MMA News Thread

[B-Buzz]

more Braulio news

Nick Diaz, World Champion Braulio Estima Agree to Meet in BJJ Superfight

Braulio Estima, one of the best Jiu-Jitsu players in the world, will welcome Nick Diaz back to the world of BJJ.

The Diaz vs. Estima BJJ superfight, which will be contested at 180 pounds, will take place at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12 in Long Beach, Calif., according to WJJE officials.

The 31-year-old Estima has won a plethora of BJJ competitions over the past decade. He most recently defeated Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in a super-fight at the 2011 edition of the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championship and won gold medals at the 2009 ADCC tournament in the 88kg and Absolute divisions. He is currently training with the Blackzilians in South Florida in preparation for his MMA debut later this year.

Diaz, a black belt under Cesar Gracie, hasn't competed in a BJJ match in two years. He has never been submitted in BJJ competition.

Diaz hasn't fought since his loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 in February. According to his manager Cesar Gracie, he is still waiting to find out when his Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing will take place after he tested positive for marijuana metabolites following the fight.

The first-ever World Jiu-Jitsu Expo will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center. In addition to the Diaz-Estima super-fight, fans attending the Expo can take part in free seminars with BJJ stars Renzo Gracie, Roger Gracie, Robert Drysdale, Rodrigo Comprido and Andre Galvao.

 

[RM211]

Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson to headline Super Fight League 3 on May 6

The headliner is set for Super Fight League 3: heavyweights Bobby Lashley (7-1) vs. James Thompson (17-14).

The Indian-based organization today announced the fight, which takes place May 6 at IGI Stadium in New Delhi. The entire lineup streams on YouTube.

Other announced SFL 3 bouts include light heavyweights Trevor Prangley (23-9-1) vs. Baga Agaev (26-11), middleweights Doug Marshall (14-5) vs. Zelg Galesic (10-6), and 125-pounders Lena Ovchynnikova (8-1) vs. Joanne Calderwood (1-0).

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported this past week, Lashley is in the running for a currently unannounced June 21 event in Russia for a fight with Fedor Emelianenko (33-4). The SFL booking makes that possibility a little less likely.

Lashley, a former WWE star performer who took up MMA in 2008, went 1-1 in Strikeforce with a TKO of Wes Sims and a TKO loss to Chad Griggs. Since then, the former amateur-wrestling champion has picked up a pair of wins on the regional circuit against John Ott and Karl Knothe (for the Sharks Fights heavyweight title).

Thompson, meanwhile, headlined the first-ever SFL event in March and defeated Bob Sapp, who submitted in the first round from an apparent leg injury. Thompson, a former PRIDE and EliteXC fighter, is 2-0 (with one no-contest) since a career-worst 1-8 skid from 2007 to 2010.

Prangley, meanwhile, has competed for just about every major organization while fighting a who's who in the middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions. Since an 11-1-1 run, he's now stuck in a 1-4 skid. The South-African wrestler looks to rebound against Agaev, a Russian who's posted 17 submissions (and four knockouts) in 26 career wins. He's currently on a 9-1 run, which included a 6-1 mark during a busy 2011 campaign.

Marshall is a former WEC light-heavyweight champion who was on a 9-1 run before recent Tachi Palace Fights losses to Kyacey Uscola and Giva Santana. However, he rebounded for a recent 21-second knockout of Richard Blake in September. Galesic, a former PRIDE and DREAM fighter, recently suffered a submission loss to Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 50 (in a middleweight-tourney opening-round fight) to fall to 1-3 in his past four fights.

Sticking with past events, SFL also will have a women's bout on the card. It features Ovchynnikova, who suffered her first career loss at SFL 1 when Sanja Sucevic submitted her in the first round, aginst Calderwood, a Scottish fighter who recently made a successful pro debut with a TKO of Noellie Molina in her home country.

 

[RM211]

Alves-Akiyama, Roop-Carvalho official for UFC 149 in Calgary

Two previously reported fights are now official for UFC 149: welterweights Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC) vs. Thiago Alves (19-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and featherweights George Roop (12-9-1 MMA, 2-5) vs. Antonio "Pato" Carvalho (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Officials from the UFC-Canada office confirmed the fights on Tuesday evening.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) passed along news of the matchups earlier in the day.

UFC 149 takes place July 21 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo headlines against an opponent to be announced.

UFC 149's main card airs on pay-per-view, and FX and Facebook are expected to carry the prelims. It's not clear where the two new matchups will land on the lineup.

Akiyama looks to end a four-fight losing streak at the event. After a close split-decision win over Alan Belcher in his 2009 promotional debut, the Japanese star has suffered losses to top-level opponents Chris Leben, Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort and Jake Shields. After a welterweight debut with the Shields' loss, which came via shutout scores in his native Japan at UFC 144, Akiyama's job appeared in jeopardy.

But he'll get another shot at a second UFC win when he meets Alves, who was less than a minute away from topping Martin Kampmann in a UFC on FX 2 headliner this past month. Alves shot for a late takedown and ultimately tapped out to a guillotine choke. The American Top Team fighter earned a title shot with after a 9-1 run in the UFC, but he's just 2-4 since then. The skid began with a title loss to champ Georges St-Pierre in 2009.

Roop, who's in his second UFC stint after a detour through the WEC, has become one of MMA's favorite underdogs. But since an upset knockout of ex-top contender Josh Grispi, Roop – a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 8" who's competed as heavy as lightweight and as light as bantamweight – has suffered a close split-decision defeat to Hatsu Hioki and a vicious TKO loss to Cub Swanson.

He looks to get back on track against Canadian fighter Carvalho, who signed with the UFC in 2011 following three straight victories, including a decision win over ex-UFC competitor Douglas Evans. However, in his promotional debut, the well-rounded fighter suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Felipe Arantes at UFC 142 back in January.

 

[RM211]

FUEL TV targets June for 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' debut

"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" is expected to air for U.S. audiences on FUEL TV in June, FUEL TV executive vice president and general manager George Greenberg today confirmed.

Greenberg said FUEL TV decided to delay the debut of the first international season of the long-running reality series in order to avoid competition with "The Ultimate Fighter: Live."

"We don't want to take any air out of the room promotionally for 'TUF' on FX," the executive told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "As soon as 'TUF' on FX is done then we will premiere 'TUF: Brazil,' which will feed into the next 'TUF' on FX."

Although a U.S. timeslot for "TUF: Brazil" has yet to be decided, Greenberg said episodes will air in tandem with other UFC programing such as live and taped events. Current "TUF: Brazil" episodes with English subtitles are posted on UFC.com on Sunday evenings, the same day they air on Brazilian channel Globo.

"The Ultimate Fighter: Live" has seen steadily declining viewership numbers since its debut March 9 on Friday nights on FX. The show's fifth and most recent episode garnered the lowest ratings of the show's seven-year history with an average of 947,000 viewers (and a 0.5 rating among adults 18-49).


However, "TUF: Brazil" ratings have been a smash, according to UFC president Dana White, who said the show's debut episode on March 25 drew 12 million viewers.

Unlike the current live season of "TUF: Live," "TUF: Brazil" uses the show's traditional format in which all content, including the in-house drama and fights, is pre-taped.

"TUF: Brazil" features MMA legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as coaches who lead opposing teams of featherweight and middleweight fighters in a tournament format. A traditional season-ending meeting between coaches, as well as the two tourney finals, are set for UFC 147. The event takes place in June 23 at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Fellow Brazilian and middleweight champ Anderson Silva headlines the event opposite Chael Sonnen.

 

[RM211]

Tito Ortiz content with upcoming retirement, hoping for UFC front-office job

STOCKHOLM – Yes, Tito Ortiz is going through with his planned retirement. His UFC 148 bout with Forrest Griffin will be the final one of his illustrious career.

For real. Seriously. No joking, you guys.

While some fighters find retirement too uncomfortable and a return to the cage too enticing, the 37-year-old Ortiz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's preparing himself mentally for the end of the line.

"It's my last fight after 15 years," Ortiz told MMAjunkie.com while in Stockholm for promotional duties and fan events at UFC on FUEL TV 2. "I don't know what it's going to feel like to walk out for the last time, step in the octagon for the last time, to walk out of the octagon for the last time. Honestly, man, I don't know what to expect."

In fact, Ortiz (16-10-1 MMA, 15-10-1 UFC) said he recently signed a contract for his bout with Griffin (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC), which is part of the pay-per-view main card of UFC 148. The bout takes place July 7 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. As Ortiz put pen to paper for the fight, just that simple act put him in a nostalgic mood.

"Even signing a bout agreement, I realized that's the last one," he said. "It's weird."

While he's registered just one win in the past five years, Ortiz's MMA accomplishments are undeniable. He was the biggest star – perhaps even the UFC's only star – when the fledgling organization desperately needed one. He was a master self-promoter who laid out the blueprint for thousands of showmen who followed in his footsteps. He built a million-dollar clothing brand, and he's parlayed his fame into film roles, reality-TV appearances and lucrative endorsements.

But he also was a dominant champion who still holds the UFC record for light-heavyweight title defenses (five). He's also fought more times (26) in the UFC than anyone else on the planet.

"I think with everything I did, I made a mark," he said. "I showed guys what a little hard work and inspiration can do.

"I'm thankful God gave me the gifts I've had. I could have done so many things – worse things – as a kid and a man in general. My parents being drug addicts, I look at it as, 'Why am I sitting where I am today?' I think it's through hard work and dedication. It's very inspiring toward people knowing you can achieve anything in this world as long as you stay focused and work super, super hard at it. I'm thankful for that."

But as the clock ticks and he counts down the days to that swan song, does Ortiz have second thoughts?

Could we see "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" bail on his planned retirement and soldier on?

"It's still in my head," he said. "I just turned 37. (Randy) Couture fought till he was 44 or 45. Do I want to do it, though? I just don't have that hunger in me anymore. It's a business to me now. It's been a business since day one. It's love for the fighting, but it's always a business.

"But I've got three boys to take of now. ... It's time."

So what's in store for Ortiz after UFC 148? He said he'll always be involved in the sport even if he's not fighting. And yes, an induction to the UFC Hall of Fame would be a dream come true – if for no other reason than reassurance that he did the UFC proud.

But in addition to an induction, Ortiz wants one more thing from the UFC: a job.

"ESPN just came to me and offered me a job as an analyst," he said. "But I went to (UFC Chairman) Lorenzo (Fertitta) and told him, 'I want to work for you guys.' I want to work with the UFC. I started my career with the UFC. I never had an amateur career. I've been with the UFC since day one in 1997.

"I would love to end it with the UFC."

 

[InfamousICON]

LOL!! Ultimate Challenge is fuckin retarded for this one. First they got a soap opera star in what looks like fixed fights now they got fucking rugby in a cage.

[video=youtube;ifOVkUvbz2w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifOVkUvbz2w[/video]

 

[InfamousICON]

Dana White Clowns Ben Askren

LOL Ben Askren was on twitter calling Dana White a liar saying the UFC could easily drug test their fighters better so Dana just responded by clowning his ass


Dana White ‏ @MsKomatoze white Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
A @araymond3000 fightweek O @orefa69 skren when ambien can't sleep it takes Ben Askren. The most boring fighter in MMA history. I would rather watch flys fuck



Dana White ‏ @MsKomatoze white Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
G @gotti15 uahchalfant Ben makes Fitch look like Wanderlei Silva!!!

 

[B-Buzz]

sloppiest, awesome-est round of the century

[video=youtube;rKvwJOuZobI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKvwJOuZobI[/video]

the brilliance starts at 7:20

 

[RM211]

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Pedro Rizzo announced for June 21 in Russia

Fedor Emelianenko (33-4) has his next opponent.

The longtime PRIDE champion will meet former UFC heavyweight-title challenger Pedro Rizzo (19-9) on June 21, M-1 official Evgeni Kogan today announced via Twitter.

Fighters such as Bobby Lashley and Rolles Gracie previously were rumored for the slot, but it'll instead go to 37-year-old Rizzo.

The June 21 event, which is expected to be an M-1 show, takes place at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. It'll likely air on pay-per-view.

Emelianenko recently left Strikeforce following consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. The Russian, who once won 27 consecutive fights (with one no-contest), has competed overseas, where he picked up victories over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii in late 2011. The 35-year-old now fights for the first time in 2012.

Rizzo, a Brazilian who made his MMA debut nearly 16 years ago, fought for the UFC heavyweight title three times but came up short in each effort. A fan favorite, Rizzo now returns to the cage after a two-year layoff. Most recently, he picked up a pair of TKO victories over Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock in 2010.

No other event details have been announced for the show.

 

[RM211]

If Mir earns emergency UFC 146 call-up, Velasquez will happily face substitute foe

ATLANTA – Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) wants nothing more than a chance to earn back his title belt, but he knows now is not the time.

Currently scheduled to fight Frank Mir at May's UFC 146 event, persistent rumors indicate Velasquez's opponent may be pulled from the matchup in favor of a shot at Dos Santos.

If it happens that way, so be it, said Velasquez. Just get him another fight, he said, and get him closer to an honest shot at the title.

"I definitely think that's fair," Velasquez told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in regards to the rumors. "He's coming off of a three-fight winning streak. Dos Santos beat me fair and square. If I had won the fight, then I'd be in the same position.

"If they lift him up, then yeah, I'd definitely be fine with that."

Dos Santos, of course, is currently slated to face former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 146, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, a recent pre-fight drug test that flagged Overeem for elevated levels of testosterone has left his licensing status in doubt.

With Overeem's status uncertain, some reports have suggested Mir serves as a back-up plan and will be pulled from the Velasquez fight if an April 24 Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing forces a change.

Velasquez said he's not really considering the possibilities right now and is instead focused on Mir. If things change, Velasquez is open to facing a new foe, provided a win would move him closer to another shot at the title.

"As far as right now, it's Frank, so that's who I'm getting ready for," Velasquez said. "But if turns out to be different, it doesn't matter who it would be, just as long as it's one more to get in that same position to fight for that heavyweight title."

Velasquez, who spoke during a press conference arranged to announce his new partnership with cell-phone provider MetroPCS, was his usual stoic self as he discussed the possibilities stemming from Overeem's upcoming hearing. But the former champ declined to consider anything other than the official plans, which currently call for him to face Mir.

Leave the speculation to others, he said.

"I just know that the commission or whatever will sort that out," Velasquez said. "The UFC will do the same. I'm just worried about my fight. That's pretty much it."

 

[RM211]

UFC's Frankie Edgar anticipates future date with Jose Aldo, regardless of weightclass

ATLANTA – Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) is getting his wish: a rematch with current titleholder Benson Henderson (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

Despite an urging from UFC president Dana White to drop to 145 pounds and face current featherweight champ Jose Aldo (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Edgar will instead face Henderson sometime later this year.

But that doesn't mean Edgar is ruling out a potential fight with Aldo. In fact, he believes a future meeting with the Brazilian is a near certainty, though he's not sure if it will be 145 or 155 pounds.

"I'm all about fighting big fights and fighting the best guys," Edgar said. "Jose Aldo is one of them. We'll see that fight whether it's at 145 or 155."

Edgar, of course, earned the UFC lightweight title in an April 2010 win over B.J. Penn, who was granted an immediate rematch. After that win, Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard, who was also awarded an instant rematch, which Edgar won.

In February, Edgar lost a unanimous decision to Henderson in a closely-contested matchup. However, as Edgar sat with a badly beaten face at the evening's post-event press conference, White announced former WEC champ Sergio Pettis would get the next title shot.

Edgar immediately protested, as did his legions of fans. Following a little more than a week of upheaval, White finally relented and awarded Edgar a rematch.

So how, exactly, did Edgar get the answer he was seeking?

"I begged and pleaded," Edgar joked during a press conference to announce his new partnership with cell-phone provider MetroPCS. "Nah, I just told them that I think I've done enough in my career.

"I've given two immediate rematches. The fight was really close. It was controversial. Dana told me he thought I did enough to win it. Two plus two equals four. I've done enough to get this rematch."

Edgar, whose left eye was completely closed following the loss to Henderson, said he isn't suffering any lingering issues from the fight and hopes to return sometime in August or September.

"My eye was just swollen," Edgar said. "My nose was broken, but my nose breaks every fight. It's just about putting it back together and getting back to it."

UFC officials have yet to announce precisely when Henderson vs. Edgar II will take place. Edgar's future at lightweight would seem to hang in the balance, with a win proving he still belongs at 155 pounds and a loss giving White more ammunition to force the former champ's move down to featherweight.

It wouldn't necessarily be a bad move for "The Answer," who would look to join Randy Couture and B.J. Penn as the only UFC fighters to earn title belts in multiple weightclasses (Vitor Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champ, also earned a heavyweight tournament title). But Edgar isn't exactly interested in history right now.

"I'm set on trying to get this belt back," Edgar said.

But that doesn't mean he won't eventually make his way to 145 pounds, and it definitely doesn't mean he won't ever fight Aldo. For Edgar, that fight is definitely on the horizon, it's just a matter of determining which division.

"We'll see what the future holds," Edgar told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I think it's inevitable that I'll eventually get down there. I just don't know when."

 

[RM211]

UFC 145 preview: Rivalry decided by key areas in Jones/Evans title fight

Is Rashad Evans (17-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) willing to let Jon Jones (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) create space to strike? Or to leave his torso or legs exposed to be scooped off his feet?

Is Jones willing to let Evans close the distance to box? Or to smother him against the cage before depositing him to the mat?

Forget for a moment the rivalry between the champ and former champ; that's old news. Their fight could take many different shapes, but there are key factors to consider in the headliner of UFC 145, which takes place Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

That's when Jones attempts to defend his title for a third time when he meets Rashad Evans on the event's main card, which airs live on pay-per-view. Facebook and FX carry the prelims.

Here's what we know about Jones: He's long, unpredictable and hasn't been tested since his early days in the UFC. Physically bigger than most of his opponents, he's able to pick at them from range with beanstalk legs and a long jab. He's explosive when he goes for the takedown, and he favors upper-body locks and trips of Greco-Roman wrestling as opposed to the leg attacks of its freestyle counterpart. He's got a flair for the creative and intuition about the flow of a fight, meaning he has an uncanny sense of when to take risks and make a full commitment to them.

The champ could attack in a myriad of ways and has shown himself able to take out an opponent with many different tools. But he either needs time to put together striking attacks, or he needs to be able to control the clinch to set up a takedown. Falter in those places, and he'll give Evans a chance to steal momentum.

Here's what we know about Evans: He's got fast hands, he's quick on his feet, and he has an ability to smother his opponents against the fence and on the mat. Once a good wrestler with punching power, he's grown into a technician who seamlessly blends from one range to the next. He's also a tactician and is excellent at making his opponents fight where they're least comfortable.

Against Jones, that means stuffing him up against the cage, where he's unable to explode into takedowns. It means closing the distance to take away the reach disadvantage. It means constantly being first to attack. Lapse in any of those areas, and he will find himself playing catchup.

Late action has narrowed Jones' lead as a favorite, but odds still give him more than a 75 percent chance of winning the fight. And with their long-simmering feud robbed of sizzle over the past few weeks, the title fight's true storyline is youth vs. experience, underdog vs. massive favorite. The rest is distraction.

A Jones victory narrows to one the number of contenders in the immediate pipeline. Only Dan Henderson sits on the horizon. Mauricio Rua? Lyoto Machida? Phil Davis? Quinton Jackson? Not any time soon, if ever.

An Evans victory opens the field a bit more. A rematch with Machida, who took his belt in 2009, becomes a possibility. Rua would provide fireworks, and Henderson as well. Even Jackson could arguably make a good rematch after Evans' triumph two years ago (if "Rampage" is still in the UFC).

Whether those matchups trump the business benefit of a young, dominant champ is up for debate. Evans seems to attract more hate than love in the arena while Jones gets a mixture. Both will continue to be top draws after this fight.

But after a long wait, one is about to claim bragging rights to go along with the belt.

Other main-card fights

Rory MacDonald (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. Che Mills (14-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC): After suffering his first and only loss to now-interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit, MacDonald went on the offensive, handling Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle to reestablish himself as a top welterweight. The booking of Mills as his next opponent is not the kind that guarantees a title shot, but it does give him an opportunity to win over more fans and the UFC with an impressive performance. Mills, who made his octagon debut this past November with a knockout of Chris Cope, is faced with the task of upsetting a fighter with a huge amount of momentum behind him. With Mills having heavy hands and vulnerability to submissions, expect MacDonald to go for the ground and pound while his opponent tries to land the big shot.

Brendan Schaub (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs. Ben Rothwell (31-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC): After a knockout loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira that temporarily sacked a run for the heavyweight title, Schaub is rebuilding momentum lost. Veteran Rothwell, meanwhile, is on thin ice after a loss this past September to Mark Hunt that put him at 1-2 in the UFC. Not only that, he's returning after another longer-than-usual layoff after tearing his ACL in a win over Gilbert Yvel. Schaub's challenge is to stay on his feet against the ground-and-pound specialist.

Miguel Torres (40-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Michael McDonald (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC): Former WEC champion Torres continues on his road to redemption. After a listless win over Antonio Banuelos and a decision loss to onetime UFC bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson, he was in bad need of a win and got one in his most recent outing against Nick Pace. Does he have what it takes to stop a young fireball? That's exactly what he's got in McDonald, a crisp striker who undoubtedly will test his sprawl-and-brawl skills in the fight. Being of roughly equal skill in the standup portion of the game, expect Torres to exert his will on the mat.

Mark Hominick (20-10 MMA, 3-2 UFC) vs. Eddie Yagin (15-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC): This is a do-over for Hominick given a costly mistake that prompted a knockout loss to Chan Sung Jung in his most recent outing. Since the Canadian did so well in a title bout against champion Jose Aldo, he hasn't lost much momentum. But a loss to the unheralded Yagin would be devastating for his prospects at a second shot at the belt. The heavy-handed Yagin didn't overwhelm in his sole octagon outing against Junior Assuncao, but he has a big shot at the upset here.

Mark Bocek (10-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. John Alessio (34-14 MMA, 0-3 UFC): Alessio is a last-minute replacement for Matt Wiman, who was injured several weeks prior to Saturday's event. Bocek is known as a grinder in most of his fights, so Alessio can be expected to keep distance and pick his shots from afar. Alessio may be good enough to avoid getting submitted by Bocek, but he most likely loses the position war if things hit the mat. It's a tough gig for the veteran, who hasn't fought in the UFC since 2006 and is winless inside the octagon.

UFC 145's full card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
•Champ Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans (for light-heavyweight title)
•Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills
•Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub
•Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres
•Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin
•John Alessio vs. Mark Bocek

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
•Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs
•Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
•John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani
•Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
•Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
•Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage

 

[RM211]

Bellator 66 headliner Alvarez sees revenge, leverage in Aoki bout

Eddie Alvarez (22-3 MMA, 6-1 BFC) can raise his future value in mixed martial arts by getting payback for the past.

He'll have vengeance on his mind today when he takes on Japanese superstar Shinya Aoki (30-5 MMA, 0-0 BFC) at Bellator Fighting Championships' show in Cleveland.

Their main-event bout at Bellator 66 (8 p.m. ET, MTV2) matches two of the top-three lightweights outside the UFC and Strikeforce in the sequel to a New Year's Eve 2008 show that saw Aoki win quickly via submission.

The rematch also marks the penultimate fight on Alvarez's present contract. He won't face a more highly regarded opponent before he becomes a free agent. The USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings for lightweights has Aoki at No. 5, six spots ahead of Alvarez.

Another setback for Alvarez could help Bellator in some ways. He likely wouldn't lose much value as a marquee fighter because there's no shame in losing to a top-five opponent, but he wouldn't have as much leverage for negotiations when the current deal expires and he starts soliciting offers from organizations such as industry leader Zuffa, parent company of UFC and Strikeforce.

Yet Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney finds himself openly cheering for Alvarez, the first notable talent to join the organization before it started in 2009.

"Whether he ends up making a lot of money with us or he ends up making a lot of money with the UFC, he deserves it," Rebney says. "I like Aoki, and I like his people, but I hope Ed does great. If he does, surely it will make it more difficult to re-sign him with one fight left than it would have if he lost the fight. But I'm rooting for him."

After the 2008 loss in Saitama, Japan, Alvarez captured Bellator's lightweight championship while compiling a seven-fight winning streak to break into the consensus top six and cement his position as the poster boy for Rebney's organization. But Alvarez always remembered the letdown against Aoki, which Alvarez attributes to a lack of confidence against a highly regarded superstar of mixed martial arts.

"At that point, Aoki already established himself," Alvarez says. "That was sort of a gauge for me to see where I was at. I think I gave him a little bit too much respect. ... I'm a different fighter now — a different person, different mindset."

His opponent sees changes in himself, as well. Aoki has been training in Singapore frequently for the past several months to improve his Muay Thai striking.

"I believe Eddie Alvarez and I have both evolved as different fighters," Aoki says. "I'm more confident in my standup skills."

Out of 37 pro fights, this will be Aoki's second U.S. bout against a highly regarded opponent. An April 2010 fight in Nashville went badly for him as he lost a one-sided decision to Strikeforce champion and consensus No. 3 Gilbert Melendez.

Melendez battered Aoki with punches and turned aside numerous takedown attempts to render his potent grappling game irrelevant.

"When Gilbert fought Aoki, he was able to basically expose how much of a one-trick pony Aoki was," Alvarez says. "He can only use his game and only be effective if you let him be. Gilbert did a good job shutting him down."

This time Aoki hopes to represent Japanese mixed martial arts more effectively against elite competition.

"My main goal in this fight with Eddie Alvarez is to prove myself and Japanese MMA are still at the top level," says Aoki, who did record an April 2011 submission win in San Diego against unranked lightweight Lyle Beerbohm. "I'd like to show my style is MMA, not just grappling or striking."

Aoki, the DREAM promotion's champion and one of the most creative and aggressive grapplers in MMA, defeated Alvarez in their first encounter by applying a submission hold that painfully wrenches the target's ankle and knee to force a tap-out. But Alvarez landed effective strikes and reversed a takedown try to gain top position before Aoki secured the winning hold.

Maturity and greater experience will keep that from happening again, Alvarez says. But he might have to go against his penchant for attacking.

"He brings a whole different skill set to this game that actually plays into people who are aggressive and people who like to engage," Alvarez says. "If you present him with that and give that to him, then he'll take advantage of it. But (if) you never give that to him, it's going to be tough for him to fight."

 

[InfamousICON]

Ninja Rua Comes Out Of Retirement For Rematch With Paulo Filho

http://www.tatame.com/2012/04/19/Rematch-Paulo-Filho-Murilo-Ninja-slated-for-July

Rematch Paulo Filho-Murilo Ninja slated for June

By Carlos Antunes

Photo by DSE

The duel between Paulo Filho and Murilo “Ninja” Rua brought light to Pride’s ring in 2006, and they will meet again. PVT confirmed the rematch for Iron Man of June 7th, and Fred Fondes, Paulo’s manager, confirmed it to TATAME.

“Our contract is already signed. Now it’s about Murilo, but I guess everything is already settled”, reveals Filho.

For this bout, Fred also affirmed Paulo is very excited about fighting Rua and might be assisted by Josuel Distak on his preparation, same coach he had when fought at Pride and WEC.

“Paulo is very excited and has been training a lot. He like these fights and gets excited about the opportunity. He also said he will have Distak’s support for this fight”.

Paulo Filho and Murilo Ninja fought in 2006, on the extinct Pride Bushido. Paulo got the win and years later he became a WEC champion.

This fight is cool for nostalgia purposes, hopefully they both come in good shape. I got Ninja via KO, unless Filho kicked his crazy GHB drug habit.

 

[RM211]

The Oddessa Line: Champ Dos Santos opens as -500 favorite over Mir at UFC 146

UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has opened as a massive favorite over ex-champ Frank Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC), who officially replaced Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in the UFC 146 headliner on Friday.

With Overeem facing a Tuesday hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission after failing a surprise drug test due to elevated testosterone levels, Mir now gets his title shot.

Noted MMA oddsmaker Joey Oddessa today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's opened Dos Santos as a -500 favorite with Mir the +350 underdog.

That means Dos Santos will be an approximate 80 percent favorite in the May 26 pay-per-view headliner, which takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mir initially was slated to fight ex-champ Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) at UFC 146. He was a +300 underdog in that fight.

"Mir is a slightly larger underdog against Dos Santos than he was against Velasquez," said Oddessa, who's also a frequent MMAjunkie.com Radio guest. "I'm sure in the weeks leading up to the bout, the preview shows will provide arguments for how Mir can to win the fight, but there's no debating Dos Santos is every bit the favorite and worthy of his almost 5-to-1 price tag."

Mir, who hasn't held the title since 2004, enters UFC 146 with a three-fight win streak that includes victories over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Dos Santos, though, is undefeated in the UFC with eight straight wins, including a 64-second knockout of then-champ Velasquez in November to win the title.

"No one likes laying the heavy prices, but by fight time, you can anticipate the Frank Mir supporters hitting the windows at the Vegas casinos and taking a shot on a veteran fighter who's had his fair share of highs and lows during his career in the UFC," Oddessa said. "Everyone loves an underdog, and Frank Mir would be a Rocky of sorts if he finds a way to pull off the victory in his hometown of Vegas.

"It's a rare opportunity when fighters get a shot at greatness. All numbers aside, and the odds are stacked against him, but we've seen bigger upsets under less favorable circumstances and venues for fighters in an underdog role."

 

[RM211]

UFC champ Jones, challenger Henderson look forward to UFC clash

ATLANTA – Light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones neutralized his toughest opponent yet when he defeated former titleholder Rashad Evans early Sunday, but the next challenge won't get easier.

The UFC on Sunday confirmed that venerable star Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will face Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) next. Henderson has been waiting for a title shot since beating ex-champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a November slugfest that USA TODAY named a Fight of the Year.

Henderson can absorb and deliver powerful strikes, making him a formidable opponent for anyone.

"Dan Henderson is an awesome opponent," Jones says. "It's just going to be a lot of things to conquer in this fight. He has extreme knockout power."

Although Jones has never put anyone to sleep with a solo shot in a real fight, he knows a bit about smashing opponents to pieces. With a 6-foot-4 frame and UFC's longest reach at 84.5 inches, he has enough leverage and torque to deliver elbow strikes that have shattered facial bones.

He normally lands those fight-ending shots when he's in top position on the ground. Jones gets there by relying on his roots in Greco-Roman wrestling to secure clinches that set up throws or trips.

But Henderson knows something about applying Greco-Roman work to mixed martial arts. The two-time Olympian, with Matt Lindland and Randy Couture, was a member of the original Team Quest trio that introduced the standing clinch tactics that have become as fundamental to mixed martial arts' vocabulary as Brazilian jiu-jitsu's techniques on the ground.

Henderson's trademark in the past five years has been a powerful punch from the right side that has put away a litany of notable opponents across several weight classes, including three major ex-champions in Wanderlei Silva, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko, as well as contender Michael Bisping.

Yet the clinch remains Henderson's foundation. He sees it as a key to success against Jones.

"You've really got to get inside and fight with him and end up in the clinch with him a lot," Henderson says. "Jones is better than most guys in the clinch. ... (But) that's where I'm most comfortable. At the same time I need to be real careful with catching one of those goofy elbows that he throws."

The champion's flamboyance with elbow strikes from odd angles offers one of many differences between his philosophy of combat and Henderson's. They hardly could be further apart in their physical attributes, style and approach to fighting.

Jones has a tall, lanky body type that can pack on muscle. At age 24 and still a few years shy of his physical prime, he weighs 220 pounds or more except when shedding water to make the light-heavyweight division's 205-pound limit the day before fights.

Henderson is so small that he carries fewer pounds than some welterweights on a normal day.

Rare techniques dance through Jones' mind every day as he envisions fighting. He has spoken frequently of his insistence on creativity, which showed this weekend in his mixture of strikes from unusually long ranges.

"He looked pretty solid," Henderson says. "He threw a lot of stuff that's, I guess, typical of him. Unorthodox with some nasty elbows. A lot of kicks."

Henderson, like former stablemates Lindland and Couture, embodies the blue-collar side of MMA.

Three years ago, when he was still training in central New York as a fighter with talent but still far from elite status, Jones saw little in common with the Team Quest founders. Jones told USA TODAY about it in 2009:

"Their Greco's a lot different than mine. They don't execute a lot of throws. They just use their Greco tie-up just to maintain good positioning, or maybe to hold their opponents against the cage.

"I look at my clinch as a little more active clinch, where I'm always looking for takedowns or different angles or strikes and things, (so) I don't really look to those guys for clinch knowledge. I think we have two different views on the clinch."

For much of his 14 years at the top level of mixed martial arts, Henderson wore down foes with a grinding style that incorporates small punches and short elbows while leaning on them against the cage. Henderson employed the tactics so well that he neutralized larger men such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to win points and earn a reputation as "Decision Dan."

He shed the label later in his career as he realized his knockout power. But he doesn't expect to rely solely on the right hand against Jones.

Trying to beat Jones without close-range tactics is a fruitless exercise, Henderson thinks.

"Rashad's game should have been a little bit more mix it up from the outside and threaten more with takedowns and put Jones on his back," Henderson says. "Rashad fought Jon Jones' fight, not his own. ... I definitely saw (openings) that Rashad should have capitalized on."

Henderson, 41, wants to fight Jones in UFC's July 7 show in Las Vegas, though the challenger views the date as a long-shot hope at best since it's less than three months from now. Whenever it happens, Henderson sees an opportunity to cap off an MMA career few can match for breadth of accomplishment.

He has won one-night tournaments involving heavyweights and likely Hall of Famers in UFC and RINGS. He captured titles in PRIDE Fighting Championships and Strikeforce. He remains the only man to hold major titles in two weight classes at the same time.

Those accolades make Henderson one of the few intriguing targets left at 205 pounds for Jones, who over the past 15 months has beaten four of the five active 205-pounders who have been UFC champions, as well as one of the top young prospects.

"I feel great that I already have a mission," Jones says. "He's a winner. He has a huge fanbase. I'm sure the haters will come right away, which I'm OK with."

 

[RM211]

UFC 146 shakeup continues: With Mir moved to main event, Velasquez draws 'Bigfoot'

With Frank Mir pulled from a planned UFC 146 bout with Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in favor of a main-event contest with UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos, Antonio Silva (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has now also drawn a new opponent.

Originally expected to face Roy Nelson at the event, "Bigfoot" Silva now takes Mir's original slot against Velasquez.

After refusing to disclose the matchup at Saturday night's UFC 145 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White today announced the plans via Twitter.

Nelson is expected to remain on the card, but UFC execs have yet to reveal his new opponent.

Dos Santos, of course, was slated to face former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 146, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. However, a recent pre-fight drug test that flagged Overeem for elevated levels of testosterone left his licensing status in doubt, and UFC officials elected to pull him from the bout rather than risk the findings of a Tuesday hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

A former EliteXC champion and Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix semifinalist, Silva makes his UFC debut. The Brazilian looks to rebound from a surprising loss to Daniel Cormier this past September under the Strikeforce banner.

He meets Velasquez, who also looks to rebound from a loss, the first of his career. The former heavyweight champ ceded his belt to Dos Santos this past November and now looks to earn a shot at regaining his belt.

 

[RM211]

Newly minted contender Frank Mir happy, relieved to get UFC 146 title shot

Frank Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) of course knew that he could, and most likely would, replace Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a title bout against champ Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 146.

But until it was official, he could only imagine.

"When you're sitting there thinking late at night, there's thousands of different scenarios that play out," Mir today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

UFC 146 takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The event's main card airs live on pay-per-view while preliminary-card fights go to Facebook and FX.

Chiefly, Mir imagined they might delay the title fight while Overeem worked out his issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Or, they would scrap the fight altogether and figure the whole thing out at a later date.

They did neither. This past Friday, Mir got the call he would fight for the heavyweight championship of the world, the belt he had tried and failed to regain seven years after a motorcycle accident placed his career on hold.

So was it good news?

"It was kind of a happiness mixed with relief," he said.

Mir noted that he received about 30 days notice for his first UFC fight, which came against Roberto Traven at UFC 34 some 11 years ago, so short-notice wasn't a huge concern.

What about Dos Santos' fists?

"Both guys have things that are very dangerous and both guys have things that I think I can capitalize on," Mir said. "Velasquez had a phenomenal gas tank, which is a weapon in itself. Dos Santos has great power in his hands and has elusiveness and the ability to finish fights with his hands. It's definitely an issue. They kind of traded out issues."

So in theory, Mir now has an opponent that's a better striker than grappler. As a jiu-jitsu specialist, that could play into his hand. When Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira rang his bell in his most recent fight, it was his ability to take the fight to the ground – and snap Nogueira's arm – that won him the day.

But there's another reason why Mir is excited.

"The advantage is that both of my opponents are right-handed," he said. "Dos Santos can't do the same now. He's been training for a right-handed guy, and now he's training for a left-handed guy. That's more of a transition than I've had to make."

Mir now favors the southpaw stance, where he can attack at different angles. Dos Santos hasn't faced a left-handed fighter since he fought Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic three years ago at UFC 103.

The champ may have a whole stable of southpaws at his disposal. Whether he's been using them up until now is unknown.

Overeem, of course, was an orthodox fighter and possessed the kind of world-renown striking skills that Mir could only dream about. But when it comes to his scratch from UFC 146, Mir believes it's the former Strikeforce champ's responsibility for failing a pre-fight drug test.

Overeem will on Tuesday appear before the NSAC to explain why a pre-fight test came back for elevated levels of testosterone. Today, he released a statement that said he had injured his rib and took an anti-inflammatory medicine prescribed by his doctor, which he believes to have caused him to come back with a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, more than twice the NSAC's allowable limit of 6-to-1.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28388/aft...s-prescribed-medication-for-high-te-ratio.mma

If that's the case, Mir believes Overeem could have communicated better with the UFC to let them know of the injury.

"Every time I go to the commission, you have a list of things you have to write down that you take, and you're always working with doctors," he said. "Also, when I receive an injury that's severe enough to go to the hospital, I always call the UFC. They have personnel that you talk to about that, and most of the time they direct you to which doctor they want you to use.

"Now, the advantage is that I live here in (Las) Vegas, so I can go to doctors that are constantly dealing with fighters ... that have to deal with the athletic commission, so I have that level of safety. Maybe he doesn't have that advantage. Maybe he works with doctors that don't have a clue on how (to deal with fighters)."

Regardless, Mir said it's Overeem's responsibility to monitor what's put in his body.

"I tell my little children they're responsible for taking a pencil to school, and if they show up with no pencils, it's not my fault for not buying it for them," he said. "It's their fault at the end of the day.

"You're the one who has to step up to the plate and make sure it doesn't happen. Anybody from the commission can tell you that I'm pretty fanatical about telling people what I do. Because you know that at the end of the day, I've seen fighters get in trouble for stuff. So-and-so got popped in the past for taking something, and then I read about it and I'm like, 'Wow, he's not lying.' That supplement was really down at GNC and he just bought it over-the-counter and it was really illegal for him to take. I'm like, wow, that's scary. So ever since then, I've always paid close attention."

None of that matters now. Mir has the title shot, and he's already well into his preparations for the event. That, he can rest easy on.

 

[RM211]

Gabriel Gonzaga fills open slot against Roy Nelson at UFC 146

Barring any more hiccups, UFC 146's talent shuffle is almost done.


UFC president Dana White announced today via Twitter that heavyweight Roy Nelson (16-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC), who was left without an opponent when Antonio Silva (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was promoted to a co-main event bout with Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), is now scheduled to fight onetime title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC).

Gonzaga was originally scheduled to face Shane Del Rosario at UFC 146. Del Rosario (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) now awaits a new foe.


UFC 146 takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Main-card fights air live on pay-per-view while preliminary-card fights land on Facebook and FX.


The root of the shuffle, of course, is the replacement of Alistair Overeem with Frank Mir in a title bout against champ Junior Dos Santos. Overeem was removed from the card this past Friday when White decided against waiting it out to see whether Overeem would get licensed after failing a pre-fight drug test for the May 26 card.


That decision eventually left Nelson without a dance partner. Now, he'll look to get back on the winning track against Gonzaga after going 1-3 against top-tier competition. Decision losses to Dos Santos, Mir and Fabricio Werdum dented his stock, though a win over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at UFC 137 likely saved his career.


After more than a year on the sidelines, Gonzaga returned to the octagon at UFC 142 and notched a first-round submission over Dos Santos training partner Edinaldo Oliveira.


His previous stint didn't go so well. After losing to the-champ Randy Couture, he went 3-4 in the UFC.


A win over Nelson would undoubtedly rejuvenate his career, and the same goes for Nelson.

 

[YOUNGNUTT]

^^^THAT'S FUCC'N' WACC!!!
I USE TO TRAIN WITH DEL ROSARIO WAS SO LOOK'N' FORWARD TO HIS MATCH WITH GONZAGA!!!