MMA News Thread

[heyzel]

NAM PHAN VICTORIOUS AT GLADIATOR CHALLENGE

Popular Los Angeles area fighter Nam Phan was victorious Saturday night at Gladiator Challenge’s event that was part of the Los Angeles FitExpo. He finished off Saad Awad within the first minute of round two, keeping Phan on the winning track.

Having fought several times for Gladiator Challenge’s sister promotion, King of the Cage, Phan had been on a seven-fight winning streak before dropping back-to-back fights to Josh Thomson and MMAWeekly’s No. 4 ranked lightweight Gesias “JZ” Calvancante.

The win over Awad at the Los Angeles Convention Center was Phan’s second – the first being over Shad Smith – since the loss to Calvancante at the K-1 Hero’s Dynamite!! USA event last June.

Nam Phan def. Saad Awad by TKO (Strikes) at 0:52, R2
Tony Lopez def. Liron Wilson by Submission (Rear Naked Choke at 4:46, R1
Mike Sanchez def. Art Ruiz by TKO (Strikes) at 0:44, R3
Jason High def. Troy Acker by KO at 0:24, R1
Andrew Flores def. Randy Ray by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:14, R1
Chris David def. Georgi Karakhanyan by Split Decision, R3
Russ Muira def. Aaron Miller by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:37, R2
Larry Mays def. Jose Reyes by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 5:00, R2
Niko Medina def. Adam Watts by KO at 0:13, R1
Beau Serat def. Tony Dalton by TKO (Strikes) at 2:01, R3
Alijah Reni def. Ron Nguyen by Submission (Verbal) at 1:57, R1

 

[heyzel]

Yahoo! Sports to Carry UFC 82 Weigh-Ins Live; Nogueira Booked for Q&A

Weigh-ins for UFC 82 will take place next Friday, Feb. 29 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The event is open to the public and will also be carried live by MMAjunkie.com‘s (www.mmajunkie.com) partner site, Yahoo! Sports, as well as UFC.com and other online outlets.

Doors to the event open at 3 p.m. ET, and the first fighter hits the scale at approximately 4 p.m. ET. Members of the UFC’s fan club can gain early entrance to the event for an exclusive question-and-answer session with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion.

The live online feed of the weigh-ins will be available at approximately 3:50 p.m. ET.

The actual 10-fight UFC 82 event takes place the following day, March 1, at the same venue. Last year, Nationwide Arena set a still-standing UFC attendance record, and broke venue records for attendance, live gate and merchandise sales.

UFC 82 features a championship bout between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson in the night’s main event. The televised main card also features Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo, Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara, Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner, and Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson. Dark matches feature Andrei Arlovski, Josh Koscheck and Diego Sanchez.

MMAjunkie.com will be on seen for all of next week’s UFC 82 activities, so stay tuned for complete event coverage.

For the latest UFC 82 news, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Loyota Machida Vs. Tito Ortiz Is "A Go" According To Joe Silva

Despite rumors to the contrary, fueled in large part by comments made in a recent interview by former UFC fighter Babalu Sobral (see comments here), Tito Ortiz will face Lyoto Machida at UFC 84.
Sources close to Machida have confirmed that Joe Silva has a contract signed by both fighters and that the fight is a "go" for May 24 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Big thanks to Tagg Radio's The Lights Out Show for breaking the information.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Antonio Silva fought injured

There were several fights during EliteXC's "Street Certified" on Saturday that certainly surprised me. One of them was Ricco Rodriguez getting a split decision loss against Antonio Silva.

I really expected Silva to rip through Rodriguez but Ricco was able to slow down the fight and take Silva out of his game. When it was all said and done though, I was really unimpressed by Silva's showing.

Dann Stupp of MMAjunkie.com was in Miami covering the event and attended the post-fight press conference. Apparently there could be a legitimate reason why Silva looked less than stellar:

Injured Silva: Silva confirmed after the fight that he had suffered a torn MCL two weeks before the fight. He felt that it hindered his performance at Saturday’s event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: UFC 81 Registers 650,000 PPV “Buys”

A UFC 81 event that took place earlier this month and featured Brock Lesnar’s highly marketed UFC debut has registered approximately 650,000 pay-per-view “buys,” according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

UFC 81 took place Feb. 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Although the main event featured Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s victory over Tim Sylvia for the UFC’s interim heavyweight title, Lesnar, a former World Wrestling Entertainment performer who took on Frank Mir, was expected to be the event’s biggest draw.

Lesnar dominated all but the last few seconds of his fight with former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir and ultimately suffered a submission loss (via kneebar) at 1:30 of the first round.

Just prior to UFC 81, the UFC increased the price of its stand-definition pay-per-view broadcasts from $39.95 to $44.95. Although a small number of additional buys will trickle in (cable systems have a taped version of the broadcast available for purchase), Meltzer reports that the event will be third-highest-grossing event in UFC history — behind only December 2006’s UFC 66 event (Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz II) and July 2006’s UFC 61 event (Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock II).

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) mentioned in a UFC 81 salaries report, despite just one professional MMA fight, Lesnar earned a base salary of $250,000 for the fight. He would have earned an additional $200,000 “win bonus” with a victory. The UFC doesn’t comment on fighters’ salaries, but Lesnar’s deal in undoubtedly one of the most lucrative in the organization’s history. In addition to his base pay, Lesnar also likely earned a portion of the pay-per-view revenue.

For complete coverage of this UFC 81, including fighters salaries and the list of winners for fight-night bonuses, be sure to check out MMAjunkie.com’s UFC 81 archives.

(Touch of gloves: BloodyElbow.com)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Duane “Bang” Ludwig: Weighty Concerns with Takanori Gomi Fight

Developing a game plan for the one of the world’s toughest fighters — on a few weeks’ notice — would be a challenge for any athlete. But trying to cut down to an extra weight class in the process could be called madness.

But that’s exactly what Duane “Bang”Ludwig (16-7) is trying to do for his upcoming fight with former PRIDE lightweight champ Takanori Gomi (27-3). Ludwig discussed the bout on Friday’s edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), which is a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The Ludwig-Gomi fight headlines the World Victory Road‘s debut show, which takes place Wednesday, March 5 at the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

The main-event bout takes place at 154 lbs.

“When I got the call (last week), I was 183 lbs.,” said Ludwig, a two-time UFC fighter. “I was supposed to fight Steve Berger (at a Strikeforce show) next weekend at 170 lbs., so I was trying to keep on same weight. The call came, so it was time to start dropping the weight.“

WVR actually called up Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker to inquire about Ludwig for the fight, and once Ludwig got assurance that Berger wouldn’t be left without an opponent, he accepted the fight. (Berger will now fight Eddy Ellis at this weekend’s show.)

However, will such a drastic, unexpected cut affect Ludwig’s performance?

“Probably,” Ludwig admitted. “But we’ll see what happened. I couldn’t pass up the fight because it’s such a great opportunity.“

A win over Gomi, arguably the world’s top lightweight fighter, could be the biggest victory of of Ludwig’s career, though a January 2003 first-round KO of Jens Pulver (when Pulver was in his absolute prime) is right up there.

So, how do you fight Gomi, a fighter who likes to stand and trade but is as equally dangerous with submissions?

“I’m just going to see where the fight goes,” Ludwig said. “If I can get a submission, of course I’ll take a submission. Ideally, though, I’d like to keep it on the feet and see what I can do there. But if I get cracked or don’t have luck there, I’ll be happy to take the fight to the ground. But it’s MMA, so we’ll just see what happens.

To hear the full interview, download Friday’s edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

Additionally, check out MMAjunkie.com’s World Victory Road report from last week for more about this fight.

This story was produced with TAGG Radio specially for MMAjunkie.com. The show — which is hosted by fighter/broadcaster Frank Trigg, Gorgeous George and Goze — books some of the biggest names in MMA. Download all the former episodes at www.taggradio.com, or tune into TAGG Radio’s live shows Monday-Friday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 82: Chris Wilson details his preparation for Jon Fitch fight

Chris Wilson (pictured on right next to training partner Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou) is updating his blog frequently leading up to his welterweight showdown with top division contender, Jon Fitch, at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” on March 1 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This might be a good chance for all the readers sending me emails like, “Who the hell is Chris Wilson and why is he fighting Jon Fitch?” to find out more about the Team Quest fighter who took the bout on short notice. YouTube.com, of course, is also a good spot to check out some footage.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Chuck Liddell says he has the edge against Shogun; feels he deserved Rampage instead

“He’s a good fighter … had a great career in Pride, and I’ll be glad to show him again why UFC is better than Pride. I have the edge in the standup game and the wrestling game, too. His submission game is decent, but I don’t think I’ll have a problem with his submission game, either…. I didn’t think I needed two wins in a row to get a title shot. But two fights definitely give me the credibility to get a title shot.”

– Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell tells BrawlSports.com that he has more ways to win against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in their upcoming bout at UFC 85 in June. However, with his win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79: “Nemesis” back in December 2007, the “Iceman” feels he did enough to get a third crack at reigning 205-pound kingpin, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. That honor went to Forrest Griffin, who is currently filming season seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) as a coach alongside the champ.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Seminar In Weston, FL. On 2/23

Stan Beck from Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Weston sent along the following:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World famous fighter Renzo Gracie arrives in Weston

Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Association welcomes world famous Renzo Gracie for a seminar at their Grand Opening of their first academy in Florida located in Weston.

Weston, Fl. February 23, 2008 @ 10a.m. The first Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in Florida will be hosting a seminar by the world famous Renzo Gracie in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on February 23rd at 10 a.m. Located in Weston just off 595 at 1392 SW 160 Ave, Weston 33326, the brand new academy will also host an official Grand Opening party shortly after the seminar at 1 p.m. with free food, snacks and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to come, join and train with the best. For those not familiar with the Gracie family, it is the most famous name in Mixed Martial Arts and Jiu Jitsu with Renzo Gracie being a champion in Pride, and World Combat Championships and ADCC. Tickets for the actual seminar are $100 at the door and $90 in advance, the after party is free of charge for anyone that just want to come and meet Renzo Gracie and check out the academy.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is geared towards training adults and children how to properly defend themselves in real world situations as well as developing a strong mind, body, self-confidence and discipline.

The academy is brand new and almost 3000 sq/ft with a large mated area, men's and women's locker rooms, as well as space for doing functional strength training and cardio exercise. A lounge, which is used for watching technique videos.

Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has proven to be the most effective form of unarmed combat available. The Gracie family has proven this in today's Mixed Martial Art events and open challenge matches. For more information contact Stan Beck at the Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy of Weston at 954-384-2862 or [email protected]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hogan's Nephew To Make MMA Debut

Hulk Hogan's nephew David Bollea is scheduled to make his MMA debut on Sunday, March 2 in St. Petersburg, Florida at the St. Petersburg Times Forum. He is scheduled to face Jesse Lawrence.

In a press release regarding his debut, Bollea said, "The Hogan family tradition of undeniable dominance is about to step away from the wrestling ring, and right inside the steel cages of MMA. This is my destiny, and anybody who even dreams they can beat me better wake up and apologize. In my family, either you;re the world champion or you're a loser. I guarantee you, brother, 'King' David Bollea ain’t a loser."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Denis Kang Update

Denis Kang will make his debut for the new Japan-based Dream promotion in a middleweight grand prix on Tuesday, April 29 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. “The Super Korean” said he’s optimistic the union between the Fight Entertainment Group (K-1’s parent company) and former Pride Fighting Championships officials will be for the better.

Kang, who signed with K-1 in 2007, admits he was beginning to question K-1 management’s business practices.

“I don’t know what K-1’s problem was,” Kang said. “They’re a big company. It’s not like they don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t know if they were doing too much with running Hero’s and regular K-1 [shows], but it seemed to me like they were very disorganized.”

Kang (29-9-1) – who hasn’t fought since being knocked out by Yoshihiro Akiyama in October – has been training since November for two promised fights that never came to fruition. He concedes he’s frustrated, explaining that the financial implications of not competing have been amplified by the costs of his training for bouts that did not materialize.

“I thought I was fighting Dec. 31, so I fly all the way to Montreal to train with Georges [St. Pierre], bust my ass and spend all kinds of money just to find I have no fight,” Kang said. “[Then], I’m told I’m fighting March 15, and I find out that’s not happening, either. It changes my whole schedule. Now I have 10 weeks instead of four left in my training camp. It’s ridiculous.”

The scheduling setbacks notwithstanding, Kang’s goal for 2008 remains clear – he wants to get back on the winning track, starting with Dream’s middleweight grand prix.

“I want to win the grand prix,” Kang said. “Now they’ve got Akiyama, [Melvin] Manhoef, [Zelg] Galesic, [Kazushi] Sakuraba, Dong Sik Yoon … and I heard that Matt Lindland is going to be signing with them. There are a lot of good fighters I want to fight right there.”

The remaining rounds of the grand prix are tentatively scheduled for June and September, according to Kang.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ryan Gracie: coroner’s report

Black belt was victim of combination of medicinal and recreational drugs

A little over two months since the death of Ryan Gracie, on December 15, the first toxicology report on the black belt’s death was released yesterday by the program Fantastico, on Brazilian television. According to the program, the document stated that Ryan’s death was not of natural causes. Listed in the report, therapeutic doses of the medicines midasolan, alprazolan, prometazina, clozapina, haloperidol and the fighter had already used intoxicating substances. Based on analysis of the report, the authorities will determine what caused Ryan Gracie’s death. Cardiorespiratory failure seems to be the most probable cause.

 

[Shogun Locc]

PHIL BARONI: "I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS...FEDOR'S THE BEST!"

There are a lot of good fighters out there that's still not signed and I think cross-promotions are the best way to find out who the best fighters are," stated MMA veteran Phil Baroni as he shared his thoughts on the importance of being able to fight in multiple organizations and much more. "I still have a lot left in me and my best days are still to come," he continued as he talked about his recent multi-fight deal with EliteXC and his upcoming clash with Kala Hose for the ICON middleweight title. You definitely don't want to miss what he had to say about the fight as he guarantees excitement and a knockout. Check it out.
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content1983.html?PHPSESSID=ff0e3748361723af51d7da2fcdc82425

 

[Shogun Locc]

One-on-One with Goran Reljic

http://www.nokaut.com/?id=38&solo_news=1363&lang=e&cur=eur
One-on-One with Goran Reljic [Feb 18, 2008]
by Slaven Vujic


Nokaut's Slaven Vujic had a chance to sit down with the UFC's latest European signing, Goran Reljic. The Croatian spoke about his upcoming UFC debut against Wilson Gouveia and training with Roger Gracie.

Nokaut: Hi Goran, what have you been up to lately?
Goran: Hi, I'm in London right now; I train hard under Roger Gracie. This weekend I competed at Bristol Open, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, and I won first place in both heavyweight and absolute categories.

Nokaut: How does it feel to be a UFC fighter now?
Goran: It feels great. I was right to believe in myself all the time and I really put a lot of effort in this.

Nokaut: It must have been a real honor to be one of the first Croatian after Mirko “Cro Cop” and Pat Militech to compete in the UFC?
Goran: According to recent news Mirko went to Japan, so I'm the only Croatian competing in the UFC now. It's a huge honor, but there are some good guys in Croatia that deserves the same chance and I really hope that we'll see them too in the UFC.
Goran Reljic & Mirko Cro Cop


Nokaut: Your game is based on your ground skills. Do you prepare any surprises for your next opponent?
Goran: Of course, I worked a lot on my stand-up and I think I'm more well-rounded than before.

Nokaut: What do you know about your next opponent, Wilson Gouveia?
Goran: I know a lot, at least everything I should know. He's a top fighter, very well rounded and strong. His stand up is good and he's a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Nokaut: Yes, Wilson is a black belt, but we saw against Jason Lambert that he can punch.
Goran: That's right. I'm taking this fight very seriously and I'm training like a beast.

Nokaut: In this fight Wilson is a favorite, at least on paper. Is it easier for you to be an underdog?
Goran: Predictions and things like that are not really my concern. I really don't care; I've learned that everything is possible in an MMA fight.

Nokaut: Thanks Goran and good luck in the UFC!
Goran: Thanks for the interview and thanks to everyone for supporting me

 

[Shogun Locc]

Barnett`s interview

- What do you think about Yoshida?
I have trained with him before and he is one of my close friends. I'm excited to fight him in Sengoku to be honest. We will enjoy fighting for sure. He is a great fighter and has a great personality as well. I will do everything I can do to win and I know that what he wants from me. I will do my best to KO him.


- What do you think about Sengoku?
I know GOKU means extreme. Our fight will be extreme.


- Could you tell me your fight plan?
3.5 min. per round is very short amount of time to finish him. I would like to have an amazing main event. I will be aggressive from the beginning and want to finish as quick as I can.


- What do you want to show your fans?
I know our fans expect a lot from me. At the same time, I always keep my mind on having exciting fights to satisfy them, because I'm a professional fighter. I would like to have an impressive fight which is transmitted by everybody including MMA fans, and which my students can learn from.


- Who would you like to fight in Sengoku?
I will fight any strong fighters. I would like to fight Roger Gracie because I want to defeat the Gracie family? I would like to fight a lot as a belt holder of Pancrase.


- Any message to your fans?
Thank you for always supporting me. I'm glad to have a chance to fight in Japan again. Please come to the event and be witnesses of a new MMA history.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monteiro's interview from the Sengoku Ofiicial Site

- What do you think about Sengoku?
I think Sengoku will be the best MMA event in the world. I hope I can be a champion in Sengoku.

- What do you think about your opponent, Nick Thompson?

He is a very strong fighter and that's why he is a champion of Bodog.

- Tell me about your fight plan.
I think our fight will be a great fight no matter what. I have been ready to fight him. I did my best preparing for this fight. My fight will be an unforgettable fight for my fans.

- What do you want to show your fans?

I want to show how aggressive I am. I had very hard training to be aggressive.

- Who would you like to fight in Sengoku?

I want to fight champions. I always enjoy a big fight!

- What would you like to achieve in MMA?
I want to be a champion and I believe my dream comes true in Japan.

- Any message to your fans?

I trained really hard to show a tremendous fight. Please come and see my fight, and let's celebrate my victory!



http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/02/02152/02152.html

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thompson interview from the Sengoku official site

- What do you think about Sengoku?
I think Sengoku will be a No.1 MMA event, because this event is held in a county which people understand MMA the most, and has top MMA fighters. I'm very honored to be a part of this event.


- What do you think about your opponent, Fabricio "Pitbull" Monteiro?
He has great techniques and he has defeated tough opponents before. His score is 16 won and 6 lost now and it will be 16 won and 7 lost on Mar 6.


- Tell me about your fight plan.
I imagine I will take a mount position and pound him. I know my Japanese fans support me and cheer me up.


- What do you want to show your fans?
I always aim at TKO victory or KO victory and I did it in last 10 fights.


- Do you have any fighters you want to fight in Sengoku?
I want to fight good Japanese fighters like Mach Sakurai.

- What would you like to achieve in MMA?
I have only one thing in my mind now. It's to be a champion in Sengoku.


- Any message to your fans?
I'm excited to fight in Japan, and you will be enthused watching my fight. I will do my best.

http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/topics/2008/02/0214/0214.html

 

[Shogun Locc]

Youngsters Jeremy Stephens and Terry Etim to Meet at UFC 84

Promising UFC lightweights Jeremy Stephens (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Terry Etim (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) have agreed to meet at a UFC 84 event set for May 24.

A source close to Stephens told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that both fighters have agreed to the fight and were expected to sign bout agreements shortly.

UFC 84, which will feature a main event between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and former champ Sean Sherk, takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Stephens, a mere 21 years old, will look to build upon last month’s victory over Cole Miller. In one of the night’s top performances, Stephens took out “The Ultimate Fighter 5” stand-out with a second-round TKO.

Stephens made his UFC debut with a tough-fought loss to Din Thomas this past May. He then took a fight outside the organization and defeated Nick Walker via first-round TKO before returning to the UFC for a unanimous decision victory over Diego Saraiva at UFC 76 and the victory over Miller.

Etim, meanwhile, will return to the octagon for the first time since a unanimous-decision loss to Gleison Tibau at this past September’s UFC 75 event in London. Prior to the loss — the first of Etim’s career — the 22-year-old Brit made his UFC debut with a stunning comeback over Matt Grice at UFC 70. After getting beaten around for nearly the entire first round, Etim reversed his position and locked in a fight-ending guillotine choke. He earned a $30,000 Submission of the Night bonus for the performance.

Etim had been a rumored opponent for Sam Stout at UFC 80, but the January bout never panned out.

For the latest UFC 84 fight card, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Weigh in UFC 82 information and fighter autograph schedules

The official UFC 82 weigh-ins for the “Pride of a Champion” pay-per-view (PPV) event will take place on Friday, February 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. ET at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Fighters will hit the scales at about 4 p.m. ET at which time ESPN.com, NBCSports.com, Sympatico MSN, Yahoo!Sports and FoxSports.com will beam the festivities across the Internet LIVE via streaming video, according to UFC.com.

For those fans fortunate enough to be in the Buckeye State at this time remember that the weigh-in event is FREE to attend and open to the general public.

In addition, UFC Fight Club members on the scene will be treated to an exclusive question and answer session with interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, from 2 to 3 p.m.

For the complete UFC 82 card, which is jam-packed with fantastic match ups, click here.

Unlike most UFC weigh-in specials, there will not be other fighters on hand to sign autographs. Instead, an army of talent is lined up to work the Arnold Classic 2008 — the largest health and fitness expo in the nation — at the nearby Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Here’s the scheduled line up:

Friday, February 29 from 10 a.m. to noon

Jason MacDonald
Houston Alexander
Jorge Rivera
Minotauro Nogueira
UFC ring girls Arianny Celeste and Edith Labelle (Larente)
Friday, February 29 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Marcus Davis
Frank Edgar
Chris Lytle
Sam Stout
Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to noon

Marcus Davis
Jorge Rivera
Frank Edgar
Mike Swick
Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC ring girls Arianny Celeste and Edith Labelle (Larente)
Saturday, March 1 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Jason MacDonald
Houston Alexander
Sam Stout
Minotauro Nogueira
Sunday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon

Rich Franklin
Jorge Rivera
Mike Swick
Jason Macdonald
UFC ring girl Edith Labelle (Larente)
Sunday, March 2 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Gabriel Gonzaga
Sam Stout
Edith Labelle (Larente)
UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” is slated to take place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, March 1. The prelim action begins around 7:30 p.m. ET and the PPV telecast will be broadcast at 10 p.m. ET sharp.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Wanderlei Silva mulls move to middleweight and fight with Keith Jardine

Former Pride FC 205-pound champion and current UFC fighter, Wanderlei Silva, is considering a move to middleweight (185 pounds) after taking some vacation time since his unanimous decision loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 79: “Nemesis” on December 29, 2007, according to GracieMag.com.

In addition, the consideration means that the rumored light heavyweight fight between him and Keith Jardine at UFC 84 in May continues to be just that until a decision is made on his future fighting weight.

Here’s the snip from an “Axe Murderer” trainer, Rafael Alejarra:

“Wanderlei made the most of his holidays to rest his body and mind. But we’ve already done a bit of training this weekend and starting tomorrow things will pick up. As we only just got back now and today is a holiday here (Las Vegas) we can’t confirm anything about the next fight, if just because there is the chance Wand will drop down in weight. Every fight and adversary is different, which is why we have to wait to define our training plan. If he should drop to middleweight, we will work on his losing weight and preserving his muscle mass, losing only water and fat and not strength and size, since he normally weight 98 kilos. But nothing’s for sure yet, we’ll wait and see.”

It’s no secret that Silva looked leaner in his bout with the “Iceman” this past New Year’s Eve weekend than he had competing for years overseas. Some attribute that to performance enhancing drugs, (tests for steroids went relatively untested in Japan), which is sheer speculation.

Others point to his rigorous snorkel-packed conditioning program leading up to the Liddell bout. In fact, those close to Silva in the wake of the loss admitted that he spent too much time on his cardio and not enough on his bread and butter, striking.

Whatever the case, it’s not really important right now. One thing is for certain: Silva is capable of making the 185-pound cut if he is up for the challenge — he walks around at 215 pounds.

Rich Franklin has a similar muscular build — he might even be bigger — and made the drop successfully. In fact, “Ace” captured the middleweight strap quickly and defended it numerous times.

Silva might not have the same instant success. However, it’s no secret that the middleweight division is starving for contenders. And if Silva were to throw his name in the hat he’d be an instant threat to UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, and the rest of the field.

Here’s to hoping he takes his time and makes the right decision … whatever that may be.