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UFC fires Miguel Torres for tweet
Franklin McNeil [ARCHIVE] ESPN.com | December 9, 2011
Bantamweight contender Miguel Torres was released by UFC on Thursday, according to the promotion's president, Dana White.
White revealed the news during an interview with SI.com.
Torres' release came after he posted a comment on his Twitter account that UFC deemed offensive.
"If a rape van was called a surprise van more women wouldn't mind going for rides in them." SI.com quoted Torres as saying.
The tweet was later removed from Torres' account and replaced by this comment: "If a windowless van was called a surprise van more people wouldn't mind going for rides in them. Everyone likes surprises."
But the change came too late to prevent Torres (40-4) from being cut from UFC's roster.
"There's no explanation for that," White told SI.com. "There's absolutely nothing I could say to make any sense of that. And the fact that he even thinks that's funny or that's a joke, it disturbs me. It bothers me.
"Again, you're dealing with a guy [who's] a smart guy, that owns his own business, that's been one of the top fighters in the world forever. And I cut him today. He's no longer with the UFC."
Torres, a former WEC bantamweight champion, struggled to find consistency since losing his title to Brian Bowles in August 2009. He is 3-2 since the loss, but looked impressive during his most recent fight -- a unanimous decision over Nick Pace on Nov. 19.
His release came one day after former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans made a disturbing comment to Phil Davis during a news conference to promote their title eliminator on Jan. 28 in Chicago.
"I bet you won't put your hands on me," Evans told Davis. "I bet you'll be the first one to take a shot -- (because) I'm going to put those hands on you worse than that dude (former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky) did them other kids at Penn State."
Davis was a collegiate wrestler at Penn State.
White was not pleased with Evans' comment and spoke to the fighter afterward.
"We talked," White said. "It's not like I'm dealing with stupid people here. It's one thing when you're dealing with dummies.
"When you're dealing with people who are really stupid, it's tough to talk to them. But when you call a guy who's an intelligent guy, he gets it. [Evans] knows."
Franklin McNeil covers mixed martial arts and boxing for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Franklin_McNeil. Comment on this story
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UFC fires Miguel Torres for tweet
Franklin McNeil [ARCHIVE] ESPN.com | December 9, 2011
Bantamweight contender Miguel Torres was released by UFC on Thursday, according to the promotion's president, Dana White.
White revealed the news during an interview with SI.com.
Torres' release came after he posted a comment on his Twitter account that UFC deemed offensive.
"If a rape van was called a surprise van more women wouldn't mind going for rides in them." SI.com quoted Torres as saying.
The tweet was later removed from Torres' account and replaced by this comment: "If a windowless van was called a surprise van more people wouldn't mind going for rides in them. Everyone likes surprises."
But the change came too late to prevent Torres (40-4) from being cut from UFC's roster.
"There's no explanation for that," White told SI.com. "There's absolutely nothing I could say to make any sense of that. And the fact that he even thinks that's funny or that's a joke, it disturbs me. It bothers me.
"Again, you're dealing with a guy [who's] a smart guy, that owns his own business, that's been one of the top fighters in the world forever. And I cut him today. He's no longer with the UFC."
Torres, a former WEC bantamweight champion, struggled to find consistency since losing his title to Brian Bowles in August 2009. He is 3-2 since the loss, but looked impressive during his most recent fight -- a unanimous decision over Nick Pace on Nov. 19.
His release came one day after former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans made a disturbing comment to Phil Davis during a news conference to promote their title eliminator on Jan. 28 in Chicago.
"I bet you won't put your hands on me," Evans told Davis. "I bet you'll be the first one to take a shot -- (because) I'm going to put those hands on you worse than that dude (former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky) did them other kids at Penn State."
Davis was a collegiate wrestler at Penn State.
White was not pleased with Evans' comment and spoke to the fighter afterward.
"We talked," White said. "It's not like I'm dealing with stupid people here. It's one thing when you're dealing with dummies.
"When you're dealing with people who are really stupid, it's tough to talk to them. But when you call a guy who's an intelligent guy, he gets it. [Evans] knows."
Franklin McNeil covers mixed martial arts and boxing for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Franklin_McNeil. Comment on this story
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woo wooo brittney palmer doing a playboy magazine shoot
UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer featured in March's 'Playboy' magazine
Brittney Palmer, who recently returned to the UFC for ring-girl duties, will be in the March edition of "Playboy."
Officials from the men's magazine recently announced her involvement.
Palmer, who follows in the footsteps of current ring girl Arianny Celeste and former card-carrier Rachelle Leah, is expected to be featured on the cover.
Palmer's upcoming pictorial was teased in a recent edition of "Playboy" and made mention of her passion for painting.
Palmer, a former WEC ring girl who was folded into the UFC earlier this year, recently was on hiatus from the promotion. Although initially reported as a firing, and though Palmer's profile was temporarily removed from UFC.com, UFC president Dana White later said she simply was taking time away from her ring-girl duties to pursue her art career.
White then hinted this past month she'd be making a return. Palmer, of course, was cageside for this weekend's UFC 140 event, and she recently appeared at the 2011 World MMA Awards, where she was a finalist for Ring Girl of the Year.
Leah was featured in the November 2008 edition of "Playboy." Celeste, meanwhile, was featured on the cover of the November 2010 edition.
View attachment 106864
UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer featured in March's 'Playboy' magazine
Brittney Palmer, who recently returned to the UFC for ring-girl duties, will be in the March edition of "Playboy."
Officials from the men's magazine recently announced her involvement.
Palmer, who follows in the footsteps of current ring girl Arianny Celeste and former card-carrier Rachelle Leah, is expected to be featured on the cover.
Palmer's upcoming pictorial was teased in a recent edition of "Playboy" and made mention of her passion for painting.
Palmer, a former WEC ring girl who was folded into the UFC earlier this year, recently was on hiatus from the promotion. Although initially reported as a firing, and though Palmer's profile was temporarily removed from UFC.com, UFC president Dana White later said she simply was taking time away from her ring-girl duties to pursue her art career.
White then hinted this past month she'd be making a return. Palmer, of course, was cageside for this weekend's UFC 140 event, and she recently appeared at the 2011 World MMA Awards, where she was a finalist for Ring Girl of the Year.
Leah was featured in the November 2008 edition of "Playboy." Celeste, meanwhile, was featured on the cover of the November 2010 edition.
View attachment 106864
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii headlines 'DREAM: New Year! 2011'
Fedor Emelianenko (32-4) is returning to Japan.
A long-rumored bout between the former PRIDE heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii (4-1-1) is expected to headline a New Year's Eve event in Japan featuring two DREAM title bouts and the completion of the DREAM bantamweight tournament.
Officials today announced the fight.
"DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" (also dubbed "DREAM: New Year! 2011") is set for Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
While domestic broadcast plans have yet to be announced, the event airs live stateside on HDNet.
A rumored bouts between Tim Sylvia and Brett Rogers could not be confirmed at the time of this writing, nor could a previously reported women's bout between Megumi Fujii and Karla Benitez.
Although longtime sponsor Fields is expected to support the New Year's Eve event, it's not clear who is promoting it. According to a source, the official title of the promoter is "the executive committee of Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" DREAM, though, obviously is playing a significant role, at least from a talent perspective.
As earlier reported, DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (29-5) will defend his title against former Sengoku champ Satoru Kitaoka (29-10-9). Aoki returns after a submission win over former WEC champ Rob McCullough at DREAM.17 in September, which marked his sixth consecutive win following a decision loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez at the CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville." Kitaoka enjoys a four-fight streak that includes a decision win over UFC vet Willamy Freire at DREAM.17.
Additionally, DREAM featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (16-9-1) attempts to defend his title a second time when he meets Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (21-5). After falling short to Robbie Peralta in his U.S. debut at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," Takaya got back on the winning track at "DREAM: Japan GP Final," where he outpointed Kazuyuki Miyata. Inoue, meanwhile, knocked out UFC vet Caol Uno in his most recent appearance at DREAM.17, which brought his current win streak to three.
The final two rounds of this year's world bantamweight grand prix conclude with Bibiano Fernandes (9-3 MMA, 6-1 DREAM) vs. Rodolfo Marques Diniz (14-1 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) and Antonio Banuelos (19-7 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) vs. Masakazu Imanari (24-9-2 MMA, 4-2 DREAM).
Fernandes won his opening-round grand-prix bout via submission over Takafumi Otsuka. He looks for his ninth win in 10 fights when he takes on Diniz, who made a successful DREAM debut with an opening-round decision victory over Yusup Saadulaev. He's now won 11 consecutive fights.
Banuelos, a recent WEC and UFC fighter, earned a split-decision victory over Hideo Tokoro in the grand prix's opening round. He now meets Imanari, who looks for his fourth win in five fights (and ninth win in 11 fights) following an opening-round submission victory over Abel Cullum.
In a throwback to Japanese MMA events blending real and staged fights, a pro-wrestling match between PRIDE vet Kazuyuki Fujita and K-1 legend Peter Aerts will start the show.
The full card for "DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" includes:
•Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii
•Champ Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for lightweight title)
•Champ Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (for featherweight title)
•Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
•Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno (mixed-rules bout)
•Rodolfo Marques Diniz vs. Bibiano Fernandes (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
•Antonio Banuelos vs. Masakazu Imanari (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
•Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (bantamweight grand-prix reserve match)
•Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato Sakurai
•Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts (pro-wrestling match)
Fedor Emelianenko (32-4) is returning to Japan.
A long-rumored bout between the former PRIDE heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii (4-1-1) is expected to headline a New Year's Eve event in Japan featuring two DREAM title bouts and the completion of the DREAM bantamweight tournament.
Officials today announced the fight.
"DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" (also dubbed "DREAM: New Year! 2011") is set for Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
While domestic broadcast plans have yet to be announced, the event airs live stateside on HDNet.
A rumored bouts between Tim Sylvia and Brett Rogers could not be confirmed at the time of this writing, nor could a previously reported women's bout between Megumi Fujii and Karla Benitez.
Although longtime sponsor Fields is expected to support the New Year's Eve event, it's not clear who is promoting it. According to a source, the official title of the promoter is "the executive committee of Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" DREAM, though, obviously is playing a significant role, at least from a talent perspective.
As earlier reported, DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (29-5) will defend his title against former Sengoku champ Satoru Kitaoka (29-10-9). Aoki returns after a submission win over former WEC champ Rob McCullough at DREAM.17 in September, which marked his sixth consecutive win following a decision loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez at the CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville." Kitaoka enjoys a four-fight streak that includes a decision win over UFC vet Willamy Freire at DREAM.17.
Additionally, DREAM featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (16-9-1) attempts to defend his title a second time when he meets Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (21-5). After falling short to Robbie Peralta in his U.S. debut at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," Takaya got back on the winning track at "DREAM: Japan GP Final," where he outpointed Kazuyuki Miyata. Inoue, meanwhile, knocked out UFC vet Caol Uno in his most recent appearance at DREAM.17, which brought his current win streak to three.
The final two rounds of this year's world bantamweight grand prix conclude with Bibiano Fernandes (9-3 MMA, 6-1 DREAM) vs. Rodolfo Marques Diniz (14-1 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) and Antonio Banuelos (19-7 MMA, 1-0 DREAM) vs. Masakazu Imanari (24-9-2 MMA, 4-2 DREAM).
Fernandes won his opening-round grand-prix bout via submission over Takafumi Otsuka. He looks for his ninth win in 10 fights when he takes on Diniz, who made a successful DREAM debut with an opening-round decision victory over Yusup Saadulaev. He's now won 11 consecutive fights.
Banuelos, a recent WEC and UFC fighter, earned a split-decision victory over Hideo Tokoro in the grand prix's opening round. He now meets Imanari, who looks for his fourth win in five fights (and ninth win in 11 fights) following an opening-round submission victory over Abel Cullum.
In a throwback to Japanese MMA events blending real and staged fights, a pro-wrestling match between PRIDE vet Kazuyuki Fujita and K-1 legend Peter Aerts will start the show.
The full card for "DREAM: Fight for Japan: Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011!" includes:
•Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii
•Champ Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (for lightweight title)
•Champ Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (for featherweight title)
•Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
•Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Katsunori Kikuno (mixed-rules bout)
•Rodolfo Marques Diniz vs. Bibiano Fernandes (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
•Antonio Banuelos vs. Masakazu Imanari (bantamweight grand-prix semifinal)
•Hideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (bantamweight grand-prix reserve match)
•Ryo Chonan vs. Hayato Sakurai
•Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Aerts (pro-wrestling match)
Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva named coaches of 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
Brazilian sluggers Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) will serve as opposing coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
UFC president Dana White today announced the selections during a pre-UFC 142 press conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The two will coach opposing teams on the first-ever international edition of "TUF," which in March debuts on Globo, and will oppose each other following the conclusion of the series.
Belfort will still face Anthony Johnson at January's UFC 142 event.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" will be produced by Brazilian firm Floresta and air as part of the UFC's broadcast deal with Globo. The series is expected to feature 12 taped episodes in addition to a live finale.
While FUEL TV is expected to air the show in the U.S., UFC president Dana White has yet to officially announce a stateside broadcast partner.
As recently as this past Wednesday, White denied the two would serve as coaches on the show. MMAjunkie.com witnessed Belfort and Silva both meet with White during this past week's Las Vegas tryouts for "TUF 15," prompting speculation the two would earn coaching roles.
"Let me tell you what, if I was planning on having anything, the last place I would meet with guys is in front of you guys," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But yeah, we have a lot of guys that we're looking at as potential coaches. What we're going to do is we're going to go down there and cast it, figure out what we're going to do, and then we'll go from there."
When the coaches clash, it will serve as a rematch of a 1998 matchup between the to sluggers. Then just 20 years old, Belfort swarmed Silva in a a UFC 17.5 contest, earning a win in just 44 seconds. Fans around the globe have long called for a rematch, and now – nearly 14 years later – it will finally happen.
"TUF," which debuted on Spike TV in 2005 and quickly became a driving force for the UFC's move into the mainstream, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. The current 14th season is the first to feature bantamweight and featherweight fighters.
Due to the UFC's landmark seven-year with FOX, FX becomes the new U.S. home of "TUF" in 2012. The show will include live Friday-night fights rather than taped bouts.
White and UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will on Wednesday host an open tryout session in Sao Paulo for fighters hoping to land a spot on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
Brazilian sluggers Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) will serve as opposing coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
UFC president Dana White today announced the selections during a pre-UFC 142 press conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The two will coach opposing teams on the first-ever international edition of "TUF," which in March debuts on Globo, and will oppose each other following the conclusion of the series.
Belfort will still face Anthony Johnson at January's UFC 142 event.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" will be produced by Brazilian firm Floresta and air as part of the UFC's broadcast deal with Globo. The series is expected to feature 12 taped episodes in addition to a live finale.
While FUEL TV is expected to air the show in the U.S., UFC president Dana White has yet to officially announce a stateside broadcast partner.
As recently as this past Wednesday, White denied the two would serve as coaches on the show. MMAjunkie.com witnessed Belfort and Silva both meet with White during this past week's Las Vegas tryouts for "TUF 15," prompting speculation the two would earn coaching roles.
"Let me tell you what, if I was planning on having anything, the last place I would meet with guys is in front of you guys," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "But yeah, we have a lot of guys that we're looking at as potential coaches. What we're going to do is we're going to go down there and cast it, figure out what we're going to do, and then we'll go from there."
When the coaches clash, it will serve as a rematch of a 1998 matchup between the to sluggers. Then just 20 years old, Belfort swarmed Silva in a a UFC 17.5 contest, earning a win in just 44 seconds. Fans around the globe have long called for a rematch, and now – nearly 14 years later – it will finally happen.
"TUF," which debuted on Spike TV in 2005 and quickly became a driving force for the UFC's move into the mainstream, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. The current 14th season is the first to feature bantamweight and featherweight fighters.
Due to the UFC's landmark seven-year with FOX, FX becomes the new U.S. home of "TUF" in 2012. The show will include live Friday-night fights rather than taped bouts.
White and UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will on Wednesday host an open tryout session in Sao Paulo for fighters hoping to land a spot on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil."
A must read...Following risky move, Chicago MMA fighter paralyzed in amateur bout
This past Saturday at an MMA event in Joliet, Ill., 20-year-old amateur fighter Jeff Dunbar was stuck in a bad way.
In the ninth of 11 scheduled fights at a Dec. 17 Fight Card Entertainment event, fellow fighter Rudy Bahena clung to Dunbar's back, torqued a standing rear-naked choke, and had his opponent desperate enough to try the unthinkable.
Believing to be out of better options, Dunbar dove forward, hoping he could spike Bahena into the canvas. It was an ill-fated decision – one that's now cost Dunbar the use of his limbs and forever changed his life.
His trainer, Josh Bulak, was there that night for a slate of fights pitting his gym against fighters from Team 110. But Bulak still can't shake the images of Dunbar's fight, which left his young fighter paralyzed and now facing a potentially grim future. The trainer, who's operated Chicago's No Comment Martial Arts gym for the past half decade, still struggles to find the words.
"They went down," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Jeff's opponent didn't know what happened, and he just finished the choke. But then the paramedics rushed in, and he was taken away on a gurney."
Because the event couldn't continue until the paramedics returned from the hospital, Bulak and the rest of the night's thousand or so attendees sat there, fearing the worst. Dunbar could speak after the injury, and he had some movement in his arms, but something clearly was wrong. The thought of paralysis crossed Bulak's mind, but the paramedics soon returned and squelched concerns.
"They said he'd be fine," Bulak said. "They said, 'Everything should be OK.'"
The event continued as planned, and after the night of fights concluded, a relieved Bulak was headed to the hospital. But encouraged by the paramedics' report, he told the rest of Dunbar's team members to simply go home and rest.
"Everyone from the team wanted to go," Bulak said. "I told them I'd meet them at the gym later since everything was supposed to be fine."
Fight-night miscommunication
Things were far from fine, though.
Bulak arrived at the hospital and was shocked by what he learned: Dunbar was badly injured. The aspiring pro fighter was paralyzed, and doctors said he'll never have use of his legs again and will be bound to a wheelchair. He may get some use of his arms back, but there's a 95 percent chance he'll never get to use his hands either.
"The doctor didn't sugarcoat anything," Bulak said. "They told him he'd never walk again. It was a crushing blow."
MMAjunkie.com medical consultant and columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin, who's a practicing orthopedic surgeon in Florida, said it could have been much worse for the fighter. As he's written before in his "Ask the Fight Doc" columns, Dr. Benjamin said Dunbar benefited from being young and in shape. Otherwise, the type of injury he suffered could have cost him his life.
Still, he said, he's got a tough road ahead of him.
"His life, unfortunately, is going to be very different," Dr. Benjamin said.
"Freak accident"
When discussing the move that cost his fighter the use of his legs, Bulak mentioned a UFC 72 bout between lightweights Clay Guida and Tyson Griffin.
In that spirited scrap from 2007, Griffin also found himself fighting off a rear-naked choke. Standing but hunched over, he did what Dunbar attempted: He dove forward, slamming Guida's face into the canvas.
The scary move drew audible gasps from a crowd conditioned to seeing blood and broken bones. But they clearly knew Guida survived what could have been much more serious.
Griffin's counter-move broke the choke, and he ultimately survived the round and went on to take a split decision from Guida.
Unfortunately for the young Dunbar, his attempt didn't have the same effect. Close to unconsciousness and desperate to free himself, he hurled both himself and his opponent forward. Instead of peeling off Bahena, Dunbar took the brunt of both their body weight on his neck. And it led to instant paralysis.
"We've never practiced that in class," Bulak said. "He just sort of pile-drived himself. That probably would've been the third or fourth way I'd teach him to get out of that. It's more of a desperation move. You can't really practice it. You don't practice stuff like that. It's just a freak thing.
"He should have tapped. I just wish he would have tapped."
Dr. Benjamin also understands the freakish nature of the whole episode.
"This sport just has freak injuries," he said. "There's really no way to legislate it out of the game. How would you convey that in official rules? I've seen things like this in baseball when a runner slides into the knee of a second baseman. I've seen it in swimming – not even diving, but swimming – and athletes are paralyzed, and their lives just change like that."
No commission oversight
Two years ago, the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation – the state's sanctioning body – wiped its hands clean of amateur MMA. While the regulatory body oversees professional events (including next month's UFC on FOX 2 show in Chicago), amateur-MMA oversight was nixed due to new legislation.
Hosting promotions are given guidelines, but there's little to no accounting for compliance.
Bulak, though, said it wouldn't have made a difference in this case. No amount of oversight could have prevented the freak injury. Additionally, he said he's been working with the Fight Card Entertainment officials for years, and he and his fighters have never had a problem.
"It wouldn't have changed anything," he said of the regulation void. "I can't point fingers at anyone. Other promoters in Chicago are trying to point fingers, but I don't think there's anything that could have been done differently to prevent this.
"Fight Card Entertainment, I've worked them for four years. I know the owners, and they've been great. In fact, they're donating all the proceeds from the next show to Jeff's fund."
On the mend
As for Dunbar, he's making progress. The team's resident jokester is upbeat following a recent surgery, and he vows he'll fight again. He even laid into Bulak during a recent hospital visit.
"I got yelled at by Jeff because someone said my passion was gone, that I sort of checked out," Bulak said. "It's been hard for the gym to go back there, though. It's hard to teach after that. Life is supposed to go on, but to see someone so young injured like that, it hurt. It hit me hard.
"Broken arms, broken noses – that's about as worse I thought it was going to be. I never thought something this serious would happen."
Despite what will be a brutally tough road ahead for Dunbar, he was born a fighter (check out a recent fight of his). In a cruel twist of irony, he had been working a part-time job and training part-time so that he could care for his mother, who's also bound to a wheelchair following multiple strokes.
Currently, Dunbar's godmother is setting up a trust for him (we'll pass along details on how you can donate once they're available). Event-night insurance will cover Dunbar for the time being, but he's got a long and expensive recovery ahead of him.
"He knows it's going to be a long road," Bulak said. "I don't know if it'll happen, but it's his goal: Like every other fighter, he still just wants to make it to the UFC."
This past Saturday at an MMA event in Joliet, Ill., 20-year-old amateur fighter Jeff Dunbar was stuck in a bad way.
In the ninth of 11 scheduled fights at a Dec. 17 Fight Card Entertainment event, fellow fighter Rudy Bahena clung to Dunbar's back, torqued a standing rear-naked choke, and had his opponent desperate enough to try the unthinkable.
Believing to be out of better options, Dunbar dove forward, hoping he could spike Bahena into the canvas. It was an ill-fated decision – one that's now cost Dunbar the use of his limbs and forever changed his life.
His trainer, Josh Bulak, was there that night for a slate of fights pitting his gym against fighters from Team 110. But Bulak still can't shake the images of Dunbar's fight, which left his young fighter paralyzed and now facing a potentially grim future. The trainer, who's operated Chicago's No Comment Martial Arts gym for the past half decade, still struggles to find the words.
"They went down," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Jeff's opponent didn't know what happened, and he just finished the choke. But then the paramedics rushed in, and he was taken away on a gurney."
Because the event couldn't continue until the paramedics returned from the hospital, Bulak and the rest of the night's thousand or so attendees sat there, fearing the worst. Dunbar could speak after the injury, and he had some movement in his arms, but something clearly was wrong. The thought of paralysis crossed Bulak's mind, but the paramedics soon returned and squelched concerns.
"They said he'd be fine," Bulak said. "They said, 'Everything should be OK.'"
The event continued as planned, and after the night of fights concluded, a relieved Bulak was headed to the hospital. But encouraged by the paramedics' report, he told the rest of Dunbar's team members to simply go home and rest.
"Everyone from the team wanted to go," Bulak said. "I told them I'd meet them at the gym later since everything was supposed to be fine."
Fight-night miscommunication
Things were far from fine, though.
Bulak arrived at the hospital and was shocked by what he learned: Dunbar was badly injured. The aspiring pro fighter was paralyzed, and doctors said he'll never have use of his legs again and will be bound to a wheelchair. He may get some use of his arms back, but there's a 95 percent chance he'll never get to use his hands either.
"The doctor didn't sugarcoat anything," Bulak said. "They told him he'd never walk again. It was a crushing blow."
MMAjunkie.com medical consultant and columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin, who's a practicing orthopedic surgeon in Florida, said it could have been much worse for the fighter. As he's written before in his "Ask the Fight Doc" columns, Dr. Benjamin said Dunbar benefited from being young and in shape. Otherwise, the type of injury he suffered could have cost him his life.
Still, he said, he's got a tough road ahead of him.
"His life, unfortunately, is going to be very different," Dr. Benjamin said.
"Freak accident"
When discussing the move that cost his fighter the use of his legs, Bulak mentioned a UFC 72 bout between lightweights Clay Guida and Tyson Griffin.
In that spirited scrap from 2007, Griffin also found himself fighting off a rear-naked choke. Standing but hunched over, he did what Dunbar attempted: He dove forward, slamming Guida's face into the canvas.
The scary move drew audible gasps from a crowd conditioned to seeing blood and broken bones. But they clearly knew Guida survived what could have been much more serious.
Griffin's counter-move broke the choke, and he ultimately survived the round and went on to take a split decision from Guida.
Unfortunately for the young Dunbar, his attempt didn't have the same effect. Close to unconsciousness and desperate to free himself, he hurled both himself and his opponent forward. Instead of peeling off Bahena, Dunbar took the brunt of both their body weight on his neck. And it led to instant paralysis.
"We've never practiced that in class," Bulak said. "He just sort of pile-drived himself. That probably would've been the third or fourth way I'd teach him to get out of that. It's more of a desperation move. You can't really practice it. You don't practice stuff like that. It's just a freak thing.
"He should have tapped. I just wish he would have tapped."
Dr. Benjamin also understands the freakish nature of the whole episode.
"This sport just has freak injuries," he said. "There's really no way to legislate it out of the game. How would you convey that in official rules? I've seen things like this in baseball when a runner slides into the knee of a second baseman. I've seen it in swimming – not even diving, but swimming – and athletes are paralyzed, and their lives just change like that."
No commission oversight
Two years ago, the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation – the state's sanctioning body – wiped its hands clean of amateur MMA. While the regulatory body oversees professional events (including next month's UFC on FOX 2 show in Chicago), amateur-MMA oversight was nixed due to new legislation.
Hosting promotions are given guidelines, but there's little to no accounting for compliance.
Bulak, though, said it wouldn't have made a difference in this case. No amount of oversight could have prevented the freak injury. Additionally, he said he's been working with the Fight Card Entertainment officials for years, and he and his fighters have never had a problem.
"It wouldn't have changed anything," he said of the regulation void. "I can't point fingers at anyone. Other promoters in Chicago are trying to point fingers, but I don't think there's anything that could have been done differently to prevent this.
"Fight Card Entertainment, I've worked them for four years. I know the owners, and they've been great. In fact, they're donating all the proceeds from the next show to Jeff's fund."
On the mend
As for Dunbar, he's making progress. The team's resident jokester is upbeat following a recent surgery, and he vows he'll fight again. He even laid into Bulak during a recent hospital visit.
"I got yelled at by Jeff because someone said my passion was gone, that I sort of checked out," Bulak said. "It's been hard for the gym to go back there, though. It's hard to teach after that. Life is supposed to go on, but to see someone so young injured like that, it hurt. It hit me hard.
"Broken arms, broken noses – that's about as worse I thought it was going to be. I never thought something this serious would happen."
Despite what will be a brutally tough road ahead for Dunbar, he was born a fighter (check out a recent fight of his). In a cruel twist of irony, he had been working a part-time job and training part-time so that he could care for his mother, who's also bound to a wheelchair following multiple strokes.
Currently, Dunbar's godmother is setting up a trust for him (we'll pass along details on how you can donate once they're available). Event-night insurance will cover Dunbar for the time being, but he's got a long and expensive recovery ahead of him.
"He knows it's going to be a long road," Bulak said. "I don't know if it'll happen, but it's his goal: Like every other fighter, he still just wants to make it to the UFC."
20 year old super prospect Doo Ho Choi talks Ishida KO, "big brother" Korean Zombie and potential DEEP title fight
- Hello, say an introduction to the MMA community.
▲ Hello, my name is Choi Doo Ho and I fight out of Gumi MMA in Korea. I do both stand up fighting(boxing/kickboxing) and MMA.
- You got injured and could not fight Masanori Kanehara. Talk to us about that.
▲ I was so disappointed, but I had injured my hip and there was no possible way I could take that fight. I really wanted to fight him and I was also really confident I would beat him. It was also sad to hear that the Japanese MMA scene was dying out over there. I really wanted to stack some wins in the SRC organization.
- How were you going to fight Kanehara?
▲ He's a bit of a wrestler, so I was going to stand with him. Of course, I was working on my ground game too. He's not an easy opponent, but at the same time not an opponent I can't topple.
- Congratulations on Knocking out Mitsuhiro Ishida
▲Thanks, I'm glad that fight worked out well.
- How was training for that fight?
▲To be honest, I severely injured my back before that fight. I literally could not walk. I only took the fight because CMA Boss told me , "it's ok to lose just show your skills", and I also felt so bad for previously dropping out of fights because of injuries. I basically did no training and went to Japan a week before the fight. All I did was go running with a sweat suit. But after the CMA boss told me that, I regained my confidence, because I knew I could beat Ishida.
- You missed weight?
▲ I had to lose 11.2 KG in one week because I basically did not train at all. It it was the usual situation; I would have made weight easily. It's hard to lose that much weight just running. Ishida made weight in an hour, while I was up till seven losing weight. But I was still 2KG over.
- Was this not hard on your body?
▲It was seriously the worst of the worst situation. I also caught a cold at night and to regain weight I ate too fast and had digestive problems.
- 2 points were taken off because of the weight infraction. How did you feel going to the ring?
▲ I was worried at first , but after thinking a bit I realized I was not going to lose anyway. Whatever condition my body was, I just need to show my skills. Honestly, with those point deductions it was almost impossible to win a decision. I was just going to enjoy myself. I knew because of my injury and condition I needed to finish in the first round.
- Did you not think TDD would be difficult with the injury?
▲Yeah and Ishida has great TD, so my plan was to work my guard game. But once we actually felt each other, I sensed I could defend his takedowns.
- What was the turning point in the fight?
▲ After I defend his second take down, and hit him with a hard right. I could see in his eyes he was hurt.
- The timing of the Knee was beautiful.Did you plan this?
▲ I saw every time I threw the straight, he was wobbled a bit. And I knew from watching tape, Ishida always goes for a takedown after being hurt. I could have followed up with punches after I wobbled him, but I waited for his takedown. Right when I saw the movement, I blasted him with a knee.
- Was that a flying knee?
▲No, not really, it just seemed like it because I put all my force into it. A guy like Ishida has the ability to take hits and still get take downs, so I knew I had to put full power in that knee. So that's why I threw it so hard.
- How did you feel when Ishida fell to the ground?
▲ I knew he was already out from the knee. But there is always the chance, he clings to my leg and gets a takedown, so I followed up with strong ground and pound. Basically after that, Ishida was gone.
- I heard you trained with Chan Sung Jung?
▲ I trained striking and ground, his best skill is his aggression and submission catching ability.
- You have now earned the right to be arguably called Korea's Number one FW.
▲ Well I am young and I have a lot of seniors. I would not really call myself that yet. I am just lucky. But I am confident if given the chance, I can beat anyone in the world.
- Have you seen Chan Sung Jung's KO of Mark Hominick?
▲ I heard the news in Japan actually. All I could think was, that guy is awesome. And actually when I was about to fight, I got a text from him."Your Senior brother just caused an incident/accident, so you cause one too". It made me think,"Korean Zombie just KOd Hominick in 7 seconds, why can't I take Ishida out in one round".
- You may get the DEEP FW championship shot. What do you think of current holder Kazunori Yokota?
▲ Well he is a striker, so I am very confident I will beat him. Actually I think I will KO him just like my senior, Seung Hwan Bang, did. Yokota actually commentated as a commentator when I fought Ishida, that "If it was me, I would have beat him". Well the only for sure thing is that for me, he is a much much easier opponent than Ishida.
- It seems you are close to signing with the UFC. What is your schedule?
▲ It does not seem like a reality as of now. I want to be DEEP champion first. I want to beat all of the strongest Japanese fighters first. I actually want Hiroyuki Takaya right now.
- Tell us about your boxing/kickboxing experience?
▲ It always helps your MMA game to do striking competition. It really improves your stand up when you do pure boxing/kickboxing. There is a drastic difference in the way pure standup guys punch in combination compared to MMA guys. I am so confident in my striking because of this.
- But you started out as a BJJ guy?
▲Yes and I love BJJ, but I am more confident in my striking. I am always working on my ground game. I work at Team Posse for that aspect of my game. The grappling there is so strong, especially the wrestling because of guys like Kwon Bae Young, Nam Yui Chul, and Lee Jae Sun.
- I heard rumors you used to fight a lot in your school boy days.
▲ I always loved sports. And I have never backed down from a fight in my life. And I guess you get into a lot of fights with that mindset(haha). I was kind of a Pride FC super fan. I was almost obsessed.
I remember when I first stared BJJ. I just fell in love. It started as a hobby but I knew I wanted to go pro one day.
- What do you think of your senior, Dong Hyun Kim?
▲ What a lot of casual fans don't understand is that his ground game is on a completely different level in the Korean MMA community. I have worked with him a lot, he is a monster at grappling. Not only is he huge, his technical grappling is amazing. When we spar I just get dominated and just stay awed at his skill.
- Who is your favorite fighter in the UFC ?
▲Without a doubt, Mauricio Shogun Rua. He lost to Jon Jones, but Jones is a serious prodigy with so much natural talent. And Shogun's condition was off and did not look right. I always cheer Shogun..
I want to fight just like his style. Never fear the standup and go for the kill. I love how he doesn't pace himself and just tries to finish. Most fighters are conservative because of gassing issues, but Shogun never seems to care.
-Who do you want to fight in the UFC first?
▲ Leonard Garcia. His aggressive stand up style is perfect for me. I am extremely confident it would end in a beautiful finish.
- What do you think of Jose Aldo?
▲ He is amazing. To beat him you have to be top level at everything. But I still would fight him right now. Of course I could lose, but I would stand with him. My target is whoever is on top.
- You are 20 years old. The Korean Army will call for you soon.
▲ I always worry about that. But I plan on doing my thing until then. I will stall and stall until I am dragged in(haha). I will just keep on fighting until that day comes.
- Last words?
▲ Thank you to all the fans for all the compliments recently. I hope I can repay the kindness and faith with my future performances. By next year, I guarantee I will be champ. Thank you to CMA and just want to say, I love you coach Lee Chang Sup.
- Hello, say an introduction to the MMA community.
▲ Hello, my name is Choi Doo Ho and I fight out of Gumi MMA in Korea. I do both stand up fighting(boxing/kickboxing) and MMA.
- You got injured and could not fight Masanori Kanehara. Talk to us about that.
▲ I was so disappointed, but I had injured my hip and there was no possible way I could take that fight. I really wanted to fight him and I was also really confident I would beat him. It was also sad to hear that the Japanese MMA scene was dying out over there. I really wanted to stack some wins in the SRC organization.
- How were you going to fight Kanehara?
▲ He's a bit of a wrestler, so I was going to stand with him. Of course, I was working on my ground game too. He's not an easy opponent, but at the same time not an opponent I can't topple.
- Congratulations on Knocking out Mitsuhiro Ishida
▲Thanks, I'm glad that fight worked out well.
- How was training for that fight?
▲To be honest, I severely injured my back before that fight. I literally could not walk. I only took the fight because CMA Boss told me , "it's ok to lose just show your skills", and I also felt so bad for previously dropping out of fights because of injuries. I basically did no training and went to Japan a week before the fight. All I did was go running with a sweat suit. But after the CMA boss told me that, I regained my confidence, because I knew I could beat Ishida.
- You missed weight?
▲ I had to lose 11.2 KG in one week because I basically did not train at all. It it was the usual situation; I would have made weight easily. It's hard to lose that much weight just running. Ishida made weight in an hour, while I was up till seven losing weight. But I was still 2KG over.
- Was this not hard on your body?
▲It was seriously the worst of the worst situation. I also caught a cold at night and to regain weight I ate too fast and had digestive problems.
- 2 points were taken off because of the weight infraction. How did you feel going to the ring?
▲ I was worried at first , but after thinking a bit I realized I was not going to lose anyway. Whatever condition my body was, I just need to show my skills. Honestly, with those point deductions it was almost impossible to win a decision. I was just going to enjoy myself. I knew because of my injury and condition I needed to finish in the first round.
- Did you not think TDD would be difficult with the injury?
▲Yeah and Ishida has great TD, so my plan was to work my guard game. But once we actually felt each other, I sensed I could defend his takedowns.
- What was the turning point in the fight?
▲ After I defend his second take down, and hit him with a hard right. I could see in his eyes he was hurt.
- The timing of the Knee was beautiful.Did you plan this?
▲ I saw every time I threw the straight, he was wobbled a bit. And I knew from watching tape, Ishida always goes for a takedown after being hurt. I could have followed up with punches after I wobbled him, but I waited for his takedown. Right when I saw the movement, I blasted him with a knee.
- Was that a flying knee?
▲No, not really, it just seemed like it because I put all my force into it. A guy like Ishida has the ability to take hits and still get take downs, so I knew I had to put full power in that knee. So that's why I threw it so hard.
- How did you feel when Ishida fell to the ground?
▲ I knew he was already out from the knee. But there is always the chance, he clings to my leg and gets a takedown, so I followed up with strong ground and pound. Basically after that, Ishida was gone.
- I heard you trained with Chan Sung Jung?
▲ I trained striking and ground, his best skill is his aggression and submission catching ability.
- You have now earned the right to be arguably called Korea's Number one FW.
▲ Well I am young and I have a lot of seniors. I would not really call myself that yet. I am just lucky. But I am confident if given the chance, I can beat anyone in the world.
- Have you seen Chan Sung Jung's KO of Mark Hominick?
▲ I heard the news in Japan actually. All I could think was, that guy is awesome. And actually when I was about to fight, I got a text from him."Your Senior brother just caused an incident/accident, so you cause one too". It made me think,"Korean Zombie just KOd Hominick in 7 seconds, why can't I take Ishida out in one round".
- You may get the DEEP FW championship shot. What do you think of current holder Kazunori Yokota?
▲ Well he is a striker, so I am very confident I will beat him. Actually I think I will KO him just like my senior, Seung Hwan Bang, did. Yokota actually commentated as a commentator when I fought Ishida, that "If it was me, I would have beat him". Well the only for sure thing is that for me, he is a much much easier opponent than Ishida.
- It seems you are close to signing with the UFC. What is your schedule?
▲ It does not seem like a reality as of now. I want to be DEEP champion first. I want to beat all of the strongest Japanese fighters first. I actually want Hiroyuki Takaya right now.
- Tell us about your boxing/kickboxing experience?
▲ It always helps your MMA game to do striking competition. It really improves your stand up when you do pure boxing/kickboxing. There is a drastic difference in the way pure standup guys punch in combination compared to MMA guys. I am so confident in my striking because of this.
- But you started out as a BJJ guy?
▲Yes and I love BJJ, but I am more confident in my striking. I am always working on my ground game. I work at Team Posse for that aspect of my game. The grappling there is so strong, especially the wrestling because of guys like Kwon Bae Young, Nam Yui Chul, and Lee Jae Sun.
- I heard rumors you used to fight a lot in your school boy days.
▲ I always loved sports. And I have never backed down from a fight in my life. And I guess you get into a lot of fights with that mindset(haha). I was kind of a Pride FC super fan. I was almost obsessed.
I remember when I first stared BJJ. I just fell in love. It started as a hobby but I knew I wanted to go pro one day.
- What do you think of your senior, Dong Hyun Kim?
▲ What a lot of casual fans don't understand is that his ground game is on a completely different level in the Korean MMA community. I have worked with him a lot, he is a monster at grappling. Not only is he huge, his technical grappling is amazing. When we spar I just get dominated and just stay awed at his skill.
- Who is your favorite fighter in the UFC ?
▲Without a doubt, Mauricio Shogun Rua. He lost to Jon Jones, but Jones is a serious prodigy with so much natural talent. And Shogun's condition was off and did not look right. I always cheer Shogun..
I want to fight just like his style. Never fear the standup and go for the kill. I love how he doesn't pace himself and just tries to finish. Most fighters are conservative because of gassing issues, but Shogun never seems to care.
-Who do you want to fight in the UFC first?
▲ Leonard Garcia. His aggressive stand up style is perfect for me. I am extremely confident it would end in a beautiful finish.
- What do you think of Jose Aldo?
▲ He is amazing. To beat him you have to be top level at everything. But I still would fight him right now. Of course I could lose, but I would stand with him. My target is whoever is on top.
- You are 20 years old. The Korean Army will call for you soon.
▲ I always worry about that. But I plan on doing my thing until then. I will stall and stall until I am dragged in(haha). I will just keep on fighting until that day comes.
- Last words?
▲ Thank you to all the fans for all the compliments recently. I hope I can repay the kindness and faith with my future performances. By next year, I guarantee I will be champ. Thank you to CMA and just want to say, I love you coach Lee Chang Sup.
'Countdown to UFC 143' preview show debuts Jan. 10 on FUEL TV
While February's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event is getting the full "UFC Primetime" treatment, that doesn't mean the typical "Countdown" show has been nixed.
In anticipation of the night's key matchups, FUEL TV debuts "Countdown to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Headliners Nick Diaz (26-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Carlos Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who meet with the UFC's interim welterweight title on the line, are featured in the program, as are main-card fighters Josh Koscheck (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and Mike Pierce (13-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC).
"UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" takes place Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view.
Replays of "Countdown to UFC 143" are expected to air throughout the week of the fight, and a three-part "UFC Primetime" special has also been announced for the pre-fight build-up.
The lineup for UFC 143 currently includes:
•Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz (for interim welterweight title)
•Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
•Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
•Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
•Dustin Poirier vs. TBA
•Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks
•Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
•Jorge Lopez vs. Amir Sadollah
•Rafael Natal vs Michael Kuiper
•Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf
While February's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event is getting the full "UFC Primetime" treatment, that doesn't mean the typical "Countdown" show has been nixed.
In anticipation of the night's key matchups, FUEL TV debuts "Countdown to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Headliners Nick Diaz (26-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Carlos Condit (27-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who meet with the UFC's interim welterweight title on the line, are featured in the program, as are main-card fighters Josh Koscheck (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and Mike Pierce (13-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC).
"UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" takes place Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view.
Replays of "Countdown to UFC 143" are expected to air throughout the week of the fight, and a three-part "UFC Primetime" special has also been announced for the pre-fight build-up.
The lineup for UFC 143 currently includes:
•Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz (for interim welterweight title)
•Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
•Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
•Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
•Dustin Poirier vs. TBA
•Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks
•Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
•Jorge Lopez vs. Amir Sadollah
•Rafael Natal vs Michael Kuiper
•Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf
UFC's Thiago Silva serves term of one-year NSAC license revocation
Thiago Silva's career is back online – at least in theory.
The UFC light heavyweight on Sunday served the final day of his license revocation from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Silva's name is no longer present on a commission registry that tracks fighters with administrative actions against them, and he is now free to reapply in Nevada or elsewhere.
However, Silva (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is required to appear before the commission should he reapply in Nevada, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"He would need to appear on an agenda for licensure," Kizer wrote via email.
Silva was fined in addition to his license revocation following his admission to the NSAC that he knowingly used steroids and provided a synthetic urine sample in his pre-UFC 125 drug screen.
A unanimous decision win earned against Brandon Vera at the Jan. 1, 2011 event was also overturned to a "no contest."
In March, Silva was served with a formal NSAC complaint after two separate urinalysis samples revealed a substance that was "inconsistent with human urine," which indicated that he "submitted an adulterated and/or substituted specimen for testing for the urinalysis." Silva's first test was flagged, which prompted further testing by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Silva admitted to twice taking a prescription steroid, delivered by a doctor via epidural, on two separate occasions prior to UFC 125.
At an administrative hearing held in Las Vegas one month after the NSAC's complaint, Silva admitted to the commission that he knew the injections were in direct violation of NSAC regulations but said he felt compelled to cheat in order to support his family. He cited a reoccurring back injury as the reason for using the steroid.
"I just want to apologize for what I did," Silva said. "I did what I did because my back was very, very bad a couple months (before the fight). I had not fought for one year. I was completely broke. I have a family. People depend on my money. I was desperate to do something.
"I know what I did is wrong. Like I said, I'm so sorry. I had my reasons. People depend on my money, and I had to give them support."
Silva was fined (and later paid) $13,750 of his $55,000 "show" purse and $20,000 of his $55,000 "win" purse for a total of $33,750. The fighter was unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
Thiago Silva's career is back online – at least in theory.
The UFC light heavyweight on Sunday served the final day of his license revocation from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Silva's name is no longer present on a commission registry that tracks fighters with administrative actions against them, and he is now free to reapply in Nevada or elsewhere.
However, Silva (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is required to appear before the commission should he reapply in Nevada, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"He would need to appear on an agenda for licensure," Kizer wrote via email.
Silva was fined in addition to his license revocation following his admission to the NSAC that he knowingly used steroids and provided a synthetic urine sample in his pre-UFC 125 drug screen.
A unanimous decision win earned against Brandon Vera at the Jan. 1, 2011 event was also overturned to a "no contest."
In March, Silva was served with a formal NSAC complaint after two separate urinalysis samples revealed a substance that was "inconsistent with human urine," which indicated that he "submitted an adulterated and/or substituted specimen for testing for the urinalysis." Silva's first test was flagged, which prompted further testing by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Silva admitted to twice taking a prescription steroid, delivered by a doctor via epidural, on two separate occasions prior to UFC 125.
At an administrative hearing held in Las Vegas one month after the NSAC's complaint, Silva admitted to the commission that he knew the injections were in direct violation of NSAC regulations but said he felt compelled to cheat in order to support his family. He cited a reoccurring back injury as the reason for using the steroid.
"I just want to apologize for what I did," Silva said. "I did what I did because my back was very, very bad a couple months (before the fight). I had not fought for one year. I was completely broke. I have a family. People depend on my money. I was desperate to do something.
"I know what I did is wrong. Like I said, I'm so sorry. I had my reasons. People depend on my money, and I had to give them support."
Silva was fined (and later paid) $13,750 of his $55,000 "show" purse and $20,000 of his $55,000 "win" purse for a total of $33,750. The fighter was unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
UFC targeting summer for Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem title fight
The UFC's first heavyweight title fight of 2012 is likely to take place mid-year.
While on Tuesday's debut episode of "UFC Today" on FUEL TV, UFC president Dana White said he's tentatively scheduling a bout between heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and recent UFC 141 winner Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) for the summer.
However, no specific date has been determined.
"Hopefully this summer," White said when asked about the heavyweight tilt. "This summer is probably when it's going to go down.
"Alistair wants to take some time off. Dos Santos is ready but needs to get some training in. So hopefully, this summer."
Overeem claimed the first shot at Dos Santos' belt this past weekend with a first-round destruction of Brock Lesnar in UFC 141's pay-per-view headliner and title eliminator. Overeem, who recently joined the UFC after he was pulled from the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and stripped of the organization's title, now has won 12 consecutive fights.
Dos Santos, meanwhile, hasn't fought since his November championship upset of Cain Velasquez at the UFC's first network-televised event. He recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) an injured knee is close to 100 percent following a "minor" surgery and that he expects to return to training as soon as this week. He's won nine straight fights (and all eight of his UFC bouts).
Both Dos Santos and Overeem have solid ground skills (in fact, more than half of Overeem's wins have come via submission), but White expects a slugfest.
"This is one of those fights where no matter where this ends up, it'll be exciting," he said. "But I see this fight standing up and finding out who hits the hardest and who has the best chin."
Although the date remains uncertain, the UFC traditionally holds major shows in Las Vegas on Memorial Day weekend (May 26) and Fourth of July weekend (July 7). Both are possibilities for the title fight.
The UFC's first heavyweight title fight of 2012 is likely to take place mid-year.
While on Tuesday's debut episode of "UFC Today" on FUEL TV, UFC president Dana White said he's tentatively scheduling a bout between heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and recent UFC 141 winner Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) for the summer.
However, no specific date has been determined.
"Hopefully this summer," White said when asked about the heavyweight tilt. "This summer is probably when it's going to go down.
"Alistair wants to take some time off. Dos Santos is ready but needs to get some training in. So hopefully, this summer."
Overeem claimed the first shot at Dos Santos' belt this past weekend with a first-round destruction of Brock Lesnar in UFC 141's pay-per-view headliner and title eliminator. Overeem, who recently joined the UFC after he was pulled from the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and stripped of the organization's title, now has won 12 consecutive fights.
Dos Santos, meanwhile, hasn't fought since his November championship upset of Cain Velasquez at the UFC's first network-televised event. He recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) an injured knee is close to 100 percent following a "minor" surgery and that he expects to return to training as soon as this week. He's won nine straight fights (and all eight of his UFC bouts).
Both Dos Santos and Overeem have solid ground skills (in fact, more than half of Overeem's wins have come via submission), but White expects a slugfest.
"This is one of those fights where no matter where this ends up, it'll be exciting," he said. "But I see this fight standing up and finding out who hits the hardest and who has the best chin."
Although the date remains uncertain, the UFC traditionally holds major shows in Las Vegas on Memorial Day weekend (May 26) and Fourth of July weekend (July 7). Both are possibilities for the title fight.
Bellator and Impact Wrestling (TNA) to cross promote???
http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/headlines/tna-bellator-to-cross-promote-details/
With Viacom purchasing Bellator Fighting Championships, word is that TNA is looking to cross promote with the company. TNA has previously had Bellator fighters and their CEO on the program as a way to promote the Bellator brand. One name being thrown around for this cross promotion is Kid Kash. Kash had competed in MMA prior to his TNA return, but most bouts were either amateur bouts or non-sanctioned fights. One source says that Kash is currently training again at a gym in Tennessee.
Another possibility is said to be former TNA performer Bobby Lashley. Lashley currently holds a 7-1 MMA record, and had left the company due to a falling out with management due to his Strikeforce contract.
¿¿¿¿????
http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/headlines/tna-bellator-to-cross-promote-details/
With Viacom purchasing Bellator Fighting Championships, word is that TNA is looking to cross promote with the company. TNA has previously had Bellator fighters and their CEO on the program as a way to promote the Bellator brand. One name being thrown around for this cross promotion is Kid Kash. Kash had competed in MMA prior to his TNA return, but most bouts were either amateur bouts or non-sanctioned fights. One source says that Kash is currently training again at a gym in Tennessee.
Another possibility is said to be former TNA performer Bobby Lashley. Lashley currently holds a 7-1 MMA record, and had left the company due to a falling out with management due to his Strikeforce contract.
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