan Bader (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), Teixeira (22-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) earned a shot at the winner of UFC 165's title fight between light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, and the Brazilian contender admits he's prefer to fight the reigning champ.

"My dream is to get the belt, but I believe Jon Jones will win," Teixeira said after Wednesday's event. "That's the way I see it, and I definitely prefer to fight him, in a certain manner because Jon Jones has a better name. He's been a champ for a long time, so whoever goes to face him has to be very focused, very well-trained."

Teixeira and Bader met in the main event of Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 28 event, which took place at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The card marked Teixeira's first UFC headlining slot, as well as his first professional fight in his home state.

The win didn't come easy, as Bader was able to rock him twice in the opening round but was unable to secure the finish. Instead, Teixeira picked himself up off the canvas and landed a thunderous two-punch combination that sent Bader crashing to the floor.

Teixeira quickly followed, earning a first-round TKO stoppage.

Afterward, Teixeira was visibly upset with his performance. He later explained he was simply disappointed to have allowed himself to be hit so cleanly.

"I was thinking a lot about the knockout, and I was waiting for that," Teixeira said. "I was waiting for him to punch me so I could counter him, but I was very close to him. That's where he got me. I remembered we always have to move, and we always have to be first. I have to do my strategy, which is always to move the head around and to go forward and to make those punches connect. I didn't move around, and that's where the problems started.

"I was a bit upset because despite Ryan Bader being a huge athlete and a great fighter, we always want to be the guy who goes in and dominates. I think the secret of the fight is for us to hit and not get hit, to punch and not get punched."

Despite the early struggles, Teixeira did earn the victory, giving him an incredible 20-fight winning streak. After the press conference, he admitted he may have been a little hard on himself and that legendary Brazilian slugger Pedro Rizzo had advised him to recognize the magnitude of his win.

Either way, it appears a title shot is in his future. And if Teixeira's prediction is correct, it will come against Jones, the man currently considered the world's best pound-for-pound and light-heavyweight fighter, according to the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA rankings.

Teixeira thinks he's got a plan to unseat the champ.

"The knockout power, I believe I have it, and if I hit him, he's going to go down," Teixeira said.

 

[RM211]

Ryan Bader admits aggression, mental mistakes costly in UFC Fight Night 28 loss

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil – While the odds were clearly stacked against him, Ryan Bader nearly earned an upset win over Glover Teixeira. But then it all went wrong.

"I was a little too aggressive," Bader admitted. "I wasn't staying tight, and I got caught with a right hand and a left hook, and that was it."

Bader (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Teixeira (22-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) met in the headlining bout of Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 28 event in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. While Teixeira was a huge favorite, it was Bader who rocked him early on and looked to be on the verge of finishing the fight.

But a little hesitation proved costly, as Bader worked briefly for a guillotine choke rather than try and finish the fight with strikes. Teixeira used the split-second delay to escape, move to the feet and deliver a devastating two-punch that sent Bader crashing to the floor, where he was finished off with a final barrage of heavy ground and pound.

"I just got a little over-aggressive and tried to jump on the choke," Bader said. "I got back up and ended up kind of rocking him again, and it was the same thing."

With the win, Teixeira is now expected to challenge the winner of the UFC 165 title fight between current light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and top contender Alexander Gustafsson. Meanwhile, Bader falls to just 1-2 in his past three fights, leaving his path to the top of the division a bit murky for now.

Still, the 30-year-old Bader said he won't be discouraged. While his mistakes proved costly this time, Bader believes he can just as easily turn it all back around.

"I felt good tonight," Bader said. "I made some mistakes, mental errors, and for me it's just going back and keep getting better.

"In this sport, you come up real quick and you go down quick, but a big fight for me and I'm right back where I want to be. It's just going back and training hard and getting right back it."

 

[RM211]

Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza says he'll fight anyone – except Anderson Silva

By steamrolling the top-ranked Yushin Okami in his second UFC appearance, Ronaldo Souza's title aspirations were a topic of conversation at the post-event news conference for UFC Fight Night 28.

That's where "Jacare" (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) knocked out Okami (29-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in less than three minutes in the evening's FOX Sports 1-televised co-main event at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Prior to the fight, Okami was ranked No. 4 in the USA Today Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA middleweight rankings, while Souza stood at No. 8.

Souza, a former Strikeforce champion, is happy with the UFC and has an open mind about his next opponent. But one name apparently is off limits: former champ Anderson Silva.

In December, Silva gets a chance to win back the middleweight title he lost in July to current champ Chris Weidman. If successful, it would create an impasse for both Souza and the UFC.

Souza, who trains with Silva in Brazil, said he isn't thinking about such a scenario following his triumphant win, which was his fifth straight. But he made it clear that he'd be going against his principles to fight a teammate.

"Anderson is someone I don't want to fight," Souza said. "He's someone who's in my camp; he's my friend. He helps me, and I help him. So I wouldn't be a good character if I said I wanted to fight him.

"But, I'm a UFC fighter, and I hope the UFC never gives us this fight, but I'm ready to face anyone in the world in my weight class, and also at 205."

Light heavyweight would, of course, provide a wealth of new options for Souza, who's made his biggest strides at 185 pounds. And the scenario posed at the media gathering may never materialize if Weidman is able to defend his belt. But it does create another potential situation such as the one at supercamp American Kickboxing Academy, where teammates refuse to fight one another.

That situation caused UFC President Dana White plenty of headaches.

Souza, though, remains positive about his future in the promotion.

"I've not complained, because I've done two very quick fights," he said. "The UFC already gave me very strong opponents, and I like this opponent very much. And I tell you, I'm ready for anyone. I'm not going to ask for any opponents. I'm going to go to camp and train and be ready to face any opponent, because I'm an employee who loves to work."

The Brazilian's first task is to recover from a foot injury he suffered early in the bout with Okami.

"I think it was when I gave him a front kick," Souza said. "I think it hit his elbow and it hurt my toe, and it really hurt a lot. But I focused, I forgot the pain, and I was able to do a great fight."

 

[RM211]

 

[RM211]

Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac joins UFC Fight Night 32 lineup

A light-heavyweight bout between Rafael Cavalcante (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Igor Pokrajac (25-10 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is the latest addition to November's recently announced UFC Fight Night 32 event.

UFC officials today announced the bout.

UFC Fight Night 32 takes place Nov. 9 at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. The bulk of the card airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on Facebook.

It's not clear where "Feijao" vs. Pokrajac will be placed on the lineup.

Cavalcante, who fights in his home country, looks for his first UFC win following a promotional-debut knockout loss to Thiago Silva in June. However, the action-packed one-rounder earned both competitors a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Regardless, Cavalcante has just one win (with two losses and a no-contest due to a failed drug test) in his past four fights, and the former Strikeforce champion likely finds himself in a must-win situation.

Pokrajac, meanwhile, looks for his first win in four fights following a decision loss to Ryan Jimmo in June. Were it not for Joey Beltran's failed drug test and a subsequent no-contest, Pokrajac would be stuck in a three-fight losing streak. Instead the Croatian fighter is 0-2 (with one no-contest) since a 4-1 run that had him moving up the UFC's 205-pound ranks.

The latest UFC Fight Night 32 card now includes:
Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson
Cezar Ferreira vs. Daniel Sarafian
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac
Ryan LaFlare vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio*

 

[RM211]

Frank Mir, Alistair Overeem added to November's UFC 167 in Las Vegas

The UFC's 20th anniversary show in Las Vegas just got about 500 pounds bigger.

A heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Frank Mir (16-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) and former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem (36-13 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is the latest fight on the bill at UFC 167. UFC officials on Thursday confirmed an initial report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

UFC 167 takes place Nov. 16 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and Facebook. The main event is a welterweight title fight between champion Georges St-Pierre and top contender Johny Hendricks. A co-main event light heavyweight bout between former champ Rashad Evans and former two-division title challenger Chael Sonnen recently was added.

Overeem is ranked No. 8 and Mir No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings.

Mir will be looking to rebound from three consecutive losses, the first losing skid of his career. Just this past Saturday at UFC 164 in Milwaukee, he was stopped by Josh Barnett in the first round of the card's co-main event. Mir popped up quickly, objecting to the stoppage and saying he could have continued. But it was a TKO loss nonetheless

At UFC 146 in May 2012, he lost a title shot against then-champ Junior dos Santos after he had put together three straight wins over Mirko Filipovic, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. But after the loss to JDS, he lost to Daniel Cormier in April. Now his UFC career could be on the line against Overeem.

Overeem needs a win, as well. After a victory in his UFC debut against Brock Lesnar, he earned a title shot. But after testing for elevated testosterone levels, he was pulled from the fight and that shot went to Mir, instead. When he returned against Antonio Silva at UFC 156 in February, he dominated "Bigfoot" through two rounds – then got knocked out in the third. Against Travis Browne in August, he again was dominant early – but Browne survived and moments later knocked Overeem out with a head kick. Before the Silva loss in February, the feared Dutch striker, a renowned kickboxer, had a stretch of more than five years without a setback.

With the addition to the card, UFC 167 now includes:
Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks - for welterweight title
Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
Frank Mir vs. Alistair Overeem
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
Josh Koscheck vs. Tyron Woodley

 

[RM211]

UFC's Carlos Condit targets Matt Brown after Martin Kampmann redemption

Former UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit said his priority remains winning the undisputed title, as well as putting on great fights for the fans.

Now that an opportunity in the latter category appears to have materialized, he'd like to seize the day. With Tarec Saffiedine still injured, he called for a bout with the surging Matt Brown.

"He's been on a tear, and it'd be really exciting for the fans," Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com Radio.

Brown (18-11 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was recently targeted to fight Saffiedine (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in December at an undetermined event. But Saffiedine is not healthy enough to train, according to a recent report from Yahoo! Sports, and might not be ready to fight until next year. The former Strikeforce champ targeted Brown or Condit for his return at the end of this year or early 2014.

Condit, who recently avenged a previous loss by stopping Martin Kampmann in UFC Fight Night 27's headliner this past week, also targeted early 2014 for his next fight. But Brown is the opponent he'd like to face.

"I'd like that fight, and we'll have to see what happens," Condit said.

Condit is ranked No. 3 and Brown is No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA welterweight rankings. Saffiedine is No. 15.

It's easy to see why "The Natural Born Killer" prefers "The Immortal." Once a middle-of-the-road welterweight, the veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 7" has reeled off five straight wins and stopped four of his opponents via knockout. Brown's past two appearances have also won him bonuses for "Fight of the Night" and "Knockout of the Night."

Saffiedine, meanwhile, has toiled on the sidelines since winning the Strikeforce belt from Nate Marquardt in January. A pair of injuries, which he's declined to name, are holding back his career.

After losing a title-unification bout to champ Georges St-Pierre this past November at UFC 154, Condit, who defeated Nick Diaz to win the interim strap, wants to stay relevant by beating top-tier fighters. With enough wins, he could get a title shot.

"I would like to win the belt, and I would like to avenge losses," Condit said. "Maybe not every one because not all those guys are not in the UFC or never have been. Or even fight those rematches that I won in close decisions or close fights, like (Rory) MacDonald and (Jake) Ellenberger. Or just continue to have great fights. Even if it's new guys, I want to fight the top guys in the division."

 

[RM211]

UFC's Frank Mir at light heavyweight? Mike Dolce thinks he could do it

While most folks see a recently announced UFC 167 heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir as a loser-leaves-town match, Mike Dolce thinks the latter theoretically could have a future at light heavyweight.

Mir, who looks to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat when he meets Overeem in November, has recently suffered losses to the elite of the heavyweight division. But win or lose for Mir, Dolce thinks the 34-year-old former champion could have a future at 205 pounds.

Dolce, a guest on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio, was asked about the possibility. The weight-cutting and dieting consultant is friends with Mir and is happy to discuss the possibility with him. After working with some of his current clients, Dolce thinks he could get Mir down to the 206-pound limit if the fighter is interested.

"I would have to sit down with Frank, and we'd have to talk about it, and he'd have to talk to his family and things like that," Dolce said. "What makes sense for him? Frank, he's a former UFC champion at heavyweight, so I'm not saying he needs to. Could he? Absolutely. Why not? ('The Ultimate Fighter 17' winner) Kelvin Gastelum just lost 35 pounds to weigh in at 170, and he went and competed at 194, the same exact weight he was when he won the middleweight title for 'TUF 17.' That's very important.

"We added muscle and lost body fat. He still competed at the same exact weight but with a brand new body. So with Frank, could we do it? I think so. If you're walking around at 250 pounds with more than 10 percent body fat, I think you could easily make 205 pounds."

Mir (16-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) and Overeem (36-13 MMA, 1-2 UFC) fight Nov. 16 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After losses to Junior dos Santos, Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett, Mir badly needs a win. Granted, he's still ranked No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings, but with more than 12 years in the sport, Mir likely only has so many fights left.

If he wants to remake himself at 205 pounds for that final run, Dolce thinks it's a legitimate possibility. Mir weighed in at 248 pounds for his Aug. 31 bout with Barnett, and Dolce just looks at a current client and a former one as proof that Mir could follow suit if he wanted to.

"Johny Hendricks comes down from 215 to make 170, and look at what we've done: He's a No. 1 contender," Dolce said. "Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson was 261 pounds when he went into camp to fight Lyoto Machida. It was a terrible matchup for 'Rampage' ... but Quinton went from 261 to 205 and beat Machida in a very tough and action-packed fight.

"So can you compete at a world-class level (despite the cut)? Absolutely. 'Rampage' was 15 to 20 pound heavier than Frank is right now. And 'Rampage' was not very fat. He has a lot of muscle, a thick-framed dude. He's 6-foot-2. He's a big, bad man. ... So I think Frank could make it."

 

[RM211]

UFC 167 adds Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham to 20th anniversary show

The UFC's 20th anniversary event has a new lightweight bout.

Donald Cerrone (20-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and Evan Dunham (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) have been booked for the November show. UFC officials confirmed the bout with lasvegassun.com.

UFC 167 takes place Nov. 16 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and Facebook. It's not clear where Cerrone and Dunham will be placed on the lineup.

Cerrone is ranked No. 13 and Dunham is an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA lightweight rankings.

Cerrone, who had climbed into title contention with four straight wins after his move from the WEC to the UFC, hasn't faired as well lately. Most recently, he suffered a decision loss to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 27, which moved the Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter to 1-2 over his past three bouts.

Dunham also got a quick start to his UFC career and won his first four bouts in the organization. However, he's since dealt with inconsistency and is 3-4 since then. Most recently, he also suffered a decision loss to dos Anjos. The Las Vegas-based fighter is also 1-2 in his past three bouts.

The latest UFC 167 card now includes:
Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks - for welterweight title
Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
Frank Mir vs. Alistair Overeem
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
Josh Koscheck vs. Tyron Woodley
Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
For more on UFC 167, stay tuned to the

 

[RM211]

'UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III' lineup set, flyweights on main card

In addition to a major heavyweight championship trilogy, October's UFC 166 event features 13 total bouts, a preliminary card full of familiar names, and a main card that kicks off with a pair of flyweights.

UFC 166 takes place Oct. 19 at Houston's Toyota Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and Facebook.

The big men take center stage at the fall event. In the headliner, heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and former titleholder Junior dos Santos (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) meet in a rubber match. In the co-headliner, Daniel Cormier (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) likely fights at heavyweight for the final time when he takes on Roy Nelson (19-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC).

Additionally, rather than a usual spot buried on the preliminary card, flyweights kick off the main card as John Dodson (14-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) welcomes Darrell Montague (13-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the organization.

The prelims, meanwhile, feature a host of notables, including former Strikeforce champions Luke Rockhold, Nate Marquardt and Sarah Kaufman.

The official UFC 166 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos - for heavyweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)

Tim Boetsch vs. Luke Rockhold
Hector Lombard vs. Nate Marquardt
Jessica Eye vs. Sarah Kaufman
K.J. Noons vs. George Sotiropoulos

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6 p.m. ET)

Adlan Amagov vs. T.J. Waldburger
Tony Ferguson vs. Mike Rio
Charles Oliveira vs. Estevan Payan
Matt Grice vs. Jeremy Larsen

 

[RM211]

Joe Warren pulled from Saturday's Bellator 98 co-headliner

Joe Warren has been pulled from Saturday's Bellator 98 co-headliner after being declared medically unfit to fight.

Bellator officials today announced the scratch, though details on Warren's condition were not revealed.

Warren (8-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA), a former Bellator featherweight champion who recently appeared on Bellator's "Fight Master" reality show, was scheduled to fight Nick Kirk (10-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) in the opening round of Bellator's Season 9 bantamweight tournament. Kirk also has been scratched from the lineup.

Bellator 98 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

The Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation nixed Warren's participation.

"I've been fortunate to work with one of the best commissioners in the sport in Mike Mazzulli, and after carefully reviewing Joe's medical documents, everyone agreed to err on the side of caution with the goal of ensuring our fighters safety," Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. "It was determined Joe would be unable to compete this Saturday at Mohegan Sun. Joe's been with us since the beginning, and as is the case with every fighter here, it's incumbent on me to ensure Joe is 100 percent healthy and medically cleared to fight before he steps into the Bellator cage."

A bout between lightweights Patricky Freire (10-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) and Derek Anderson (9-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has taken the open slot on the Spike TV broadcast.

The latest Bellator 98 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (Spike TV, 8 p.m. ET)
Alexander Shlemenko vs. Brett Cooper - for middleweight title
Andreas Spang vs. Justin Torrey - Season 9 middleweight tournament opening round
Perry Filkins vs. Jeremy Kimball - Season 9 middleweight tournament opening round
Mikkel Parlo vs. Brian Rogers - Season 9 middleweight tournament opening round
Jason Butcher vs. Giva Santana - Season 9 middleweight tournament opening round
Derek Anderson vs. Patricky Freire

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com, 6 p.m. ET)

Mike Mucitelli vs. Jeff Nader
Brennan Ward vs. Dave Vitkay
Andrew Calandrelli vs. Ryan Quinn
Matt Bessette vs. Nick Piedmont
Glenn Allaire vs. Rico DiSciullo
Josh Diekmann vs. Parker Porter

 

[RM211]

TUF 18 Finale sees Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard meet for third time

The rubber match between perennial lightweight contenders and "The Ultimate Fighter 5" participants Nate Diaz (16-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and Gray Maynard (11-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) will take place at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale.

UFC officials today announced the pair have verbally agreed to meet at the Nov. 30 event, which takes place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.

MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with UFC officials that the bout is not expected to serve as the evening's headliner.

While it's not officially reflected in the fighters' records, Diaz and Maynard first met in the semifinal round of 2007's "The Ultimate Fighter 5," where eventual tournament winner Diaz earned a second-round submission victory via guillotine choke.

The rematch was scheduled for the headlining bout of 2010's UFC Fight Night 20 event, and Maynard bounced back with a split-decision win.

Following the loss, Diaz moved up to 170 pounds for a four-fight stint but has since dropped back down to lightweight, where he built an impressive three-fight win streak before recently losing back-to-back outings to Josh Thomson and Benson Henderson.

Meanwhile, Maynard has gone 2-2-1 since the second Diaz fight, a run that includes a pair of classic bouts with then-champ Frankie Edgar. Most recently, Maynard was dismantled by top contender T.J. Grant.

Featuring women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and her most heated rival, Miesha Tate, as opposing coaches, "TUF 18" premiered Sept. 4 on the new FOX Sports 1 cable network, where it will then air each Wednesday night through the season. Rousey and Tate are the first female coaches in "TUF" history – and they're coaching teams of both women and men bantamweight fighters, all living in the same house.

 

[Count_Slapula]

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos - for heavyweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)

Tim Boetsch vs. Luke Rockhold
Hector Lombard vs. Nate Marquardt
Jessica Eye vs. Sarah Kaufman
K.J. Noons vs. George Sotiropoulos

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6 p.m. ET)

Adlan Amagov vs. T.J. Waldburger
Tony Ferguson vs. Mike Rio
Charles Oliveira vs. Estevan Payan
Matt Grice vs. Jeremy Larsen

This card is fuckin STACKED

 

[RM211]

Frankie Edgar, B.J. Penn selected as 'TUF 19' coaches, will meet at 145 pounds

The UFC's pound-for-pound king of rematches will takes part in another career trilogy.

UFC officials today announced that former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will face for a third time former dual-division title holder B.J. Penn in a featherweight showdown.

The matchup, which was revealed on Wednesday's new edition of "UFC Tonight," is scheduled to take place after the two serve as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 19," which debuts in January. Edgar and Penn are expected to fight at an as-yet-undetermined event.

Edgar and Penn (16-9-2 MMA, 12-5-1 UFC) met twice in 2010, with "The Answer" victorious over "The Prodigy" in both contests. At UFC 112, Edgar claimed the UFC lightweight title. He then defended the belt four months later at UFC 118. Both results came via unanimous decision.

UFC President Dana White said he booked the fight after Penn informed him he had a burning to desire to avenge his two losses to Edgar.

"He says, 'I can beat Frankie Edgar,'" White said. "The two first fights were BS. I want that fight agin. I want to beat this guy so bad. It's all I want."

Edgar, of course, fought as a lightweight for the majority of his career. However, he made the drop to 145 pounds earlier this year for a failed bit to unseat champ Jose Aldo. In July, he bounced back with a win over Charles Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Penn is a former titleholder at both 170 and 155 pounds. However, the fight with Edgar would mark his first at featherweight, and if he could find a way to make a championship run, he could become the first fighter in UFC history to earn titles in three different weight classes.

Penn previously served as a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 5," which aired in 2007. "The Ultimate Fighter 19" is expected to feature light heavyweight and middleweight UFC hopefuls. Filming begins in Las Vegas in mid-October.

 

[RM211]

Travis Browne vs. Stipe Miocic targeted for December UFC event

A heavyweight bout between Travis Browne (15-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) and Stipe Miocic (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) could be part of a December UFC card.

The potential matchup, revealed on Wednesday's edition of "UFC Tonight," could take place at either UFC on FOX 9 or UFC 168, though nothing has been finalized.

UFC on FOX 9 airs Dec. 14 on FOX from Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. UFC 168 airs Dec. 28 on pay-per-view from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Browne is ranked No. 7 and Miocic No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings.

Browne recently scored a come-from-behind victory over Alistair Overeem via front-kick knockout. He's now 2-0 with two knockouts since his lone career loss, which came in 2012 after he suffered a leg injury and eventual TKO to Antonio Silva. Overall, the 31-year-old Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter owns 13 stoppages (including 11 knockouts) in 15 career wins. He's won three "Fight of the Night" bonuses in the process.

Miocic also recently rebounded from his first career defeat, which came via TKO to Stefan Struve. At UFC 161 earlier this year, the Ohio-based Strong Style Fight Team fighter posted a pivotal decision victory over notable Roy Nelson, which gave the 31-year-old Miocic a boost in the rankings. Like Browne, Miocic has posted a high finishing rate (eight stoppages in 10 career wins) while racking up a pair of fight-night bonuses.

 

[RM211]

hunt n bigfoot and shogun n te huna slated for december in australia as well.

 

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T.J. Grant ruled out of planned UFC on FOX 9 title fight with Anthony Pettis

T.J. Grant's medical woes have yet to be resolved, and he will not face Anthony Pettis at UFC on FOX 9.

The Canadian lightweight today revealed he's yet to be cleared after suffering a concussion in training and will not be eligible to challenge for the belt at the Dec. 14 event.

"Hey people," Grant wrote on Twitter. "Quick update. Unfortunately I won't be fighting Pettis on dec 14. I am still not yet 100% n can't commit to fight. UFC is going with someone else instead. It sucks but it is the best for both myself and the UFC.

"Please don't worry. Ill be back and if I gotta fight someone else to get back to where I wanna be then that's what I'm gonna do. I'm not bitter. Thanks."

Grant (21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) was expected to challenge then-champ Benson Henderson at August's UFC 164, but a concussion suffered in training forced him to withdraw from the event, and Pettis capitalized on the opportunity. Still, Grant's impressive five-fight win streak was enough to keep his position as No. 1 contender, and he was still expected to get a shot at the belt.

UFC officials has planned on the bout taking place at UFC on FOX 9, which takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena (formerly ARCO Arena) in Sacramento, Calif.

UFC officials didn't immediately reveal who they'll tap for the title shot, but they may have to get creative with their matchmaking. Most of the company's top 155-pounders are currently booked in key contests, save for Josh Thomson, who currently sits at No. 7 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA lightweight rankings.

Thomson (20-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was requesting a shot at Pettis even before he held the belt, and "The Punk" looked fantastic in an April destruction of Nate Diaz.

Otherwise, the UFC may need to pull apart upcoming fights such as Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez, Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard or Pat Healy vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov to find a logical opponent.

 

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Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson booked for UFC on FOX 9 headliner

T.J. Grant's loss will be Josh Thomson's gain.

With Grant medically unable to accept a planned title shot lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, Thomson will step in to challenge for the belt.

The UFC's change in plans was revealed on FOX Sports 1's "FOX Sports Live" shortly after Grant revealed on Twitter that he would be unable to be cleared in time for the UFC on FOX 9 event, which takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena (formerly ARCO Arena) in Sacramento, Calif. Pettis and Thomson will compete in the evening's headlining bout, which airs on FOX.

Thomson (20-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) originally fought for the UFC in 2003 and picked up wins over Hermes Franca and Gerald Strebendt before suffering a memorable knockout loss to Yves Edwards at UFC 49.

Thomson would later fight for Strikeforce, where he went 9-3 in 12 appearances and held the promotion's lightweight belt for a little more than one year.

Thomson returned to the UFC in April and turned in a scintillating performance with a second-round stoppage of the always durable Nate Diaz. After the win, and when Benson Henderson was still the UFC lightweight champ, Thomson called for the fight with Pettis a sure-to-please matchup.

"I'll tell you right now, it's not going the distance," Thomson in July told MMAjunkie.com. "Stylistically, someone's getting knocked out. The fans will win with that fight."

Grant, who was originally expected to challenge for the title at UFC 164, was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a concussion in training. He was hoping to return in time to face Pettis in December. However, he'll remained sidelined for the time being and hope to still hold a No. 1 contender spot when he returns to action.

 

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Featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz slotted for UFC on FOX 9

Two top featherweight contenders have been targeted for a matchup at December's UFC on FOX 9 event.

Former title challenger Chad Mendes (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and surging contender Nik Lentz (24-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) will meet at the event. UFC officials confirmed the bout after an initial report from Bleacher Report.

UFC on FOX 9 takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The main card, including a recently announced headliner between lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson, airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and Facebook.

Mendes vs. Lentz will be part of the main card.

Mendes is currently ranked No. 2 and Lentz is No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA featherweight rankings.

If victorious, this could be Mendes' final bout before a second shot at the title. Since a loss to reigning champion Jose Aldo in 2012, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler has posted four consecutive knockout wins, the most recent coming against Darren Elkins and Clay Guida. The Aldo defeat, which came via first-round TKO (after a questionable cage-grab), remains the only loss of his career.

Lentz, who was scheduled to fight Dennis Bermudez at UFC Fight Night 31, instead will get a fight with much bigger stakes. Since a move down to featherweight, the former NCAA Division I wrestler is undefeated with wins over Eiji Mitsuoka, Diego Nunes and Hacran Dias. A victory over Mendes would be his highest-profile to date.