MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Featherweight Quarterfinalists Hit Marks for Bellator 37

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Georgi Karakhanyan have a common interest. They both want revenge against a certain outspoken champion.

Freire tipped the scales at 146 pounds for his quarterfinal matchup with Karakhanyan (146) in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 4 featherweight tournament at Bellator 37 on Saturday at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Okla. Those fighters populating the three remaining quarterfinals -- Zac George (145.8) vs. Wilson Reis (145.6), Eric Larkin (145.4) vs. Kenny Foster (145.4) and Daniel Straus (144) vs. Nazareno Malegarie (145.6) -- also made weight without incident at Friday’s official weigh-in.

A Season 2 featherweight finalist, Freire won his first 14 professional bouts before losing a contentious three-round split decision to current featherweight titleholder Joe Warren at Bellator 23 in June. The 23-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt nearly finished Warren with his potent and diverse offensive repertoire inside the first round, only to fall short on points. Freire, who trains with former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight boss Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, has secured 11 of his 14 career victories by submission.

Karakhanyan last appeared at Bellator 28 in September, when he took a unanimous decision from WEC alum Anthony Leone at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans. The 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt operates out of the Millennia Mixed Martial Arts Training Center in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and has rattled off 10 wins in his past 11 outings. Karakhanyan’s lone setback in that span came in a controversial unanimous decision to Warren at Bellator 18. Born in Moscow to Armenian parents, Karakhanyan played professional soccer before his current incarnation as a mixed martial artist. He owns notable victories against EliteXC veteran Bao Quach and Affliction alum Albert Rios. In 17 professional appearances, Karakhanyan has never been finished.

The winner of the eight-man featherweight draw will earn $100,000 in prize money, along with a crack at Warren’s 145-pound crown. Bellator 37 will air on MTV2 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Bellator 37
Saturday, March 19
Lucky Star Casino
Concho, Okla.

Georgi Karakhanyan (146) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (146)
Zac George (145.8) vs. Wilson Reis (145.6)
Eric Larkin (145.4) vs. Kenny Foster (145.4)
Daniel Straus (144) vs. Nazareno Malegarie (145.6)
Roli Delgado (144.4) vs. Jameel Massouh (145)
John Bryant (186.8) vs. Jake Rosholt (185.8)
Jeremy Spoon (143.6) vs. Jerrod Sanders (146)
Brandon Shelton (153) vs. Adam Snook (Will Weigh-in Saturday)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rebney: ‘5 Hours of World Class MMA is a Very Good Thing’

This Saturday, Bellator Fighting Championships begins its live MTV2 broadcast of Bellator 37 two hours early (7 p.m. ET) in order to avoid head-to-head competition with the UFC 128 “Prelims Live” special airing at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV.

The shift is not unexpected: Bellator officials noted soon after the promotion’s weekly events moved from Thursday to Saturday that its new time slot would be flexible. The change behooves not only Bellator, which steers clear of the Zuffa juggernaut, but also MTV2 and Spike, both subsidiaries of media giant Viacom. Rather than counterprogram one another, the networks will combine for three hours and a scheduled six bouts leading up to UFC 128’s 10 p.m. ET pay-per-view start.

For fight fanatics, it looks like a great night, but is five straight hours of MMA too much for the casual fan to digest? Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney (Pictured) doesn’t think so.

“While both shows are MMA, they are different formats,” Rebney told Sherdog.com recently. “MMA fans will get will get something totally unique and different from 7:00 to 9:00.”

“In my opinion, MMA’s the greatest sport on earth, so I think five hours of world class MMA is a very good thing,” explained Rebney. “Fans can tune in for free on MTV2 from 7:00 to 9:00 and watch four great fights in the quarterfinals of our featherweight tournament featuring, Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ Eric Larkin, Georgi [Karakhanyan], Wilson [Reis], Daniel [Straus], etc., and then pay for what looks like it could be a great show on pay-per-view with the UFC.”

With the recent announcement that the UFC will bump its pay-per-view broadcasts up an hour earlier starting with UFC 129, Rebney does not rule out the possibility of Bellator starting even earlier than 7 p.m., if necessary.

“We will work with our partners at MTV to see where and when conflicts exist and then determine if we will push any programming an hour earlier,” said Rebney.

The promotion’s MTV2 debut overlapped with Strikeforce’s “Feijao vs. Henderson” on Showtime; its March 12 sophomore offering fell on the only Saturday in March without a UFC or Strikeforce card. This Saturday will be the first time it runs on the same night as a major UFC event.

Bellator programming has thus far yielded solid results for its new channel, averaging 200,000 and 230,000 viewers in its first and second live broadcasts, respectively, while pulling 241,000 for its second-week replay. Key advertising demographics in the time slot have improved by as much as 133 percent, in the case of men ages 25 to 34.

Rebney credits MTV2’s production, promotion and 80 million-home reach for the recent boost in Bellator’s profile and viewership, and feels fans are catching on to his promotion’s unpredictable grand prix style.

“Our unique tournament format speaks directly to any fan who enjoys real sports competition where winners move on and losers go home, whether that’s March Madness, the NBA Playoffs, the NFL playoffs,” said Rebney. “We are increasing our fan base and attention from not only the MMA fans but also from sports fans who are converting to the world’s greatest sport: MMA.

“Also, I believe, one of the reasons that the endemic market coverage has expanded so dramatically is because the endemic market media now recognizes that Bellator is here to stay and will only grow over the coming years.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 37's Jake Rosholt focused on staying busy, returning to the octagon

You'd think middleweight Jake Rosholt's appearance at Saturday's Bellator 37 event might be a sign of things to come.

After all, the promotion is always looking for standout talent to recruit for future tournaments, and a featured fight can often lead to an invitation.

But Rosholt (8-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC) told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that his fight with Brandon McDowell (4-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC) is just a one-off. He doesn't want to be tied down.

Bellator 37 takes place at Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Okla., and airs live on MTV2.

The 28-year-old Rosholt has a picture of what his career will look like in the near future, and it's got an octagon in it.

Although Bellator's tournament structure offers a great opportunity, Rosholt, a WEC and UFC veteran, said his first priority is to be ready for the UFC when he makes the kind of noise that warrants a call from the big show.

If he signs on to a tournament, the line could be busy.

"Bellator's doing a great thing and are doing a good job, but it's not something that really interests me," Rosholt said. "I want to fight for the UFC again, and Bellator's contracts could be super long, especially if you get in the tournament or win the tournament.

"It becomes a really long, drawn-out deal, and that's not a situation I want to put myself in."

Rosholt said his involvement with Bellator came about through recent work with a regional promotion, C3 Fights. Because Bellator does not carry a promoter's license in all of the states in which it holds events, it often relies upon local promoters to find talent for the preliminary card.

In fact, two other big-show veterans fight alongside Rosholt on the non-televised card: UFC vet Roli Delgado and WEC vet Jameel Massouh.

Right now, Rosholt is trying to peek his head out from the middleweight crowd, and he just wants to stay busy. He earned a win four weeks ago at a C3 Fights event, and he'll fight again three weeks after Saturday's show in a card promoted in Arlington, Texas, where he and his teammates at Team Takedown relocated after a long stint in Las Vegas.

He is now 2-1 since he was released by the UFC in late 2009 with a 2-2 record.

"I'm just trying to knock out some fights and get some experience," he said. "Get some wins under my belt, and hopefully get back into a big show before too long."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC vet Chris Lytle re-evaluating, but not retiring, following loss

Chris Lytle's body finally caught up with his mind in the weeks leading to and during a fight with Brian Ebersole at UFC 127.

Lytle had the will to compete at the Feb 27 event. But an injured leg took the spring out of the his step, and he lost while on a push up the welterweight ladder that he previously said might be his last.

You certainly won't be seeing him in the cage anytime soon. But you will see him there again.

He's just trying to figure out how and when that's going to happen.

"I wanted to take a little time and re-evaluate what I'm doing with everything and how I feel – make sure I have a plan and (I'm) not just go out there and make any decision," Lytle (30-18-5 MMA, 9-10 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about the fallout from his loss. "I'll plan it out and figure out what I want to do."

Lytle admited that hasn't exactly been his strong suit, at least when it comes to fighting. He said he never really recovered from a knee surgery he underwent in the summer of 2009, which forced him to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 19, and he got back into action way too early when he accepted a fight with Brian Foster at UFC 110 in February 2010. Then he took fights against Matt Brown and Matt Serra, both which he won, but his leg continued to get worse.

"Basically, I just had my meniscus removed," Lytle said. "It wasn't that it was real bad. I was just that I haven't been able to train like I want to. I haven't been able to do lots of things, and mobility wasn't 100 percent."

By the time Lytle got around to Ebersole, who stepped in when Condit couldn't make a do-over booking due to – wouldn't you know it – an injured knee, Lytle's injuries were getting worse. His body began to compensate for his knee, and he had injured his back, as well. He fought anyway and made it, barely, through three rounds with the longtime veteran before losing a unanimous decision.

But despite a temporary halt to his title run and thoughts afterward about retiring altogether from fighting, Lytle said he probably would make the same decision all over again.

"I'm not going to pick and choose my fights, and I always feel like I should be able to fight anybody, anytime, anywhere," he said. "If that's the fight that I have, I'm not going to say, 'No, I'm not fighting.' I'm not going to shy away from people because of anything.

"Unfortunately, I wish I was a little smarter about stuff, but I'm not."

Of course, Lytle's go-for-broke style has made him a favorite among UFC fans, and he's been rewarded handsomely by the promotion with eight performance bonuses in an octagon career going back to 2000. The difference is he now knows that he needs to make the most of his time, and that means a clean slate – starting with his health. He'd like to get back in the cage by summer. But he can't be sure of that, and he doesn't want to rush things.

"It depends on how my body reacts," Lytle said. "I'm just trying to go back into a lot of strength-and-conditioning time. ... I'm not sure how long it's going to take. I'm hoping a couple of months, and then I can get back in shape and plan for something."

For now, he'll just be a full-time firefighter and father of four in his native Indianapolis. And while he never again will have to prove how tough he is, he's not done trying to prove he's one of the best fighters in the world.

There will be a point at which he'll realize that's no longer a realistic goal. But that time hasn't arrived.

"As long as I have the will to do it and the physical ability to do it, I would like to," Lytle said. "If one of those things goes away, then I'm going to have to re-evaluate. I'm sure I'm going to miss things. I'm sure I'm going to have to come up with a way to be involved with things in a different aspect.

"I'm trying not to think about that right now. I look at it like this could be my last fight, and I've got to make it the best fight of my life."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Reminder: "TUF 14" fighter tryouts takes place Monday in New Jersey

As a reminder, tryouts for the 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter 14" reality series take place Monday in New Jersey.

"TUF 14," which begins production this summer and debuts in the fall on Spike TV, is expected to feature bantamweight and/or featherweight fighters.

The open-tryout session, which coincides with UFC 128 in Newark, takes place at Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott (1 Hotel Road).

Registration takes place from 8-9 a.m. ET (local time), and fighters will grapple and hit pads as part of the audition process.

Applicants must be 21 or older and have at least three professional fights.

"TUF" has never before featured fighters in the lighter-weight divisions.

UFC officials have announced no coaches for for the show, but it's believed UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is a leading candidate. Former WEC champ Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland, who meet in a UFC 128 bantamweight co-headliner, also are possibilities, and the outcome of their fight could influence the decision.

"TUF," which debuted in 2005 and quickly became a driving force for the UFC's move into the mainstream, had launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra. The current 13th season, which debuts March 30, features former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and top contender Junior Dos Santos as coaches overseeing a cast of 14 welterweights.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Like famous brother Anthony, 17-year-old Sergio Pettis fueled by family ties

The first time Sergio Pettis' accomplished brother Anthony took him into a mixed-martial-arts training session, the reserved Pettis was surprised by the differences.

Having trained in kickboxing and boxing, Sergio, six years younger, had been in gyms before. He had even grown up in a tough Milwaukee household with a strict mother who often sent her boys to bed by 8 p.m.

But this MMA stuff, it was wholly different.

"At first I was a little scared of it all," Pettis told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the experience as a 13-year-old. "With kickboxing, you're not trying to hurt people as much. It's more about scoring points. This was something else."

It seems Pettis has become acclimated to the MMA world quickly. A 17-year-old Milwaukee resident who trains while still going to high school during the day, Pettis is undefeated in amateur MMA (two fights) and kickboxing (six fights) and hopes to make his professional MMA debut in the fall.

In doing so, Pettis will try to continue the MMA success of a family that has seen its share of hardship. Pettis' father, who was stabilizing his life after a turbulent period, was killed by a would-be robber in a friend's home. Pettis was 10.

That left the brothers' resilient mother to raise a family – and the gym to comfort the tough-minded boys. Pettis was 13 when he first found his way in to the Roufusport Martial Arts Academy, a well-known gym operated by kickboxer Duke Roufus.

Since, Pettis has mixed his studies with training, growing closer to his older brother through the family tragedy and the bond they share with passion for training.

His next goal is to take his career to the professional level.

"I like to think of it like my dad knows what I'm doing, and I want to make him proud," Pettis said. "I want to make my mom proud too because she worked so hard for all of us."

Always the youngest

With two older brothers – one six years older (Anthony, the WEC's final lightweight champ and a current top UFC lightweight contender) and another 11 years older – Pettis was often the subject of friendly ribbing if not outright pounding.

His mother supplied the family with athleticism as a former gymnast, and he has heard his father could always hold his own (if not much better) in a fight. The older brothers were interested in combat sports before Pettis could participate, so basketball was his first athletic love.

As he grew, and as he wanted to spend more time with his brothers, Pettis headed to the local gym for workouts. That turned into training for kickboxing and boxing.

"I was a kid who kind of did what I was told, and my mom taught me that," Pettis said. "I think [the training] helped kind of pull me out of my shell a little bit because I was a shy kid."

His brothers were daring, which in part led them to the MMA training that was so different from what Pettis experienced in the kickboxing world.

"The first time I did contact stuff, I got beat up pretty good, and I was discouraged," he said. "I think what really helped me was just when I started fighting back.

"I started returning the punches, and I felt a lot better about it all, like this was something I could really do."

His own tricks

When Pettis made his MMA debut, he actually wasn't supposed to be fighting MMA at all.

He was 15 years old, and he was scheduled for a kickboxing fight. The fight didn't work out, but Pettis said Roufus felt he was ready for an MMA opportunity.

MMA training, actually, had first been a way for Pettis to help his kickboxing career by improving his cardio. But as he continued training, others around the gym noticed his skill.

So Pettis earned his first amateur MMA fight against "this big dude," he said, a 22-year-old with more experience.

"I was ready, and it was one of my best fights," Pettis said. "It did a lot for my confidence too, that I could go after this 22-year-old guy who was bigger and stronger than I was."

Since, Pettis has continued training and been best at stand-up. He also can shoot well thanks to a brief high-school wrestling career.

Speaking of high school, Pettis fits in his training around his senior year. He goes to school during the day, does his homework immediately after and then heads to the gym, where he works regularly with his brother.

He's trying to learn from Anthony, even if he doesn't try everything.

"He does all these crazy kicks, so I don't really do those," Pettis said. "I try to learn from his creativity. He's always open to trying new things, so I try to be like that."

Especially after their father's tragic death, Pettis and his brother have become very close. Pettis said when he's not in school, they're around each other, either training or spending time relaxing.

But that doesn't mean they won't take some shots at each other.

"When we spar, we go at it," Pettis said. "I can definitely hold my own. I can even do a couple things he can't do. I have a few of my own tricks."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White says UFC television channel "makes sense"

With the UFC and Strikeforce now residing under the same Zuffa, LLC umbrella, the world's leading mixed martial arts promoter now has a plethora of broadcast options at its disposal.

The UFC's deals with Spike TV, Versus and ION Television (not to mention Facebook.com) are now coupled with Strikeforce's Showtime and CBS partnerships, creating a widespread MMA presence across a variety of television platforms.

But could the purchase of Strikeforce, including its fighters and extensive tape library, signal the coming of the UFC's own television channel? UFC president Dana White admits it certainly make sense.

"It's a different world out there right now," White told Mike Straka on this week's new edition of HDNet's "Inside MMA." "Going out and starting your own channel isn't as easy it was six or seven years ago. It's a lot tougher than it used to be.

"But does it make sense? Yeah, it makes sense."

MMA fans have long salivated over the prospect of a 24-hour network dedicated to the broadcast of UFC programming. With the PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce and EliteXC video libraries now under Zuffa's control, it would seem there is now more than enough stockpiled footage to make that dream a reality.

White, himself, even spoke on the potential for a UFC channel in an October 2010 interview with Broadcasting & Cable.

"SportsBusiness Journal just came out with a survey asking big names in the industry which sport could start its own network, and four out of five said us," White told Broadcasting & Cable. "They are right. I agree. That will happen within the next couple years."

Of course, exactly when that will happen remains a mystery. Some MMA pundits have suggested that while an all-UFC channel is certainly possible, the real crux behind the UFC's acquisitions of promotions like Strikeforce and the WEC is the access to their TV deals, thus allowing White to pit networks against each other in their bids for his programming.

White dismissed that notion.

"It makes me laugh sometimes when I'm cruising through the Internet and I read some of the stories that some of the reporters write," White told Straka. "Nobody knows what we're doing. We know what's going on. We're the ones that built this industry. We're the trailblazers that are out there making all these things happen.

"We know what we're doing. We know what the future is. We know what's going on, and it's funny to sit around and read some of the ideas that some of these websites throw out there. Trust me, we know exactly what we're doing for the next five years."

Instead, White stuck to his "business as usual" mantra in regards to current broadcasting plans. And as far as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is concerned, that means a continued presence on Showtime, as well as a return to network-television partner CBS for the first time since a post-fight brawl marred the April 2010 broadcast of "Strikeforce: Nashville."

"It's definitely still a possibility," Coker told HDNet's Bas Rutten. "We all know what happened last year, and we said we'll revisit it this year.

"Under the new regime, honestly, we haven't had a chance to sit down. It happened so fast. ... We really haven't had the time to sit down and create the overall master plan in detail."

The UFC's recent purchase of Strikeforce was unquestionably a game-changer in MMA, and the sport's most powerful promotion further distanced itself from any potential challengers for its market share. But what exactly that means for the sport's presence on television remains to be seen. White declined to reveal the company's current plan, but he admitted his promotion is an extremely enviable position.

"To be where we are right now in such a short amount of time?" White asked. "We bought the company literally 10 years ago, so to be sitting here now and talking about all this stuff and to be where we are today is pretty amazing in 10 years."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brendan Schaub Plans To Hang His Hat on Cro Cop at UFC 128

If you’ve followed MMA for more than five years, you’re probably familiar with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic for more than just the time he’s spent inside the Octagon. You likely remember his run through the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. Or perhaps you recall his fight with Fedor Emelianenko for the Pride heavyweight title – a bout that, at the time, was arguably the biggest in MMA history.

If you don’t remember any of that, it’s okay. Just know that Cro Cop was a menace in the ring and the most feared striker the sport had seen up to that point in time.

Over the last five years, the sport has evolved tremendously. With that evolution, younger and more well-rounded fighters have entered the game and completely changed the landscape of competition.

Enter Brendan Schaub.

The UFC heavyweight is a young, up-and-coming fighter with a world of potential heading into his UFC 128 match-up against the legend that is Cro Cop. Schaub recalls the Cro Cop from years before and admits to being a fan of his, much like Pat Barry did prior to his fight against the Croatian at UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin.

The media’s biggest criticism of Barry in that fight was seemingly letting the aura of Cro Cop consume him. Being a fan of his apparently got in the way of following through with the killer instinct.

You think the same thing is going to happen to Brendan Schaub? According to him, being a Cro Cop fan just makes him want to lay out his UFC 128 opponent that much more. Ironically, that’s how he says he’ll pay respect to a legend.

“The way I show my respect is by getting after these guys, giving them my best,” Schaub said on MMAWeekly Radio. “I go in there to give these guys all I got. Doing anything else I think is doing a disservice to them. It’s almost disrespectful.

“As far as him being a legend, it makes me just want to get after him and knock him out that much more.”

Maybe the idea of beating a fighter he’s seen compete for years is a driving factor behind Schaub’s intention to knock him out. Perhaps topping someone who was once on top opens up a place at the top.

Still, Schaub admits to having an odd feeling in getting an opportunity to take on someone he views as legendary. Ultimately, the fight is one he’ll remember for the rest of his life, guaranteeing a time when he’ll tell his children’s children of the night he fought Cro Cop.

“I’ve been a big fan of Mirko and it’s weird you get a chance to fight a legend like Mirko,” he said. “This is one of those fights that, when I’m retired and looking back on my career, this is going to be one of those ones you hang your hat on.”

Schaub made it clear that finding a training partner to mirror Cro Cop is a bit of a task. At six-foot-two and 225 pounds, Filipovic is a smaller heavyweight, but for what he lacks in size, he still packs power in that left side of his. Although he hasn’t had a highlight reel head-kick finish since 2006, the possibility of absorbing a deep impact from a Cro Cop strike is still as strong as ever.

“He’s a small heavyweight, about 220, 225 and he’s fast, he’s a southpaw,” Schaub explained. “Those guys are hard to find as training partners. His left kick is still very dangerous and that left hand comes with bad intentions.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128 bonuses: Schaub, Koch, Barboza and Njokuani each earn $70K

NEWARK, N.J. – Brendan Scahub, Erik Koch, Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani each earned $75,000 "Fight Night" bonuses for their performances at Saturday's UFC 128 event.

With not one fight ending via submission, both Schaub and Koch were awarded "Knockout of the Night" bonuses, and Barboza and Njokuani combined for the "Fight of the Night" honors.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) learned of the bonus winners and award amounts while at UFC 128's post-event press conference.

UFC 128 took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The night's main card aired on pay-per-view, two preliminary-card fights aired on Spike TV, and an additional two bouts streamed on Facebook.

Schaub earned his reward money with a third-round stoppage of MMA legend Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Fighting on the first bout of the main card, Schaub battled through a point deduction, an Filipovic elbow that opened up a handful of cuts on his face, and a third-round shot to the groin before timing a perfect counter-right hand and dropping the Croatian to the canvas. After the win, Schaub openly lobbied for the bonus as a late birthday present ("The Hybrid" turned 28 years old on Friday).

Meanwhile, Koch's bonus was earned in the evening's very first fight. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter needed just half of the opening frame to knock grappler Raphael Assuncao cold and claim the extra income. Koch also cashed in on a "Knockout of the Night" bonus in his most recent outing, a victory at this past November's WEC 52 event. Of course, that bonus meant just a $10,000 bonus to go along with his $8,000 fight purse. Koch no doubt applauds the recent UFC-WEC merger.

Finally, Barboza and Njokuani combined for the evening's "Fight of the Night." Featured on the evening's Spike TV-broadcast preliminary card, the two strikers traded in the pocket for the duration of their 15-minute affair. The back-and-forth action ultimately saw Barboza edge out Njokuani via decision, but the two fighters' efforts were rewarded with a bonus. Njokuani previously claimed three "Knockout of the Night" bonuses while competing under the WEC banner.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128 draws a reported 12,619 attendees for $2.14 million live gate

NEWARK, N.J. – Saturday's "UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones" event drew a reported 12,619 attendees and generated a live gate of $2.14 million.

UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) attended.

Featuring a light-heavyweight championship fight between new UFC champ Jon Jones and former titleholder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, UFC 128 took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and aired on pay-per-view.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board typically does not verify the figures.

The number of complimentary tickets issued for the show was not revealed, but the reported figures indicate the UFC generated an average revenue of $169.59 per ticket issued.

UFC 128's main card aired on pay-per-view while Spike TV aired a trio of preliminary-card bouts (including one taped match from the evening's dark bouts). An additional two preliminary-card fight also streamed live on Facebook.

UFC 128 marks the second-largest live gate ever reported by the UFC in the state of New Jersey.

The state's all-time top UFC gates as compiled by MMAjunkie.com include:

1. UFC 111 (St-Pierre vs. Hardy): $4,000,000 gate (17,000 attendance)*
2. UFC 128 (Jones vs. Rua): $2,140,000 (12,619)*
3. UFC 78 (Bisping vs. Evans): $2,100,000 (14,071)*
4. UFC 53 (Arlovski vs. Eilers): $1,100,000 (12,000)*

* - Figures not verified by New Jersey State Athletic Control Board

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128 medical suspensions: Rua, Schaub out 60 days; Jones, others need clearance

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board issued medical suspensions to a total of 10 fighters from Saturday night's UFC 128 event.

Main-event loser Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and main-card winner Brendan Schaub will each be sidelined 60 days, while UFC 128 losers Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Raphael Assuncao are forced to sit out for 30 days.

A total of six fighters, including new UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, were issued indefinite orders pending further medical evaluation. All six may return pending clearance for a variety of potential injuries.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today requested and received the list of suspensions from NJSACB executive Nick Lembo.

UFC 128 took place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and the night's main card aired on pay-per-view. Portions of the preliminary card aired on Spike TV and Facebook.

Additional indefinite orders were issued to UFC 128 winners Luiz Cane and Edson Barboza, while losers Kamal Shalorus, Eliot Marshall and Ian Loveland were also iced pending further evaluation.

The full list of suspensions includes:

* Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: Suspended indefinitely pending CT head scan, minimum 60-day suspension for TKO loss
* Brendan Schaub: Suspended indefinitely pending CT scan of facial/orbital bones, minimum 60-day suspension for facial laceration

* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic: Suspended indefinitely pending CT head scan, minimum 30-day suspension for knockout loss and facial lacerations
* Raphael Assuncao: Suspended 30 days for knockout loss

* Jon Jones: Suspended indefinitely pending X-ray, MRI and orthopedic clearance of right hand
* Kamal Shalorus: Suspended indefinitely pending CT scan of facial/orbital bones
* Luiz Cane: Suspended indefinitely pending X-ray and orthopedic clearance of left thumb
* Eliot Marshall: Suspended indefinitely pending CT head scan, minimum 30-day suspension for TKO loss
* Edson Barboza: Suspended indefinitely pending X-ray of right hand and right knee
* Ian Loveland: Suspended indefinitely pending MRI and orthopedic clearance of right ankle

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White: Following UFC 128 loss, Mirko "Cro Cop" headed to retirement

NEWARK, N.J. – Following back-to-back losses and his steady descent in the world heavyweight rankings, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (27-9-2 MMA, 4-5 UFC) apparently is headed into retirement.

And following Filipovic's loss to Brendan Schaub (8-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at Saturday's UFC 128 event, UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he doesn't expect much push back from the fighter.

"I don't think I'd have an argument from 'Cro Cop,'" he said.

In a pay-per-view main-card bout at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Schaub delivered the former PRIDE great a violent third-round knockout defeat. Schaub overpowered Filipovic for most of the fight and then floored him with a right hook to the side of the head in the final few minutes of the fight.

Filipovic also suffered a knockout loss in his previous bout, which came at UFC 119 to Frank Mir.

White said he'll always respect what the 36-year-old Croatian has accomplished in the sport. But he doesn't expect Filipovic back in the cage.

"I was talking tonight about how tough Mirko 'Cro Cop' is," White said. "At his age and with the wars he's been in, to see how he gets in there with these heavyweights now that are bigger, stronger and younger than he is – and he still holds his own – it's a testament to what a great fighter that guy was in his prime.

"I have all respect for Mirko 'Cro Cop,' but yeah, I'd have to say tonight is probably the last time we'll see 'Cro Cop' fight again."

White, though, said he hadn't talked to Filipovic before or after the fight about future plans. But based on his assessment, it's clear it's likely not the fighter's decision to make whether he returns to the UFC.

Filipovic went 2-3 in his most recent UFC stint and 1-2 in a heavily anticipated first stint back in 2007. The 2006 PRIDE open-weight grand-prix winner failed to capture the form that led him to a top world-heavyweight ranking and past victories over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett, Aleksander Emelianenko and Mark Coleman.

Additionally, while once known for an electric striking game and head-kick knockouts, his recent bouts lacked that pizazz. In fact, after back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo in 2007, he briefly left the UFC and fought in Japan before rejoining the UFC for his latest (and apparently final) stint.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rashad Evans "100 percent on board" for title fight with new champ Jon Jones

NEWARK, N.J. – Yes, teammate will fight teammate.

Following new champ Jon Jones' destruction of ex-titleholder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at Saturday's UFC 128 event, the 23-year-old light-heavyweight phenom now will meet teammate Rashad Evans in his first attempted title defense.

"It made sense to them," UFC president Dana White said. "They're fighting."

In fact, White said Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) has left Greg Jackson's New Mexico camp, where both he and Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) previously trained. In light of that decision, Jackson has vowed to be an uninvolved bystander in the preparations, he said.

Evans, in fact, had been in line to fight champ Rua at UFC 128 before a knee injury forced the challenger off the card. As Rua healed from his own knee injury, Evans sat out nearly a year waiting for the title shot rather than taking a non-championship bout and risking his shot at the belt. But when he lost the slot due to injury, UFC officials gave it to Jones following his early-February victory over fellow top prospect Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

White long has trumpeted – sometimes to the chagrin of fighters – the need for teammate-vs.-teammate fights. And as he explained after UFC 128, which took place at Prudential Center in Newark N.J., the friendly fights are just good business.

"For fighters, there's a small window of opportunity," he said. "In that small window, you have to make a bunch of money, get as famous as you can possibly get, and achieve a bunch of great things for when you retire.

"Look, I've got a lot of great friends I like to hang out with. They're cool. (But) none of them are going to pay my bills when it's all over. This is a sport. This is a business. Your business is to go out and prove that you're the best and win."

Evans and Jones largely dodged past questions about a potential future meeting, which fans and media began to anticipate as oddsmakers tapped Jones a nearly 2.5-to-1 favorite over Rua. When the teammates hinted it was a mere possibility if it were a last resort, the media ran with the story and created a firestorm. In fact, Jones' manager, Malki Kalwi, put a moratorium on the Evans talk during press events ahead of the "Shogun" bout.

But Jones made quick work of the champ in Saturday's pay-per-view headliner, controlled him on the mat, battered him with punches, and ultimately forced a third-round stoppage with some well-placed knee strikes.

Then, Jones simply couldn't avoid the issue, and a date with Evans now is set, though a timetable is up in the air.

"Rashad is 100 percent on board to fight Jon Jones," White said. "Rashad is fired up about this. He wants to fight Jon Jones.

"From what I understand, he has left Greg Jackson's camp. He's no longer with Jackson. Rashad and I have had our differences, and we'll probably continue to have our differences, but Rashad is 100 percent on board to fight Jon Jones and is actually fired up about that opportunity. And you know if that isn't the case, I'd tell you it isn't the case."

White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he met with Evans for a Friday breakfast and discussed the possibility of the Jones title fight. Admittedly, the conversation wasn't always cordial. White joked that "The Ultimate Fighter 2" winner and ex-champ probably wants to fight him more than he does Jones.

"Rashad and I got into it," he said. "We always get into it. Rashad and I don't think the same. Our philosophies are opposite on how we think things should be done and stuff like that."

In fact, White even hinted that Evans was ticked that Jones got the title fight in the first place. Evans apparently was peeved that UFC officials wouldn't wait for him to get healthy, even though they gave Rua 10 months to recover after his May 2010 win over then-champ Lyoto Machida. Instead of launching an interim title, they simply put the division on hold while Rua recovered from his third knee surgery.

Evans, of course, didn't get the same luxury.

"He feels his decision to sit out the year and wait for 'Shogun' was a good decision," White said. "I always go back to this thing, and my belief is that if you're truly the best in the world, you're going to fight all these guys anyway. You should be active. Staying active is a great thing as a fighter, and making money doesn't suck either.

"His feeling is that he had the opportunity for that title. He's not going to go out and fight a lesser guy when he feels he's the No. 1 contender and (with) the champion, that they're the two best. 'Why should he fight anyone else? He should wait for that title shot.'"

White apparently didn't agree with Evans' decision to wait. He believes Evans never should have sat on the sidelines to begin with.

"That's where our opinions are different," he said.

But it appears they're finally on the same page about one thing: It's time for a title fight with Jones.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Champ Dominick Cruz gets Urijah Faber next, "TUF 14" coaching slots possible

NEWARK, N.J. – UFC president Dana White isn't yet ready to dub UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber coaches for the upcoming 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

But he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's not closing the door on the possibility either.

Regardless of the possible reality-show duties, one thing is certain: the long-awaited Cruz (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Faber (25-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) rematch is going to happen.

Following Faber's hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over fellow ex-WEC champ Eddie Wineland in Saturday's UFC 128 co-headliner, White said the fan favorite is the No. 1 contender for Cruz's belt.

And that couldn't make Faber happier. After his victory over Wineland, which required a second- and third-round rally, Faber channeled his inner Antoine Dodson and warned Cruz to, "Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your UFC belt."

Faber said it's all in fun.

"I was just trying to add some humor," Faber said after the event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. "I like messing with Dominick. Like I said before, I feel like he chose me as an enemy, and I gladly accepted. I'm just messing around with him and letting him know I'm getting his belt."

Cruz won the WEC bantamweight championship, which later became the UFC 135-pound title following the organizations' merger, in early-2010 from then-champ Brian Bowles. To date, Cruz's only career defeat came in a 2007 title fight with then-WEC featherweight champ Faber.

Interest in the rematch has steadily increased, especially following Cruz's title run and the UFC-WEC merger. Now it could come following coaching duties on "TUF 14." The show, which has an open workout in Newark on Monday, is the first season of the long-running reality series to call for bantamweight and featherweight fighters.

Given the lighter weight classes, wouldn't Cruz and Faber appear logical choices for the coveted coaching slots, which would begin in late summer?

"We haven't decided the coaches yet, but yeah, Urijah's definitely in mind to be a coach," White said. "Urijah looked awesome tonight. ... Urijah looked nasty in that third round with the shots he was hitting with. He looked great, and of course, he's one of the guys we're definitely looking at as a future coach."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Silva vs. St-Pierre, Silva vs. Jones "super fights" not currently on UFC's radar

NEWARK, N.J. – With newly crowned UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones' dominating UFC 128 win over ex-champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, the fantasy matchmakers already are at work.

And though Jones hasn't made a single title defense, fans are already anticipating a slew of matchups, including one with middleweight champ and fellow pound-for-pound-rankings darling Anderson Silva.

But UFC president Dana White said that fight currently is no more likely than Silva vs. welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

Up until Jones' victory at Saturday's UFC 128 event in Newark N.J., which made the 23-year-old the youngest titleholder in UFC history, the buzz was over a possible St-Pierre vs. Silva "super fight." St-Pierre – largely due to the constant questions and even encouragement from White – said he'd need to vacate his welterweight belt, pack on pounds, and move to middleweight for good if he fights Silva.

All that apparently is standing in the way is St-Pierre's upcoming UFC 129 opponent: former Strikeforce and EliteXC champion Jake Shields.

But White said St-Pierre vs. Silva may not be as close as we originally thought.

"This fight isn't happening," White said. "It's not a fight yet. It's still a big fantasy fight. There are still things that need to happen in the meantime before we sit down and discuss where this fight would be, what weight it would be at, how it would work. It's all just fantasy yet.

"I literally have not talked to Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva about this fight."

The same obviously goes for Jones vs. Silva. White admitted numerous people stopped him on the way to the post-UFC 128 press conference to ask about Jones vs. Silva.

"With what I saw tonight, [Jones] looks a mile ahead of everyone else," White said. "In my opinion, not only is he the No. 1 light heavyweight in the world, he shot up the pound-for-pound (rankings) as well."

But that doesn't mean he's ready to throw him into a fight with Silva just yet.

Besides, Silva really has no interest to fight at light heavyweight, White said. He only did so before (in wins over James Irvin and Forrest Griffin) because he largely had cleaned out the division and was pushed by White.

"Anderson Silva has made it very clear to me that he doesn't want to fight at 205 pounds," White said. "That's why originally when I was always talking about him trying to go for another belt at 205 pounds. ... He stuck his big toe in a couple of times because I was pressing the issue. He made it very clear he doesn't want to fight at 205."

However, like White and other true MMA fans, he thinks Silva might be lured after what we've seen from Jones, MMA's next big star, in the past couple years.

"Who knows?" White said. "Maybe he sees a guy as talented as Jon Jones, and he'll want to try it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

"UFC Primetime" returns to Spike TV for "UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields"

In anticipation of their historic UFC 129 main-event fight, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (21-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) and top challenger Jake Shields (26-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will be featured in the newest edition of Spike TV's three-part "UFC Primetime" special.

While broadcast plans for the specials have yet to be finalized, White confirmed the plans following Saturday's UFC 128 card in New Jersey.

"We're going to do a Primetime on those two," White said.

"UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields" takes place April 30 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and airs on pay-per-view. The event is sold-out with more than 55,000 tickets snatched up almost instantly after the on-sale date.

Different from the UFC's traditional "Countdown" shows, "UFC Primetime" goes more in depth and focuses on some of the biggest fights of the year. The most recent "Primetime" special, for example, focused on this past October's heavyweight title clash between current champion Cain Velasquez and former title-holder Brock Lesnar. The two met at UFC 121.

St-Pierre has twice before been featured in "UFC Primetime" specials. The champ's UFC 111 bout with Dan Hardy drew the extra treatment, as did a UFC 94 fight with B.J. Penn. The frequency of the superstar's appearance in the specials led White to joke there may be little left to uncover about St-Pierre's preparation process.

"Everything you didn't know about Georges St-Pierre from the other seven 'Primetimes,' you'll learn in this one," White deadpanned.

The debut episode of May 2010's "UFC Primetime: Rampage vs. Evans" series set a ratings record for the show with 1.2 million viewers.

 

[Shogun Locc]

With pairings set, Bellator 38 hosts light-heavyweight quarterfinals

The pairings are set for Bellator Fighting Championships' first-ever light-heavyweight tournament quarterfinals.

Bellator brass announced late Saturday night that next week's Bellator 38 event features Tim Carpenter vs. Daniel Gracie, Raphael Davis vs. D.J. Linderman, Nik Fekete vs. Richard Hale, and Chris Davis vs. Chrisitian M'Pumbu.

Bellator 38 takes place March 16 at Harrah's Tunica Hotel & Casino in Tunica Resorts, Miss., and airs on MTV2.

The winner of Bellator's inaugural 205-pound tournament earns $100,000 in total pay and becomes the organization's first-ever 205-pound champion.

Carpenter (6-0 MMA, 1-0 BFC), who signed an exclusive deal with Bellator, picked up a split-decision victory over IFL veteran Jamal Patterson at Bellator 33 in October. Carpenter currently trains at Philadelphia's Balance Studios. He turned pro in 2005 but sat out late 2007 to early 2010. His first three pro bouts all ended via submission.

Gracie (5-2-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) made his MMA debut in 2002 but recently took a four-year hiatus from the sport to heal a nagging elbow injury. A fourth-degree jiu-jitsu black belt, four of Gracie's MMA wins have come via submission. Gracie currently trains with his cousin, Renzo Gracie, and he's confident in his chances to claim Bellator's first-ever 205-pound belt.

A California resident, Raphael Davis (10-1 MMA, 2-0 BFC) has fought professionally since 2006. His lone career loss came in his second professional bout, in which he lost a unanimous decision to Brent Beauparlant under the IFL banner. He since has earned nine consecutive wins, and eight of the results have come via stoppage, including seven submissions.

Linderman (8-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC), a California-based fighter, has competed for organizations such as SportFight and Art of Fighting. Previous wins, which have included five stoppages, came over the likes of IFL/Strikeforce vet Devin Cole, one-time EliteXC fighter Mario Rinaldi and Bellator vet Mike Hayes. His lone career loss came to Cole via decision in a rematch.

Fekete (4-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) moved to 4-0 with a December TKO win over Chris Bostick at Tachi Palace Fights 7. After wrestling at Michigan State and rooming with top UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard, the All-American went to Beijing as a training partner for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

The 6-foot-4 Hale (15-3-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) has held Rage in the Cage titles in three different divisions – light heavyweight, heavyweight and super heavyweight – but the Ohio native said he feels the 205-pound division is the best fit for him.

Chris Davis (10-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC), a veteran of the Southeast fight circuit, brings a 5-1 streak to the tournament. Among his 10 wins are 10 stoppage victories, the past nine in the first round. The Alabama native's only losses came to notables Jeremy Horn and Vinny Magalhaes.

French light heavyweight M'Pumbu (15-3-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) comes to Bellator on the heels of an April 2010 loss to Yoshiyuki Nakanishi under the DEEP banner. However, prior to the defeat, M'Pumbu had embarked on a six-fight unbeaten streak. Fighting professionally since 2004, M'Pumbu has fought mostly in regional-level shows.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rashad Evans Leaves Team Jackson, Fired Up to Face Jon Jones

Rashad Evans will still get his title shot next, but he will have to face friend, new champion, and former teammate Jon Jones to get that gold belt back around his waist.

The most stunning part of that statement of course is the ‘former teammate’ part.

It appears as of now, Rashad Evans has left Team Jackson and will pursue his training elsewhere as he prepares for his showdown against Jon Jones.

Rumors of Evans’ exit from the team surfaced a few days ago, but just about everyone around the former Michigan State wrestler denied that it was happening. Now according to UFC president Dana White, Evans has indeed left the team and will face Jon Jones with a renewed vigor.

“From what I understand, he has left Greg Jackson’s camp. He’s no longer with Jackson’s,” White revealed to MMAWeekly.com.

“Rashad and I have had our differences, and we’ll probably continue to have our differences, but Rashad is 100% on board to fight Jon Jones, and is actually very fired up about the opportunity.”

Sources close to the situation have mentioned a couple of camps where Evans will train as he gets ready for his fight against Jones at an as of yet undetermined date.

Evans has close ties with the team at the Grudge Training Center in Colorado, where he has worked extensively with coaches like Trevor Wittman, as well as fighters like Nate Marquardt, Shane Carwin and Brendan Schaub.

The other place Evans will likely call home for some of his training will be the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan. Evans has trained with the team before, and Team Jackson’s Keith Jardine just recently revealed to MMAWeekly.com that he intends to train there as well over the next few months.

At this time, there is no determination when Evans and Jones could face one another, but the new UFC light heavyweight champion mentioned following his win on Saturday night that he owes it to his family to take some much needed time off.

How much time that will equal out to remains to be seen, but Jones already knows now that he will be facing Rashad Evans for his first title defense, and now it’s no longer teammate vs. teammate.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Wants Wanderlei Silva vs. Vitor Belfort in July, Silva Continues to Ask for Leben

The UFC has Wanderlei Silva’s next fight all picked out for him. The only problem is Wanderleis Silva has yet to accept.

The one time Pride middleweight champion has been on the sidelines since his win over Michael Bisping at UFC 110 last February, dealing with injuries. Now that Silva is ready to come back, he’s turned down one fight already and wants another fight that the UFC has no interest in making.

UFC president Dana White is ready to put Silva in the cage against Vitor Belfort in July, most likely at UFC 132, but Wanderlei doesn’t seem to be on board with the idea.

Silva actually wants a whole different fight, but White doesn’t want to make that one happen.

“We offer him the Vitor (Belfort) fight, and now he’s on Twitter lobbying to fight Chris Leben,” White said about Silva’s next fight when speaking to MMAWeekly.com

“I don’t want him to fight Chris Leben, I want him to fight Vitor Belfort. Vitor Belfort has accepted the fight, wants the fight, now we’re waiting for Wanderlei to accept.”

Belfort is coming off his stunning first round loss at the hands of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva just a few weeks ago, but he’s ready to take on his next challenge, and that would be a rematch against Wanderlei Silva.

Belfort and Silva first met in 1998 during UFC 17.5, which was also titled UFC: Ultimate Brazil. Belfort blasted his fellow countryman early in the fight, and finished with a flurry of strikes at just :44 seconds into the fight.

Silva has become a bit of an anomaly to White lately. The Brazilian has always been known as a fighter who will face anyone that steps in the cage against him, but he’s now turned down one fight and is hesitant about another bout.

“Wanderlei Silva turned down Brian Stann, too,” White stated. “Wanderlei turned down the fight with Brian Stann. We asked him to take that fight and he turned it down.

“That’s the fight (against Belfort) that I want. Wanderlei is lobbying for a Chris Leben fight.”

If the fight does get made, White is looking for a summertime showdown between Silva and Belfort, and wouldn’t save the fight for the UFC event headed to Brazil in August.

“It would be in Las Vegas, in July I think,” White said about a potential Silva vs. Belfort 2 fight.

The ball is now in Silva’s court if he wants to accept the fight with Belfort or continue to try and convince the UFC of a different fight.