MMA News Thread

[drunkaholic707]

Jeremy Stephens withdraws from UFC Fight Night 20 bout with Nik Lentz

A lightweight contest between slugger Jeremy Stephens (16-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and recent UFC addition Nik Lentz (17-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been scrapped from UFC Fight Night 20.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the organization that Stephens was forced to withdraw from the contest after suffering an injury in training.

The nature of Stephens' ailment wasn't immediately revealed, and no timeframe was set for his return.

Featuring a main event between lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard, UFC Fight Night 20 takes place Jan. 11 in Fairfax, Va., and airs live on Spike TV.

Stephens fought most recently in a TKO win over Justin Buchholz at UFC Fight Night 19 in September. The two fighters appeared to be on the verge of a titanic slugfest before a Stephens' strike opened a huge gash on Buchholz's face that forced the stoppage.

The win was much-needed for Stephens, who had been in a 1-3 slump in the UFC.

Lentz, meanwhile, had sought to follow up on a win in his UFC debut. "The Carnie" earned a unanimous-decision victory over fellow UFC newcomer Rafaello Oliveira at "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" in September.

Lentz currently carries a nine-fight unbeaten streak. The UFC is expected to seek a replacement opponent for the 25-year-old Minnesota resident.

With the change to the card, UFC Fight Night 20 currently includes:

MAIN CARD

* Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
* Brad Blackburn vs. Amir Sadollah*
* Evan Dunham vs. Efrain Escudero
* Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva
* Jesse Lennox vs. Rick Story
* Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald
* Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos
* Tim Credeur vs. Mike Massenzio
* Nick Catone vs. Steve Steinbeiss

* - Not officially announced

 

[SLRider510]

Carlos Condit injury forces cancellation of UFC 108 bout with Paul Daley

.

exxtra glad we sole those 108 tix now

 

[UCDgreek]

OUTURE VS. COLEMAN HEAD 11-BOUTS FOR UFC 109

The UFC on Super Bowl weekend has become a mixed martial arts tradition.

The MMA juggernaut on Tuesday formally announced its 2010 Super Bowl weekend event, UFC 109, for Feb. 6 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, including a full slate of 11 bouts.

In a re-scheduling of a bout more than a decade in the making, former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture will face former Pride and UFC champion Mark Coleman in the main event. The two had been scheduled to meet in 1998 at UFC 17, but was shelved due to injury.

Welterweight contender Josh Koscheck gets a chance to avenge his lone knockout loss against Brazil’s Paulo Thiago in the co-main event, along with pivotal showdowns featuring Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera, Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen and Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg on the main card.

Other confirmed bouts include Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller, Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz, Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer, Rolles Gracie vs. Mustapha Al-Turk, Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres, and Rob Emerson vs. Phillipe Nover.

a lot of solid fights on this card. i see marquardt and meia winning easily. hope guillard has been working on his takedown and submission defense for this fight.

 

[SLRider510]

Carlos Condit Is A Big Pussy

A UFC welterweight showdown between Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit and Paul “Semtex” Daley expected for UFC 108 has been scrapped after an injury has recently forced Condit to the sidelines according to a recent report over at MMAUnltd.com.

"Step up!! You pussy…UFC 108 … You know me, I’d except any fight. I just wanna fight. Condit is a big pussy IMO, i have inside information on that dude….it’s all good as long as i fight. Koshcheck…is a tough motherfucker, but i accept the challange. Hazellet has sick subs, and is dangerous, but i except that fight too. Any top level figher in 170lbs with a winning record. Joe make it happen."

-Paul "Semtex" Daley

They say now Dustin Hazelett is stepping in for Carlos Condit.

 

[B-Buzz]

McLovin by some crazy ass sub. I like Semtex but he shoulda called out someone else

 

[drunkaholic707]

Thiago Tavares tapped to face Nik Lentz at UFC Fight Night 20

While Brazilian submission ace Thiago Tavares (14-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) saw injuries force him out of two separate contests in 2009, the American Top Team fighter now finds himself on the other side of the equation.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to Nik Lentz (17-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) that Tavares has verbally agreed to face "The Carnie" on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 20.

Tavares was called to action when Jeremy Stephens was forced out of the contest due to injury. Bout agreements are expected to be finalized shortly.

Featuring a main event between lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard, UFC Fight Night 20 is scheduled for Jan. 11 in Fairfax, Va. The main card airs live on Spike TV.

After Tavares snapped a two-fight losing streak with a January win over Manny Gamburyan, the 25-year-old said he hoped to show the world his improved stand-up skills along with his already proven jiu-jitsu. Unfortunately, a pair of unrelated injuries forced Tavares out of a bout with Melvin Guillard at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale and a fight with Jim Miller at UFC 103.

While Tavares has dropped three fights in the UFC's octagon, all three have resulted in the Brazilian being awarded a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Meanwhile, Lentz looks to build on the success of his UFC debut win over Rafaello Oliveira in September. The 25-year-old is currently riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak.

Tavares' is Lentz's third anticipated opponent for the Jan. 11 event. Lentz was expected to meet Efrain Escudero before the now-scratched matchup with Stephens was officially announced.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Spike TV airs seven hours of UFC on Saturday, includes Machida vs. Shogun on "Unleashed"

While Spike TV's Video Game Awards 2009 will prevent the network from airing any live preliminary bouts from Saturday's "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" event, the network hasn't forgotten about its MMA fans.

Beginning at 1 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday, Spike TV will re-air the "UFC 107 Countdown" special along with five episodes of "UFC Unleashed."

And just when you thought it had gone away, Spike TV breaks out the UFC 104 main event between light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for a new episode of the "Unleashed" series.

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will also factor in heavily to Saturday's programming block with all four of his career bouts in the UFC airing on Spike TV.

Saturday's "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" event will mark the first UFC fight card since September not to air in whole or part on Spike TV.

The network has aired preliminary bouts from UFC 103, 104 and 106 during that span, while UFC 105, UFC Fight Night 19 and The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale aired in full on the cable channel.

Saturday's Spike TV programming includes:

Episode 407 - "Lesnar vs. Mir, heavyweight title bout"

* Marucio "Shogun" Rua vs. Chuck Liddell from UFC 97
* Nate Quarry vs. Jason MacDonald from UFC 97
* Nick Catone vs. Tim Credeur from UFC Fight Night 18
* Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir from UFC 100

Episode 307 - "Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar"

* Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara from UFC 82
* Marcus Aurelio vs. Ryan Roberts from UFC Fight Night 13
* Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden from UFC 82
* Kendall Grove vs. Alan Belcher from UFC 69
* Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar from UFC 81

Episode 313 - "Lesnar vs. Herring, Penn vs. Sherk"

* Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring from UFC 87
* B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk from UFC 84

Episode 406 - "Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar"

* Shane Carwin vs. Gabriel Gonzaga from UFC 96
* Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle from UFC 93
* Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar from UFC 91

Episode 413 - "Machida vs. Rua, light heavyweight title bout"

* Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders from UFC 99
* B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian from UFC 101
* Lyoto Machida vs. Marucio "Shogun" Rua from UFC 104

 

[drunkaholic707]

Dustin Hazelett verbally agrees to replace Carlos Condit, face Paul Daley at UFC 108

The UFC has received plenty of practice in booking replacement fighters for the upcoming "UFC 108: Silva vs. Evans" event, so today's loss of Carlos Condit in the evening's co-feature slot was no problem.

Dustin Hazelett (12-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has verbally agreed to fill the open role and face British slugger Paul Daley (22-8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the Jan. 2 event in Las Vegas.

Bout agreements have yet to be signed.

News of the new agreement was first issued by MMAWeekly, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since verified the report with sources close to the event.

The bout is still expected to be featured as the evening's co-main event and air live on pay per view.

The contest will be Hazelett's first since a November 2008 win over Tamdan McCrory. "McLovin" was forced into a year-long hiatus due to a knee injury, and a UFC 106 bout in November was scratched when opponent Karo Parisyan pulled out for, according to UFC president Dana White, "a laundry list of reasons."

Hazelett provides a threat on the ground for Daley, as the 23-year-old has earned nine of his 12 career wins by submission. Hazelett has also earned back-to-back "Submission of the Night" honors in his past two UFC appearances.

Meanwhile, Daley will provide the "Striker" portion of the classic "Striker vs. Grappler" matchup.

Following his UFC 103 TKO win over Martin Kampmann, Daley told MMAjunkie.com he was more than willing to repeat the performance of his promotional debut against anyone the UFC offered.

"I'll do it again, and I don't care who's standing in front of me," Daley said. "I'm just going to be the same fighter and go out there to finish people."

The 26-year-old Team Rough House product has won 10 of his past 12 contests, and "Semtex" has earned 17 of his 22 career wins by knockout or TKO.

 

[drunkaholic707]

WEC exec says Jens Pulver to return in 2010

Following a June loss to young gun Josh Grispi, 10-year MMA veteran Jens Pulver (22-12 MMA, 1-4 WEC) sounded like a man who had stepped into the cage for the final time.

"I started right here, and I'm not going to be that guy who keeps saying he's retiring," Pulver told the Sacramento, Calif., crowd at the time. "But I think I just ended where I started. I love all you guys."

On Tuesday, WEC general manager Reed Harris told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that the situation with "Little Evil" had changed dramatically.

"Jens is going to fight again," Harris said. "We're working on that, and that's the only update I have.

"He wants to fight."

In November, Pulver shocked many MMA fans and observers by posting a simple message on his Facebook profile.

"Tomorrow I start training camp," Pulver stated.

While Harris said an exact date for a potential fight had not yet been determined, the WEC exec said it was safe to assume the 35-year-old would fight again for the promotion. Harris said he still believed in Pulver as a fighter and as a contributor to the development of MMA.

"Jens Pulver is an ambassador to the sport," Harris said.

A former UFC lightweight champion, Pulver has struggled to a 1-4 mark in the WEC after dropping to the featherweight division in December 2007. Of course, Pulver hasn't exactly faced many pushovers since joining the organization. Pulver lost a pair of contests to former featherweight champ Urijah Faber, and one fight each to current contenders Josh Grispi and Leonard Garcia.

Pulver is a nine-time UFC veteran and has also fought four times under the PRIDE banner

 

[drunkaholic707]

Blackburn vs. Sadollah, Lentz vs. Tavares officially complete UFC Fight Night 20

A long-rumored welterweight bout between Brad Blackburn and Amir Sadollah is now official for the main card of "UFC Fight Night 20: Maynard vs. Diaz," and a lightweight bout between Nik Lentz and Thiago Tavares has also been announced for the evening's prelims.

The two contests complete an 11-bout fight card for the Jan. 11 event at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.

Featuring a main event between lightweight challengers Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz, UFC Fight Night 20 marks the UFC's first trip to Virginia. The main card airs live on Spike TV.

Blackburn looks to improve his perfect UFC record when he meets Sadollah. The longtime IFL fighter has resurrected his career since a brutal 4-8 stretch from 2002 to 2007. He's now 5-0 (with one no-contest) over his past six bouts with UFC victories over James Giboo (TKO), Ryo Chonan (unanimous decision) and Edgar Garcia (split decision).

Blackburn, who recently signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC, has been sidelined following shoulder surgery in August.

Meanwhile, after defeating C.B. Dollaway and emerging as the surprise winner of "TUF 8" in June 2008, Sadollah battled injuries and illness, which forced him out of competition for 14 months. He returned in August and suffered a first-round TKO loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 101 but recently outlasted Phil Baroni for a unanimous decision win at UFC 106. He'll return to the octagon with less than a two-month layoff.

Lentz seeks to follow up on a win in his UFC debut. "The Carnie" earned a unanimous-decision victory over fellow UFC newcomer Rafaello Oliveira at "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort" in September.

Lentz currently carries a nine-fight unbeaten streak overall.

After Tavares snapped a two-fight losing streak with a January win over Manny Gamburyan, the 25-year-old said he hoped to show the world his improved stand-up skills along with his already proven jiu-jitsu. Unfortunately, a pair of unrelated injuries forced Tavares out of a bout with Melvin Guillard at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale and a fight with Jim Miller at UFC 103.

While Tavares has dropped three fights in the UFC's octagon, all three have resulted in the Brazilian being awarded a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

With the official additions to the card, UFC Fight Night 20 now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
* Evan Dunham vs. Efrain Escudero
* Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson
* Brad Blackburn vs. Amir Sadollah

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva
* Jesse Lennox vs. Rick Story
* Nik Lentz vs. Thiago Tavares
* Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald
* Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos
* Tim Credeur vs. Mike Massenzio
* Nick Catone vs. Steve Steinbeiss

 

[drunkaholic707]

As stress grows for Harris, WEC exec more impressed by White, Fertittas

WEC general manager Reed Harris knows about stress.

Harris can't make a public appearance without answering a question about a potential merger with the UFC (it's not happening), an update on the DirecTV situation (he thinks Versus will be back on very soon) or why the WEC thinks it should be on pay per view (increased revenues can mean better pay for fighters, but the WEC knows it will have to deliver a quality product).

But as Harris' job grows significantly similar to that of his boss and UFC counterpart, Dana White, the WEC head told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that his respect for the fiery UFC exec builds on a daily basis.

"The stuff that Dana deals with is different than the stuff that I deal with," Harris said. "We certainly have problems, and listen, it's a tough world out there. Promoting MMA is difficult. It's difficult to make money, and that's our goal: to get this thing to the point where we're real profitable and it makes sense.

"Dana deals with stuff on a whole different level. I've got to tell you, he handles it. In the office, you'd never know. He walks around smiling. You never would know the type of stuff he has to deal with. I think in his world, it's true. Every day he wakes up, and something happens that's he's got to deal with."

Harris is learning that role, as well. With White tending to business outside of the U.S., Harris became the de facto contact for media seeking a Zuffa response to the recent Hoelzer Reich clothing company controversy. Despite finding himself in a maelstrom of contrasting opinions, Harris said it's nothing compared to White deals with every day.

And with Harris' tenure with the WEC matching White's as boss of the UFC, Harris can attest that it's nearly always been that way.

"I remember I came out to (Las Vegas) to meet with [White] a couple of years ago," Harris said. "I flew in from California, and I'm not going to repeat what happened that day because later on I knew. At the time I didn't know what was going on. I was in the parking lot, and I had flown all the way from California just to meet with him. I'm walking through the parking lot, and he pulls up to me in his car and he goes, 'We can't meet.' I go, 'Really?' And he goes, 'My life sucks,' and he just drove away.

"I felt so bad for him, and I thought, 'Damn.' I found out later that day what had happened, and it was a lot more important than meeting with Reed Harris. It was one of those emergencies. He deals with that stuff all the time."

Harris said White has become such a lightning-rod for controversy through his profanity laden tirades and hyper-aggressive business tactics that people often forget how much the UFC head and co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta have done to further not only the brand of the UFC but the sport of MMA.

"[White] and Lorenzo and Frank, those guys, they have a vision for this sport," Harris said. "Lorenzo and Frank, you've got to remember what they did. They lost $44 million on UFC. They told Dana, 'Keep going.' Those two guys are responsible for this sport being a sport. Really. No one else would have done that. There's not two other guys on the planet that would have had that vision – and the balls.

"Those guys are successful guys. They're used to making money. They're not used to losing money. At that time, to be that far in the hole, and to have that vision? They new that if everybody else could see what they saw, it would take off."

Harris said before he ever even became a part of the Zuffa organization, he knew that the success of the UFC would be necessary for him to make money promoting the brand he started, World Extreme Cagefighting.

"I was in California doing shows at the (Tachi) Palace (in Lemoore)," Harris said. "We knew that if UFC made it, the sport would make it. Thank God for that.

"This is the best sport in the world. Saturday nights, I beg them for seats. Give me a credential, whatever. I love watching fights. At the end of the day, I'm a fan."

Harris has always been quick with a smile when discussing mixed martial arts. And while his graciousness for what Zuffa has done for the sport as well as him, personally, borderlines on pure cheerleading, Harris said the joy he feels on a daily basis isn't just limited to his own personal success.

"What better job could have than to get to know guys like Mike Brown?" Harris asked. "We all met (WEC bantamweight champ) Jose Aldo. What a good guy.

"They were telling me that Wagnney Fabiano would be at the gym, and Jose would show up, and Wagnney would say, 'Have you eaten today or yesterday?' If not, they would go get him some food. That's how poor he was. And to see him go from there to a place where he's got an opportunity to bust out of that and make it is just heartwarming."

 

[Shogun Locc]

White: Don’t Expect Henderson Back in the UFC

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- UFC President Dana White practically slammed the door shut on recently defected top-five middleweight Dan Henderson, who announced that he’d signed a four-fight 16-month deal with Strikeforce on Monday. White said Thursday that he felt Henderson would end his career in the rival promotion.

“Dan probably won’t be back in the UFC, nope,” said a resigned White. “He’ll probably retire over there.”

The UFC president also reiterated comments he’d made earlier this week, stating that he felt he was responsible for expediting the former two-division Pride champion’s departure.

“I’m happy with [Henderson going to Strikeforce], I’m very happy with it, couldn’t be happier with it,” said White. “Like I said, I pushed him to do that. I started taking s--t off the table and that made him make his decision to go with them.”

The hyperbolic UFC headman went on to declare that Henderson was worthless to the company. He told the press Thursday that he may be an asset “to them maybe, but not to me.”

The strong words are nothing new from White, who is known for his sharp tongue and hair trigger, but throughout his four-month negotiations with the fighter, he continuously talked up his friendship with Henderson. With Henderson’s signing, that relationship has apparently been irreparably harmed.

“It’s over between me and Dan,” said White. “I’m not sitting in front of the media talking s--t on him. I talked to him on the phone, we talked, and I told him exactly how it is.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hughes-Gracie Likely for UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- When Matt Hughes announced on his Web site last week that he’d be fighting on April 10, the 36-year-old Illinois native did not divulge whom he would be squaring off with or where UFC 112 would be held. However, the former welterweight champion has been long rumored to be facing Renzo Gracie, 42, who reportedly signed a six-fight contract with the promotion recently.

When Dana White was asked Thursday if the Hughes-Gracie bout would he held in Abu Dhabi –- a location White recently scouted himself –- the UFC President answered cryptically.

“Sounds good to me,” he said, smiling broadly.

Asked about making that match, White noted that he respects a lot of fighters in the sport and implied that not every UFC fight has to have title implications.

“There’s this whole beef over Renzo choking out Pat Miletich (Hughes’ mentor) and sometimes it’s more than just; sometimes guys just want to fight and Renzo’s been training, he wants to fight Matt Hughes and Matt Hughes wants to fight him,” said White.

The fact that Sheik Tahnoon, of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, is a Renzo Gracie black belt, along with White’s own statements on the promotion’s desire to hold an event in the United Arab Emirate’s capital, all point to the UFC’s Middle Eastern debut with this headlining bout.

UFC UK president Marshall Zelaznik told Sherdog.com at UFC 105 in November that he would be heading back to the Persian Gulf in hopes of cementing the deal. He said the window for promoting the show would narrow as the extremely hot summer season approached.

 

[Shogun Locc]

White: Lesnar Could Need More Surgery

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is still fighting a case of diverticulitis, a painful intestinal condition that has been affecting him for over a year, and could require more surgery, according to UFC President Dana White.

White, fielding questions from reporters Thursday following the UFC 107 press conference, assessed the situation, acknowledging that Lesnar is still not out of the woods health-wise.

“They figured it out, so the question now is, he’s either going to need major surgery or he’s not and we won’t know for the next couple months,” said White.

White said he had no timetable for the 32-year-old champion’s return.

“It could be forever,” said White. “We won’t know for the next couple months, Obviously, I’m hoping that’s not the case, as I’m sure all of you are, but we’ll see what happens.”

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound fighter had been hospitalized for 11 days last November in North Dakota, where he underwent tests and “minor surgery” before being released to his home in Alexandria, Minn.

Greg Nelson, Lesnar’s primary trainer, told MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday that Lesnar was “on the mend” and hadn’t begun training again, though the fighter was anxious to.

“He believes he’s going to come back and he’s confident and positive and he’s in a much better place than he was when he was in the hospital,” said White on Thursday.

The loss, temporary or otherwise, of the company’s biggest pay-per-view star can’t be a pleasant thought for the world’s top MMA promotion. While they wait for the news on Lesnar, the UFC must also figure out what they are going to do with the top of their rapidly improving heavyweight division.

White said it is still to early to decide if an interim title is warranted at this point.

“We still gotta wait here a little bit and see what’s going to happen to him -- maybe he can come back, maybe he can’t, I don’t know -- we’ve got to see what happens to him first. I’m going to wait and see if he has to have this major surgery first before I make any big decisions,” said White.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff" fighter weigh-ins set for Dec. 18 at the Palms

Official fighter weigh-ins for next week's "WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff" event, which features a main event between top WEC lightweight contenders Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff, take place Friday, Dec. 18, at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time). Doors to the event, which is free and open to the public, open at 6 p.m. ET.

The WEC hosts a fighter Q&A session immediately following the conclusion of the weigh-ins.

The session includes current lightweight champion Jamie Varner, who meets interim champ Benson Henderson in January to unify the lightweight belts, as well as former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) will be on scene for both events. We'll also have a live video feed of the weigh-ins and Q&A session, which is provided and also carried by WEC.tv.

The Palms also plays hosts the following day's WEC 45 event. A four-fight main card, including the co-headliner of Chris Horodecki vs. Anthony Njokuani airs on Versus.

The full WEC 45 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

* Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff
* Chris Horodecki vs. Anthony Njokuani
* Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya
* Scott Jorgensen vs. Takeya Mizugaki

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Bart Palaszewski vs. Anthony Pettis
* Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Zach Micklewright
* Chad George vs. John Hosman
* Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
* Kyle Dietz vs. Brad Pickett
* Erik Koch vs. Jameel Massouh

 

[Shogun Locc]

White confirms Jackson's return, says Evans fights "Rampage" with UFC 108 win

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It was supposed to be a glorious day for former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

With the UFC rolling into his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., for this Saturday's "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" event, Jackson was supposed to be the focus of the week.

Instead, that honor has fallen to lightweight champion B.J. Penn and challenger Diego Sanchez, but UFC president Dana White said at Thursday's pre-event press conference that Jackson should be the only one concerned at his absence.

"If anyone should be upset, it's 'Rampage,'" White said.

Jackson infamously bowed out of a planned contest with Rashad Evans after the pair faced each other as opposing coaches on the recently concluded "The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights" series in order to play B.A. Baracus on a feature-film version of "The A-Team."

The ensuing conflict between Jackson and White led to claims of disrespect and lack of accountability and ultimately saw Jackson walk away from the UFC.

But Jackson recently posted a blog on his official website announcing his return to the organization, and on Thursday, White said he's not holding a grudge.

"I'm over it," White said.

So over it, in fact, that White is looking forward to the main event of January's "UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva" to book Jackson's next opponent. White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that if Evans can defeat Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva, the UFC president said he'll book the highly anticipated grudge match between "Rampage" and "Suga."

"I want to make that fight happen," White said.

White did not identify a targeted date for the potential matchup or reveal who Jackson would fight should Silva emerge victorious.

So while Jackson isn't quite the center of attention the UFC expected him to be this week, "Rampage" hasn't made it too far out of public consciousness.

And while White says there's no one to blame but "Rampage" for him not fighting in Memphis, Tenn., the UFC exec confirmed his once-ostracized former champion is now back in his ranks.

"[Jackson] is still with us," White said. "He'll be fighting in the next few months."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: Ex-Pac 10 champ Scott Jorgensen uses MMA to feed need for competition

When Scott Jorgensen's wrestling career at Boise State University finished, he was frustrated.

As a three-time Pacific 10 Conference champion, Jorgensen had fallen short in the NCAA's national tournament each year, and the losses led him to seek more competition.

"I was five total points away from being a three-time All-American," Jorgensen told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I didn't accomplish what I should have."

Looking for more something to fill that void, Jorgensen remembered watching mixed-martial-arts tapes with his father, so he started going to the local Gold's Gym in Boise, which hosted a small club of guys training MMA. But, the gym soon shut it down, so the group, including current Jorgensen business and training partner Jesse Brock, moved to the Boise State wrestling room. Then the administration caught wind of it, and that ended too.

As a third location, the guys heard about a local warehouse that sometimes hosted MMA events and stored the cage there, so they used the equipment when they could.

Then, Jorgensen made a move that helped set up his career. In 2007, he and Brock established Combat Fitness, the first Boise-area gym for MMA. Soon, Jorgensen was taking out his college wrestling frustrations in the WEC, where he first fought in February 2008 and has gone 3-2.

Jorgensen will get his next WEC chance on Dec. 19 when the 27-year-old fights Takeya Mizugaki in a 135-pound matchup at WEC 45.

The fight will provide Jorgensen an opportunity to move forward in MMA while his life outside of the sport is stable. He has a good job in marketing, and he's raising son Braeten, who is 3-and-a-half-years old.

Jorgensen has also been a role model to some because of a skin condition. He started noticing spots in about 10th grade, and he was later diagnosed with vitiligo, a skin disorder that caused reverse pigmentation, or lighter spots on the skin.

"I think there are treatments out there, but I don't care; it makes my tattoos brighter," he said. "But really, I sometimes get letters from parents who say, 'Can you talk to my kids?' I want to help people. I don't want to be too cocky to answer letters and connect with people. I've heard every name people can call me, and none of them offend me."

Growing up wrestling

Jorgensen notes an aspect of his life that many people don't know: He has never met his biological father.

"We know where he is, but it's nothing major," Jorgensen said. "My dad is the man who raised me."

Jorgensen's family lived his early life in St. George, Utah, a town an hour and a half from Las Vegas that's famous for its red cliffs. He started his youth wrestling there – in part because his father was a former wrestler. He tried other sports, but he stuck with wrestling as the family moved to Alaska and then to Idaho.

"At some point you have to realize what's going put you through school when you're 5 feet, 120 pounds," Jorgensen said.

As a sophomore, Jorgensen lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament, and as a junior, in 2005, Jorgensen advanced to the quarterfinals before losing. In 2006, after again winning the 133-pound Pac-10 title and being named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament, Jorgensen was upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The early-round NCAA losses frustrated Jorgensen and led him to find more competition. That competition became MMA after he and his friends moved to several locations and settled into their gym.

"I had a lot of drive," he said. "I wanted to do what I didn't accomplish in college. I could feel that I had some potential, but I just had to develop it."

Becoming a WEC regular

In 2006, Jorgensen flew to Alaska to assist at a wrestling training camp, and he bumped into a friend who had experience in MMA and told him he could probably get a professional fight. So, in June, Jorgensen fought Mike Morris at an Alaska Fighting Championship show, and he won easily with a first-round armbar.

After three Ring of Fire appearances, Jorgensen got his first big break and appeared in an EliteXC show, where he beat Chris David in 2007. A few days later, his manager called and said the WEC was interested.

The pressure increased. For the next few months, until his WEC debut against Damacio Page, the training and MMA just didn't seem quite as fun, and his only concern was winning, not just improving.

The fight against Page changed that. It was a short-notice opponent change, and Jorgensen was tight for the whole fight, still concerned only about winning in what would become a decision loss.

"I realized I just have to have fun," he said. "That's when I'm at my best."

He responded with three wins in his next four WEC fights to set up the Dec. 19 matchup. Meanwhile, he still has his marketing job, his family and his combat fitness gym, where he trains with his team, Twisted Genetiks.

"He's a tough-ass kid, and this is going to be a great fight," Jorgensen said. "I'm going to have to fight tooth and nail, but I like that. That's how I like to fight."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator inks undefeated Jacob McClintock for season-two 170-pound tourney

A day after announcing the signing of NCAA Division I national champion and Olympian Ben Askren, Bellator Fighting Champions today announced another addition to its welterweight division.

Jacon "Tick-Tock" McClintock (6-0), a member of Arizona Combat Sports, has been secured with a multi-fight contract.

The 21-year-old jiu-jitsu phenom and second-degree black belt will compete in the organization's season-two eight-man welterweight tournament, which commences in April.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the likelihood of McClintock (and Eric Marriott) signing with Bellator last month.

McClintock, who began training in jiu jitsu when he was 13, turned pro in 2007 (as a 19-year-old) and has posted six first-round victories in six career fights. He competed for a variety of organizations, including Rage in the Cage and Total Combat and most recently scored a first-round TKO victory over Beau Baker (7-2 at the time) at Ultimate Warrior Challenge's Oct. 3 event.

"Jacob's ability, coupled with his exciting and aggressive style, falls right in line with what we are looking for at Bellator," Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. "Last season, Joe Soto and Lyman Good went from anonymity to become world champions. Jacob has the tools to do the same. With his addition, welterweight is shaping up to be a great division for our season-two tournament."

Bellator kicks off its upcoming 12-week season on April 8, and its events air to a massive audience thanks to an industry-first broadcasting alliance between FOX Sports Net affiliates (live events) and NBC and Telemundo (highlights shows).

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 107's Paul Buentello on Windows 7, comfortable shoes and fighting Stefan Struve

For aspiring mixed martial artists, making it to the UFC is the ultimate goal.

But for four-time UFC veteran Paul Buentello (27-10 MMA, 3-1 UFC), the goal was to make it back.

"It's funny, some of the fans, even high-school buddies that I went to school with, they find out that I'm in the UFC, and they go, 'Oh, man, you're still fighting? We thought you had quit,'" Buentello told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) for The Dallas Morning News. "Come on. I'm still here."

After a near-four-year absence from the organization, Buentello returns to the UFC to face Stefan Struve (18-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the pay-per-view-opening bout of Saturday's "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" event in Memphis, Tenn.

Buentello fought six times outside of the UFC folowing his 2006 departure, but now that he's back, "The Headhunter" said he hasn't missed a beat.

"I feel pretty much the same," Buentello said. "With the hospitality and the way the UFC runs their show, I totally feel like I just fit right back in. It feels like a good shoe."

While Buentello said the UFC feels the same to him, the 35-year-old promises he won't look the same to UFC fans.

"This is going to be Windows 7," Buentello said. "The fact is, I took more consideration in my training. I hired a personal trainer in San Jose as well as in Austin, Texas, where I live. I don't miss a beat in staying in shape.

"You're going to see a fitter, more alive Paul Buentello in this next show. That's how I feel. My conditioning is way beyond where it was in the past. It's a completely different pace."

Buentello didn't do too bad in his first UFC run, and the hard-hitting Texan earned stoppage wins over Gilbert Aldana, Kevin Jordan and Justin Eilers. But after runs with Strikeforce and Affliction, Buentello said he's prepared to display a more-aggressive attack.

"I'm definitely more aggressive," Buentello said. "Especially for this fight, it's going to be a more aggressive style."

In Struve, Buentello faces a 6-foot-11 Dutchman who can attack on the feet or on the ground. But with just one fight on U.S. soil, Struve remains a bit of a mystery to most.

"I know one main thing: He's tall," Buentello said. "He likes to throw his knees, and he likes to throw his elbows. That's all I really know. He likes to stand, but he's won most of his fights by submission.

"His length is everything."

Buentello had been scheduled to face fast-rising star Todd Duffee, who burst onto the UFC scene with a with a swift, seven-second knockout of Tim Hague at UFC 102. An injury forced Duffee out, but Buentello said he doesn't feel the change in opponent affected his approach to the fight.

"It didn't mess up the gameplan, but it does heighten the senses of what I've got to get done to keep on point with the gameplan," Buentello said. "That's the crazy part. If I veer off, his reach, his length, and his takedowns are going to mess everything up."

Buentello is a 12-year veteran of the sport, and his career record contains the names of MMA legends and notables such as Dan Severn, Evan Tanner, Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez, Alistair Overeem, Gary Goodridge, David "Tank" Abbott, Gan McGee, Eilers and Mike Kyle, among others.

But now that Buentello has found his way back to the sport's biggest stage, he's not worried about what additional names make it to that list. Instead, he wants to enjoy the moment as he embarks on what he hopes is a long and second run in the UFC.

"My whole idea is to enjoy the moment," Buentello said. "There's no reason to rush anything. I've got plenty of time – and the UFC puts on plenty of fights – to get done what I need to get done.

"I just want to fight. That's the main thing."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC to cut Houston Alexander following "Kimbo Slice" loss

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Houston Alexander faltered when it mattered most, and now the UFC veteran will soon receive his walking papers from the organization.

UFC president Dana White today told a small group of reporters at the UFC 107 pre-event press conference that Alexander, who recently dropped a lackluster unanimous decision to Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, has been cut from the UFC.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the process hasn't been completed but soon will be.

Alexander, who returned from a one-fight break from the organization, suffered the loss this past weekend on Dec. 5 at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. Alexander circled the cage and didn't engage for nearly two minutes into the fight. Once he did, his explosive standup game – one that earned him a big fan following with vicious knockout of Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara – never truly emerged.

Instead, Ferguson used solid clinch work and takedowns to control the fight and take the decision win. Alexander is now 2-4 in the UFC with four consecutive losses, and his overall mark stands at 9-5.

"I was going to leave," White said of Ferguson vs. Alexander. "I was going to get up and walk out of the fight. That's what I thought of it. If I didn't have to hand out 'The Ultimate Fighter' trophy at the end (of the event), I would have left that night. It wasn't a good night for me."

While complimenting Ferguson for a legit career win, White also compared Alexander to former UFC fighter Kalib Starnes, who was cut in 2008 following a bizarre loss to Nate Quarry. Starnes, who later said he was injured prior to the bout, continually backpeddled in the fight, which he lost via blowout scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 30-24.

"As disgusted as I was with Houston Alexander's performance, Kimbo beat a real guy," White said. "The last thing I expected was for Houston Alexander to come in and do the Kalib Starnes."

White said he never discussed his displeasure with the fighter.

"I don't even want to talk to him," he said. "Houston had an opportunity to – ahh, anyway."

The termination follows what had been a heavily promoted storyline for UFC officials. The UFC garnered a lot of positive mainstream press thanks to Alexander, a single father of six children who donated a kidney to one of his kids. The soft-spoken but hard-hitting hip-hop DJ and public speaker began his MMA career in underground fight clubs, where he quickly garnered a legendary reputation, before earning his way to the UFC.