MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC cuts middleweights Rob Kimmons and Chris Camozzi after recent losses

Middleweight fighters Rob Kimmons and Chris Camozzi are the latest victims of the UFC's roster purge.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed Kimmons' release with a source close to the fighter.

Camozzi confirmed his release on his official website.

Kimmons (23-7 MMA, 3-4 UFC) leaves the organization after a three-year and seven-fight run in the world's largest MMA promotion. The 30-year-old signed with the organization with a 20-3 record and went 3-4 in the UFC. His release followed back-to-back losses to Kyle Noke at UFC 122 and Dongi Yang at UFC on Versus 3.

Camozzi (14-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 11," opened his UFC career with decision wins over James Hammortree and Yang. However, a UFC 127 loss to Kyle Noke prompted his release.

"According to the UFC the issue is less about my performance (they offered to give me a recommendation) and more to do with an overloaded roster and not enough fights for us under contract," Camozzi wrote. "This has nothing to do with the recent merger."

The UFC recently merged with its sister promotion, the WEC, which officials said would result in some roster trimming. The UFC also purchased its rival, Strikeforce. Although UFC president Dana White said the organizations will operate independently, some UFC fighters could head to Strikeforce, and as contracts are fulfilled, some Strikeforce fighters could find their way to the octagon.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Amir Sadollah unfazed by UFC Fight Night 24 opponent switches

One injury dropout sucks, but it's a common thing in the fight game.

Two injury dropouts, though, are pretty unusual.

Maybe it's because he's a few minutes removed from a pleasant slumber, but Amir Sadollah (4-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) isn't sweating a revolving door of opponents that's lead to DaMarques Johnson (12-8 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at Saturday's UFC Fight Night 24 event.

"My job is to train to fight, and who it is is secondary to being ready to go do my thing," Sadollah told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).

The mai- card bout takes place Saturday at Seattle's KeyArena and airs live on Spike TV.

Johnson is the third proposed opponent for the winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 7" after Duane Ludwig and James Wilks were forced to drop out with injuries.

You can bet Sadollah is just happy to have a fight at this point. No fight means no money – and no chance to impress the brass. So while he's been forced to glance at three different sets of footage, it's a small burden to bear.

"I definitely think he's exciting and a talented guy," Sadollah said of Johnson.

If anything, it's a reminder to focus on his own strengths and not those of his opponent. There's ample opportunity to get caught up in the minutiae of what this guy or that guy likes to do, and that can lead to a fight served on someone else's terms, he said.

Sadollah,though, wants to be the one imposing his will out there. And he can be sure whoever is in front of him in the octagon will be tough.

"I think at the end of the day my job is to make my fight the best one," Sadollah said. "That should be my goal no matter who's on the card. I don't think it's possible anymore to fight on a UFC card without talented, big-name guys. That's just the way it is."

And he's confident that if he shows well and fights to his potential, he will be rewarded for it even if he doesn't win a performance bonus.

"The UFC's always been really generous," Sadollah said. "Even if you don't get 'Fight of the Night' or 'Submission of the Night' (bonuses), they're generally pretty generous. If they think you deserve extra, they'll give it to you."

His opponent, Johnson, has gotten extra on several occasions. After a runner-up finish on "The Ultimate Fighter 9," he earned a "Submission of the Night" bonus against Edgar Garcia at UFC 107. Then he stopped Brad Blackburn with a flurry of strikes at UFC 112, which got him a "Knockout of the Night" bonus. Most recently, he submitted Mike Guymon in the first round with a body triangle at "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fights for the Troops 2."

None of Johnson's UFC fights has gone the distance; Sadollah, though, has reached scorecards on his most recent four appearances. Ludwig and Wilks both were coming off decision outcomes.

So the stage appears to be set for an exciting fight. If that helps to put a bonus in Sadollah's pocket, coffee is on him.

"I have no doubts it's going to be good," Sadollah said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Waters Tested, Anderson Silva Not Planning Return To Light Heavyweight

Whenever the term “super fight” is thrown around, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s name inevitably comes up.

The man who has stayed undefeated in the UFC while riding a nearly five-year, 14-fight unbeaten streak, is almost universally ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Silva has also ventured out of his usual weight class and laid a beatdown on fighters like Forrest Griffin and James Irvin at 205 pounds.

It’s no wonder that almost the moment that Jon Jones finished off Maurcio “Shogun” Rua, the questions immediately came flowing in about the new UFC light heavyweight champion squaring off against Silva.

Well, it doesn’t appear likely that fight will happen.

Silva, who is currently waiting to hear about who his next opponent will be, has informed UFC president Dana White that he doesn’t have any desire to go back to 205 pounds again. He wants to finish his career as a middleweight.

“Anderson Silva has made it very clear to me that he does not want to fight at 205 pounds,” White stated following UFC 128.

The UFC’s reigning and defending middleweight champion will more than likely face either top 185-pound contender Yushin Okami or, in true super fight fashion, take on Georges St-Pierre if the Canadian is able to get past Jake Shields at UFC 129.

Silva vs. St-Pierre is the super fight everyone has been talking about for years, at least until Jon Jones put on a show at UFC 128.

According to White, Silva only tested the waters at 205 pounds because the UFC was essentially asking him to do it. Now he is content to stay at 185 pounds, defend his title, and let the best of the best come to him.

Even with the temptation of adding another title to his mantle, Silva just doesn’t seem interested in any fight at light heavyweight.

“Originally, when I was always talking about him trying to go for another belt at 205 pounds, and he stuck his big toe in it a couple times, I think because I was pushing the issue. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t want to fight at 205,” White stated.

Silva still has plenty of challenges, however, without ever facing Jon Jones. Beyond St-Pierre and Okami, there’s still a potential rematch with Chael Sonnen looming overhead. The middleweight champion can stay plenty busy and face a lot of top competition, it just won’t be at 205 pounds.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Middleweight Dave Branch Latest Fighter Released by the UFC

UFC middleweight Dave Branch has been released from the promotion following his loss to Rousimar Palhares at the UFC on Versus 3 show earlier this month in Louisville.

Sources close to the fighter confirmed his release with MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday.

Branch, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under legendary trainer Renzo Gracie, went 2-2 during his time with the UFC.

His two wins came via decision over Tomasz Drwal and Rich Attonito, but suffered a vicious defeat in his first fight being slammed by Gerald Harris and then the submission loss to fellow black belt Rousimar Palhares.

Branch continues to train at the main Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan, and will look to earn his way back to the UFC in the future.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jesse Finney Buys H.I.T. Squad, Matt Hughes and Coaches Remain

Representatives from the H.I.T. Squad gym on Wednesday announced that they are under new ownership. The Granite City, Illinois, training facility of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes is now officially “Finney’s H.I.T. Squad.”

The new owner is Jesse Finney. A Strikeforce veteran with a 6-1 overall professional record, the 36-year-old Finney already owns Finney’s MMA in St. Louis.

Hughes will reportedly continue training at Finney’s H.I.T. Squad and the coaching staff – headed up by Marc Fiore and Kyle Watson – will remain intact.

“We are very excited about working with Matt Hughes, Marc Fiore, and Kyle Watson,” said Finney. “The H.I.T. Squad (now Finney’s H.I.T. Squad) is already considered one of the top MMA gyms in the world. Our goal is to make it THE top MMA gym. We have already begun making improvements to both training facilities, improvements that will ultimately generate bigger and better opportunities for our fighters as we evolve.”

A full size competition cage has been installed in Finney’s H.I.T. Squad facility as a result of the new ownership, and they have already begun implementing the Shamrock Fighter Development System (SDS). The system mirrors that of Major League Baseball, where players start out in a development league and work their way up based on their skills and performance.

“This is a positive change that will generate new opportunities for the gym and make the H.I.T. Squad brand even stronger,” commented Fiore. “The new build out has added value to the facility and our stable of fighters has already increased from 40 to 80. We are all very excited about the direction the gym is going.”

Finney’s MMA and Finney’s H.I.T. Squad are both 20,000 square foot state-of-the-art facilities that cater to professional fighters, as well as the general public. Classes are offered in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, wrestling, and sports conditioning.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128 Victory Puts Mike Pyle Back In The Welterweight Running

After his win at UFC 128 this past weekend, welterweight Mike Pyle is on a three-fight winning streak, but he still feels he can improve.

“I guess I’m about 80-percent happy with my performance,” he said of his unanimous decision victory over Ricardo Almeida. “I figured the pace of the fight would go the way it would. I trained hard to shut down his wrestling; which I did.

“I would have liked for my striking to be a bit more damaging. But I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

As for where he sees himself in the 170-pound weight class with his recent success, Pyle told MMAWeekly.com, “All I can say is, that’s three in a row and I want to continue to keep winning.

“Whatever the UFC has in store for me, I’m willing and ready for the challenge.”

Pyle credits his recent winning to the fact that he’s managed to add the psychological game to his already outstanding physical abilities.

“I’m just getting comfortable in the UFC,” commented Pyle. “It took me a little bit more to get the jitters out and extra time to get my mental preparation and mental training and things like that I was lacking.

“Once I picked that up, it began to show in the fights. I’m able to show what a talented fighter I am. I’m thankful that I’m finally starting to come into my full potential.”

Pyle admits at times he may have gotten too lost in his jiu-jitsu training and neglected parts of his game he needed to improve to be a more successful fighter.

Of late, he’s worked hard to fix that and with his striking in particular he feels he’s become that much better.

“If you can’t take a wrestler down, what can you do?” he asked. “You’ve got to out-strike them. Basically what it came down to, I had to evolve with the sport, which I’ve done.”

He’s also worked hard to develop the kind of diet, with the help of one of the sport’s premier coaches, a fighter at this level needs.

“I listen to my body and am doing the things I need to do such as hiring Mike Dolce of DolceDiet.com to put the right fuel back in my body so I can continue on with the hard weeks,” said Pyle. “It was one of the best moves I could have made to bring in Mike.

“It was very critical in my fight, because cardio was great and going into the third round it felt like it was the first. I was fresh, I was moving around, and was able to put on a dominating performance in the third. I’m very happy with the moves I’ve made in my training of late.”

Many felt Pyle was one of the best fighters not in the UFC before he entered the company, and after a brief stumble when he first arrived, he’s put himself on track to become one of the welterweight division’s premier fighters once again.

“I want to thank all my fans and Twitter followers (@Mike_Pyle); they gave me a lot of support leading up to the fight,” he concluded. “I want to thank all my teammates at Xtreme Couture, and all my sponsors. I appreciate everything they’ve done for me.

“I don’t want to look too far ahead and fall off the bike. I know what I’m capable of doing and that’s what I’m focused on.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Not Worried About Collecting Titles, Magomed Sultanakhmedov Plans To Win M-1 Belt

With wins in eight of his last nine fights, M-1 Global middleweight title contender Magomed “White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov is proving himself to be one of the promotion’s premier fighters.

Already a well respected fighter when he entered M-1 three years ago, Sultanakhmedov achieved a career high in 2010 by taking the promotion’s Eastern European tournament title, knocking out all three of his opponents in the process.

“I feel this past year was extremely successful for me,” Sultanakhmedov told MMAWeekly.com. “I was able to stay in good physical shape, made advancements in my training, and was able to recover from my ankle injury.

“I’m looking forward to continuing with this momentum.”

It was that ankle injury that Sultanakhmedov believes cost him his first loss in two years when he challenged Rafal Moks for the M-1 middleweight championship in December.

“I tried my best to hide (my injury), but Moks knew about it going in and capitalized on it,” said Sultanakhmedov. “Had I not tapped, I could have injured my ankle further and been out for a long period of time.

“I’m recovered and the win over Cruz was good. Now I’m looking forward to meeting Tyson Jeffries for the championship belt.”

As Sultanakhmedov mentioned, he will be part of M-1’s historic first event broadcast live on Showtime on March 25 from Norfolk, Va. It is an opportunity he intends on making the most of.

“I will do my best to put on a great fight and let the American fans see the level of fights M-1 puts on,” commented Sultanakhmedov. “For my first time travelling overseas, it is a very big deal to fight on Showtime, and I hope to come back to America again for another (show) on a great network.”

For his second attempt at the middleweight title, Sultanakhmedov will be facing up-and-coming Team Quest fighter Tyson Jeffries, who is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

“He is good at takedowns and he is a good fighter from a well respected camp,” said Sultanakhmedov. “I think my advantage is my stand-up game and striking. I will try to use this (advantage) the best I can and keep the fight standing up.”

While some fighters might let the prospect of winning a major championship and the reign afterwards distract them from the fight itself, Sultanakhmedov is not such a person.

“As great as an honor it is to be the champion, I’m really not concerned about amassing titles,” he commented. “Should I win, it’s just another win for me and I will be the best champion I can be.

“To be honest, I don’t make plans for the future. I take things one fight at a time and do the best I can to prepare and win.”

While he might not be familiar to American fans at the moment, Sultanakhmedov has an opportunity to change that on March 25 and show people all over the world that he’s one of the best in the 185-pound division.

“Thank you for your support,” said Sultanakhmedov in closing. “I will bring a good fight to everyone watching in America and hopefully will earn more fans.”

 

[Timm]

whens overroid fighting next

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Barao stares at Demetrius dreaming about UFC Rio

Unbeaten for 25 bouts, Renan Barao is one of the great Brazilian promises for UFC on the featherweight division. After the success on WEC, where he won two bouts with submissions, Barao will debut being respected on UFC against Demetrius Johnson, on June 4th in Las Vegas. The Brazilian has been chosen to fight on UFC The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale and will fight Johnson excited by a win over a Japanese legend, “Kid” Yamamoto, on his debut on the octagon, on UFC 126.

The fighter will be in Rio de Janeiro on March 26th, where he’ll finish his preparation at Nova Uniao’s gym. On a chat with TATAME, the tough guy revealed he doesn’t fear the takedowns and Wrestling skills of the American guy. “Unlike him, I feel pretty comfortable taking the fight down especially because on most my Jiu-Jitsu fights I used to pull guys into my guard and on MMA some of my submissions took place when I had my back against the floor”, commented Renan. Check below the complete interview with the fighter, who analyzed his opponent, his weight division on UFC and asked the Brazilians to vote on him to be on UFC Rio.

What are your thoughts about Demetrius?

I think he’s a good fighter, he has a good Wrestling foundation and he’s got good moves while striking. He’s the kind of opponent I like to fight, because he doesn’t want to get stuck on one position.

He’s coming from a win on UFC. What are your thoughts about his fight with Kid Yamamoto?

Despite thinking Kid was a little sleepy on the fight, I don’t know if it was because of the long time he spent without fighting. I liked the fight, I thought Demetrius has set a good game plan, since Kid, even when he was on his best, never felt comfortable playing from the bottom.

Do you think his Wrestling skills might be a problem for you?

I don’t think so, because unlike him, I feel pretty comfortable taking the fight down especially because on most my Jiu-Jitsu fights I used to pull guys into my guard and on MMA some of my submissions took place when I had my back against the floor.

Will you focus on Jiu-Jitsu trainings for this fight, hoping he’ll try to take you down?

I’m already doing it! (laughs). If it goes to the floor, I’ll try to finish him all the time. But it’s like that, the only thing I know for sure is that we’ll start to fight standing up, so if it’ll go to the ground or not, nobody knows. What I know is that while we are standing, I’ll try a lot to use my bigger reach to apply the Boxing techniques I know and train with my dad since I was a little kid.

Where will you train for this bout, in Natal or in Rio de Janeiro?

Actually I’ll do like I’m used to since my first fight on Shooto until my fights on WEC. I begin my trainings in Natal, with Jair Lourenco, my personal trainer Adriano Coringa, my dad and all the guys of Kimura Nova Uniao. Then I go to Rio de Janeiro and finish my trainings with Dede (Andre Pederneiras), Jhonny Eduardo, Jose Aldo, Marlon Sandro, Leo Santos, Ramon and all the tough guys of Nova Uniao. For this bout specifically, Dede told me to go to Rio two months earlier, so in that case I’ll go to Rio next Saturday, March 26th so I’ll spend enough time to be on my best shape for this bout and to be a good representative of our country.

You did good fights on WEC. What do you expect of your debut on UFC?

I’m training hard for this fight and I hope my conditioning is good, since one of Demetrius’ strong points is his conditioning and despite always have fought with a good conditioning, I want to be super prepared for this one…

You have the biggest unbeaten sequence of fights on UFC today. Do you think it can help you to skip a few steps towards a title shot?

I believe yeah, it can, but I’m aware that it all depends on the outcome of this fight against Demetrius. I’m sure that if I can make my dream come true, which is to knockout or submit him on this fight, I’ll be closer to achieve this dream I have, which is to do a title fight on UFC. And with faith in God and a lot of work I’ll achieve it eventually.

Urijah Faber might be the next one on the line for a title shot, against Dominick Cruz. What are your thoughts about this bout?

I believe that today it’d be a very different fight than the first one, mainly because of the timing, since the first was quick and it Faber’s favor. I believe now Dominick will win, because besides being in a better shape than back then, he’s better adjusted on this weight division than Faber.

Would you like to leave a message?

I’d like to thank TATAME for publishing news from us, who fight from the Northeast of Brazil and ask for the people who follow my work to vote on me on http://www.ufc.com/rio otacao?changeRegion=4, so I’ll be one of the Brazilians chosen to be on UFC Rio. I’d be a great honor and pleasure to fight for Brazil in Brazil.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fighters Fund-Raising Squad! Led By Yoshihiro Akiyama

Today in front of Shinjuku Alta in Tokyo, Japan an all-star cast of Kakutougi fighters led by Yoshihiro Akiyama raised funds for the recent earthquake catastrophe that hit Japan.

Hideo Tokoro, Hiroshi Izumi, Caol Uno, Judo olympic gold medalist Keiji Suzuki, Takanori Gomi, pro-wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura, HIROYA, Andy Ologun, and Bernard Ackah were among the fighters accepting donations.

This isn’t the only fund-raiser Akiyama has planned. He will continue to raise funds from now on, possibly even in South Korea. He will announce the results of todays fund-raiser on his blog tomorrow.

 

[Shogun Locc]

whens overroid fighting next

june 18th

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 44 Headed to N.J. with Lombard-Vitale, Tourney Final

Bellator Fighting Championships will visit New Jersey for the first time when Bellator 44 emanates from Caesars Atlantic City Hotel and Casino on May 14.

The promotion announced Wednesday that the MTV2-televised card will include a non-title bout between middleweight champion Hector Lombard and UFC veteran Falaniko Vitale, along with an as-yet-undetermined fourth-season tournament final.

“This is a great partnership for us. Atlantic City is a classic fight town and New Jersey is a hotbed for mixed martial arts, so it was a natural fit,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in a release.

Lombard, 33, was a member of the 2000 Olympic judo squad for his home country of Cuba and transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2004 after defecting to Australia. Since that time, the American Top Team fighter has racked up an impressive record of 27-2-1, including 14 wins by way of knockout.

Since claiming Bellator gold with a trio of stoppages in 2009, Lombard has competed and won six times. Most recently, he notched the first defense of his belt with a five-round unanimous decision over second-season tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko on Oct. 28. Before facing Vitale, Lombard is expected to meet Joe Doerksen on the March 25 card from Australian promotion Cage Fighting Championship, whose 185-pound title Lombard also currently holds.

Vitale enters the May bout on a three-fight win streak, having defended his middleweight title with Hawaiian promotion X-1 World Events thrice in the last 12 months. Following Ezekiel choke submissions of Kalib Starnes and Kala Hose, Vitale scored a first-round knockout of X-1 welterweight ace Dylan Clay on March 12 and subsequently gave up the belt in anticipation of joining the Bellator ranks. The Hawaiian’s 29-9 ledger includes notable wins over fellow UFC vets Yushin Okami, Matt Lindland and Dave Menne.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Carwin Returns at UFC 131, Meets ADCC Champ Einemo

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will return to the cage at UFC 131, as the Grudge Training Center product squares off with 2003 ADCC submission wrestling champion Jon Olav Einemo.

UFC president Dana White announced the pairing Wednesday during a live chat with The Seattle Times.

UFC 131 goes down June 11 from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be headlined by pivotal heavyweight attraction pitting former champion Brock Lesnar against the heavy-handed Junior dos Santos.

Carwin has not competed since a July 2010 loss to Lesnar at UFC 116. Though Carwin floored the former WWE star in the opening frame, he could not seal the deal, and the heavyweight title slipped through his grasp when his hulking foe submitted him with an arm-triangle choke in the following round.

Prior to that defeat, the 36-year-old had rattled off 12 consecutive victories with no losses. Carwin was supposed to return to action against Roy Nelson at UFC 125 in January, but the heavyweight elected to undergo neck surgery instead, sidelining him for the first half of 2011.

Einemo is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and holds six of his seven career victories by submission. The only loss of Einemo's career came at the hands of Fabricio Werdum at Pride 31 in 2006. However, he is most notable for besting grappling ace Roger Gracie at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in 2003, where the Oslo native won the under-218 pound division.

The Norwegian most recently bested another Pride veteran in James Thompson in November 2006 before taking time off due to injuries. Einemo, 35, has only been to the scorecards once in his career and has finished each of his fallen foes inside the first round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Carwin Returns at UFC 131, Meets ADCC Champ Einemo

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will return to the cage at UFC 131, as the Grudge Training Center product squares off with 2003 ADCC submission wrestling champion Jon Olav Einemo.

UFC president Dana White announced the pairing Wednesday during a live chat with The Seattle Times.

UFC 131 goes down June 11 from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be headlined by pivotal heavyweight attraction pitting former champion Brock Lesnar against the heavy-handed Junior dos Santos.

Carwin has not competed since a July 2010 loss to Lesnar at UFC 116. Though Carwin floored the former WWE star in the opening frame, he could not seal the deal, and the heavyweight title slipped through his grasp when his hulking foe submitted him with an arm-triangle choke in the following round.

Prior to that defeat, the 36-year-old had rattled off 12 consecutive victories with no losses. Carwin was supposed to return to action against Roy Nelson at UFC 125 in January, but the heavyweight elected to undergo neck surgery instead, sidelining him for the first half of 2011.

Einemo is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and holds six of his seven career victories by submission. The only loss of Einemo's career came at the hands of Fabricio Werdum at Pride 31 in 2006. However, he is most notable for besting grappling ace Roger Gracie at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in 2003, where the Oslo native won the under-218 pound division.

The Norwegian most recently bested another Pride veteran in James Thompson in November 2006 before taking time off due to injuries. Einemo, 35, has only been to the scorecards once in his career and has finished each of his fallen foes inside the first round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Announces ‘Fight Night 24’ Facebook Stream for Saturday

Two preliminary contests from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 24 will stream live and free of charge on social networking website Facebook, the promotion announced Wednesday.

Popular “Ultimate Fighter 12” participant Alex Caceres will take on World Extreme Cagefighting import Mackens Semerzier at 145 pounds, while H.I.T. Squad product Jon Madsen meets 12-year veteran Mike Russow in a heavyweight tilt. As with previous streams from the organization, fights will be made available to Facebook users who have “liked” the UFC fan page.

UFC Fight Night 24, which goes down March 26 at KeyArena in Seattle, will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between blue-chip prospect Phil Davis and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Known to “TUF” fans as “Bruce Leroy,” Caceres was defeated by eventual runner-up Michael Johnson during the most recent season of the reality show. The 22-year-old was slated to make his official Octagon debut against Nam Phan in December, but injury forced Caceres to withdraw from the contest.

Semerzier (Pictured) looks to bounce back from three consecutive defeats in his UFC debut. The 30-year-old went 0-3 in 2010, ending his WEC career with losses to Deividas Taurosevicius, Javier Vazquez and Cub Swanson.

A powerful wrestler, Madsen has yet to taste defeat in his pro career. The 31-year-old has posted a 4-0 record inside the Octagon following a stint on “TUF 10.” Most recently, Madsen bulldozed Gilbert Yvel at UFC 121 in October, knocking out the Pride veteran in less than two minutes.

Russow began his professional career in 1998, earning a victory in his first MMA appearance. It would take eight years for the Chicago police officer to step back into the cage, but Russow has been beaten only once since his 2006 return. Most recently, Russow knocked out the highly touted Todd Duffee with a heavy right hand in the third round of their UFC 114 contest last May.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Coker: Fedor to Return at July Strikeforce Event

Immediately after his Feb. 12 loss to Antonio Silva, the future seemed uncertain for Fedor Emelianenko. In a post-fight interview, the legendary Russian heavyweight hinted that his second loss in 12 months and elimination from Strikeforce’s highly publicized heavyweight grand prix may have brought an end to his storied career.

Shortly after returning to his homeland, however, “The Last Emperor” eased up on the retirement talk, declaring his intention to fight again and possibly even reenter the Strikeforce tournament. Now, Emelianenko appears to have a target date for his return to the newly Zuffa-acquired Strikeforce cage.

“Fedor’s gonna fight sometime in July,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” on Wednesday. “It’s probably toward the end of July or mid-July, but we have fights with Fedor that we’re gonna honor and continue forward. We’re gonna do the co-branding exercise that we do with M-1 every time we do fights with them.”

“The opponent has not been chosen, but I think having Fedor involved close to the tournament as an alternate is definitely a possibility,” he added.

Asked whether Emelianenko is on a fight-by-fight basis with Strikeforce despite being contracted for three more bouts, Coker stated that the decision is in the hands of the Russian and could depend on the result of his next outing.

“You gotta perform. I think he did a good job against Silva, and that worked out the way he did, but he’s still a competitive fighter that can compete at the highest level on any given Saturday night,” said Coker. “I think this next one’s gonna be very important. He’s gonna have to perform.”

Widely considered the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history, the 34-year-old Emelianenko went undefeated from April 2001 to June 2010. During that span, he racked up 27 wins and became heavyweight king of Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships organization, defeating such luminaries as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Filipovic. Emelianenko’s streak was snapped last June in a shocking first-round submission loss to Fabricio Werdum, and his February return saw him battered by Silva en route to a second-round doctor stoppage.

 

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Extra paperwork creates headache for Nate Diaz, but UFC 129 fight still on

His hand may cramp a bit more than other fighters crossing the border, but Nate Diaz will make it to UFC 129 in Toronto.

Diaz hinted this morning at problems getting into Canada for an April 29 fight with Rory MacDonald. But his manager, Cesar Gracie, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the fighter was just venting frustration at extra paperwork he is required to complete before he can travel to the country.

The red tape stems from a 2006 altercation in Reno, Nevada, that resulted in a mark on Diaz's criminal record for disturbing the peace.

"Can someone tell Canada to quit trippin and let me up in there I'm tryin to get paid," Diaz wrote on his official Twitter account.

Diaz must submit a declaration to the Canadian government that discloses his criminal record and his intent to travel into the country.

"It's your name, your number, your passport, and what was your crime," said Mark Pavelich, CEO of the Edmonton-based Maximum Fighting Championship, which often employs American talent. "You have to let them know you're coming, and that's the safest play every time with them."

Gracie said UFC officials requested the additional paperwork after discovering the charge.

"He was assaulted by a bouncer," Gracie said. "The UFC said, 'This might give you trouble going in (to Canada).' Well, he's been there eight times since then, and it's never been a problem for him.

"But just to cover all the bases, they want him to do a little paperwork. It's no big deal."

As for the fight, everything is still a go, Gracie said. Diaz (13-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) meets fellow welterweight MacDonald (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at the already sold-out UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The bout headlines Spike TV's "UFC Prelims" special prior to the night's pay-per-view main card.

 

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Extra paperwork creates headache for Nate Diaz, but UFC 129 fight still on

His hand may cramp a bit more than other fighters crossing the border, but Nate Diaz will make it to UFC 129 in Toronto.

Diaz hinted this morning at problems getting into Canada for an April 29 fight with Rory MacDonald. But his manager, Cesar Gracie, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the fighter was just venting frustration at extra paperwork he is required to complete before he can travel to the country.

The red tape stems from a 2006 altercation in Reno, Nevada, that resulted in a mark on Diaz's criminal record for disturbing the peace.

"Can someone tell Canada to quit trippin and let me up in there I'm tryin to get paid," Diaz wrote on his official Twitter account.

Diaz must submit a declaration to the Canadian government that discloses his criminal record and his intent to travel into the country.

"It's your name, your number, your passport, and what was your crime," said Mark Pavelich, CEO of the Edmonton-based Maximum Fighting Championship, which often employs American talent. "You have to let them know you're coming, and that's the safest play every time with them."

Gracie said UFC officials requested the additional paperwork after discovering the charge.

"He was assaulted by a bouncer," Gracie said. "The UFC said, 'This might give you trouble going in (to Canada).' Well, he's been there eight times since then, and it's never been a problem for him.

"But just to cover all the bases, they want him to do a little paperwork. It's no big deal."

As for the fight, everything is still a go, Gracie said. Diaz (13-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) meets fellow welterweight MacDonald (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at the already sold-out UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The bout headlines Spike TV's "UFC Prelims" special prior to the night's pay-per-view main card.

 

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UFC's Joseph Benavidez finds inspiration in NCAA champ Anthony Robles

Size, or lack of it, has been an ever-present part of UFC bantamweight Joseph Benavidez's life.

At 5-foot-4, he'll probably never play center or take it to the hole for a dunk. Yet he's grown tall through the trials of competition, especially when it comes to his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts.

He's never had to deal with a physical handicap, though, and that's why he's so impressed with Arizona State University senior Anthony Robles, who won the NCAA wrestling championship at 125 pounds this past Saturday.

Robles, who was born with only one leg, capped off a perfect season at ASU with a 7-1 victory over defending champ Matt McDonough of the University of Iowa.

Some critics have said Robles has an unfair advantage on the wrestling mats because he isn't susceptible to takedowns and carries more strength in his upper body as the result of his condition.

Benavidez, though, said Robles' success has little to do with the body he was born with.

"The fact of the matter is, the guy has one leg, and that is not an advantage," Benavidez, a former state wrestling champion in New Mexico, today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "He's a special individual who's made it an advantage.

"It's not like everyone who has one leg can be like, 'Oh, I should wrestle because I have one leg and it's an advantage.' If you have one leg, the last thing you think about is, 'Hey, I'm going to join the wrestling team.' He did that on his own. He's made it an advantage just like anyone else who's a great wrestler works hard and makes their wrestling better than everyone else's.

"Think about what he had to go through in the beginning. He had one leg, and he was wrestling. He's made it an advantage through hard work."

Although they probably didn't catch each other competing on Saturday, Benavidez is clearly in awe of the wrestler's accomplishments. If there's one thing he respects, it's an athlete who works hard. He praised the efforts of his most recent opponent, Ian Loveland, whom he met this past Saturday at UFC 128. Loveland immediately took the fight to him and won the first round.

It wasn't the first impression Benavidez wanted to make inside the octagon.

"[Ian] knew how much he had riding on that fight," Benavidez said. "He was well-prepared for everything I did. He was looking to make a career off that fight. I went out there, and he was a lot tougher than I anticipated."

Plus, there were other burdens hanging on his shoulders.

"After 'Sexyama' dropped out, all of a sudden the pressure of all the sexiness laid on my shoulders," he joked about the withdrawal of Japanese middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama, who bowed out of the fight following the devastating earthquake in Japan. "And that was tough to handle. I had to fight Loveland, it's my UFC debut, and all of a sudden I had to carry the sexiness of the whole card. So it was tough. I had to be extra sexy and everything."

Somehow, he toughed it out and wrestled momentum back in his favor for a unanimous decision. It was definitely a learning experience, though.

"I definitely think my cardio and wanting it more played a factor," Benavidez (14-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said. "But I think there were a lot of things in that fight will make me better."