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Nick Diaz a no-show for World Jiu-Jitsu Expo superfight with Braulio Estima
UFC fighter Nick Diaz no-showed a scheduled World Jiu-Jitsu Expo superfight with Braulio Estima on Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
Diaz's absence understandably left fans and Estima steamed.
Diaz, who reportedly was going to donate his purse to charity, initially offered no explanation for skipping the event, which was sold online as a $9.95 pay-per-view.
The event included five other jiu-jitsu bouts – Kyra Gracie outpointed Strikeforce's Alexis Davis, for example – but world champion Estima was left standing on the mat as he awaited Diaz, who never showed for the featured attraction. Event organizer Renzo Gracie later announced the superfight had been scratched because Diaz didn't arrive.
"For Nick, I gave up a lot of things to make this happen," Estima said afterward. "I came here to fight. You said that you were going to gave this all to charity, make all these speeches and stuff. I'm here now. You let everyone down. You let me down.
"I think this is very disrespectful. I didn't expect this from you."
Estima, who previously hinted at a possible move to MMA, said he would fight Diaz in the cage, assuming he shows up.
"I will fight him any time, and I'll make sure I'm there," he said.
While both camps argued about the other making weight, Estima assured reporters and fans he made 180 pounds on Saturday. He said no one saw Diaz make weight.
Diaz is currently suspended after failing a post-fight drug test in February following a UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit. He cost himself a title shot back in October when he no-showed a pair of pre-event press conferences for a scheduled title shot with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"He has a problem," Estima said. "He has a social issue. This isn't his first time doing this.
"This isn't letting me down. This is letting the kids down. This is like out of order."
UFC fighter Nick Diaz no-showed a scheduled World Jiu-Jitsu Expo superfight with Braulio Estima on Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
Diaz's absence understandably left fans and Estima steamed.
Diaz, who reportedly was going to donate his purse to charity, initially offered no explanation for skipping the event, which was sold online as a $9.95 pay-per-view.
The event included five other jiu-jitsu bouts – Kyra Gracie outpointed Strikeforce's Alexis Davis, for example – but world champion Estima was left standing on the mat as he awaited Diaz, who never showed for the featured attraction. Event organizer Renzo Gracie later announced the superfight had been scratched because Diaz didn't arrive.
"For Nick, I gave up a lot of things to make this happen," Estima said afterward. "I came here to fight. You said that you were going to gave this all to charity, make all these speeches and stuff. I'm here now. You let everyone down. You let me down.
"I think this is very disrespectful. I didn't expect this from you."
Estima, who previously hinted at a possible move to MMA, said he would fight Diaz in the cage, assuming he shows up.
"I will fight him any time, and I'll make sure I'm there," he said.
While both camps argued about the other making weight, Estima assured reporters and fans he made 180 pounds on Saturday. He said no one saw Diaz make weight.
Diaz is currently suspended after failing a post-fight drug test in February following a UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit. He cost himself a title shot back in October when he no-showed a pair of pre-event press conferences for a scheduled title shot with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"He has a problem," Estima said. "He has a social issue. This isn't his first time doing this.
"This isn't letting me down. This is letting the kids down. This is like out of order."
Strikeforce's Mousasi on mend following ACL surgery, UFC champ Jones on radar
That's not Gegard Mousasi on the side of your milk carton. He isn't missing, and he hasn't gone anywhere (other than back home to the Netherlands).
In fact, he's been keeping pretty busy following his December unanimous-decision win over Ovince St. Preux at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal."
Busy is one thing. Productive is a whole other animal.
Training, waiting on opponents, getting pushback attempting to box, and trying to stay healthy is how the 26-year-old Dutch-Armenian fighter has filled his days.
And, of course, then he did get injured. Big time.
Mousasi (32-3-2 MMA, 3-1-1 SF) tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was forced to undergo surgery to repair it in March. The news of his setback, however, has just now started to permeate throughout MMA media circles.
Why did it take so long for information to travel in the "information age?"
"No one asked," the mild-mannered Mousasi jokingly told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "But the operation was successful. The recovery is doing very well. I will be back 100 percent again, but it will just take time."
Following his win over St. Preux, Mousasi appeared headed for sunshine and butterflies. Or so he thought.
"I had one fight left (on my Strikeforce contract)," he said. "Then I was hoping maybe to go to the UFC after that, but then they offered me – they said we're going to give you a new contract. So I signed for another six fights. Now I have a six-, seven-fight deal, I believe, in Strikeforce."
Why not push harder to get into the UFC?
"They said the Strikeforce fighters were going to stay with Strikeforce," Mousasi said. "And that's the thing that it was, so we signed again."
The new contract also put to bed the idea of him attempting to qualify as a boxer for the 2012 Summer Olympic in London.
Since 1904 there have only been six Dutch medalists in boxing and one gold medal winner, featherweight Lambertus "Bep" van Klaveren in 1928.
Mousasi began boxing at the age of 15 and was an amateur champion by 16. Competing in the Olympics had always been in the back of his mind throughout his combat-sports career.
"I think I would have had a chance (to make the Olympic team)," Mousasi said. "I don't think my chances would have been very high, but I believed in myself, and I train with Olympic trainers from Holland, and they said there's definitely potential. (With) those things I experienced, I thought maybe it was possible, but (there's) no doubt it would have been very difficult.
"It would have been nice. But there's nothing wrong with (me) focused just on MMA."
His attention turned to a bout with Mike Kyle at "Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate," but Kyle was eventually forced to withdraw from the March fight due to injury.
"I had a fight against him a year ago," Mousasi said. "He canceled it twice, I believe. Then I had a fight with him this year (in March). He got injured. And then they said we're going to postpone the fight, that we're going to fight two months later. But then I got injured myself. Then I couldn't fight him."
Kyle is finally healthy. Mousasi clearly is not. Rehabilitation will be his only battle for the foreseeable future. He's targeting a November return if all goes according to plan.
And when he does return to the fray later this year, he'll likely be walking into an uncertain landscape revolving around whether or not Strikeforce will continue to exist in 2013. If it ceases, there's a great chance Mousasi will make the seamless transition over to the UFC, which is his final frontier.
Mousasi has already won just about every major title in MMA sans UFC gold. He owns belts from Strikeforce, DREAM and Cage Warriors. The man currently protecting the UFC throne is none other than Jon Jones, author of three consecutive dominant title defenses.
A lot would have to happen for Mousasi to challenge for a UFC title, but it's not impossible. And if Jones is still king when the time comes, Mousasi is confident in his abilities to be able to go out and tip over the apple cart.
"I'm not afraid of fighting anybody because I never got hurt in any fight – kickboxing, boxing, MMA," he said. "I may have lost a fight, but I've never been hurt in a fight. I'm always confident that whatever happens, I got my chance. And I know I have a good punch, so I never doubt myself that I can win a fight or not.
"I'd love to fight him."
That's not Gegard Mousasi on the side of your milk carton. He isn't missing, and he hasn't gone anywhere (other than back home to the Netherlands).
In fact, he's been keeping pretty busy following his December unanimous-decision win over Ovince St. Preux at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal."
Busy is one thing. Productive is a whole other animal.
Training, waiting on opponents, getting pushback attempting to box, and trying to stay healthy is how the 26-year-old Dutch-Armenian fighter has filled his days.
And, of course, then he did get injured. Big time.
Mousasi (32-3-2 MMA, 3-1-1 SF) tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was forced to undergo surgery to repair it in March. The news of his setback, however, has just now started to permeate throughout MMA media circles.
Why did it take so long for information to travel in the "information age?"
"No one asked," the mild-mannered Mousasi jokingly told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "But the operation was successful. The recovery is doing very well. I will be back 100 percent again, but it will just take time."
Following his win over St. Preux, Mousasi appeared headed for sunshine and butterflies. Or so he thought.
"I had one fight left (on my Strikeforce contract)," he said. "Then I was hoping maybe to go to the UFC after that, but then they offered me – they said we're going to give you a new contract. So I signed for another six fights. Now I have a six-, seven-fight deal, I believe, in Strikeforce."
Why not push harder to get into the UFC?
"They said the Strikeforce fighters were going to stay with Strikeforce," Mousasi said. "And that's the thing that it was, so we signed again."
The new contract also put to bed the idea of him attempting to qualify as a boxer for the 2012 Summer Olympic in London.
Since 1904 there have only been six Dutch medalists in boxing and one gold medal winner, featherweight Lambertus "Bep" van Klaveren in 1928.
Mousasi began boxing at the age of 15 and was an amateur champion by 16. Competing in the Olympics had always been in the back of his mind throughout his combat-sports career.
"I think I would have had a chance (to make the Olympic team)," Mousasi said. "I don't think my chances would have been very high, but I believed in myself, and I train with Olympic trainers from Holland, and they said there's definitely potential. (With) those things I experienced, I thought maybe it was possible, but (there's) no doubt it would have been very difficult.
"It would have been nice. But there's nothing wrong with (me) focused just on MMA."
His attention turned to a bout with Mike Kyle at "Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate," but Kyle was eventually forced to withdraw from the March fight due to injury.
"I had a fight against him a year ago," Mousasi said. "He canceled it twice, I believe. Then I had a fight with him this year (in March). He got injured. And then they said we're going to postpone the fight, that we're going to fight two months later. But then I got injured myself. Then I couldn't fight him."
Kyle is finally healthy. Mousasi clearly is not. Rehabilitation will be his only battle for the foreseeable future. He's targeting a November return if all goes according to plan.
And when he does return to the fray later this year, he'll likely be walking into an uncertain landscape revolving around whether or not Strikeforce will continue to exist in 2013. If it ceases, there's a great chance Mousasi will make the seamless transition over to the UFC, which is his final frontier.
Mousasi has already won just about every major title in MMA sans UFC gold. He owns belts from Strikeforce, DREAM and Cage Warriors. The man currently protecting the UFC throne is none other than Jon Jones, author of three consecutive dominant title defenses.
A lot would have to happen for Mousasi to challenge for a UFC title, but it's not impossible. And if Jones is still king when the time comes, Mousasi is confident in his abilities to be able to go out and tip over the apple cart.
"I'm not afraid of fighting anybody because I never got hurt in any fight – kickboxing, boxing, MMA," he said. "I may have lost a fight, but I've never been hurt in a fight. I'm always confident that whatever happens, I got my chance. And I know I have a good punch, so I never doubt myself that I can win a fight or not.
"I'd love to fight him."
yeah it's Showtime that is fucking it up, they put it in the contract that UFC can't bring over Gilbert or Luke Rockhold no matter what and they don't want any of the other fighters making a jump either.
Gilbert's best years are about to be burned fighting people beneath him.
http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-new...rikeforce-as-a-part-of-the-Showtime-deal.html
Gilbert's best years are about to be burned fighting people beneath him.
http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-new...rikeforce-as-a-part-of-the-Showtime-deal.html
Estima, Gracies detail Diaz's expo no-show, say blame widespread
Although they can't say for certain why Nick Diaz no-showed the 2012 World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, Braulio Estima and Renzo Gracie can agree there were serious problems behind the scenes at the event.
In a pair of interviews today with MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Estima and Gracie detailed their roles at the Expo, which took place this past Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
Both said miscommunications in the lead-up to a superfight between Estima and Diaz likely contributed to the unfortunate ending, which came when a weight dispute scrapped the bout.
But the jiu-jitsu "superfight" shouldn't have happened in the first place, said Gracie.
"This was a matchup that I didn't want from the beginning, and they did it," he said. "Because Nick Diaz has unbelievable jiu-jitsu. But to match him against a guy like Braulio, it's uneven.
"If it was an MMA fight, it's a different ballgame. But it's not an MMA fight."
And Saturday night, it wasn't a grappling match, either. Estima arrived on the mat to find Diaz and his manager Cesar Gracie – Renzo Gracie's cousin – absent. A member of the Diaz camp was unable to find the pair, so Estima took Diaz to task before the audience and said he would fight the UFC welterweight in MMA.
By then, Diaz was long gone, Cesar Gracie today told MMAjunkie.com. He had left Friday night when Estima's weight first came into focus. Gracie said Diaz, who's now back in his hometown of Stockton, Calif., donated his base pay for the event this morning to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
UFC president Dana White, who once booted Diaz from a title fight Georges St-Pierre when he no-showed press conferences in support of UFC 137, did an online version of a shrug when news of the no-show caught up to him on Twitter.
"No, not shocked and I'm surprised u people are!" White wrote. "He no showed a Las Vegas press conf to a fight he was gonna make HUGE $ and title."
To cut or not to cut?
Estima arrived in Long Beach on Thursday following a vacation in Thailand and quick jaunt to his adopted home in the U.K. for two days of filming on a reality show. He said there was a verbal agreement that he had to weigh 180 pounds on Friday or 185 on event day, but said the Expo's promoter did not have a clear plan for weigh-in schedule.
On Friday night, Estima said he still hadn't heard anything about when he was supposed to weigh in and at what weight, so he called the promoter as he sat down to sushi at a local restaurant. The promoter, in turn, called Cesar Gracie, whose team had a presence at the event.
"'Cesar told you that you need to weigh 180 (pounds) tomorrow,'" Estima said of his next conversation with the promoter. "I said, 'Hold on. The verbal agreement was 180 on Friday, or 185 on Saturday. It was supposed to be one or the other.'"
Cesar Gracie admitted the agreed-upon weight changed multiple times in the lead-up to the event. He declined to further discuss details of the tournament and said a statement from his camp is forthcoming.
Still, Estima agreed to cut to 180 pounds. He soon heard via Twitter that he had missed weight, which wasn't accurate in his mind because the weigh-in had been agreed for 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. He wasn't sure whether Diaz's manager was behind the messages, but proceeded nonetheless.
Estima said he made 180 pounds on Saturday morning in the presence of a Cesar Gracie black belt Lana Stefanic and documented the entire process with video. He then texted Gracie with confirmation of his weight and asked the manager if he could check Diaz's weight.
"[Gracie] said, 'Nick was 180 yesterday, last night,' and I said, 'Where did he weigh in?' Estima said. "He said, 'I saw.' I said, 'OK, you saw, but none of my representatives saw it.'"
Gracie then informed him that the promoter had told Diaz he could eat on Friday night. Estima asked if he could meet the fighter to promote the match, which was reportedly for charity. He was informed Diaz wasn't available.
"That was the level of how things were going," Estima said.
For his part, Renzo Gracie said the weigh-ins should have been done on Friday.
"That's how all the competitions are," he said. "I think it was the fact that I let a guy handle this that he wasn't prepared. He's not used to the fighting world. He's a guy who makes shirts, who makes expos. He was very efficient on that. But on everything else, he lacked knowledge."
Yet Estima completely expected Diaz to show up Saturday evening. A run-in with Cesar Gracie beforehand gave him the impression that the match was still a go, and when he walked out on the mats, he expected to see the controversial and popular fighter from Stockton.
Instead, he saw empty space.
Renzo Gracie said he plans to talk with the promoter soon to find out exactly what went wrong over the weekend. But he noted that Cesar Gracie had a role in the expo that may have exceeded that of a mere fighter rep.
"For Cesar to bring in his camp, he received a big percentage of the expo," Renzo Gracie said.
However, the MMA legend specifically points to the conversation between Estima, the promoter and Cesar Gracie as the root of the problem.
"You don't call a guy's room to tell that [the opponent] is going to be 10 pounds overweight at midnight on the day previous to his fight," said Renzo Gracie. "There's a psychological effect in there.
"Nick Diaz is a guy that was already giving up too much to fight Braulio, and the next thing you see, 10 pounds heavier. And the other one is so ignorant that he passes that information without even thinking how much damage he can deliver, and it ended up being that."
Although they can't say for certain why Nick Diaz no-showed the 2012 World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, Braulio Estima and Renzo Gracie can agree there were serious problems behind the scenes at the event.
In a pair of interviews today with MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Estima and Gracie detailed their roles at the Expo, which took place this past Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
Both said miscommunications in the lead-up to a superfight between Estima and Diaz likely contributed to the unfortunate ending, which came when a weight dispute scrapped the bout.
But the jiu-jitsu "superfight" shouldn't have happened in the first place, said Gracie.
"This was a matchup that I didn't want from the beginning, and they did it," he said. "Because Nick Diaz has unbelievable jiu-jitsu. But to match him against a guy like Braulio, it's uneven.
"If it was an MMA fight, it's a different ballgame. But it's not an MMA fight."
And Saturday night, it wasn't a grappling match, either. Estima arrived on the mat to find Diaz and his manager Cesar Gracie – Renzo Gracie's cousin – absent. A member of the Diaz camp was unable to find the pair, so Estima took Diaz to task before the audience and said he would fight the UFC welterweight in MMA.
By then, Diaz was long gone, Cesar Gracie today told MMAjunkie.com. He had left Friday night when Estima's weight first came into focus. Gracie said Diaz, who's now back in his hometown of Stockton, Calif., donated his base pay for the event this morning to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
UFC president Dana White, who once booted Diaz from a title fight Georges St-Pierre when he no-showed press conferences in support of UFC 137, did an online version of a shrug when news of the no-show caught up to him on Twitter.
"No, not shocked and I'm surprised u people are!" White wrote. "He no showed a Las Vegas press conf to a fight he was gonna make HUGE $ and title."
To cut or not to cut?
Estima arrived in Long Beach on Thursday following a vacation in Thailand and quick jaunt to his adopted home in the U.K. for two days of filming on a reality show. He said there was a verbal agreement that he had to weigh 180 pounds on Friday or 185 on event day, but said the Expo's promoter did not have a clear plan for weigh-in schedule.
On Friday night, Estima said he still hadn't heard anything about when he was supposed to weigh in and at what weight, so he called the promoter as he sat down to sushi at a local restaurant. The promoter, in turn, called Cesar Gracie, whose team had a presence at the event.
"'Cesar told you that you need to weigh 180 (pounds) tomorrow,'" Estima said of his next conversation with the promoter. "I said, 'Hold on. The verbal agreement was 180 on Friday, or 185 on Saturday. It was supposed to be one or the other.'"
Cesar Gracie admitted the agreed-upon weight changed multiple times in the lead-up to the event. He declined to further discuss details of the tournament and said a statement from his camp is forthcoming.
Still, Estima agreed to cut to 180 pounds. He soon heard via Twitter that he had missed weight, which wasn't accurate in his mind because the weigh-in had been agreed for 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. He wasn't sure whether Diaz's manager was behind the messages, but proceeded nonetheless.
Estima said he made 180 pounds on Saturday morning in the presence of a Cesar Gracie black belt Lana Stefanic and documented the entire process with video. He then texted Gracie with confirmation of his weight and asked the manager if he could check Diaz's weight.
"[Gracie] said, 'Nick was 180 yesterday, last night,' and I said, 'Where did he weigh in?' Estima said. "He said, 'I saw.' I said, 'OK, you saw, but none of my representatives saw it.'"
Gracie then informed him that the promoter had told Diaz he could eat on Friday night. Estima asked if he could meet the fighter to promote the match, which was reportedly for charity. He was informed Diaz wasn't available.
"That was the level of how things were going," Estima said.
For his part, Renzo Gracie said the weigh-ins should have been done on Friday.
"That's how all the competitions are," he said. "I think it was the fact that I let a guy handle this that he wasn't prepared. He's not used to the fighting world. He's a guy who makes shirts, who makes expos. He was very efficient on that. But on everything else, he lacked knowledge."
Yet Estima completely expected Diaz to show up Saturday evening. A run-in with Cesar Gracie beforehand gave him the impression that the match was still a go, and when he walked out on the mats, he expected to see the controversial and popular fighter from Stockton.
Instead, he saw empty space.
Renzo Gracie said he plans to talk with the promoter soon to find out exactly what went wrong over the weekend. But he noted that Cesar Gracie had a role in the expo that may have exceeded that of a mere fighter rep.
"For Cesar to bring in his camp, he received a big percentage of the expo," Renzo Gracie said.
However, the MMA legend specifically points to the conversation between Estima, the promoter and Cesar Gracie as the root of the problem.
"You don't call a guy's room to tell that [the opponent] is going to be 10 pounds overweight at midnight on the day previous to his fight," said Renzo Gracie. "There's a psychological effect in there.
"Nick Diaz is a guy that was already giving up too much to fight Braulio, and the next thing you see, 10 pounds heavier. And the other one is so ignorant that he passes that information without even thinking how much damage he can deliver, and it ended up being that."
UFC's Bonnar pines for ultimate full-circle with 'TUF' coaching gig opposite Griffin
While he currently doesn't have a bout on tap, Stephan Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) said he's hoping to land another superfight with Forrest Griffin (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC).
"Everyone out there please harass Dana White on Twitter to let me and Forrest coach the next season (of 'The Ultimate Fighter')," Bonnar told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "If he does that, I can guarantee a barn-burning slugfest.
"I won't go for any takedowns. I won't block any punches. I'll just be moving forward. I'm serious I would just go and slug it out and try to top our first one. What the hell do I have to lose? I want to give the fans a good one."
Bonnar and Griffin's first battle royal in April 2005 at the conclusion of the first season of "TUF" has been voted the greatest fight in UFC history. White often refers to the slugfest as "the most important fight in UFC history" because it took place as part of the first UFC fight card to air live on national television and helped the promotion score its landmark deal with Spike TV.
While Bonnar lost the bout by a narrow decision – as well as the rematch a year later – he believes a trilogy fight with his buddy could once again be a ratings boon for new television partner FOX.
"If we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful," he said. "Just bringing the whole thing full circle to FOX, I would really be honored."
And Bonnar believes the fight would definitely be a barnburner. After back-to-back decision victories over Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury, Bonnar says it might be time to get back to the brawling ways that made "The American Psycho" a fan favorite.
"I've had a couple nice technical wins now without much damage," Bonnar said. "But now I'm actually missing the damage."
After recording his third straight victory in Kingsbury at UFC 139 this past November, Bonnar was met by the unusual sound of boos from the crowd in San Jose, Calif. Fans used to his generally reckless style weren't pleased with the play-it-safe approach, even if Bonnar did control the fight from start to finish.
"It's kind of flattering to have such high expectations," he said. "People expect a barn-burning-type of back-and-forth bloody fight. This time I found some holes in his game and fought a real smart technical fight and showed superiors skills on the ground.
"I was proud of myself. Then I get up and everyone is booing. They expected me to bleed all over the place. Sorry I didn't give you the paint-the-canvas-in-my-blood kind of fight."
But Bonnar — who recently was reunited for a favorite-memories segment with Griffin on "UFC Ultimate Insider" on FUEL TV — once again promised that any technical game plan would be thrown out the window if a rematch against Griffin were to happen.
"When you get into a couple of wars in a row, you're like, 'Screw this,'" Bonnar said. "But if we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful. I'd get hit a ton. I've ate plenty of his punches over the years."
So it's easy to see what the UFC mainstay hopes to do next in his career. What Bonnar didn't ask for was a recent fight outside of the octagon, which came via a camel spider in Bahrain. Bonnar, Rich Franklin and Keith Jardine were visiting naval bases in Spain and Italy before finishing up their touring trip in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain.
While Franklin and Jardine easily passed through security in preparation for their flight home, the outspoken Bonnar was detained because of his loud T-shirt.
"I'm thinking what did I do?" he said. "But I look down and see that I'm wearing a 'Young Assassin' shirt of Melvin Guillard's with Hitler and (Osama) Bin Laden on it."
During his explanation process, Bonnar missed the once-a-day flight back to the U.S. Hours later he was woken up in a small room in the airport by the venomous bite of a camel spider the "size of my hand."
Days (and several antibiotics) later, Bonnar safely made it back home to Las Vegas.
"I didn't have a phone or anything," he said. "I thought I was just catching my plane. I didn't plan on that happening. But it makes you really appreciate everything in America."
Especially what Bonnar hopes is one more round against rival Griffin.
"That's what I want more than anything," he said. "I probably won't get what I want, but I'll ask for it anyway."
While he currently doesn't have a bout on tap, Stephan Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) said he's hoping to land another superfight with Forrest Griffin (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC).
"Everyone out there please harass Dana White on Twitter to let me and Forrest coach the next season (of 'The Ultimate Fighter')," Bonnar told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "If he does that, I can guarantee a barn-burning slugfest.
"I won't go for any takedowns. I won't block any punches. I'll just be moving forward. I'm serious I would just go and slug it out and try to top our first one. What the hell do I have to lose? I want to give the fans a good one."
Bonnar and Griffin's first battle royal in April 2005 at the conclusion of the first season of "TUF" has been voted the greatest fight in UFC history. White often refers to the slugfest as "the most important fight in UFC history" because it took place as part of the first UFC fight card to air live on national television and helped the promotion score its landmark deal with Spike TV.
While Bonnar lost the bout by a narrow decision – as well as the rematch a year later – he believes a trilogy fight with his buddy could once again be a ratings boon for new television partner FOX.
"If we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful," he said. "Just bringing the whole thing full circle to FOX, I would really be honored."
And Bonnar believes the fight would definitely be a barnburner. After back-to-back decision victories over Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury, Bonnar says it might be time to get back to the brawling ways that made "The American Psycho" a fan favorite.
"I've had a couple nice technical wins now without much damage," Bonnar said. "But now I'm actually missing the damage."
After recording his third straight victory in Kingsbury at UFC 139 this past November, Bonnar was met by the unusual sound of boos from the crowd in San Jose, Calif. Fans used to his generally reckless style weren't pleased with the play-it-safe approach, even if Bonnar did control the fight from start to finish.
"It's kind of flattering to have such high expectations," he said. "People expect a barn-burning-type of back-and-forth bloody fight. This time I found some holes in his game and fought a real smart technical fight and showed superiors skills on the ground.
"I was proud of myself. Then I get up and everyone is booing. They expected me to bleed all over the place. Sorry I didn't give you the paint-the-canvas-in-my-blood kind of fight."
But Bonnar — who recently was reunited for a favorite-memories segment with Griffin on "UFC Ultimate Insider" on FUEL TV — once again promised that any technical game plan would be thrown out the window if a rematch against Griffin were to happen.
"When you get into a couple of wars in a row, you're like, 'Screw this,'" Bonnar said. "But if we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful. I'd get hit a ton. I've ate plenty of his punches over the years."
So it's easy to see what the UFC mainstay hopes to do next in his career. What Bonnar didn't ask for was a recent fight outside of the octagon, which came via a camel spider in Bahrain. Bonnar, Rich Franklin and Keith Jardine were visiting naval bases in Spain and Italy before finishing up their touring trip in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain.
While Franklin and Jardine easily passed through security in preparation for their flight home, the outspoken Bonnar was detained because of his loud T-shirt.
"I'm thinking what did I do?" he said. "But I look down and see that I'm wearing a 'Young Assassin' shirt of Melvin Guillard's with Hitler and (Osama) Bin Laden on it."
During his explanation process, Bonnar missed the once-a-day flight back to the U.S. Hours later he was woken up in a small room in the airport by the venomous bite of a camel spider the "size of my hand."
Days (and several antibiotics) later, Bonnar safely made it back home to Las Vegas.
"I didn't have a phone or anything," he said. "I thought I was just catching my plane. I didn't plan on that happening. But it makes you really appreciate everything in America."
Especially what Bonnar hopes is one more round against rival Griffin.
"That's what I want more than anything," he said. "I probably won't get what I want, but I'll ask for it anyway."
UFC on FUEL TV 3's Cerrone clamors for UFC 150 bout with Pettis
FAIRFAX, Va. – Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has only one choice in mind for the location of his next UFC bout.
"I want to fight in Denver," Cerrone said Tuesday after beating lightweight Jeremy Stephens. "Whoever's begging at the bit to go is who I want to fight."
Cerrone (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) earned a unanimous-decision win against Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) on the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card in Fairfax, Va. The result puts Cerrone back on the winning track after a decision loss to Nate Diaz in December.
Before the Diaz bout, Cerrone had six consecutive wins, including four in the UFC in 2011. He's No. 12 in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings for lightweights.
He characterized himself as ready for a top-five opponent.
"Yeah, 100 percent," Cerrone said. "Hopefully in Denver."
UFC 150 takes place Aug. 11 in Denver, the promotion announced this past month. The card is far from being finalized
One or two more wins against highly regarded opposition could put Cerrone in the championship conversation. A showdown with No. 8 Anthony Pettis is one potential bout that appeals to Cerrone.
"That'd be a good match-up," Cerrone said. "Stylistically it'll work out perfect for me. He'll stand and want to fight and try and take me down. I'll beat him up, and then we'll keep fighting. That'd be good fight, especially for Denver."
FAIRFAX, Va. – Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has only one choice in mind for the location of his next UFC bout.
"I want to fight in Denver," Cerrone said Tuesday after beating lightweight Jeremy Stephens. "Whoever's begging at the bit to go is who I want to fight."
Cerrone (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) earned a unanimous-decision win against Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) on the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card in Fairfax, Va. The result puts Cerrone back on the winning track after a decision loss to Nate Diaz in December.
Before the Diaz bout, Cerrone had six consecutive wins, including four in the UFC in 2011. He's No. 12 in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings for lightweights.
He characterized himself as ready for a top-five opponent.
"Yeah, 100 percent," Cerrone said. "Hopefully in Denver."
UFC 150 takes place Aug. 11 in Denver, the promotion announced this past month. The card is far from being finalized
One or two more wins against highly regarded opposition could put Cerrone in the championship conversation. A showdown with No. 8 Anthony Pettis is one potential bout that appeals to Cerrone.
"That'd be a good match-up," Cerrone said. "Stylistically it'll work out perfect for me. He'll stand and want to fight and try and take me down. I'll beat him up, and then we'll keep fighting. That'd be good fight, especially for Denver."
UFC confirms Urijah Faber's new opponent to be revealed on Friday's edition of 'TUF:
Friday's 11th episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" features the season's final two quarterfinal fights, but the most newsworthy moment of the night will involve one of the season's coaches.
As expected, UFC president Dana White will on Friday announce Urijah Faber's new opponent for UFC 148, where "The California Kid" and the soon-to-be-named foe will compete for the newly minted UFC interim bantamweight title.
The replacement slot was necessitated when opposing coach and current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz was forced to bow out of the card with a blown ACL.
"TUF: Live" features Cruz and Faber as opposing coaches. Following a two-and-a-half-hour debut episode in which an initial group of 32 was whittled down to 16, the series continues with one or two fights each week. After pre-taped content, the lightweights-only show concludes with live bouts.
The 11th episode sees Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel vs. Team Faber's Chris Saunders and a bout between teammates, as Team Faber's Al Iaquinta faces Andy Ogle. The winner advance to the season's semifinal bouts.
Leading candidates to face Faber in July include Renan Barao, who is currently scheduled to face Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148, and Michael McDonald, who recently earned an impressive knockout win over Miguel Torres.
Menjivar could also warrant some consideration based on his three-fight win streak, as could perennial contender Brad Pickett, who recently earned a "Fight of the Night" win over Damacio Page
Friday's 11th episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" features the season's final two quarterfinal fights, but the most newsworthy moment of the night will involve one of the season's coaches.
As expected, UFC president Dana White will on Friday announce Urijah Faber's new opponent for UFC 148, where "The California Kid" and the soon-to-be-named foe will compete for the newly minted UFC interim bantamweight title.
The replacement slot was necessitated when opposing coach and current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz was forced to bow out of the card with a blown ACL.
"TUF: Live" features Cruz and Faber as opposing coaches. Following a two-and-a-half-hour debut episode in which an initial group of 32 was whittled down to 16, the series continues with one or two fights each week. After pre-taped content, the lightweights-only show concludes with live bouts.
The 11th episode sees Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel vs. Team Faber's Chris Saunders and a bout between teammates, as Team Faber's Al Iaquinta faces Andy Ogle. The winner advance to the season's semifinal bouts.
Leading candidates to face Faber in July include Renan Barao, who is currently scheduled to face Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148, and Michael McDonald, who recently earned an impressive knockout win over Miguel Torres.
Menjivar could also warrant some consideration based on his three-fight win streak, as could perennial contender Brad Pickett, who recently earned a "Fight of the Night" win over Damacio Page
Late replacement Lavar Johnson prepping for UFC 146 dogfight
Lavar Johnson (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) heard on Wednesday that he might be fighting Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 146 and immediately consulted his coaches, who liked the matchup.
But Johnson said he wouldn't have heard about it at all had his manager, Bob Cook of American Kickboxing Academy, didn't feel the same.
"Pray for me that I come out of this one OK," Johnson joked to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Johnson steps in for an injured Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at the May 26 event, which takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight serves on the pay-per-view main card following preliminary-card fights on FX and Facebook.
With a laugh, Johnson acknowledged the reality of the heavyweight bout, which could prove to be his toughest yet. At 24 years old, Struve has a half-dozen more fights on his resume than the 34-year-old Johnson.
More concerning, the Dutch fighter has 15 submissions to his credit. Three of Johnson's five losses come by way of choke or joint lock. Struve has the reputation of a comeback artist, a fighter who sometimes takes serious punishment before turning the tables.
Johnson is a fan of Struve, but knows that fighting the man is a daunting task.
"I always seen him in there getting the crap beaten out of him and he finds a way to win," Johnson said of his new opponent. "He's a tough guy and very durable.
"It's not going to be a cake walk. But I'm up for the challenge to see where I'm at."
Johnson pulled off his own come-from-behind win just three weeks ago when he stopped Pat Barry with heavy punches just moments after Barry put him in danger of submission. The performance won him "Knockout of the Night" honors, his second such award following a knockout of Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2 in his octagon debut.
Not too long ago, Johnson was enjoying something of a vacation. But on Monday, he resumed two-a-day training sessions, and the timing appears to have been perfect.
"It's my job to fight, and I just thank the UFC for giving me this opportunity," he said.
And Johnson's new outlook on fighting, which he credits for his turnaround following back-to-back losses in Strikeforce, could serve him well against his fellow comeback artist.
"We're working more on speed than just trying to grind stuff out," Johnson said. "I think I was trying to be a little too technical, and I was letting guys get off. We went back to the old me, just getting in there and making it a dog fight."
Lavar Johnson (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) heard on Wednesday that he might be fighting Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 146 and immediately consulted his coaches, who liked the matchup.
But Johnson said he wouldn't have heard about it at all had his manager, Bob Cook of American Kickboxing Academy, didn't feel the same.
"Pray for me that I come out of this one OK," Johnson joked to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Johnson steps in for an injured Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at the May 26 event, which takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight serves on the pay-per-view main card following preliminary-card fights on FX and Facebook.
With a laugh, Johnson acknowledged the reality of the heavyweight bout, which could prove to be his toughest yet. At 24 years old, Struve has a half-dozen more fights on his resume than the 34-year-old Johnson.
More concerning, the Dutch fighter has 15 submissions to his credit. Three of Johnson's five losses come by way of choke or joint lock. Struve has the reputation of a comeback artist, a fighter who sometimes takes serious punishment before turning the tables.
Johnson is a fan of Struve, but knows that fighting the man is a daunting task.
"I always seen him in there getting the crap beaten out of him and he finds a way to win," Johnson said of his new opponent. "He's a tough guy and very durable.
"It's not going to be a cake walk. But I'm up for the challenge to see where I'm at."
Johnson pulled off his own come-from-behind win just three weeks ago when he stopped Pat Barry with heavy punches just moments after Barry put him in danger of submission. The performance won him "Knockout of the Night" honors, his second such award following a knockout of Joey Beltran at UFC on FOX 2 in his octagon debut.
Not too long ago, Johnson was enjoying something of a vacation. But on Monday, he resumed two-a-day training sessions, and the timing appears to have been perfect.
"It's my job to fight, and I just thank the UFC for giving me this opportunity," he said.
And Johnson's new outlook on fighting, which he credits for his turnaround following back-to-back losses in Strikeforce, could serve him well against his fellow comeback artist.
"We're working more on speed than just trying to grind stuff out," Johnson said. "I think I was trying to be a little too technical, and I was letting guys get off. We went back to the old me, just getting in there and making it a dog fight."
Mark Hunt forced out at UFC 146, Stefan Struve now meets Lavar Johnson
A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Johnson (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is replacing Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who was forced to bow out with a knee injury, in a heavyweight bout against Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 146, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Hunt declined comment when contacted today, but UFC execs have since made the change official.
The "Super Samoan" was recently the subject of hardcore fanfare when Alistair Overeem's failed drug test opened the possibility of an opening opposite champ Junior Dos Santos. Although he picked up plenty of Twitter followers with a #RallyforMarkHunt Twitter campaign, Hunt fell short to Frank Mir, who now faces off with Dos Santos.
Johnson is fresh off his second network-televised fight, a first-round TKO over Pat Barry at UFC on FOX 3 that further solidified his status as one to watch in the UFC heavyweight division. It took him one round to dispatch Joey Beltran in his octagon debut at UFC on FOX 2.
At just 24 years old, Struve has already fought 10 times in the octagon and is closing in on 30 total career contests. The 6-foot-11 fighter is 4-1 in his past five fights, with the lone loss coming to Travis Browne. His wins during that run have come over Dave Herman, Pat Barry, McCorkle and Christian Morecraft.
A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Johnson (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is replacing Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who was forced to bow out with a knee injury, in a heavyweight bout against Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 146, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Hunt declined comment when contacted today, but UFC execs have since made the change official.
The "Super Samoan" was recently the subject of hardcore fanfare when Alistair Overeem's failed drug test opened the possibility of an opening opposite champ Junior Dos Santos. Although he picked up plenty of Twitter followers with a #RallyforMarkHunt Twitter campaign, Hunt fell short to Frank Mir, who now faces off with Dos Santos.
Johnson is fresh off his second network-televised fight, a first-round TKO over Pat Barry at UFC on FOX 3 that further solidified his status as one to watch in the UFC heavyweight division. It took him one round to dispatch Joey Beltran in his octagon debut at UFC on FOX 2.
At just 24 years old, Struve has already fought 10 times in the octagon and is closing in on 30 total career contests. The 6-foot-11 fighter is 4-1 in his past five fights, with the lone loss coming to Travis Browne. His wins during that run have come over Dave Herman, Pat Barry, McCorkle and Christian Morecraft.
BREAKING: Jon Jones Arrested for DUI in Binghamton, NY
This doesn’t look good, folks. Initially reported by TMZ.com and confirmed by Josh Gross, UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been arrested in Binghamton, New York on DUI charges after totaling his Bentley. From TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Jones was involved in an accident at around 5:00 AM in Binghamton, NY. We’re told the car — which Jones crashed into a pole — was totaled and cops arrested Jones on the scene for DUI.
According to our sources, Jones was taken into custody by Broome County Sheriff and bailed out a few hours later … by his mom. Jones is from nearby Ithaca.
Fortunately for Jones, it appears that he only suffered minor injuries, and it does not appear that anyone else was injured from this accident. It is unclear whether or not there were any passengers in the car at the time of the accident.
As of writing this, Dana White’s only response to the incident has been a text to TMZ, saying “Wow, i guess its not my week is it?”. Given the week he’s had, that may be putting it mildly. Neither Jones nor his teammates will be commenting on the arrest at this time.
In and of itself, the incident isn’t too surprising: Jon Jones is a young, talented and seemingly invincible athlete. Like many other athletes in his position, Jones decided to get behind the wheel after clearly drinking too much. Or for that matter, like many of those reading this article, myself included, at one point or another. I’m not saying that drunk driving isn’t a reckless, stupid thing to do, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the media be harsher on Jon Jones than they would on, say, Braylon Edwards.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops. Jon Jones is the face of the UFC - and in many ways, mixed martial arts. How will the mainstream media cover this incident? How will Jones be disciplined for this? Will any of his sponsors bail on him? And how will this story be treated in the state of New York, which recently made viewing child porn legal while deeming that MMA should remain illegal? We’ll keep you up to date as more details become available.
2 @2 D. O. P. E. Falvo
Update: A statement from First Round Management has been forwarded to Cagepotato.com:
Note: There will be no interviews granted at this time from Jon Jones, or any of his representatives
“I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI. While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time.”
–Malki Kawa, Jon “Bones” Jones’ Manager
This doesn’t look good, folks. Initially reported by TMZ.com and confirmed by Josh Gross, UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been arrested in Binghamton, New York on DUI charges after totaling his Bentley. From TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Jones was involved in an accident at around 5:00 AM in Binghamton, NY. We’re told the car — which Jones crashed into a pole — was totaled and cops arrested Jones on the scene for DUI.
According to our sources, Jones was taken into custody by Broome County Sheriff and bailed out a few hours later … by his mom. Jones is from nearby Ithaca.
Fortunately for Jones, it appears that he only suffered minor injuries, and it does not appear that anyone else was injured from this accident. It is unclear whether or not there were any passengers in the car at the time of the accident.
As of writing this, Dana White’s only response to the incident has been a text to TMZ, saying “Wow, i guess its not my week is it?”. Given the week he’s had, that may be putting it mildly. Neither Jones nor his teammates will be commenting on the arrest at this time.
In and of itself, the incident isn’t too surprising: Jon Jones is a young, talented and seemingly invincible athlete. Like many other athletes in his position, Jones decided to get behind the wheel after clearly drinking too much. Or for that matter, like many of those reading this article, myself included, at one point or another. I’m not saying that drunk driving isn’t a reckless, stupid thing to do, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the media be harsher on Jon Jones than they would on, say, Braylon Edwards.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops. Jon Jones is the face of the UFC - and in many ways, mixed martial arts. How will the mainstream media cover this incident? How will Jones be disciplined for this? Will any of his sponsors bail on him? And how will this story be treated in the state of New York, which recently made viewing child porn legal while deeming that MMA should remain illegal? We’ll keep you up to date as more details become available.
2 @2 D. O. P. E. Falvo
Update: A statement from First Round Management has been forwarded to Cagepotato.com:
Note: There will be no interviews granted at this time from Jon Jones, or any of his representatives
“I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI. While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time.”
–Malki Kawa, Jon “Bones” Jones’ Manager
^ When he got the UFC sponsorship before the Rashad fight.
“We came up with a strategy to keep it clean and be sponsored by the UFC itself. I’m glad the UFC wanted to work with me as well, and I think that they trust that I’ll never make them look bad. You never have to worry about me with a DWI or doing something crazy.”
“We came up with a strategy to keep it clean and be sponsored by the UFC itself. I’m glad the UFC wanted to work with me as well, and I think that they trust that I’ll never make them look bad. You never have to worry about me with a DWI or doing something crazy.”
