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UFC 132: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch 2 and Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos Added
Reports of The Prodigy's retirement have been greatly exaggerated: Dana White confirmed today that BJ Penn and Jon Fitch have verbally agreed to rematch at UFC 132.
The welterweights first met in the main event of UFC 127, a number-one contender bout that ended in a draw. "Both fighters look to keep it out of the hands of the judges this time," said White.
Also announced for the card, Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos, two exciting lightweights that are both looking to get back on track for contention
Reports of The Prodigy's retirement have been greatly exaggerated: Dana White confirmed today that BJ Penn and Jon Fitch have verbally agreed to rematch at UFC 132.
The welterweights first met in the main event of UFC 127, a number-one contender bout that ended in a draw. "Both fighters look to keep it out of the hands of the judges this time," said White.
Also announced for the card, Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos, two exciting lightweights that are both looking to get back on track for contention
Jackson: Jones-Evans Switch ‘Bittersweet’ for Camp
Trainer Greg Jackson is happy that Jon Jones will be getting a light heavyweight title shot March 19, but he wishes it hadn’t been the result of an injury to a teammate.
Rashad Evans had been scheduled to challenge Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. A sprained ligament in Evans’ knee forced him out of the bout, though, and allowed Jones to move into his spot.
“It was for all of us -- even for Jon -- it’s kind of a bittersweet thing,” Jackson said on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “We all felt Rashad had earned the title shot, was waiting on the title shot. It was just really bad luck.”
Jackson described Evans’ injury as a “freak accident,” with someone accidentally running into his knee during training. He praised Evans for how he has handled the situation and was not surprised that he supported Jones getting the shot.
“They work together every day,” Jackson said. “That’s the kind of guys they are. They’re buddies. They call each other all the time. They’re really, really good friends.”
Now that it’s possible Jones could soon be the light heavyweight champion, speculation has begun on whether Evans would move to a different division. Jackson said that’s a decision Evans would have to make with his management and the UFC.
“If Rashad wants to go to 185, I’ll hold the bucket for him,” Jackson said. “If he wants to go to 290, I’ll hold the bucket for him. Wherever he wants to go, I’m there.”
The plan had been for Jones to mimic Shogun in training to help prepare Evans. With Evans out and Jones in, Jackson said he’d have to cook up a new strategy.
“It’s a different fight, very much so,” Jackson said. “Rashad and Jon Jones are two different fighters. We have two different plans, two different ideas. It’s very different. … Shogun’s the same fighter. I’m sure he’ll do a new trick or too, but he’s kind of the same fighter. We’re looking out for the same things, but what we’re doing offensively will be different.”
In replacing Evans, Jones will also be fighting for the second time in six weeks. He’s coming off a second-round submission of Ryan Bader at UFC 126. Although Jones took little to no damage in the bout, returning so quickly could be tricky.
“The only thing is making sure Jon Jones peaks at the right time, that he doesn’t overtrain,” Jackson said. “That we make sure that we do it right and that we get the adequate sparring and everything that he needs. Mostly it’s a timing issue on that end of it. That’s very important.”
Trainer Greg Jackson is happy that Jon Jones will be getting a light heavyweight title shot March 19, but he wishes it hadn’t been the result of an injury to a teammate.
Rashad Evans had been scheduled to challenge Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. A sprained ligament in Evans’ knee forced him out of the bout, though, and allowed Jones to move into his spot.
“It was for all of us -- even for Jon -- it’s kind of a bittersweet thing,” Jackson said on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “We all felt Rashad had earned the title shot, was waiting on the title shot. It was just really bad luck.”
Jackson described Evans’ injury as a “freak accident,” with someone accidentally running into his knee during training. He praised Evans for how he has handled the situation and was not surprised that he supported Jones getting the shot.
“They work together every day,” Jackson said. “That’s the kind of guys they are. They’re buddies. They call each other all the time. They’re really, really good friends.”
Now that it’s possible Jones could soon be the light heavyweight champion, speculation has begun on whether Evans would move to a different division. Jackson said that’s a decision Evans would have to make with his management and the UFC.
“If Rashad wants to go to 185, I’ll hold the bucket for him,” Jackson said. “If he wants to go to 290, I’ll hold the bucket for him. Wherever he wants to go, I’m there.”
The plan had been for Jones to mimic Shogun in training to help prepare Evans. With Evans out and Jones in, Jackson said he’d have to cook up a new strategy.
“It’s a different fight, very much so,” Jackson said. “Rashad and Jon Jones are two different fighters. We have two different plans, two different ideas. It’s very different. … Shogun’s the same fighter. I’m sure he’ll do a new trick or too, but he’s kind of the same fighter. We’re looking out for the same things, but what we’re doing offensively will be different.”
In replacing Evans, Jones will also be fighting for the second time in six weeks. He’s coming off a second-round submission of Ryan Bader at UFC 126. Although Jones took little to no damage in the bout, returning so quickly could be tricky.
“The only thing is making sure Jon Jones peaks at the right time, that he doesn’t overtrain,” Jackson said. “That we make sure that we do it right and that we get the adequate sparring and everything that he needs. Mostly it’s a timing issue on that end of it. That’s very important.”
Wiman, Siver Ticketed for Summer Showdown
The hits keep coming for UFC 132, as promotion officials on Thursday announced that German striker Dennis Siver will lock horns with wrestling specialist Matt Wiman at the July 2 event.
The news comes in the wake of the announcement that B.J. Penn will rematch Jon Fitch in the event’s potential headliner, going down from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. UFC 132 will also play host to two more lightweight confrontations, as the red-hot Melvin Guillard squares off with Team Takedown representative Shane Roller and Evan Dunham looks to rebound from his first career defeat by dispatching skilled Aussie George Sotiropoulos.
Siver comes fresh off an impressive victory over the aforementioned Sotiropoulos on the Aussie’s home soil at UFC 127. Holding a noticeable advantage on the feet, the German easily shrugged off Sotiropoulos’ takedown attempts while rocking the jiu-jitsu specialist with hard punches en route to a unanimous decision victory. After beginning his UFC career in 2007 with an Octagon record of just 1-3, Siver has righted the ship, winning three straight bouts and seven of his last eight. His lone loss in the last two years came to hard-hitting Brit Ross Pearson one year ago in a “Fight of the Night” performance. A two-time “Knockout of the Night” winner, the 32-year-old kickboxer is a veteran of 25 pro fights and holds half of his career victories by submission.
Last seen battering jiu-jitsu ace Cole Miller in their January contest, Wiman has also won three straight bouts. Prior to dominating Miller at “Fight for the Troops 2,” the Tulsa Top Team product finished veteran Mac Danzig with a controversial guillotine choke in the first round. Thinking that Danzig had lost consciousness from the choke, referee Yves Lavigne waved the UFC 115 contest off, much to the chagrin of the incredulous and fully conscious Danzig. The pair was set to square off again at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, but Danzig was forced to withdraw from the bout with an injury. A former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5, Wiman has finished eight of his 13 career victims and has only been stopped once in his nearly seven years as a pro.
The hits keep coming for UFC 132, as promotion officials on Thursday announced that German striker Dennis Siver will lock horns with wrestling specialist Matt Wiman at the July 2 event.
The news comes in the wake of the announcement that B.J. Penn will rematch Jon Fitch in the event’s potential headliner, going down from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. UFC 132 will also play host to two more lightweight confrontations, as the red-hot Melvin Guillard squares off with Team Takedown representative Shane Roller and Evan Dunham looks to rebound from his first career defeat by dispatching skilled Aussie George Sotiropoulos.
Siver comes fresh off an impressive victory over the aforementioned Sotiropoulos on the Aussie’s home soil at UFC 127. Holding a noticeable advantage on the feet, the German easily shrugged off Sotiropoulos’ takedown attempts while rocking the jiu-jitsu specialist with hard punches en route to a unanimous decision victory. After beginning his UFC career in 2007 with an Octagon record of just 1-3, Siver has righted the ship, winning three straight bouts and seven of his last eight. His lone loss in the last two years came to hard-hitting Brit Ross Pearson one year ago in a “Fight of the Night” performance. A two-time “Knockout of the Night” winner, the 32-year-old kickboxer is a veteran of 25 pro fights and holds half of his career victories by submission.
Last seen battering jiu-jitsu ace Cole Miller in their January contest, Wiman has also won three straight bouts. Prior to dominating Miller at “Fight for the Troops 2,” the Tulsa Top Team product finished veteran Mac Danzig with a controversial guillotine choke in the first round. Thinking that Danzig had lost consciousness from the choke, referee Yves Lavigne waved the UFC 115 contest off, much to the chagrin of the incredulous and fully conscious Danzig. The pair was set to square off again at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, but Danzig was forced to withdraw from the bout with an injury. A former cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5, Wiman has finished eight of his 13 career victims and has only been stopped once in his nearly seven years as a pro.
Onetime enemy prepares Johny Hendricks for late-notice UFC Fight Night 24 bout
Initially pegged to meet Paulo Thiago at UFC on Versus 3 earlier this month, Johny Hendricks (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) found himself hung out to dry after the Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to injury.
The disappointing news sent Hendricks back to the gym to resume training with no clear idea of what his foreseeable future would entail.
So, not surprisingly, he jumped at the opportunity to fight March 26 at Seattle's KeyArena when an injured Dennis Hallman pulled out of his scheduled UFC Fight Night 24 bout with T.J. Waldburger (13-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
Hendricks and Waldburger square off on the night's preliminary card. The main card airs live on Spike TV and features a headlining fight between light-heavyweight contenders Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis.
"I was expecting to take whoever they (the UFC) gave me," Hendricks recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I was expecting to take it just because I wanted a fight. I don't like having that long of a layover. If I refuse a fight, then in my opinion, do I really want to fight for a living? I train every day. There's no reason for me to not take the fight."
Taking the fight on short notice also expedited the process of potentially returning to the winner's circle sooner rather than later. In his most recent fight, Hendricks dropped a unanimous decision to Rick Story at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. It was his first career loss.
"I still haven't gotten over it," Hendricks said. "It's still bugging me. It's still going to eat at me. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I hate losing more than anything. I know it has to happen because everybody gets beat, but it lit a fire under me again."
Hendricks admits to watching tape of the fight more than 20 times since. The goal was to meticulously sift through his game with a fine-tooth comb in order to identify holes and improve as a fighter. After all, he's still only roughly four years into his MMA training at the age of 27.
"I hate losing, but sometimes it's a good thing," he said. "Then you get to step back and really focus on what you're doing. If I would have won that fight, would I have fixed those holes? Maybe the next guy I'm fighting is better. Then I get really messed up."
One of those self-identified shortcomings was related to his lack of activity and aggression in the clinch. He believes it was one of the main deciding factors in the loss.
Hendricks was so impressed with Story, in fact, that he extended an invitation to him shortly thereafter asking if he would like to travel down to Texas to train shoulder to shoulder. Story eventually obliged, and the pair spent a week together picking each other's brain.
"He's a great guy, very nice," Hendricks said. "I liked having him. I got a lot out of that one week. The way that his coach trains him, I sort of took notice of some things I liked and some things I didn't like.
"I'm not where I want to be, and as soon as you stop learning, you get beat."
Initially pegged to meet Paulo Thiago at UFC on Versus 3 earlier this month, Johny Hendricks (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) found himself hung out to dry after the Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to injury.
The disappointing news sent Hendricks back to the gym to resume training with no clear idea of what his foreseeable future would entail.
So, not surprisingly, he jumped at the opportunity to fight March 26 at Seattle's KeyArena when an injured Dennis Hallman pulled out of his scheduled UFC Fight Night 24 bout with T.J. Waldburger (13-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
Hendricks and Waldburger square off on the night's preliminary card. The main card airs live on Spike TV and features a headlining fight between light-heavyweight contenders Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis.
"I was expecting to take whoever they (the UFC) gave me," Hendricks recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I was expecting to take it just because I wanted a fight. I don't like having that long of a layover. If I refuse a fight, then in my opinion, do I really want to fight for a living? I train every day. There's no reason for me to not take the fight."
Taking the fight on short notice also expedited the process of potentially returning to the winner's circle sooner rather than later. In his most recent fight, Hendricks dropped a unanimous decision to Rick Story at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. It was his first career loss.
"I still haven't gotten over it," Hendricks said. "It's still bugging me. It's still going to eat at me. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I hate losing more than anything. I know it has to happen because everybody gets beat, but it lit a fire under me again."
Hendricks admits to watching tape of the fight more than 20 times since. The goal was to meticulously sift through his game with a fine-tooth comb in order to identify holes and improve as a fighter. After all, he's still only roughly four years into his MMA training at the age of 27.
"I hate losing, but sometimes it's a good thing," he said. "Then you get to step back and really focus on what you're doing. If I would have won that fight, would I have fixed those holes? Maybe the next guy I'm fighting is better. Then I get really messed up."
One of those self-identified shortcomings was related to his lack of activity and aggression in the clinch. He believes it was one of the main deciding factors in the loss.
Hendricks was so impressed with Story, in fact, that he extended an invitation to him shortly thereafter asking if he would like to travel down to Texas to train shoulder to shoulder. Story eventually obliged, and the pair spent a week together picking each other's brain.
"He's a great guy, very nice," Hendricks said. "I liked having him. I got a lot out of that one week. The way that his coach trains him, I sort of took notice of some things I liked and some things I didn't like.
"I'm not where I want to be, and as soon as you stop learning, you get beat."
"Countdown to UFC 128" draws 406,000 viewers to Spike TV
Spike TV's debut airing of "Countdown to UFC 128" netted 406,000 viewers.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the numbers with an industry source.
Replays of the pre-event preview show are slated for Thursday at 3:05 p.m. ET/PT and Saturday 6 p.m. ET/PT.
The in-depth "Countdown" show focuses primarily on the night's headliner, which came about after UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's initial opponent, Rashad Evans, was forced off the card with a knee injury and Jon Jones filled the gap.
A co-headliner between former WEC champs and current UFC bantamweights Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland, which is expected to earn the winner a title shot, is also examined. Main-card fighters Brendan Schaub and opponent Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic also get some attention.
UFC 128 takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Thursday's "Countdown" show isn't the only pre-event programming planned for the network. As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, the UFC's longtime cable partner airs "UFC Presents Jon Jones: In the Moment" tonight at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
The channel also airs a pair of UFC 128 preliminary card bouts on Saturday night.
Spike TV's debut airing of "Countdown to UFC 128" netted 406,000 viewers.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the numbers with an industry source.
Replays of the pre-event preview show are slated for Thursday at 3:05 p.m. ET/PT and Saturday 6 p.m. ET/PT.
The in-depth "Countdown" show focuses primarily on the night's headliner, which came about after UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's initial opponent, Rashad Evans, was forced off the card with a knee injury and Jon Jones filled the gap.
A co-headliner between former WEC champs and current UFC bantamweights Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland, which is expected to earn the winner a title shot, is also examined. Main-card fighters Brendan Schaub and opponent Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic also get some attention.
UFC 128 takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Thursday's "Countdown" show isn't the only pre-event programming planned for the network. As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, the UFC's longtime cable partner airs "UFC Presents Jon Jones: In the Moment" tonight at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
The channel also airs a pair of UFC 128 preliminary card bouts on Saturday night.
Rich Attonito vs. Matt Brown moved from TUF 13 Finale to UFC on Versus 4
"The Immortal" and "The Raging Bull" will have to wait a few more weeks to clash.
UFC officials recently announced that a bout between Matt Brown (11-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Rich Attonito (9-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) that was expected to take place at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale is now scheduled for UFC on Versus 4.
UFC on Versus 4 is expected to take place June 26, though an exact date and location have yet to be announced.
No reason was given for the change in schedule.
Brown was scheduled to meet Marc Scanlon at UFC on Versus 3 before Scanlon withdrew from the fight for undisclosed reasons. Brown was fortunate, though, to receive another fight in the UFC given his current three-fight losing streak to Ricardo Almeida, Chris Lytle and Brian Foster. All of the losses came by way of submission.
That's usable intelligence for opponent Attonito, an American Top Team product and veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 11" who encountered the first professional setback of his octagon career when he lost on points to Dave Branch at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.
Brown, however, could be encouraged by the fact that the majority of Attonito's wins come by way of TKO. While "The Ultimate Figher 7" cast member's TKO wins barely outpace those gained by submission, Brown surely will look to make the fight a standup affair. Prior to his recent skid, he won four of his first five UFC fights mostly on the merit of his aggressive striking.
It's unknown if Brown vs. Attonito will air on the televised main card of UFC on Versus 4.
"The Immortal" and "The Raging Bull" will have to wait a few more weeks to clash.
UFC officials recently announced that a bout between Matt Brown (11-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Rich Attonito (9-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) that was expected to take place at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale is now scheduled for UFC on Versus 4.
UFC on Versus 4 is expected to take place June 26, though an exact date and location have yet to be announced.
No reason was given for the change in schedule.
Brown was scheduled to meet Marc Scanlon at UFC on Versus 3 before Scanlon withdrew from the fight for undisclosed reasons. Brown was fortunate, though, to receive another fight in the UFC given his current three-fight losing streak to Ricardo Almeida, Chris Lytle and Brian Foster. All of the losses came by way of submission.
That's usable intelligence for opponent Attonito, an American Top Team product and veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 11" who encountered the first professional setback of his octagon career when he lost on points to Dave Branch at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.
Brown, however, could be encouraged by the fact that the majority of Attonito's wins come by way of TKO. While "The Ultimate Figher 7" cast member's TKO wins barely outpace those gained by submission, Brown surely will look to make the fight a standup affair. Prior to his recent skid, he won four of his first five UFC fights mostly on the merit of his aggressive striking.
It's unknown if Brown vs. Attonito will air on the televised main card of UFC on Versus 4.
Trainer takes blame for Marquardt's recent defeat, promises fireworks at UFC 128
Perennial UFC middleweight contender Nate Marquardt (30-10-2 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has been to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, he's just never been able to set foot on the summit.
Those days are over, said Marquardt's trainer, Trevor Wittman.
After Marquardt was defeated at this past November's UFC 122 event – a result for which Wittman takes full responsibility – the Grudge Training Center head said "The Great" is re-energized, refocused and ready to turn some heads at this weekend's UFC 128 event.
"In this next fight, Nate is a new dude," Wittman told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He's risen so many times to No. 1 contention and then let it fall out of his hands. Not anymore.
"Nate is to the point where he doesn't care about winning or losing. It's time to perform. When he talks like that, it's a different Nathan Marquardt."
Marquardt faces late-replacement Dan Miller (13-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on the main card of UFC 128, which takes place at New Jersey's Prudential Center.
A former King of Pancrase, Marqaurdt made his way to the UFC in 2005. After rattling off wins over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, Crafton Wallace and Dean Lister, Marquardt was granted a shot at the belt against Anderson Silva. Like every other opponent to step into the octagon with "The Spider," Marquardt was defeated.
Marquardt has pined for a rematch ever since.
Twice in 2010, Marquardt knocked on the door, only to be turned away. First, it was against a streaking Chael Sonnen, who grinded his way to decision win at UFC 109. Then, it was the oft-forgotten Yushin Okami, who edged out Marquardt at UFC 122.
While Sonnen must be credited for a virtuoso performance, Wittman takes the blame for the loss to Okami.
"I take full blame on the last fight," Wittman said. "I felt the gameplan that I had put together and built, I don't think I structured it correctly for Nate to go out there and do what he had to do to win the fight. It's one of those things where I thought Nate's counter-punching was stronger and more precise and well-timed. But we got outworked.
"Our gameplan was to completely counterpunch and fire off shots when Okami was in the exchanges because he punches pretty much from his holsters and doesn't bring his hands back. I wasn't working on a lot of having Nate finish combinations with extra shots to the head or the body. It was just petty much counterpunching: When he throws the left hand, look for this counter, when he throws the jab, this is the counter we're looking at, When he leaps in with a powershot, we're grabbing his hips and getting a takedown. It was more of an issue of not going on to Plan B. I take full responsibility for him not going out and getting the finish in that fight."
It was a performance that drew criticism not only for Marquardt, but also his Greg Jackson-led team, as UFC president Dana White openly questioned the wisdom of the between-round advice offered by the corner.
"Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I'm seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp," White stated at the UFC 122 post-event press conference. "This camp continuously – when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they're ahead or they're winning.
"I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you're getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight? And this is consistent with the Greg Jackson camp."
Wittman believes White was well within his rights as UFC boss to question the coaching. However, he insists White was mistaken as to the team's intentions.
"It's one of those things where Dana had talked [expletive] about us doing the right thing in the corner, but I don't think he heard that right," Wittman said. "We were miked up. It's not what we said.
"I actually told Nate that I thought he lost the fight. Greg Jackson said the same thing going into the third round. I thought we needed a knockout to win the fight. We told him that."
But that's all in the past now. Gone is the 1-2 stretch of 2010. Marqaurdt brings a new mindset to this weekend's card, and Wittman said it's Miller who will be the unfortunate opponent forced to deal with the change.
"The loss to Okami awoke Nate like it did when he lost Silva," Wittman said. "You can really expect fireworks in this next fight."
Perennial UFC middleweight contender Nate Marquardt (30-10-2 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has been to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, he's just never been able to set foot on the summit.
Those days are over, said Marquardt's trainer, Trevor Wittman.
After Marquardt was defeated at this past November's UFC 122 event – a result for which Wittman takes full responsibility – the Grudge Training Center head said "The Great" is re-energized, refocused and ready to turn some heads at this weekend's UFC 128 event.
"In this next fight, Nate is a new dude," Wittman told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He's risen so many times to No. 1 contention and then let it fall out of his hands. Not anymore.
"Nate is to the point where he doesn't care about winning or losing. It's time to perform. When he talks like that, it's a different Nathan Marquardt."
Marquardt faces late-replacement Dan Miller (13-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on the main card of UFC 128, which takes place at New Jersey's Prudential Center.
A former King of Pancrase, Marqaurdt made his way to the UFC in 2005. After rattling off wins over Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, Crafton Wallace and Dean Lister, Marquardt was granted a shot at the belt against Anderson Silva. Like every other opponent to step into the octagon with "The Spider," Marquardt was defeated.
Marquardt has pined for a rematch ever since.
Twice in 2010, Marquardt knocked on the door, only to be turned away. First, it was against a streaking Chael Sonnen, who grinded his way to decision win at UFC 109. Then, it was the oft-forgotten Yushin Okami, who edged out Marquardt at UFC 122.
While Sonnen must be credited for a virtuoso performance, Wittman takes the blame for the loss to Okami.
"I take full blame on the last fight," Wittman said. "I felt the gameplan that I had put together and built, I don't think I structured it correctly for Nate to go out there and do what he had to do to win the fight. It's one of those things where I thought Nate's counter-punching was stronger and more precise and well-timed. But we got outworked.
"Our gameplan was to completely counterpunch and fire off shots when Okami was in the exchanges because he punches pretty much from his holsters and doesn't bring his hands back. I wasn't working on a lot of having Nate finish combinations with extra shots to the head or the body. It was just petty much counterpunching: When he throws the left hand, look for this counter, when he throws the jab, this is the counter we're looking at, When he leaps in with a powershot, we're grabbing his hips and getting a takedown. It was more of an issue of not going on to Plan B. I take full responsibility for him not going out and getting the finish in that fight."
It was a performance that drew criticism not only for Marquardt, but also his Greg Jackson-led team, as UFC president Dana White openly questioned the wisdom of the between-round advice offered by the corner.
"Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I'm seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp," White stated at the UFC 122 post-event press conference. "This camp continuously – when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they're ahead or they're winning.
"I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you're getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight? And this is consistent with the Greg Jackson camp."
Wittman believes White was well within his rights as UFC boss to question the coaching. However, he insists White was mistaken as to the team's intentions.
"It's one of those things where Dana had talked [expletive] about us doing the right thing in the corner, but I don't think he heard that right," Wittman said. "We were miked up. It's not what we said.
"I actually told Nate that I thought he lost the fight. Greg Jackson said the same thing going into the third round. I thought we needed a knockout to win the fight. We told him that."
But that's all in the past now. Gone is the 1-2 stretch of 2010. Marqaurdt brings a new mindset to this weekend's card, and Wittman said it's Miller who will be the unfortunate opponent forced to deal with the change.
"The loss to Okami awoke Nate like it did when he lost Silva," Wittman said. "You can really expect fireworks in this next fight."
Urijah Faber Could Put Up With Dominick Cruz on TUF 14, But Eddie Wineland Is First
Urijah Faber has never been one to shy away from talking about his growing rivalry with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, but he also knows that fight won’t even happen if he doesn’t get past Eddie Wineland at UFC 128 on Saturday night.
The subject of Cruz comes up in virtually every interview Faber does and usually it’s with good reason. Faber and Cruz have a longstanding history and it’s pretty clear they won’t be exchanging birthday cards any time soon.
Unfortunately, Cruz had to have hand surgery following his win over Scott Jorgensen in December. With the champion sidelined for the better part of six months, Faber wasn’t about to wait around for the chance to fight him.
“I definitely didn’t want to sit out. This is what I love to do, I love to fight, and it’s also what I do for a living. I don’t think sitting out that long would do anybody any good,” Faber told MMAWeekly Radio recently. “I’m excited about fighting him in the future, but I’ve just got to get this win out of the way first and Eddie’s a tough dude.”
Beyond the questions about fighting Cruz, come the inquiries about Faber coaching opposite him on the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The UFC recently announced that they would be showcasing featherweights and bantamweights on the show, and Faber and Cruz would seem to be the perfect choices to coach.
“I haven’t heard anything about that, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with someone else, maybe not even in the weight class, because they’ve done that before. I would love to do it,” Faber said about coaching on the show.
If Faber and Cruz are rivals now, imagine where they might be after spending six or seven weeks together on the reality show. The “California Kid” says no problem, however, and if it means getting a shot at Cruz in the Octagon, he’ll gladly put up with him on the show.
“I don’t really know him all that well, but I can put up with anybody,” Faber joked about Cruz. “Hanging out with me, he’s going to realize that I’m just cool and I’m also going to beat him up.”
To get any shot at coaching on TUF 14 or fighting Cruz, Faber’s focus is on his opponent at UFC 128, former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland.
Faber and Wineland have known each other for years, and Faber even roomed next door to Wineland the weekend he won the WEC bantamweight title before Zuffa purchased the WEC.
When watching Wineland’s recent run of dominant wins, Faber admits he’s seeing a big difference in the fighter’s style and approach. Ultimately, he says, Wineland is enjoying his job again.
“I think what we’re seeing with Eddie is he’s just enjoying fighting more right now,” Faber stated. “You need to enjoy it, you really need to enjoy what you’re doing to do it to your best ability, and you’re looking at two guys who love to fight, and we’re going to find out who’s the man.”
Wineland has been surprising with some of his moves of late as well. From his rib crunching knockout punch to finish Will Campuzano to the head rattling slam he landed on Ken Stone, Wineland has added diversity to his ever-growing attack.
Faber is aware of all of this and that’s why whenever Dominick Cruz or The Ultimate Fighter coaching job come up, he’s wary to look further than March 19.
“We’ll just wait and hear about that,” Faber said about future endeavors. “I’ve got to get this fight out of the way first and let the guys decide who does all that stuff.”
Urijah Faber has never been one to shy away from talking about his growing rivalry with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, but he also knows that fight won’t even happen if he doesn’t get past Eddie Wineland at UFC 128 on Saturday night.
The subject of Cruz comes up in virtually every interview Faber does and usually it’s with good reason. Faber and Cruz have a longstanding history and it’s pretty clear they won’t be exchanging birthday cards any time soon.
Unfortunately, Cruz had to have hand surgery following his win over Scott Jorgensen in December. With the champion sidelined for the better part of six months, Faber wasn’t about to wait around for the chance to fight him.
“I definitely didn’t want to sit out. This is what I love to do, I love to fight, and it’s also what I do for a living. I don’t think sitting out that long would do anybody any good,” Faber told MMAWeekly Radio recently. “I’m excited about fighting him in the future, but I’ve just got to get this win out of the way first and Eddie’s a tough dude.”
Beyond the questions about fighting Cruz, come the inquiries about Faber coaching opposite him on the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The UFC recently announced that they would be showcasing featherweights and bantamweights on the show, and Faber and Cruz would seem to be the perfect choices to coach.
“I haven’t heard anything about that, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with someone else, maybe not even in the weight class, because they’ve done that before. I would love to do it,” Faber said about coaching on the show.
If Faber and Cruz are rivals now, imagine where they might be after spending six or seven weeks together on the reality show. The “California Kid” says no problem, however, and if it means getting a shot at Cruz in the Octagon, he’ll gladly put up with him on the show.
“I don’t really know him all that well, but I can put up with anybody,” Faber joked about Cruz. “Hanging out with me, he’s going to realize that I’m just cool and I’m also going to beat him up.”
To get any shot at coaching on TUF 14 or fighting Cruz, Faber’s focus is on his opponent at UFC 128, former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland.
Faber and Wineland have known each other for years, and Faber even roomed next door to Wineland the weekend he won the WEC bantamweight title before Zuffa purchased the WEC.
When watching Wineland’s recent run of dominant wins, Faber admits he’s seeing a big difference in the fighter’s style and approach. Ultimately, he says, Wineland is enjoying his job again.
“I think what we’re seeing with Eddie is he’s just enjoying fighting more right now,” Faber stated. “You need to enjoy it, you really need to enjoy what you’re doing to do it to your best ability, and you’re looking at two guys who love to fight, and we’re going to find out who’s the man.”
Wineland has been surprising with some of his moves of late as well. From his rib crunching knockout punch to finish Will Campuzano to the head rattling slam he landed on Ken Stone, Wineland has added diversity to his ever-growing attack.
Faber is aware of all of this and that’s why whenever Dominick Cruz or The Ultimate Fighter coaching job come up, he’s wary to look further than March 19.
“We’ll just wait and hear about that,” Faber said about future endeavors. “I’ve got to get this fight out of the way first and let the guys decide who does all that stuff.”
UFC: Shogun wants come home with the belt
The last press conference of UFC 128, broadcasted live by TATAME, heat up the city of New York. Main stars of the event, the light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua, and the challenger Jon Jones answered the questions of reporters from all over the world and fans’ too. UFC 128 will happen this Saturday (19), with real time coverage of TATAME, and while you wait for the big moment to come, you can check below the statements of Shogun and Jon Jon on the conference. Right on its beginning, the American has been asked about a possible pressure he might feel as he cross the cage and see much more experienced fighters, like the champion Mauricio. Jones made fun out of it.
Jon Jones: “I try to do my job and I’m excited about this chance. I thought it was weird the way I’ve got this title shot. I feel cool about it, because I have great masters back on Greg Jackson’s gym, like GSP, Rashad Evans, I’ve done through this fight on my mind and I feel prepared. Shogun is an opponent like any other fighter, he does what I do, he wakes up in the morning, put his pants on like I do, I’m pretty sure he poops like I do, so I won’t fight a name, but a body, so you guys don’t poop like I do?”, commented Jones, who was booed after this bizarre statement.
Brazilian reporter from Rede TV, Fernando Navarro asked the champion Mauricio Shogun if he believes Rashad Evan has ran from the fight, also about what he thought about the replacement of his opponent and if Jones is a tougher opponent than Rashad. Shogun stated that he rather fight Jon Jones and considered Rashad a mooring.
Mauricio Rua: “I don’t believe Rashad ran from it, he really got injured. I accepted this fight for the show itself and I’ve always fought the best since the beginning of my career, I like challenges and I was glad to accept this bout with Jon Jones. It depends, they’re both top athletes, the difference is that Rashad likes to stick on one position and keep there until the end, but not Jones, he’s a guy who let things run their course and goes for the knockout or submission and I rather fight a guy like Jon Jones, that’s much more exciting”, analyzed Shogun.
Cristina Lira, another Brazilian reporter from Rede TV, asked Shogun his opinion about Jon Jones being a chatterbox and then asked about it for the American too.
Mauricio Rua: Actually I only know him while in the octagon, because I’ve always watched his fights, I don’t know him as a person. I fight professionally for ten years and I’m used to that kind of stuff and it won’t make me nervous, each one must know better and he can say whatever he wants”, pondered the champion.
Jon Jones: “As he said, each one knows better and I want to have as many fans as I can possibly have so that the crowd cheers for me on the day of the fight”, said Jones, now being applauded.
An American journalist asked what has changed on Shogun’s training when he was informed he’d no longer fight Rashad Evans, but Jon Jones. Check below what the Brazilian answered.
Mauricio Rua: “I think both athletes have a similar game, they like to strike while standing up and take guys down and work on the ground and pound, so the only thing that has changed was that I had to hire taller sparrings, who look more like Jon Jones, but it didn’t change my trainings much, because I hired these guys six weeks in advance, when I was beginning the specific trainings”.
A Sweden reporter asked the champion his opinion about being the underdog on the betting market, even having much more achievements and experience than the American. Mauricio was diplomatic on his answer.
Mauricio Rua: “He’s a guy who’s won his fights easily, he’s fought good fighters and deserves to be considered the favorite, he’ll practically fight on his hometown, so that’s another reason for considering him the favorite”, said Shogun, who evaluated the difficulties he’ll have due to Jones big reach. “Of course that, besides being a tall guy, he has good Muay Thai skills and I’m aware I’ll have some difficulties, but I’ve trained with guys his size, I did my best and with God’s help I’ll come home with the belt again”, commented Shogun, being applauded by the fans.
In the end of the press conference, Dana White allowed the fans to ask their questions, but it wasn’t that good, until the last question asked, which heat things up. The reporter-fan said this: “Do you really believe you can win this thing? Have you seen what this guy (Mauricio) has done to Overeem?” Jon Jones stood up, shook his shoulders and asked. “What’s your name?”. Anthony, answered the guy. Jones Just said: “Come on, man, Come on … Of course I’m capable of beating him down, absolutely, what a silly question to ask”, concluded Jones, finishing the press conference.
The last press conference of UFC 128, broadcasted live by TATAME, heat up the city of New York. Main stars of the event, the light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua, and the challenger Jon Jones answered the questions of reporters from all over the world and fans’ too. UFC 128 will happen this Saturday (19), with real time coverage of TATAME, and while you wait for the big moment to come, you can check below the statements of Shogun and Jon Jon on the conference. Right on its beginning, the American has been asked about a possible pressure he might feel as he cross the cage and see much more experienced fighters, like the champion Mauricio. Jones made fun out of it.
Jon Jones: “I try to do my job and I’m excited about this chance. I thought it was weird the way I’ve got this title shot. I feel cool about it, because I have great masters back on Greg Jackson’s gym, like GSP, Rashad Evans, I’ve done through this fight on my mind and I feel prepared. Shogun is an opponent like any other fighter, he does what I do, he wakes up in the morning, put his pants on like I do, I’m pretty sure he poops like I do, so I won’t fight a name, but a body, so you guys don’t poop like I do?”, commented Jones, who was booed after this bizarre statement.
Brazilian reporter from Rede TV, Fernando Navarro asked the champion Mauricio Shogun if he believes Rashad Evan has ran from the fight, also about what he thought about the replacement of his opponent and if Jones is a tougher opponent than Rashad. Shogun stated that he rather fight Jon Jones and considered Rashad a mooring.
Mauricio Rua: “I don’t believe Rashad ran from it, he really got injured. I accepted this fight for the show itself and I’ve always fought the best since the beginning of my career, I like challenges and I was glad to accept this bout with Jon Jones. It depends, they’re both top athletes, the difference is that Rashad likes to stick on one position and keep there until the end, but not Jones, he’s a guy who let things run their course and goes for the knockout or submission and I rather fight a guy like Jon Jones, that’s much more exciting”, analyzed Shogun.
Cristina Lira, another Brazilian reporter from Rede TV, asked Shogun his opinion about Jon Jones being a chatterbox and then asked about it for the American too.
Mauricio Rua: Actually I only know him while in the octagon, because I’ve always watched his fights, I don’t know him as a person. I fight professionally for ten years and I’m used to that kind of stuff and it won’t make me nervous, each one must know better and he can say whatever he wants”, pondered the champion.
Jon Jones: “As he said, each one knows better and I want to have as many fans as I can possibly have so that the crowd cheers for me on the day of the fight”, said Jones, now being applauded.
An American journalist asked what has changed on Shogun’s training when he was informed he’d no longer fight Rashad Evans, but Jon Jones. Check below what the Brazilian answered.
Mauricio Rua: “I think both athletes have a similar game, they like to strike while standing up and take guys down and work on the ground and pound, so the only thing that has changed was that I had to hire taller sparrings, who look more like Jon Jones, but it didn’t change my trainings much, because I hired these guys six weeks in advance, when I was beginning the specific trainings”.
A Sweden reporter asked the champion his opinion about being the underdog on the betting market, even having much more achievements and experience than the American. Mauricio was diplomatic on his answer.
Mauricio Rua: “He’s a guy who’s won his fights easily, he’s fought good fighters and deserves to be considered the favorite, he’ll practically fight on his hometown, so that’s another reason for considering him the favorite”, said Shogun, who evaluated the difficulties he’ll have due to Jones big reach. “Of course that, besides being a tall guy, he has good Muay Thai skills and I’m aware I’ll have some difficulties, but I’ve trained with guys his size, I did my best and with God’s help I’ll come home with the belt again”, commented Shogun, being applauded by the fans.
In the end of the press conference, Dana White allowed the fans to ask their questions, but it wasn’t that good, until the last question asked, which heat things up. The reporter-fan said this: “Do you really believe you can win this thing? Have you seen what this guy (Mauricio) has done to Overeem?” Jon Jones stood up, shook his shoulders and asked. “What’s your name?”. Anthony, answered the guy. Jones Just said: “Come on, man, Come on … Of course I’m capable of beating him down, absolutely, what a silly question to ask”, concluded Jones, finishing the press conference.
Fans invited to Friday's Bellator 37 weigh-ins in Oklahoma City
Fans are invited to Friday's official fighter weigh-ins and pre-event press conference for Bellator 37.
The festivities take place in Meeting Room One at the Hyatt Place on Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City beginning at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT local time).
Saturday night's MTV2-broadcast event, which features the opening round of the organization's eight-man featherweight tournament, takes place at the Lucky Star Casino in nearby Concho, Okla.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) will have a live stream of the weigh-ins and presser, as well as a full summary of the weigh-in results.
Bellator 37, which is the third event of the organization's 12-week fourth season, is the first of four season-four events scheduled to take place in Oklahoma. Co-headlining the show are Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. Georgi Karakhanyan and Zac George vs. Wilson Reis, both of which are tourney fights.
The tournament winner earns $100,000 in total pay and a title shot with current champ Joe Warren.
The full Bellator 37 card includes:
MAIN CARD
* Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Zac George vs. Wilson Reis (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Kenny Foster vs. Eric Larkin (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Nazareno Malegarie vs. Daniel Straus (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
PRELIMINARY CARD
* John Bryant vs. Jake Rosholt
* Jerrod Sanders vs. Jeremy Spoon
* Brandon Shelton vs. Adam Snook
* Roli Delgado vs. Jameel Massouh
Fans are invited to Friday's official fighter weigh-ins and pre-event press conference for Bellator 37.
The festivities take place in Meeting Room One at the Hyatt Place on Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City beginning at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT local time).
Saturday night's MTV2-broadcast event, which features the opening round of the organization's eight-man featherweight tournament, takes place at the Lucky Star Casino in nearby Concho, Okla.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) will have a live stream of the weigh-ins and presser, as well as a full summary of the weigh-in results.
Bellator 37, which is the third event of the organization's 12-week fourth season, is the first of four season-four events scheduled to take place in Oklahoma. Co-headlining the show are Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. Georgi Karakhanyan and Zac George vs. Wilson Reis, both of which are tourney fights.
The tournament winner earns $100,000 in total pay and a title shot with current champ Joe Warren.
The full Bellator 37 card includes:
MAIN CARD
* Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Zac George vs. Wilson Reis (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Kenny Foster vs. Eric Larkin (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
* Nazareno Malegarie vs. Daniel Straus (featherweight-tourney quarterfinal)
PRELIMINARY CARD
* John Bryant vs. Jake Rosholt
* Jerrod Sanders vs. Jeremy Spoon
* Brandon Shelton vs. Adam Snook
* Roli Delgado vs. Jameel Massouh
Brilz ‘Praying for a Miracle’ After Wrestling Power UNO Drops Program
The University of Nebraska at Omaha has decided to cut its wrestling program on the heels of its third consecutive Division II national wrestling title, a disappointing fact for UFC light heavyweight talent and UNO alum Jason Brilz.
Along with fellow Octagon talent Jake Ellenberger, Brilz currently serves as an assistant coach for the team, which has won six national titles in the last eight years.
“It hurts. I’ve been there coaching for 12 years. The administration handled it with extremely poor timing,” Brilz told Sherdog.com on Thursday. “I don't think they looked at all at the options. They sort of had a game plan where they were going, and now they're painting a picture around that game plan and saying that this is their only choice.”
The decision to drop wrestling came as a result of the school being offered a spot in the NCAA Division I Summit League, which does not offer wrestling. As the league does not offer football either, that program will also be dissolved. Replacing those sports will be men's golf and soccer, respectively.
UNO Chancellor John Christensen and Athletic Director Trev Alberts both announced the news on Sunday at a press conference, just one day after the Mavericks won their third straight wrestling title.
According to Brilz, however, the wrestling team found out about the change that same night, recalling that head coach Mike Denney received the bad news over the phone in the wake of the championship celebration.
“Our coach got a call seriously an hour after we won the title. I guess it points to what sports are becoming. Our coach has been there 32 years. He built this program. He made it dominant. He's been loyal to the school,” said Brilz. “He could have gone to Division I if he wanted, but he was loyal to the program and he worked his butt off.”
UNO currently competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics association with the exception of the men's hockey team, which plays at the Division I level in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. According to a report from the Associated Press, Alberts asserts that the decision was made in order to save the athletic program from financial deficiencies.
"This was an effort to look at UNO achieving long-term sustainability and relevancy in this market. Heretofore, with the exception of our hockey program, we haven't been able to do that," said Alberts in the report. “Our current structure was not sustainable and, in all likelihood, we wouldn't have an athletic program in five years.”
While Brilz says he can see how the financial woes of the athletic department -- especially in regard to the football program -- might be cause for concern, the light heavyweight believes that there are alternatives to dissolving the sports, such as the wrestling team competing in a different conference.
“We've always been under budget. Our budget is $21,000. That's what the school pays for all our travel and everything. So we raise almost $80,000 every year by putting on clinics, tournaments and golf outings,” said Brilz. “We could go move into the Missouri Valley Conference or the Western Athletic Conference. One of those. We could go in there and compete. I think another conference would welcome us with open arms.”
Though Brilz will be out of a part-time job as assistant coach of the squad, the fighter says that any negative financial impact inherent in the situation is the least of his worries.
“I told Coach Denney from day one that I would do this for free, but he gave me money. It's not really going to affect me financially at all, maybe [a little bit], but it was never about the money for me in any of the sports I do.”
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is holding a special meeting to review the university's decision to drop the programs. In order for the move to become official, the panel must approve the university's decision. The Board of Regents will vote on Friday, March 25 to decide the fate of UNO wrestling and football.
“I think we'll go to Division I. That's a given right now, but whether we can keep the program will hinge on the Regents, who are elected officials,” said Brilz. “So when we crowd that place out, and they're getting bombarded with letters and telephone calls and emails, and people start speaking their minds, I think the Regents are going to realize, 'If I want to [be elected] for another term, we had better at least try to keep wrestling.'”
“Other than that, we're just praying for a miracle.”
The University of Nebraska at Omaha has decided to cut its wrestling program on the heels of its third consecutive Division II national wrestling title, a disappointing fact for UFC light heavyweight talent and UNO alum Jason Brilz.
Along with fellow Octagon talent Jake Ellenberger, Brilz currently serves as an assistant coach for the team, which has won six national titles in the last eight years.
“It hurts. I’ve been there coaching for 12 years. The administration handled it with extremely poor timing,” Brilz told Sherdog.com on Thursday. “I don't think they looked at all at the options. They sort of had a game plan where they were going, and now they're painting a picture around that game plan and saying that this is their only choice.”
The decision to drop wrestling came as a result of the school being offered a spot in the NCAA Division I Summit League, which does not offer wrestling. As the league does not offer football either, that program will also be dissolved. Replacing those sports will be men's golf and soccer, respectively.
UNO Chancellor John Christensen and Athletic Director Trev Alberts both announced the news on Sunday at a press conference, just one day after the Mavericks won their third straight wrestling title.
According to Brilz, however, the wrestling team found out about the change that same night, recalling that head coach Mike Denney received the bad news over the phone in the wake of the championship celebration.
“Our coach got a call seriously an hour after we won the title. I guess it points to what sports are becoming. Our coach has been there 32 years. He built this program. He made it dominant. He's been loyal to the school,” said Brilz. “He could have gone to Division I if he wanted, but he was loyal to the program and he worked his butt off.”
UNO currently competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics association with the exception of the men's hockey team, which plays at the Division I level in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. According to a report from the Associated Press, Alberts asserts that the decision was made in order to save the athletic program from financial deficiencies.
"This was an effort to look at UNO achieving long-term sustainability and relevancy in this market. Heretofore, with the exception of our hockey program, we haven't been able to do that," said Alberts in the report. “Our current structure was not sustainable and, in all likelihood, we wouldn't have an athletic program in five years.”
While Brilz says he can see how the financial woes of the athletic department -- especially in regard to the football program -- might be cause for concern, the light heavyweight believes that there are alternatives to dissolving the sports, such as the wrestling team competing in a different conference.
“We've always been under budget. Our budget is $21,000. That's what the school pays for all our travel and everything. So we raise almost $80,000 every year by putting on clinics, tournaments and golf outings,” said Brilz. “We could go move into the Missouri Valley Conference or the Western Athletic Conference. One of those. We could go in there and compete. I think another conference would welcome us with open arms.”
Though Brilz will be out of a part-time job as assistant coach of the squad, the fighter says that any negative financial impact inherent in the situation is the least of his worries.
“I told Coach Denney from day one that I would do this for free, but he gave me money. It's not really going to affect me financially at all, maybe [a little bit], but it was never about the money for me in any of the sports I do.”
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is holding a special meeting to review the university's decision to drop the programs. In order for the move to become official, the panel must approve the university's decision. The Board of Regents will vote on Friday, March 25 to decide the fate of UNO wrestling and football.
“I think we'll go to Division I. That's a given right now, but whether we can keep the program will hinge on the Regents, who are elected officials,” said Brilz. “So when we crowd that place out, and they're getting bombarded with letters and telephone calls and emails, and people start speaking their minds, I think the Regents are going to realize, 'If I want to [be elected] for another term, we had better at least try to keep wrestling.'”
“Other than that, we're just praying for a miracle.”
Horodecki Receives Opponent for April 2 Ontario Event
Chris Horodecki now has an opponent for Ontario's first sanctioned MMA event, as “The Polish Hammer” will square off with Jeremy Horn pupil David Castillo in a lightweight affair at MMA: The Reckoning.
The event, put on by Knockout Entertainment, will go down April 2 from Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Also scheduled for the event is a welterweight contest between Team Rough House representative Dean Amasinger and Canadian Matt MacGrath.
Amasinger was originally supposed to face Louis-Phillipe Carle at the show, but Carle has reportedly been forced to withdraw from the bout with an injury. TopMMANews.com first reported the updated fight card on Thursday.
A former International Fight League lightweight contender, Horodecki began his career a perfect 12-0 before losing in the IFL grand prix finals in 2007. Just 23 years old, the Polish-Canadian made his WEC debut in December 2009, losing by knockout to lanky kickboxer Anthony Njokuani. Following back-to-back victories over Roufusport product Danny Downes and Alliance MMA representative Ed Ratcliff, Horodecki was bounced from the promotion following a second-round submission defeat to former WEC title challenger Donald Cerrone.
Castillo rides back-to-back victories heading into his showdown with Horodecki. After starting his career a perfect 7-0, the Elite Performance representative suffered the first and only losses of his career in 2009 and 2010, respectively. He finished last year strong, however, earning submission victories over Ty Hamblin in June and Jon Walser in September.
Chris Horodecki now has an opponent for Ontario's first sanctioned MMA event, as “The Polish Hammer” will square off with Jeremy Horn pupil David Castillo in a lightweight affair at MMA: The Reckoning.
The event, put on by Knockout Entertainment, will go down April 2 from Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Also scheduled for the event is a welterweight contest between Team Rough House representative Dean Amasinger and Canadian Matt MacGrath.
Amasinger was originally supposed to face Louis-Phillipe Carle at the show, but Carle has reportedly been forced to withdraw from the bout with an injury. TopMMANews.com first reported the updated fight card on Thursday.
A former International Fight League lightweight contender, Horodecki began his career a perfect 12-0 before losing in the IFL grand prix finals in 2007. Just 23 years old, the Polish-Canadian made his WEC debut in December 2009, losing by knockout to lanky kickboxer Anthony Njokuani. Following back-to-back victories over Roufusport product Danny Downes and Alliance MMA representative Ed Ratcliff, Horodecki was bounced from the promotion following a second-round submission defeat to former WEC title challenger Donald Cerrone.
Castillo rides back-to-back victories heading into his showdown with Horodecki. After starting his career a perfect 7-0, the Elite Performance representative suffered the first and only losses of his career in 2009 and 2010, respectively. He finished last year strong, however, earning submission victories over Ty Hamblin in June and Jon Walser in September.
Family tragedy, not losing skid, was toughest test for UFC 128's Dan Miller
NEWARK, N.J. – One look at Dan Miller's record, and you can't help but notice a recent three-fight skid that nearly cost him his UFC career.
Miller took on the elite of the middleweight division – Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping – and didn't have a single win to show for it.
But for Miller, who returns as a late replacement against Nate Marquardt at Saturday's UFC 128 event, his in-cage setbacks hardly compared to the heartbreak of his personal life.
Miller, who recently replaced Yoshihiro Akiyama in the wake of the Japanese earthquake disaster, fights in a pay-per-view main-card bout. It takes place in his home state at the Prudential Center in Newark N.J.
After that rough three-fight losing streak, Miller now looks for his third straight win following a submission victory over John Salter and a split-decision win over Joe Doerksen in late 2010. But the triumphs came a year after personal tragedy – namely, the death of his young daughter.
"It was hard to leave the house," Miller admitted to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) at today's UFC 128 open workouts. "My wife was home. It was tough to train. It really was. Fight time? I can concentrate for 15 minutes and concentrate on the fight and get ready, and mentally, be there for the fight. But physically, it just wasn't there."
Miller showed up each time to fight, even despite the family tragedy. He didn't pull out of fights. He was hopeful he could set aside the mental baggage for a single three-round fight. But the sadness and mourning was too much to endure over a full training camp, and he paid the price on fight night.
"It's tough," said Miller, whose young son, also has dealt with recent health issues. "It's more about the training than anything else, and I had a tough time training in 2009."
Miller, though, doesn't blame the losses on his real-world heartbreak. He admits Sonnen simply outclassed him – "He just came out and beat, and there was nothing I could do to stop him," Miller said – and though the Maia and Bisping losses were competitive bouts, he just didn't have the physical stamina or focus he needed.
He thinks he's worked through those hurdles. He'll never let go of the daughter he lost, but he knows the best thing he can do for his family is go out and continue his ascent in the middleweight division.
"I'm progressing now and everything like that," he said. "My stand-up is getting much better. My ground game is getting better. My wrestling has gotten a lot better since the Chael fight. I just need to improve, and mentally, show that I belong here."
That's why he welcomed the fight with Marquardt. Initially slated to fight Nick Catone in an untelevised preliminary-card bout, Miller now fights in a televised main-card fight against one of the world's top-10 fighters in his division.
It's just the matchup he needs to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of the middleweight class.
"It was a fight I had to take," he said. "For me to move up in the ranks, I need to beat guys like Nate. I've faced tough guys like him before, and I haven't done so well. This is my time to prove that I deserve to be there and that I prove to be in the top 10 in the UFC."
NEWARK, N.J. – One look at Dan Miller's record, and you can't help but notice a recent three-fight skid that nearly cost him his UFC career.
Miller took on the elite of the middleweight division – Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping – and didn't have a single win to show for it.
But for Miller, who returns as a late replacement against Nate Marquardt at Saturday's UFC 128 event, his in-cage setbacks hardly compared to the heartbreak of his personal life.
Miller, who recently replaced Yoshihiro Akiyama in the wake of the Japanese earthquake disaster, fights in a pay-per-view main-card bout. It takes place in his home state at the Prudential Center in Newark N.J.
After that rough three-fight losing streak, Miller now looks for his third straight win following a submission victory over John Salter and a split-decision win over Joe Doerksen in late 2010. But the triumphs came a year after personal tragedy – namely, the death of his young daughter.
"It was hard to leave the house," Miller admitted to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) at today's UFC 128 open workouts. "My wife was home. It was tough to train. It really was. Fight time? I can concentrate for 15 minutes and concentrate on the fight and get ready, and mentally, be there for the fight. But physically, it just wasn't there."
Miller showed up each time to fight, even despite the family tragedy. He didn't pull out of fights. He was hopeful he could set aside the mental baggage for a single three-round fight. But the sadness and mourning was too much to endure over a full training camp, and he paid the price on fight night.
"It's tough," said Miller, whose young son, also has dealt with recent health issues. "It's more about the training than anything else, and I had a tough time training in 2009."
Miller, though, doesn't blame the losses on his real-world heartbreak. He admits Sonnen simply outclassed him – "He just came out and beat, and there was nothing I could do to stop him," Miller said – and though the Maia and Bisping losses were competitive bouts, he just didn't have the physical stamina or focus he needed.
He thinks he's worked through those hurdles. He'll never let go of the daughter he lost, but he knows the best thing he can do for his family is go out and continue his ascent in the middleweight division.
"I'm progressing now and everything like that," he said. "My stand-up is getting much better. My ground game is getting better. My wrestling has gotten a lot better since the Chael fight. I just need to improve, and mentally, show that I belong here."
That's why he welcomed the fight with Marquardt. Initially slated to fight Nick Catone in an untelevised preliminary-card bout, Miller now fights in a televised main-card fight against one of the world's top-10 fighters in his division.
It's just the matchup he needs to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of the middleweight class.
"It was a fight I had to take," he said. "For me to move up in the ranks, I need to beat guys like Nate. I've faced tough guys like him before, and I haven't done so well. This is my time to prove that I deserve to be there and that I prove to be in the top 10 in the UFC."