MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Kanehara To America! High Altitude In Albuquerque

SRC Featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara is heading to train in the U.S. for 1 month tomorrow. He thanked the SRC staff for announcing the fight over 2 months before it’s happening and Sandro for taking the fight.

Kanehara has had fighters he’d like to face since taking the belt last year but since they’re in other organizations it couldn’t happen. However, when Sandro destroyed his senior in March a fire was ignited. He thinks that Sandro is an appropriate challenger and that he will most likely lose if he goes into the fight as usual. That’s why he’s heading to America to train.

He isn’t going into the fight to avenge Kanomata’s loss, it’s just a feeling he got of wanting to try and fight someone like Sandro after seeing his fight in March. He doesn’t feel like this is a fight between champion and challenger but a fight between two fighters trying to capture the belt.

He’s heading to Albuquerque to train at Greg Jacksons place (with WEC veterans Cub Swanson and Leonard Garcia) where the high altitude training will aid him in a 5 round fight.

Athens silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi wants to be the face of the heavier weight divisions of SRC. Nearing the first year anniversary of converting to MMA Izumi says that it hasn’t been easy going from Judo to MMA. The victory he took on NYE was something big for himself though. Any type of opponent in his next fight is OK for him, foreign or Japanese.

The SRC representative at the press conference said that they want a step-up in competition for Maxi in his upcoming fight. Maxi is not shying away from a fight for the vacant SRC Lightweight title in the not so distant future.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Health permitting, Boston's UFC 118 could include Edgar vs. Penn II, Florian vs. Maynard

The spearhead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's first trip to Massachusetts is rapidly taking shape.

The promotion is already targeting co-headlining fights for an as-yet-unnamed pay-per-view event – potentially UFC 118 – expected to take place Aug. 29 at the TD Garden in Boston, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the event.

A rematch between newly minted lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and the man he recently unseated, former champion B.J. Penn (15-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC), in under heavy consideration for the top spot.

Additionally, a No. 1 contender's match-up between top contenders Kenny Florian (13-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Gray Maynard (9-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is expected to serve as the co-main event.

Multiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com that while the promotion is far from issuing bout agreements, several of the fighters have agreed in principle to the match-ups.

However, health issues could affect the timing of the proposed fights, sources said. Florian, who today hinted at the match-up in a Boston Herald report, today was released from the hospital after a severe staph infection in his knee.

Edgar, too, was recently released from a New Jersey hospital for a staph infection he caught while in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for his title-winning turn at UFC 112 on April 10.

Maynard, who is on the mend from a recent knee surgery and had hoped for the next title shot, on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio that he welcomes a fight with Florian, though he said today that he has not officially been approached about the match-up.

"Hell yeah, that sounds good," Maynard said of the potential Florian bout. "Put my back in a corner. That's the way I like it."

This past November, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law a bill, versions of which were previously approved by the House and Senate, that calls for the Massachusetts State Boxing Commission to become the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and oversee MMA events.

TD Garden, an indoor venue that is home to the NBA's Boston Celtics and NHL's Boston Bruins, has a maximum capacity of more than 19,000.

Stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com for updates on the potential UFC 118 as they become available.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rafaello Oliveira, Matt Veach and Mostapha Al Turk added to UFC cut list

Three more fighters have received their UFC walking papers.

After Wednesday's confirmation that four other fighters have been released from the Las Vegas-based promotion, lightweights Rafaello Oliveira and Matt Veach and heavyweight Mostapha Al Turk have been added to the list.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) received word of the cuts today from sources close to the fighters.

Oliveira (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC), nicknamed "The Tractor," dropped a unanimous decision to the U.K.-based Andre Winner in his most recent performance at UFC Fight Night 21 in late March.

Oliveira, a Knoxville, Tenn. resident and native Brazilian, made his octagon debut this past September at UFC 103, where he lost a unanimous decision to Nik Lentz. He rebounded from the initial setback with a points victory over John Gunderson at UFC 108. However, it was a fight marked by lack of action and likely contributed to his release.

Veach (11-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) dropped his second consecutive octagon appearance this past Saturday at UFC 112 when he was submitted by U.K.-based fighter Paul Kelly.

As a member of the H.I.T. Squad centered in Granite City, Ill., Veach won his octagon debut against Matt Grice in exciting fashion and took a rapid step up in competition when he faced now-current 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar this past December at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. Edgar submitted him in the second round.

Al Turk (6-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC), meanwhile, fell short in three consecutive octagon appearances, most recently a decision loss to Jon Madsen this past Saturday at UFC 112.

The U.K.-based heavyweight survived a first UFC cut when his second octagon appearance at UFC 99 was marred by an inadvertent eye poke from Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. The referee didn't see the foul, and it a TKO loss for Al Turk. He lost his octagon debut against Cheick Kongo at UFC 92.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 14 recap: Imada, Askren, Reis and Curran advance in tourney action

Toby Imada took a successful first step in Bellator Fighting Championships' season-two lightweight tournament and moved a bit closer to a sought-after rematch with season-one tourney winner and current Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez.

Imada scored a second-round submission victory over late replacement and WEC veteran James Krause on Wednesday at Bellator 13 to advance to the semifinals.

Bellator 13, which featured four opening-round tournament bouts in three different weight classes, took place at the Chicago Theatre in Illinois and aired live on FOX Sports Net.

Despite his runner-up finish in Bellator's season-one tourney, Imada proved a breakout star for the organization in season one. In a semifinal matchup that quickly became a YouTube sensation, Imada upset Jorge Masvidal with a come-from-behind, third-round submission victory via inverted triangle choke. Imada earned the 2009 World MMA Awards "Submission of the Year" trophy for the performance but then fell short with a loss to Alvarez in the tourney finale.

As in the first season, Imada again cruised through the first round of the season-two tournament. After dodging some big blows from Krause, who recently replaced Ferrid Kherer (appendicitis) in the tourney field, Imada took the edge on the mat with submission attempts and ground and pound. After winning a close first round, he again quickly took the fight to the canvas in the second. Trapped against the mat and fence and unable to maneuver out of an armbar, Krause issued an audible tapout at the 2:44 mark of the round.

Imada (24-13 MMA, 3-1 BFC), once barely a .500 fighter, has now won 10 of his past 11 fights all via stoppage. Krause (11-3 MMA, 0-1 BFC), meanwhile, has now dropped three of his past four fights.

In the night's co-feature, U.S. Olympian and former University of Missouri All-American wrestler and Division I national champion Ben Askren continued his quick ascent up the 170-pound ladder with arguably his most impressive win to date.

Facing a tough Ryan Thomas, a former UFC fighter who owns 10 stoppages (nine in the first round) in his 10 career wins, Askren kicked off Bellator's prospects-rich welterweight tournament. The action began early as the fighters scrambled for position on the ground, where Askren's wrestling skills gave him the distinct edge. After fighting off a submission attempt and finding an opening during a scramble, Askren secured a fight-ending anaconda choke midway through the opening frame.

The ref quickly waved off the fight, and despite protests from Thomas and his corner that he didn't tap from the submission, the referee's decision stood. Askren earned the unpopular victory at the 2:40 mark of the round.

Askren (4-0 MMA, 1-0 BFC) has now posted first-round stoppage wins in every fight since his February 2009 debut. Thomas (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BFC), meanwhile, has dropped three of his past four fights, which included UFC losses to Ben Saunders and Matt Brown in 2008.

In the night's lone featherweight tournament bout, Wilson Reis, a season-one tournament favorite who fell short with a loss in the semifinals, again advanced past the first round of the tourney with a submission victory over IFL vet Shad Lierley.

On paper the matchup appeared intriguing with Reis, an accomplished jiu-jitsu fighter and the only featherweight champ of the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, and Lierley, an NCAA Division III national wrestling champion. Reis, though, quickly proved his dominance in all aspects of the game.

Reis scored takedowns with ease, often easily improved his position, and delivered nearly three rounds of solid ground and pound. Even when Lierley escaped, he was punished on his feet and forced to fight defensively in fear of additional takedowns from Reis, who showed improved conditioning and pacing in the bout.

After a final takedown in the third round, Reis methodically improved his position and ultimately took Lierley's back to secure the fight-ending rear-naked choke at the 3:33 mark.

Reis (10-1 MMA, 3-1 BFC), whose lone loss came to eventual season-one tournament winner and current champ Joe Soto, has since rebounded with three consecutive wins. He also picked up his first stoppage win in his past six victories. Lierley (5-3 MMA, 1-1 BFC) snapped a three-fight win streak with the loss.

The night's broadcast got off to a violent start thanks to Pat Curran, the final addition to Bellator's season-two lightweight tournament field. A crowd favorite, the Chicago-area fighter remained patient through a few strategic minutes in which the fighters traded low kicks and jabs while finding their range. However, a little more than midway through the round, Curran connected on a vicious right hook that sent opponent Mike Ricci crashing to the mat and unconscious for a few uncomfortable minutes.

Fortunately, Ricci (5-1 MMA, 0-1 BFC), a training partner of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre's who entered the fight with a perfect 5-0 record, awoke shortly after.

Curran (10-3 MMA, 1-0 BFC), who advances to the tournament's semifinal round, has now won four of his past five fights.

The night's fight card suffered a late loss when a preliminary-card bout between Jonatas Novaes and Daniel Straus, which was expected to lead off the night's action, was pulled from the card after one fighter suffered an undisclosed injury.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

* Toby Imada def. James Krause via submission (armbar) - Round 2, 2:44 (lightweight tourney first round)
* Ben Askren def. Ryan Thomas via submission (anaconda choke) - Round 1, 2:40 (welterweight tourney first round)
* Wilson Reis def. Shad Lierley via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 3:33 (featherweight tourney first round)
* Pat Curran def. Mike Ricci via knockout (strikes) - Round 1, 3:01 (lightweight tourney first round)
* Jeff Curran vs. Bryan Goldsby (in progress)
* Felice Herrig def. Jessica Rakoczy via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
* Louis Taylor def. Ryan Sturdy via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:08

 

[Shogun Locc]

TOM WATSON NOT BUYING ALEX REID'S EXCUSES

The most hyped British fight of 2010 comes crashing to the ground as Alex Reid has withdrawn from his fight with Tom “Kong” Watson due to an undisclosed injury. Watson is not happy about how the situation went down.

“I don’t think people grasp how disrespectful he has been in all of this. I knew he was injured ages ago and said something about it. I go public and then after he starts the press for his TV show, he comes out and says he has an injury and wants to postpone the fight,” Watson recounted.

“When I first got wind of it BAMMA tried to get him checked out by their doctors, but he declined saying everything was okay and still on, only to pull out two weeks later once the show aired.”

Speculation has been rife for a long time regarding Reid actually making it to the cage with rumors persisting that he would pull out in the lead up, but no one was expecting things to happen so soon after starting his media push for it. Certainly not when he appeared on GMTV morning terrestrial television in the U.K. at the start of the week to talk about the fight and the subsequent TV show that has just debuted here.

“Alex Reid: The fight of his life” is the show that follows him around the globe as he explores new martial arts techniques that will supposedly help him beat Watson with something new and invigorating. The show is now merely an exploratory trip into different martial arts as the highlight fight at the end will not happen. Not now, and not in the future.

“After I knocked out Travis Galbraith I set my sights on training for Alex Reid. I was ready to go in March or April and both of them were rejected. So then it was all settled for May. Now he can’t fight. I am being told he wants to postpone the bout till July or September. The way I see it is that if he doesn’t turn up on May 15 then he never will,” Watson explained angrily, adding that no amount of financial incentive will make him change his mind.

“They can offer me £50,000 and I won’t do it. It’s principle and he has cost me too much already.”

Despite all the negativity, Watson is still hoping to fight on the BAMMA card, but he just needs a good solid opponent. He doesn’t have anything to prove domestically and has been overdue an ascension to the international level for well over a year. Finding someone credible at short notice is proving to be a difficult task.

“A couple of weeks ago we had Jeremy Horn in the wings, but then Alex came back saying the fight was still on. Now Horn is engaged. I looked through a Top 100 list of middleweights and it’s shocking how many of them are tied up or are asking for astronomical amounts of money.”

One thing is for certain, Watson knows that this is a big blow to his supporters, corner men and training partners, and that is precisely why he is still planning on fighting on the show.

“So many people have bought tickets to the event, got hotels, train tickets, and stuff; my corner man has paid for his flights. I have flights booked to head back to Jackson’s in New Mexico on Sunday to continue training for the bout. I even have a holiday booked for after the event. So much stuff is already set. So while he was off on holiday in Egypt last week, I sat here wondering who I am going to be fighting on the night.”

Clearly very angry and disappointed, Tom Watson will be a serious handful for whoever steps into the cage opposite him on May 15 at BAMMA 3.

 

[Shogun Locc]

James Toney says "If you're going to shoot on me, I'm going to launch your ass into space, baby"

 

[Shogun Locc]

Demian Maia Interview

Demian Maia is back from Abu Dhabi without what his most wanted: the UFC middleweight title. The fight against Anderson Silva on UFC 112 didn’t go his way as well, but, besides the loss, the black belt has his head up. On the chat, that you can read below, Demian talked about the complains made by Rafael Cavalcante, who said Demian "offended Anderson as a man”, talked about his comeback to octagon and analyzed the next dispute for the belt of his category, which should be between Anderson and Chael Sonnen, who was submitted by Demian on UFC.

What did you think about the fight?
Man, it was a warm fight in the beginning, it took me a while to get into the fight, but I got better in the end. I expected to win, but I will train to the next one.

What is your opinion towards Anderson’s posture, provoking you during the fight?
Everybody knows what happened, I don’t have to explain it. Everybody makes mistakes and I think they are thinking about theirs.

Did you get bothered by the insults?
Not at all. I think it’s bad for the sport and the show a little, but I got there focused and ready to fight, not for anything else.

He said he acted this way in response “towards yours provocations before the fight”, and Rafael Cavalcante told us you has not been respectful with him as a person. What really happened?
Those who know me knows that I never disrespect anyone, especially with someone who is friends with several of my friends, like Anderson. In fact, they were wrong and want to find a justification. No need to justify, just assume "I was wrong". Everyone does mistakes, we're there to learn. There's some jokes to promote the fight, that is very light compared to boxing and other sports. The problem is when you think you are so good that nobody can joke with you, then you have to review the path and size that your ego is taking you to. Regarding the lack of respect, I don’t disrespect anyone, especially one who is brave enough to go into the octagon, which is not for everyone. I'm a martial artist, a Jiu-Jitsu fighter, I learned it since my childhood.

Did Dana White say something to you after the fight?
I haven’t have time, because I went straight to do a MRI too know if there was something serious, but it was nothing. My flight was early in the morning. I talked to the people in my room and went straight to the airport.

When will you come back to UFC? What are the expectations?
I’ll wait for them, let’s see what they’ll say about it. I’ll go back to my trainings as fast as I can.

How do you face this comeback? Thales lost a battle after fighting for the belt and got fired… Do you worry about that too?
No, not at all. I think my fight was different.

Anderson may confront Chael Sonnen, who you submitted. What do you think about this fight?
He’s got a chance, he has good takedowns... He can take Anderson down and fight with him there. I’m not saying Anderson doesn’t have the tools to fight on his guard, but Chael is a high level athlete and has the chance to be the champion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Aoki, Melendez and the Battle for No. 1 at 155

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez defends his crown against Shinya Aoki at Strikeforce “Nashville” this Saturday at the Bridgestone Arena, many believe more than just a belt will be at stake.

In wake of B.J. Penn’s stunning unanimous decision defeat to Frankie Edgar at UFC 112, the top spot in the world at 155 pounds appears to be open for the first time in more than two years. Melendez, who defeated Josh Thomson in a memorable five-round encounter in December, understands the magnitude of the opportunity being placed before him.

“I feel Shinya is number one in the world right now,” Melendez said during a Thursday press conference. “I still think B.J.’s number two. It seems like the three through 15 spots [in the lightweight division] are up for grabs. Shinya has obviously put himself above the rest, but I’ve done a lot in this sport. I’d like to think I’d be a top three guy if I pull this off.”

Aoki’s Dream championship will not be on the line in his stateside debut. According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, the fact that the two promotions carry different rules and compete inside different structures, Strikeforce in a cage and Dream in a ring, made a unification bout impractical. However, Coker left the door open to rematch between Aoki and Melendez in Japan, in which case the Dream champion’s belt would be on the line.

“It’s something we’ve already discussed with Dream officials,” said Coker, who admitted the Aoki-Melendez matchup took time to develop.

Hiroyuki Kato, the head producer for Dream, believed the timing was right to allow Aoki to branch out into Strikeforce. The chance to compete in primetime on major network television also helped spur the move. Aoki expects to defend his Dream title against Tatsuya Kawajiri sometime this summer.

“It’s CBS prime time,” Kato said. “We need Aoki in Japan later this year, so the springtime was the right timing.”

Kato thinks Aoki has a great deal of pressure resting on his shoulders.

“To pick the Japanese MMA up again, the CBS prime time is a big deal and it has big meaning,” Kato said. “If we lose, even though Aoki didn’t say it, his back is against the wall. If he loses, the whole Japanese MMA will go down. He must have big pressure, even though he will not say that.

“In Japan, Aoki stated to Japanese media that he’d fight for Strikeforce to get the Japanese MMA back,” Kato added. “The implied term is ‘one out of six billion.’ So, Aoki said he would fight for Strikeforce to get number one out of [six] billion back to Japan.”

Melendez claimed he did not feel slighted by the fact that his belt and not Aoki’s would be on the line in the Music City. For the affable Californian, opportunity outweighs the risk.

“I get to fight one of the top two [lightweight] fighters in the world and the number one star in Japan,” Melendez said. “It’s a great opportunity for me. I have no reason to bitch. I understand why his belt isn’t on the line. I feel like I have a lot on the line. He has a lot on the line, too.”

The mercurial Aoki, who has not competed since be broke Mizuto Hirota’s arm with a brutal submission on New Year’s Eve, was expectedly distant during the press conference. When asked if he thought Penn’s loss opened the door for him to be viewed as the world’s premier lightweight, he was short and direct.

“I don’t care about B.J. Penn or the UFC,” he said through a translator. “I’m focused on this fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shields, Champion and Underdog

Forty-eight hours out from his first title defense this Saturday, Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields is the clear-cut underdog on every major betting site.

The 31-year-old Shields, who faces former UFC top-five middleweight and recent Strikeforce acquisition Dan Henderson at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., doesn’t see himself as much of a longshot, though.

“I think the odds should be pretty close when you look back at our records, who we’ve fought, our only shared opponent,” said Shields on Thursday. “When you look at all the factors, I think it should be a really close fight, maybe a slight advantage to him because he’s coming in as the bigger fighter, but I’m not bothered by it at all. The bookies and the people betting make the odds, so there’s no reason to be mad at that.”

Still, Shields said he understood why he wasn’t getting the nod over Henderson, who looks to have a weight and experience advantage on his side.

“I’m fine. It’s not like he’s coming in from nowhere,” said Shields. “He’s been champion of other organizations, so I’m OK with that. I like being the underdog. It takes the pressure off when I go out there. I’ve got more game.”

Of the three championship bouts to air live this Saturday on CBS, fans might consider Shields-Henderson the most predictable to call. A lot of this has to do with fighting styles and preferences. Shields, a crafty Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, hasn’t shown a propensity for standup trades, while Henderson, a two-time Olympic wrestler, has had repeated success ending things neatly with his fists.

The 39-year-old Henderson is coming off a dynamic second-round knockout of Brit Michael Bisping at UFC 100 last July. Shields opted not to stand with Jason “Mayhem” Miller, grinding him into the canvas for five rounds last November to earn the promotion’s vacant title. Strategies seem fairly obvious for Saturday.

“Either I want to be on top or on my feet with him. I don’t think there’s any secret to either one of our game plans,” said Henderson on Thursday.

Shields agreed.

“I want to put him on his back and submit him. He knows that. I know that. It’s matter of who can get their game off… If I can’t (put him on his back), it’s going to be a tough fight for me.”

When comparing records, Henderson’s resume is arguably meatier. The only fighter ever to hold two titles for Pride Fighting Championships simultaneously, Henderson has bested former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva, former UFC titleholders Rich Franklin and Murilo Bustamante, and owns an early career win against former Pride and UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Henderson’s bouts have all ranged between middleweight and heavyweight.

Shields’ more notable victims have included UFC veterans Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle and former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler. A majority of those bouts were fought at 170 pounds.

Shields will complete the last fight of his contract with Strikeforce on Saturday and there is the added pressure to make a good showing. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said re-negotiations would begin after the bout and would surely hinge on outcome and performance.

“I don’t think about that too much, but I guess, of course, there is (pressure),” said Shields. “If I go out there and perform good, go out there and knock Dan Henderson out, or something, of course, it’s going to be a factor (in re-negotiations),” he said.

The oddsmakers might not be in his corner, but Shields knows he doesn’t need them to come out on top on Saturday.

“In my mind, no, (I’m not the underdog),” said Shields. “I think I’m going to win this fight. I feel confident; I feel like it’s my fight to win. I’m thinking about going and putting some money on myself.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chael Sonnen says "Britney Silva needs attention"

"I compare Anderson to Britney Spears. She shaved her head to get headlines. Britney Silva went up to 205, retired, etc. Nobody cares"

"When my music hits and the doors close, the fight's on. I'm not going to dance, juke or jive. I will find him"

"You know what you're getting (with SIlva). A guy who pretends he doesnt speak English, is a fantastic athlete, and acts like a fool. If you like that, go buy his t-shirt with the other two guys who like him."

"I've beaten every champion of every company out there. I've lost ten seconds total of my fights combined. You ask me how I'm going to beat him, ask the other 25 guys that got in my way."

 

[B-Buzz]

Strikeforce Notebook: Yamamoto & Jacare Fights Targeted

* Japanese star Kid Yamamoto is expected to make his Strikeforce debut on May 15 against Federico Lopez. The fight is not officially signed, but sources say it is close. The fight would be contested at 135 pounds. As of right now, the fight isn't expected to air on Showtime.

* A middleweight fight between Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Joey Villasenor is in the works for May 15, as well.

* Speaking of May 15, the only two Showtime fights that are official are Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers. The organization is still targeting Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro vs. Lyle Beerbohm or Mitsuhiro Ishida. Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman is still also a possibility. More fights for that card should be announced following Saturday night's event.

* The organization officially announced a June 16 show in Los Angeles. No fights have been announced just yet, but they are hoping to put together Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Robbie Lawler and have Bobby Lashley fight on the card.

* The organization is looking to hold an event on June 26 at San Jose's HP Pavilion. No fights have been announced, but Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is being targeted and Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko, as well. If the issues between M-1 and Strikeforce aren't resolved in time, Werdum will fight against another opponent.

* The only Strikeforce event currently scheduled for July is a Challengers show. No date or venue has been finalized.

* The organization is expected to put on another major Showtime card in August.

 

[Johnny Truelove]

this guy has serious ADD...

 

[B-Buzz]

I like what he says about ring vs. cage

and lmao @ him saying what would happen if GSP would call him out. good shit

 

[007SYBORG]

THE GRIM TALKS ALISTAIR

 

[mac_luv]

Did you guys know Mark Munoz is from Vallejo? Him and his wifey.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688698629

 

[MOREBASS]

Excellent points from Nick Diaz about ring vs cage. I absolutely agree with him 100%. In the ring the ropes are more like boundaries; whereas the cage is used by most now in part of a strategy.

Too many guys just going into the cage and clinching, turning it into a greco roman wrestling match.


Good shit from Diaz. Dude is really spacey though, even in person.

 

[Johnny Truelove]

lol

 

[drunkaholic707]

Joe Stevenson vs. Takanori Gomi possible, not official, for UFC on Versus 2

A lightweight bout between Joe Stevenson (31-11 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Takaonori Gomi (31-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is possible but not set for UFC on Versus 2.

Despite reports that the fight is a done deal, a source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that bout agreements have not been distributed and that verbal agreements are not necessarily in place for both fighters.

If signed, the fight will grace the main card of the Versus-televised card, which is expected for Aug. 1 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. The Utah Athletic Commission earlier this week gave the green-light for the UFC to hold the event, and a formal announcement is expected from the organization shortly.

Heavy.com first reported the possibility of the match-up earlier today.

Despite a three-round battle, Stevenson lost a ground war against Australian George Sotiropoulos and fell short on points in his most recent performance at UFC 110. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak against standouts Nate Diaz and Spencer Fisher and put "The Ultimate Fighter 2" veteran back on the road to redemption.

Prior to his February setback, Stevenson had been bested only by B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.

Gomi, meanwhile, met disappointment in his octagon debut this past month against Florian. The former PRIDE lightweight champion met a hail of jabs from the two-time lightweight contender and was unable to land any significant punches en route to a third-round submission loss.

Since PRIDE's end in 2007, Gomi is 4-3 in professional competition. Once considered the best lightweight in the world, he finds himself fighting to redeem, or salvage, his legacy.

UFC on Versus 1, which took place March 21 at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., marked a new partnership between Versus and Zuffa LLC, the parent company of both the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting, which has been on the all-sports cable station since 2007.

Upon the initial announcement of the deal in December, which also marked the extension of live WEC events on the cable station, officials announced that two 2010 UFC event also will air on Versus.

There's no word if the partnership extends beyond this year.

UFC on Versus 2 takes place a month after a planned July 3 UFC 116 event, which is expected to take place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It also takes place six days prior another planned pay-per-view event, likely UFC 117, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., as MMAjunkie.com recently reported.

 

[Johnny Truelove]

 

[Johnny Truelove]

BJ Penn Talks His New Book, Frankie Edgar and Dana White's Reaction