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Reem better not break his hand and be out the rest of the year. Uberknees ftw
Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva expected for February's UFC 156 event
Ask, and you shall receive.
After calling out former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC), former EliteXC title holder Antonio Silva (17-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been granted his wish, and the two are now expected to meet at February's UFC 156 event.
The Las Vegas Review Journal first reported the planned matchup, which is contingent on Overeem receiving a license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending the conclusion of his current suspension.
UFC officials later confirmed the planned matchup.
Featuring a featherweight title fight between current champ Jose Aldo and former lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar, UFC 156 takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view.
The massively chiseled Overeem has long been at the center of controversy regarding performance-enhancing drug use accusations. The Dutchman long contended he was a "clean fighter" and the "most-tested athlete in sports." However, he was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission earlier this year when a a pre-UFC 146 drug test was flagged for a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, more than twice the 6-to-1 ratio allowed by the commission.
Overeem maintained his innocence throughout his NSAC hearings and suggested a prescribed injection was responsible for his heightened ratios. Still, the NSAC issued him a nine-month suspension that ends Dec. 27.
UFC President Dana White in October revealed Overeem is still considered the division's No. 1 contender and is welcome to wait for the Dec. 29 bout between current champ Junior Dos Santos and former title holder Cain Velasquez to determine his next appearance, which would be for the UFC heavyweight title.
But Overeem's camp recently warned they weren't sure if waiting was their client's best option. After all, injuries and other unpredictable hurdles could mean the fight wouldn't take place for several months after the UFC 155 headliner, and Overeem's primary goal right now is to get back to competition for the first time since a December 2011 win over Brock Lesnar.
He has now apparently elected to act on that instinct.
Meanwhile, Silva recently told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) he'd be happy to welcome Overeem back to action.
"If Overeem really doesn't want to have to wait for a fight after his suspension is up, I am here ready to welcome him," Silva today told MMAjunkie.com. "I respect him as an athlete. After all, he was K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce champion. But I am not worried about titles or belts right now.
"Overeem is big and strong, but I know I can beat him. Even if was created in the lab, I can beat him."
In addition to the new booking of Overeem vs. Silva, the Las Vegas Review Journal's report also confirmed the long-rumored matchup of Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva expected for February's UFC 156 event
Ask, and you shall receive.
After calling out former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC), former EliteXC title holder Antonio Silva (17-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been granted his wish, and the two are now expected to meet at February's UFC 156 event.
The Las Vegas Review Journal first reported the planned matchup, which is contingent on Overeem receiving a license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending the conclusion of his current suspension.
UFC officials later confirmed the planned matchup.
Featuring a featherweight title fight between current champ Jose Aldo and former lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar, UFC 156 takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view.
The massively chiseled Overeem has long been at the center of controversy regarding performance-enhancing drug use accusations. The Dutchman long contended he was a "clean fighter" and the "most-tested athlete in sports." However, he was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission earlier this year when a a pre-UFC 146 drug test was flagged for a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, more than twice the 6-to-1 ratio allowed by the commission.
Overeem maintained his innocence throughout his NSAC hearings and suggested a prescribed injection was responsible for his heightened ratios. Still, the NSAC issued him a nine-month suspension that ends Dec. 27.
UFC President Dana White in October revealed Overeem is still considered the division's No. 1 contender and is welcome to wait for the Dec. 29 bout between current champ Junior Dos Santos and former title holder Cain Velasquez to determine his next appearance, which would be for the UFC heavyweight title.
But Overeem's camp recently warned they weren't sure if waiting was their client's best option. After all, injuries and other unpredictable hurdles could mean the fight wouldn't take place for several months after the UFC 155 headliner, and Overeem's primary goal right now is to get back to competition for the first time since a December 2011 win over Brock Lesnar.
He has now apparently elected to act on that instinct.
Meanwhile, Silva recently told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) he'd be happy to welcome Overeem back to action.
"If Overeem really doesn't want to have to wait for a fight after his suspension is up, I am here ready to welcome him," Silva today told MMAjunkie.com. "I respect him as an athlete. After all, he was K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce champion. But I am not worried about titles or belts right now.
"Overeem is big and strong, but I know I can beat him. Even if was created in the lab, I can beat him."
In addition to the new booking of Overeem vs. Silva, the Las Vegas Review Journal's report also confirmed the long-rumored matchup of Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Matt Mitrione replaces Shane Carwin, meets Roy Nelson at TUF 16 Finale
Leave it to a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter" to step up for fill-in duties for the show's next live finale.
Following Wednesday's loss of headliner and head coach Shane Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) due to a knee injury, "TUF 10" vet Matt Mitrione (5-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has stepped in as his replacement.
He now meets Roy Nelson (17-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) next month in the headliner of The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.
Officials today announced verbal agreements are in place for the fight. Mitrione was slated to fight Philip De Fries (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at the year-end UFC 155 event. However, according to officials, De Fries will get a new opponent.
The TUF 16 Finale takes place Dec. 15 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The main card airs on FX. FUEL TV and Facebook carry the prelims.
Carwin and Nelson coached opposite each other on the 16th season of "TUF," which taped over the summer and currently airs on Friday nights on FX. The head coaches were expected to meet in the traditional season-ending fight, but UFC President Dana White announced Carwin's knee injury and withdrawal on Wednesday.
In his place steps Mitrione, who suffered his first career loss with a unanimous-decision defeat to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137. Prior to that, he won his first five pro fights, all in the UFC. Four of the former NFL player's wins came via knockout.
Nelson, meanwhile, most recently knocked out Dave Herman at UFC 146. The "TUF 10" champion, who never fought Mitrione on the reality show, is 2-1 since back-to-back decision losses to now-champ Junior Dos Santos and former titleholder Frank Mir.
The latest TUF 16 Finale card includes:
•Roy Nelson vs. Matt Mitrione
•"TUF 16" tournament final
•James Head vs. Mike Pyle
•Tim Elliott vs. Jared Papazian
•Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario
•Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner
•Jonathan Brookins vs. Dustin Poirier
•Johnny Bedford vs. Marcos Vinicius
•Rustam Khabilov vs. Vinc Pichel
•Nick Catone vs. T.J. Waldburger
•Reuben Duran vs. Hugo Viana
•John Cofer vs. Mike Rio
Leave it to a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter" to step up for fill-in duties for the show's next live finale.
Following Wednesday's loss of headliner and head coach Shane Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) due to a knee injury, "TUF 10" vet Matt Mitrione (5-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has stepped in as his replacement.
He now meets Roy Nelson (17-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) next month in the headliner of The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.
Officials today announced verbal agreements are in place for the fight. Mitrione was slated to fight Philip De Fries (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at the year-end UFC 155 event. However, according to officials, De Fries will get a new opponent.
The TUF 16 Finale takes place Dec. 15 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The main card airs on FX. FUEL TV and Facebook carry the prelims.
Carwin and Nelson coached opposite each other on the 16th season of "TUF," which taped over the summer and currently airs on Friday nights on FX. The head coaches were expected to meet in the traditional season-ending fight, but UFC President Dana White announced Carwin's knee injury and withdrawal on Wednesday.
In his place steps Mitrione, who suffered his first career loss with a unanimous-decision defeat to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137. Prior to that, he won his first five pro fights, all in the UFC. Four of the former NFL player's wins came via knockout.
Nelson, meanwhile, most recently knocked out Dave Herman at UFC 146. The "TUF 10" champion, who never fought Mitrione on the reality show, is 2-1 since back-to-back decision losses to now-champ Junior Dos Santos and former titleholder Frank Mir.
The latest TUF 16 Finale card includes:
•Roy Nelson vs. Matt Mitrione
•"TUF 16" tournament final
•James Head vs. Mike Pyle
•Tim Elliott vs. Jared Papazian
•Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario
•Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner
•Jonathan Brookins vs. Dustin Poirier
•Johnny Bedford vs. Marcos Vinicius
•Rustam Khabilov vs. Vinc Pichel
•Nick Catone vs. T.J. Waldburger
•Reuben Duran vs. Hugo Viana
•John Cofer vs. Mike Rio
UFC on FOX 6 official for Chicago with flyweight title bout, 'Rampage'-Teixeira co-ma
The UFC returns for another mid-winter fight card in the Windy City in January, and tickets for the event go on sale later this month.
"UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson" is official for Chicago's United Center on Jan. 26. The main event features the first flyweight title defense of Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) against top contender John Dodson (14-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
UFC officials on Thursday announced the card, with tickets for the event on sale to the general public Nov. 30 with pre-sale dates on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.
"Chicago is a great fight town and we’re excited to come back to the United Center on Jan. 26," UFC President Dana White stated. "This will be our first big event on FOX for 2013, and we've lined up an incredible card, including the flyweight title fight."
Also on the main card is a light heavyweight bout between former champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-10 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Glover Teixeira (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the co-feature slot and a lightweight contenders fight between former WEC champ Anthony Pettis (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Donald Cerrone (19-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The UFC last was in Chicago for UFC on FOX 2 at the United Center this past January. Then, as with this time around for UFC on FOX 6, the event takes place in the NFL's off week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.
Sources close to the event on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that the main card on FOX will feature four fights – though the fourth has not yet been announced. The main card will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
But the UFC has some local Chicago options to pick from if it so chooses.
Featherweights Erik Koch (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Ricardo Lamas (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who lives and trains in the suburbs, meet in what could be a No. 1 contenders fight. Chicago area native Clay Guida (29-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) will make his featherweight debut after a long run at lightweight when he meets Hatsu Hioki (26-5-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). And Mike Russow (15-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), a Chicago police officer, and Shawn Jordan (13-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will clash at heavyweight.
Tickets for the event are priced between $40 and $250, plus fees, and will be available at Ticketmaster locations as well as the United Center box office.
The latest UFC on FOX 6 card now includes:
•Champion Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson - for flyweight title
•Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
•Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
•Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas
•Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki
•Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow
•T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman
The UFC returns for another mid-winter fight card in the Windy City in January, and tickets for the event go on sale later this month.
"UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson" is official for Chicago's United Center on Jan. 26. The main event features the first flyweight title defense of Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) against top contender John Dodson (14-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
UFC officials on Thursday announced the card, with tickets for the event on sale to the general public Nov. 30 with pre-sale dates on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.
"Chicago is a great fight town and we’re excited to come back to the United Center on Jan. 26," UFC President Dana White stated. "This will be our first big event on FOX for 2013, and we've lined up an incredible card, including the flyweight title fight."
Also on the main card is a light heavyweight bout between former champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-10 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Glover Teixeira (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the co-feature slot and a lightweight contenders fight between former WEC champ Anthony Pettis (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Donald Cerrone (19-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The UFC last was in Chicago for UFC on FOX 2 at the United Center this past January. Then, as with this time around for UFC on FOX 6, the event takes place in the NFL's off week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.
Sources close to the event on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that the main card on FOX will feature four fights – though the fourth has not yet been announced. The main card will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
But the UFC has some local Chicago options to pick from if it so chooses.
Featherweights Erik Koch (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Ricardo Lamas (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who lives and trains in the suburbs, meet in what could be a No. 1 contenders fight. Chicago area native Clay Guida (29-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) will make his featherweight debut after a long run at lightweight when he meets Hatsu Hioki (26-5-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). And Mike Russow (15-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), a Chicago police officer, and Shawn Jordan (13-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will clash at heavyweight.
Tickets for the event are priced between $40 and $250, plus fees, and will be available at Ticketmaster locations as well as the United Center box office.
The latest UFC on FOX 6 card now includes:
•Champion Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson - for flyweight title
•Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
•Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
•Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas
•Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki
•Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow
•T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman
Gray Maynard injured, Jim Miller steps in to face Joe Lauzon at UFC 155
A lightweight bout for December's UFC 155 event has undergone a makeover as Jim Miller (21-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) steps in to replace an injured Gray Maynard (11-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and now faces Joe Lauzon (22-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC).
UFC officials today announced the change.
Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos and former champion Cain Velasquez in the evening's main event, UFC 155 takes place Dec. 29 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Miller fights for the first time since a disappointing loss to Nate Diaz at this past May's UFC on FOX 3 event. That result earned Diaz a December title shot against current champ Benson Henderson. Meanwhile, perennial contender Miller is 1-2 in his past three fights and will be seeking a return to the form that earned him seven-straight octagon wins between 2009 and 2011.
Lauzon recently scored "Fight of the Night" and "Submission of the Night" bonuses for his UFC on FOX 4 win over Jamie Varner. Lauzon now has won three of his past four fights, all via submission. "The Ultimate Fighter 5" cast member's defeat came to top contender Anthony Pettis while the other victories came over Melvin Guillard and Curt Warburton. In 22 career wins, the Massachusetts-based Lauzon, who's racked up 11 total UFC fight-night bonuses, has 18 submissions.
Maynard, meanwhile, had hoped build off a June split-decision win over Clay Guida. Prior to the victory, Maynard challenged for the UFC's lightweight title, though he fought to a split draw and then suffered a knockout loss to then-champ Frankie Edgar in back-to-back fights.
A lightweight bout for December's UFC 155 event has undergone a makeover as Jim Miller (21-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) steps in to replace an injured Gray Maynard (11-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and now faces Joe Lauzon (22-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC).
UFC officials today announced the change.
Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos and former champion Cain Velasquez in the evening's main event, UFC 155 takes place Dec. 29 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Miller fights for the first time since a disappointing loss to Nate Diaz at this past May's UFC on FOX 3 event. That result earned Diaz a December title shot against current champ Benson Henderson. Meanwhile, perennial contender Miller is 1-2 in his past three fights and will be seeking a return to the form that earned him seven-straight octagon wins between 2009 and 2011.
Lauzon recently scored "Fight of the Night" and "Submission of the Night" bonuses for his UFC on FOX 4 win over Jamie Varner. Lauzon now has won three of his past four fights, all via submission. "The Ultimate Fighter 5" cast member's defeat came to top contender Anthony Pettis while the other victories came over Melvin Guillard and Curt Warburton. In 22 career wins, the Massachusetts-based Lauzon, who's racked up 11 total UFC fight-night bonuses, has 18 submissions.
Maynard, meanwhile, had hoped build off a June split-decision win over Clay Guida. Prior to the victory, Maynard challenged for the UFC's lightweight title, though he fought to a split draw and then suffered a knockout loss to then-champ Frankie Edgar in back-to-back fights.
UFC boss Dana White points to May timetable for potential Silva vs. St-Pierre superfi
The will-he-or-won't-he drama surrounding Anderson Silva continued on Thursday.
Will he come into the octagon to challenge Georges St-Pierre on Saturday? Is he just there to watch a fight and enjoy some downtime after his own most recent victory? Will any of it even matter?
UFC President Dana White on Thursday added a little more fuel to the fire – and for the first time gave a clue as to when such a pound-for-pound superfight might take place.
White, on ESPN's "SportsCenter" before flying to Montreal for Saturday's UFC 154 pay-per-view, said a St-Pierre victory on Saturday will lead to a fight against Silva, and that the two likely would fight in May.
"Anderson Silva will be there this Saturday watching, and if (St-Pierre) wins it'll be a huge fight for us," White said. "It'll probably be the biggest fight in UFC history. It'll definitely be the biggest gate. We've done (55,000) up in Toronto with Georges before. We've had big gates pretty much everywhere we've gone, but this one would be either a soccer stadium down in Brazil, Dallas' Texas Stadium, or we'd do Toronto again."
St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) meets Carlos Condit (28-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in UFC 154's main event in a welterweight title unification bout. It's his first fight after a 19-month layoff, during which time Condit became the interim champion. St-Pierre is better than a 3-to-1 favorite in the fight.
Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) recently said he would be in Montreal for the fight, which led to instant speculation that he would be brought into the octagon following a possible St-Pierre win.
On a media conference call for UFC 154, White said he expected Silva to enter the cage for the challenge. St-Pierre, of course, said he didn't care – that he was focused on Condit. And Silva later said don't count on that happening – that callouts aren't his style.
But White said that could just be Silva being a good actor.
"He said he wouldn't fight Chael Sonnen again either, but he did," White said. "He always comes out and says this stuff. I don't know why he does it or why he says the things he says. I guarantee you, he will be there Saturday. If Georges St-Pierre wins, those two will fight and it'll probably be in May."
As for the possible venue, White continued to name the three major candidates – Toronto's Rogers Centre, site of UFC 129 and the largest gate and attendance in UFC history; a Brazilian soccer stadium, which the company hoped to do this past summer before plans fell through; or Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
Could the UFC sell out the more than 100,000-seat stadium? White isn't sure, but he thinks a Silva-GSP fight might not be too bad there.
"We're curious to see what we could do," he said. "We've been wanting to bring a fight there for a long time. This fight would be the fight to do it. Hopefully we'd sell it out."
For now, that same curiosity for everyone will have to wait a couple days to see just what happens between St-Pierre and Condit, and then just what happens after the fight
The will-he-or-won't-he drama surrounding Anderson Silva continued on Thursday.
Will he come into the octagon to challenge Georges St-Pierre on Saturday? Is he just there to watch a fight and enjoy some downtime after his own most recent victory? Will any of it even matter?
UFC President Dana White on Thursday added a little more fuel to the fire – and for the first time gave a clue as to when such a pound-for-pound superfight might take place.
White, on ESPN's "SportsCenter" before flying to Montreal for Saturday's UFC 154 pay-per-view, said a St-Pierre victory on Saturday will lead to a fight against Silva, and that the two likely would fight in May.
"Anderson Silva will be there this Saturday watching, and if (St-Pierre) wins it'll be a huge fight for us," White said. "It'll probably be the biggest fight in UFC history. It'll definitely be the biggest gate. We've done (55,000) up in Toronto with Georges before. We've had big gates pretty much everywhere we've gone, but this one would be either a soccer stadium down in Brazil, Dallas' Texas Stadium, or we'd do Toronto again."
St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) meets Carlos Condit (28-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in UFC 154's main event in a welterweight title unification bout. It's his first fight after a 19-month layoff, during which time Condit became the interim champion. St-Pierre is better than a 3-to-1 favorite in the fight.
Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) recently said he would be in Montreal for the fight, which led to instant speculation that he would be brought into the octagon following a possible St-Pierre win.
On a media conference call for UFC 154, White said he expected Silva to enter the cage for the challenge. St-Pierre, of course, said he didn't care – that he was focused on Condit. And Silva later said don't count on that happening – that callouts aren't his style.
But White said that could just be Silva being a good actor.
"He said he wouldn't fight Chael Sonnen again either, but he did," White said. "He always comes out and says this stuff. I don't know why he does it or why he says the things he says. I guarantee you, he will be there Saturday. If Georges St-Pierre wins, those two will fight and it'll probably be in May."
As for the possible venue, White continued to name the three major candidates – Toronto's Rogers Centre, site of UFC 129 and the largest gate and attendance in UFC history; a Brazilian soccer stadium, which the company hoped to do this past summer before plans fell through; or Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
Could the UFC sell out the more than 100,000-seat stadium? White isn't sure, but he thinks a Silva-GSP fight might not be too bad there.
"We're curious to see what we could do," he said. "We've been wanting to bring a fight there for a long time. This fight would be the fight to do it. Hopefully we'd sell it out."
For now, that same curiosity for everyone will have to wait a couple days to see just what happens between St-Pierre and Condit, and then just what happens after the fight
Props:
T.T.F
UFC's Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve agree via Twitter to UFC 156 fight
Responding to a fan's tweet, heavyweights Cheick Kongo (17-8-2 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC) and Stefan Struve (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) today agreed to a fight at UFC 156.
"It would be very exciting 4 the fans & a great challenge for both of us," Kongo wrote on his Twitter account.
The proposed matchup comes three days after the French heavyweight was criticized by UFC President Dana White.
UFC 156 takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The event airs live on pay-per-view and FX. There's no word if Kongo vs. Struve will actually be part of the lineup.
Speaking to reporters following this past Saturday's UFC 154 event, White again took aim at Kongo for turning down a fight next month with Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. The UFC executive had first revealed the news on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," which prompted a terse response from Kongo on Twitter.
"I did NOT REFUSE to FIGHT Roy Nelson," Kongo wrote. "I REFUSED to TAKE A FIGHT on SHORT NOTICE. Which is NOT THE SAME AT ALL."
White, however, said it was.
"That's the business you're in," he said after UFC 154. "When you turn down a fight, you turn down a fight, and that's two in a row (for Kongo). I don't know who he's waiting for."
The wait, as it turns out, might be over for Kongo, who also revealed on Twitter that he turned down a short-notice fight with Daniel Cormier at an ill-fated Strikeforce event planned for Nov. 3. Kongo most recently fought at UFC 149, where he outpointed Shawn Jordan in a fight universally panned by MMA observers. The win nonetheless put him back on the right foot following a TKO loss to Mark Hunt at UFC 144.
The 37-year-old Kongo has struggled with injuries in his UFC career. He revealed a shoulder injury that hampered his performance against Jordan and was unable to fight Nelson at UFC 116 due to back surgery.
Still, the 6-foot-4 Frenchman carries a 4-1-1 record in his past six outings and boasts wins over Paul Buentello, Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione.
The 6-foot-11 Struve, meanwhile, is on his biggest hot streak since his octagon debut at UFC 95. In September in UFC on FUEL TV 5's headliner, the Dutch fighter stopped prospect Stipe Miocic by second-round TKO, and prior to that, he submitted up-and-comer Lavar Johnson in 65 seconds at UFC 146. In all, he has notched four straight wins.
Struve's streak means he has more to lose in the potential matchup, which has yet to be confirmed by the UFC. Still, the 24-year-old fighter welcomed the idea of fighting Kongo.
Responding to a fan's tweet, heavyweights Cheick Kongo (17-8-2 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC) and Stefan Struve (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) today agreed to a fight at UFC 156.
"It would be very exciting 4 the fans & a great challenge for both of us," Kongo wrote on his Twitter account.
The proposed matchup comes three days after the French heavyweight was criticized by UFC President Dana White.
UFC 156 takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The event airs live on pay-per-view and FX. There's no word if Kongo vs. Struve will actually be part of the lineup.
Speaking to reporters following this past Saturday's UFC 154 event, White again took aim at Kongo for turning down a fight next month with Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. The UFC executive had first revealed the news on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," which prompted a terse response from Kongo on Twitter.
"I did NOT REFUSE to FIGHT Roy Nelson," Kongo wrote. "I REFUSED to TAKE A FIGHT on SHORT NOTICE. Which is NOT THE SAME AT ALL."
White, however, said it was.
"That's the business you're in," he said after UFC 154. "When you turn down a fight, you turn down a fight, and that's two in a row (for Kongo). I don't know who he's waiting for."
The wait, as it turns out, might be over for Kongo, who also revealed on Twitter that he turned down a short-notice fight with Daniel Cormier at an ill-fated Strikeforce event planned for Nov. 3. Kongo most recently fought at UFC 149, where he outpointed Shawn Jordan in a fight universally panned by MMA observers. The win nonetheless put him back on the right foot following a TKO loss to Mark Hunt at UFC 144.
The 37-year-old Kongo has struggled with injuries in his UFC career. He revealed a shoulder injury that hampered his performance against Jordan and was unable to fight Nelson at UFC 116 due to back surgery.
Still, the 6-foot-4 Frenchman carries a 4-1-1 record in his past six outings and boasts wins over Paul Buentello, Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione.
The 6-foot-11 Struve, meanwhile, is on his biggest hot streak since his octagon debut at UFC 95. In September in UFC on FUEL TV 5's headliner, the Dutch fighter stopped prospect Stipe Miocic by second-round TKO, and prior to that, he submitted up-and-comer Lavar Johnson in 65 seconds at UFC 146. In all, he has notched four straight wins.
Struve's streak means he has more to lose in the potential matchup, which has yet to be confirmed by the UFC. Still, the 24-year-old fighter welcomed the idea of fighting Kongo.
Ex-UFC champ Andrei Arlovski books December return to Russia vs. Mike Hayes
Six weeks after a convincing knockout victory, Andrei Arlovski (18-9-1) is set for a December return.
Arlovski will meet Mike Hayes (18-5) on Dec. 16 in Moscow in the main event of "Battle of Moscow 9" under the Fight Nights banner. The heavyweight announced the news on his Twitter account.
A native of Belarus in the former Soviet Union, Arlovski will compete in Russia for the first time since his third professional fight.
After a four-fight skid over a more than two-year stretch that included three knockouts, Arlovski now is unbeaten in his past four fights.
Arlovski earlier this month made quick work of Strikeforce vet Devin Cole (20-10-1) for a first-round TKO in the main event of World Series of Fighting 1 in Las Vegas.
In August, he fought fellow former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia for the fourth time in the main event of "ONE FC: Pride of a Nation" in the Philippines. But the bout was ruled a no contest when Arlovski landed soccer kicks to Sylvia's head before being cleared by the referee for an open attack.
After leaving the UFC following a March 2008 TKO of Jake O'Brien at UFC 82, Arlovski beat current UFC heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson by knockout.
But then he hit a skid of almost infamous proportions with knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov and a decision loss to Antonio Silva. After the skid, he took his training from primarily in Chicago to Greg Jackson in New Mexico, and the results have been a 3-0-1 run.
Hayes is a Bellator veteran who most recently dropped a unanimous decision to D.J. Linderman at Cage Warriors 47 in June, losing his heavyweight title in the process. That loss, his second to Linderman, snapped a six-fight win streak that included a unanimous decision win over Neil Grove at Bellator 52.
Hayes won the Cage Warriors heavyweight belt against Andreas Kraniotakes in March.
Six weeks after a convincing knockout victory, Andrei Arlovski (18-9-1) is set for a December return.
Arlovski will meet Mike Hayes (18-5) on Dec. 16 in Moscow in the main event of "Battle of Moscow 9" under the Fight Nights banner. The heavyweight announced the news on his Twitter account.
A native of Belarus in the former Soviet Union, Arlovski will compete in Russia for the first time since his third professional fight.
After a four-fight skid over a more than two-year stretch that included three knockouts, Arlovski now is unbeaten in his past four fights.
Arlovski earlier this month made quick work of Strikeforce vet Devin Cole (20-10-1) for a first-round TKO in the main event of World Series of Fighting 1 in Las Vegas.
In August, he fought fellow former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia for the fourth time in the main event of "ONE FC: Pride of a Nation" in the Philippines. But the bout was ruled a no contest when Arlovski landed soccer kicks to Sylvia's head before being cleared by the referee for an open attack.
After leaving the UFC following a March 2008 TKO of Jake O'Brien at UFC 82, Arlovski beat current UFC heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson by knockout.
But then he hit a skid of almost infamous proportions with knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov and a decision loss to Antonio Silva. After the skid, he took his training from primarily in Chicago to Greg Jackson in New Mexico, and the results have been a 3-0-1 run.
Hayes is a Bellator veteran who most recently dropped a unanimous decision to D.J. Linderman at Cage Warriors 47 in June, losing his heavyweight title in the process. That loss, his second to Linderman, snapped a six-fight win streak that included a unanimous decision win over Neil Grove at Bellator 52.
Hayes won the Cage Warriors heavyweight belt against Andreas Kraniotakes in March.
Chris Weidman out at UFC 155, Constantinos Philippou now fights Tim Boetsch
HERE WE GO!!!!!!! FUUUUUUU!
Less than five weeks before what could have been the biggest fight of his career, UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is out of a UFC 155 bout against Tim Boetsch (16-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
Stepping in for him will be teammate Constantinos Philippou (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who this past Saturday had a planned bout scrapped the day of the fight. MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) on Wednesday confirmed the news with sources close to the promotion. Newsday first reported the development, and UFC officials followed up with their own confirmation.
UFC 155 takes place Dec. 29 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and features a heavyweight title rematch between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
The Weidman-Boetsch fight was set for the main card on pay-per-view. The new bout between Philippou and Boetsch also is expected to take a position on the main card along with the main event, a co-feature between Forrest Griffin, a lightweight fight between Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon and a middleweight bout between Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher.
Weidman will be sidelined with what Newsday termed an "undisclosed injury." But the unbeaten middleweight has been through plenty more in recent weeks thanks to the effects of Superstorm Sandy.
Weidman is coming off a devastating "Knockout of the Night" performance against Mark Munoz in July that had many talking about him bolting to the front of the line for a potential title shot with champion Anderson Silva. A win over Boetsch would have further propelled that talk, even as Silva campaigns for a superfight against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in 2013.
Philippou was slated to fight Nick Ring this past Saturday at UFC 154 on the main card in Montreal. But on the morning of the fight, Ring fell ill and was ruled out of the bout, leaving Philippou out in the cold. Now he'll at least get an upcoming fight, and one on the main card, as well. He's won four straight since losing his UFC debut, including a unanimous decision win over Riki Fukuda at UFC 148 in July.
Boetsch has a four-fight win streak, as well, all since dropping from light heavyweight to middleweight. In February, he came from behind to stun Yushin Okami in the third round at UFC 144, and in July at UFC 149, he upset former Bellator champ Hector Lombard by split decision.
HERE WE GO!!!!!!! FUUUUUUU!
Less than five weeks before what could have been the biggest fight of his career, UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is out of a UFC 155 bout against Tim Boetsch (16-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
Stepping in for him will be teammate Constantinos Philippou (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who this past Saturday had a planned bout scrapped the day of the fight. MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) on Wednesday confirmed the news with sources close to the promotion. Newsday first reported the development, and UFC officials followed up with their own confirmation.
UFC 155 takes place Dec. 29 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and features a heavyweight title rematch between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
The Weidman-Boetsch fight was set for the main card on pay-per-view. The new bout between Philippou and Boetsch also is expected to take a position on the main card along with the main event, a co-feature between Forrest Griffin, a lightweight fight between Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon and a middleweight bout between Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher.
Weidman will be sidelined with what Newsday termed an "undisclosed injury." But the unbeaten middleweight has been through plenty more in recent weeks thanks to the effects of Superstorm Sandy.
Weidman is coming off a devastating "Knockout of the Night" performance against Mark Munoz in July that had many talking about him bolting to the front of the line for a potential title shot with champion Anderson Silva. A win over Boetsch would have further propelled that talk, even as Silva campaigns for a superfight against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in 2013.
Philippou was slated to fight Nick Ring this past Saturday at UFC 154 on the main card in Montreal. But on the morning of the fight, Ring fell ill and was ruled out of the bout, leaving Philippou out in the cold. Now he'll at least get an upcoming fight, and one on the main card, as well. He's won four straight since losing his UFC debut, including a unanimous decision win over Riki Fukuda at UFC 148 in July.
Boetsch has a four-fight win streak, as well, all since dropping from light heavyweight to middleweight. In February, he came from behind to stun Yushin Okami in the third round at UFC 144, and in July at UFC 149, he upset former Bellator champ Hector Lombard by split decision.
UFC champ Benson Henderson preparing for Nate Diaz by enduring plenty of trash talk
The super-polite way to put it would be to say Nate Diaz likes to try to get in his opponents' head.
And then there's what Benson Henderson was a little more blunt in calling it: Diaz likes to talk crap.
To get ready to defend his UFC lightweight title against Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) next month, Henderson (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has been training using a steady diet of trash talk from his teammates.
Henderson puts his title on the line for a second time when he defends against top contender Diaz in the main event of UFC on FOX 5, which takes place Dec. 8 at KeyArena in Seattle. The four-fight main card airs on FOX.
Henderson on Monday told AXS TV's "Inside MMA" that a specific part of his training for the brash Diaz is preparing for the verbal warfare his opponent is sure to bring to the table.
"The biggest thing I've had a hard time with so far, to be honest, is we've been having my teammates talk a little bit of trash inside the octagon and have me stay calm and not be worked up," Henderson said. "I actually have a hard time with that. Somebody talks trash to me, I want to talk trash back. I get emotional back to them. So, I've been working on staying calm and collected and still do my technique and not fall into his game.
"I've got to get a little more work on that, though."
For that work, he now has less than three weeks before the fight. The oddsmakers believe the fight with Diaz to be a close one, making Henderson just a 1.5-to-1 favorite over the Californian.
Close fights, at least on paper, have been something of a hallmark of Henderson's career in Zuffa with the WEC and UFC. And this one could wind up being yet another close five-round war like he has had in back-to-back fights against Frankie Edgar, first to win the title in February and then to defend it in August.
Henderson, of course, also is preparing for Diaz's physical attributes and a game that includes not just a dangerous ground game, but perhaps the lightweight division's best boxing.
"We're definitely trying to prepare for his physical tools, his long reach, his boxing style that he has," Henderson said.
But more than anything, it sounds like the physical work in the cage is something Henderson has confidence in, and the verbal sparring is not being underestimated.
"My teammates, Efrain Escudero and Joe Riggs, were told by my coaches to talk crap and to say not very nice things to me," he said. "I don't like it. But they're told to talk crap to me, and I'm supposed to not get lured into that game and do something I'm not supposed to do. I'm supposed to stay calm and collected and implement my game plan.
"I've been having a hard time with that, but hopefully, we get that taken care of, and come fight night, I won't allow any of that trash talking to get into my head and affect my game."
Since 2007, Henderson's only loss was a close decision defeat at the hands – and foot – of Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, where he surrendered his lightweight title at the promotion's final event. Since then, he's won five straight, all in the UFC, including a pair of "Fight of the Night" bonuses. Diaz has won three straight since returning to the lightweight division with a pair of "Submission of the Night" wins and a "Fight of the Night," as well. In all, Diaz has a staggering 10 UFC bonus awards in his 16 fights with the company.
The super-polite way to put it would be to say Nate Diaz likes to try to get in his opponents' head.
And then there's what Benson Henderson was a little more blunt in calling it: Diaz likes to talk crap.
To get ready to defend his UFC lightweight title against Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) next month, Henderson (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has been training using a steady diet of trash talk from his teammates.
Henderson puts his title on the line for a second time when he defends against top contender Diaz in the main event of UFC on FOX 5, which takes place Dec. 8 at KeyArena in Seattle. The four-fight main card airs on FOX.
Henderson on Monday told AXS TV's "Inside MMA" that a specific part of his training for the brash Diaz is preparing for the verbal warfare his opponent is sure to bring to the table.
"The biggest thing I've had a hard time with so far, to be honest, is we've been having my teammates talk a little bit of trash inside the octagon and have me stay calm and not be worked up," Henderson said. "I actually have a hard time with that. Somebody talks trash to me, I want to talk trash back. I get emotional back to them. So, I've been working on staying calm and collected and still do my technique and not fall into his game.
"I've got to get a little more work on that, though."
For that work, he now has less than three weeks before the fight. The oddsmakers believe the fight with Diaz to be a close one, making Henderson just a 1.5-to-1 favorite over the Californian.
Close fights, at least on paper, have been something of a hallmark of Henderson's career in Zuffa with the WEC and UFC. And this one could wind up being yet another close five-round war like he has had in back-to-back fights against Frankie Edgar, first to win the title in February and then to defend it in August.
Henderson, of course, also is preparing for Diaz's physical attributes and a game that includes not just a dangerous ground game, but perhaps the lightweight division's best boxing.
"We're definitely trying to prepare for his physical tools, his long reach, his boxing style that he has," Henderson said.
But more than anything, it sounds like the physical work in the cage is something Henderson has confidence in, and the verbal sparring is not being underestimated.
"My teammates, Efrain Escudero and Joe Riggs, were told by my coaches to talk crap and to say not very nice things to me," he said. "I don't like it. But they're told to talk crap to me, and I'm supposed to not get lured into that game and do something I'm not supposed to do. I'm supposed to stay calm and collected and implement my game plan.
"I've been having a hard time with that, but hopefully, we get that taken care of, and come fight night, I won't allow any of that trash talking to get into my head and affect my game."
Since 2007, Henderson's only loss was a close decision defeat at the hands – and foot – of Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, where he surrendered his lightweight title at the promotion's final event. Since then, he's won five straight, all in the UFC, including a pair of "Fight of the Night" bonuses. Diaz has won three straight since returning to the lightweight division with a pair of "Submission of the Night" wins and a "Fight of the Night," as well. In all, Diaz has a staggering 10 UFC bonus awards in his 16 fights with the company.
After 68-fight career over 13 years, UFC and Bellator vet Rich Clementi retires from
Sixty-eight professional mixed martial arts fights, no matter against who or where, is not too shabby.
The fact that Rich Clementi (45-22-1) has done it all across the country and around the world for the biggest promotions just has to be icing on the cake. But this week, after 13 years in the sport, Clementi decided to hang up the gloves.
Just three days after a loss in Bellator's lightweight tournament semifinals, Clementi announced his retirement on his Facebook page.
Clementi on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that retirement wasn't something he was planning on, but a pair of knee injuries forced the issue.
"(I wasn't thinking retirement) at all," Clementi said. "I would never quit this sport on a loss. It goes against everything I believe in. I actually wanted to come back after my surgery for one more fight till I found out my ACL has been damaged on my other leg, as well. I just feel the shape my body's in, I would be doing myself an injustice as an athlete and a competitor to continue."
But as he calls it a career following his Friday loss to Marcin Held in the semifinals of Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament, Clementi said he's content as he looks back.
"At this point, I have no goals to meet – no more to accomplish," he said. "I'm OK with that. I am happy and proud of what I have done."
On his Facebook page, Clementi said he'll now focus his MMA attention on continuing to help prepare other fighters.
"Well, I guess this day had to come some time," Clementi stated. "Just wish it could have been on my terms but then again we all know that wouldn't have happened because I would have always wanted just one more time under those lights. I am so grateful for the things this sport has taught me. The friends, experiences and most of all learning who I am. I am so lucky I have a platform to share these experiences and help others try to reach [their] dreams. I want to thank everyone that has helped me in this experience. Now it's time to turn the page. That's life and now the same drive will be passed off towards my guys and now I will be able to give more of me to them. I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me. I will update my condition when my MRI comes back. Surgery a must just not sure about some of the other issues. Doc said my body has been around the block a few times. I can only smile."
The way Clementi's career started, one could be forgiven for wondering if he might not pan out to much. He started 0-2, then 3-5 and 4-6. Pedestrian numbers, to say the least. But in those four wins, all came by way of his hands.
And then he went on a nine-fight run, all stoppages, over a two-year period in 2001-02 to get the call from the Big Show.
"No Love" made his UFC debut at UFC 41, but late in the third round against Yves Edwards, he was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Outside the promotion again, he went 13-3-1 – including another nine-fight streak – before getting another call from the UFC, this time to compete on Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which became known as "The Comeback Season" for its use of fighters who had been in the UFC previously, but failed to stick around.
Although he was bounced by Shonie Carter during the season in the TUF house, he got a shot on the TUF 4 Finale against Din Thomas – but he lost by second-round rear-naked choke. But he got another shot at UFC Fight Night 8 and submitted Ross Pointon at welterweight, moving up from lightweight. But at UFC Fight Night 9, Clementi dropped a unanimous decision to Roan Carneiro.
Out and back again would be the hallmark of Clementi's next several fights. A win away from the UFC got him a shot at Anthony Johnson at UFC 76, and he won by rear-naked choke to hand "Rumble" the first loss of his career. Another win away, this time back at lightweight, got him another rUFC shot – and a rear-naked choke win over Melvin Guillard.
He then strung together back-to-back decision wins over Sam Stout and Terry Etim to run his UFC win streak to four. But consecutive losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau had him again seeking wins outside the world's biggest promotion.
Clementi bounced around with major promotions as well as regional events, including Bellator, Titan FC, DREAM and Score Fighting Series before getting a shot at Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament in October.
In the opening-round, he handed Russian Alexander Sarnavskiy the first loss of his career after a 20-0 start. But this past Friday, he was submitted by leg lock specialist Marcin Held in the semifinals in what now will be the final fight of his career.
Of Clementi's 45 career wins, 27 (60 percent) came by submission, and a staggering 80 percent were finishes. Among other major promotions, he finished with a 5-5 record in the UFC, including the impressive wins over future title contenders Guillard and Johnson.
Before his fight with Held, Clementi told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com) that he was proud of the fact he never had any walk-through fights in his career.
"If you look at my record, I've never been brought up and just handed guys," he said. "I'm a guy that loves to fight and the tougher the challenge, the more excited I get about it. ... I'm a hard-nosed type cat, and nothing's going to stop me from trying to reach my goal, no matter what it is."
Sixty-eight fights in 13 years? Hard-nosed, indeed.
Sixty-eight professional mixed martial arts fights, no matter against who or where, is not too shabby.
The fact that Rich Clementi (45-22-1) has done it all across the country and around the world for the biggest promotions just has to be icing on the cake. But this week, after 13 years in the sport, Clementi decided to hang up the gloves.
Just three days after a loss in Bellator's lightweight tournament semifinals, Clementi announced his retirement on his Facebook page.
Clementi on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that retirement wasn't something he was planning on, but a pair of knee injuries forced the issue.
"(I wasn't thinking retirement) at all," Clementi said. "I would never quit this sport on a loss. It goes against everything I believe in. I actually wanted to come back after my surgery for one more fight till I found out my ACL has been damaged on my other leg, as well. I just feel the shape my body's in, I would be doing myself an injustice as an athlete and a competitor to continue."
But as he calls it a career following his Friday loss to Marcin Held in the semifinals of Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament, Clementi said he's content as he looks back.
"At this point, I have no goals to meet – no more to accomplish," he said. "I'm OK with that. I am happy and proud of what I have done."
On his Facebook page, Clementi said he'll now focus his MMA attention on continuing to help prepare other fighters.
"Well, I guess this day had to come some time," Clementi stated. "Just wish it could have been on my terms but then again we all know that wouldn't have happened because I would have always wanted just one more time under those lights. I am so grateful for the things this sport has taught me. The friends, experiences and most of all learning who I am. I am so lucky I have a platform to share these experiences and help others try to reach [their] dreams. I want to thank everyone that has helped me in this experience. Now it's time to turn the page. That's life and now the same drive will be passed off towards my guys and now I will be able to give more of me to them. I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me. I will update my condition when my MRI comes back. Surgery a must just not sure about some of the other issues. Doc said my body has been around the block a few times. I can only smile."
The way Clementi's career started, one could be forgiven for wondering if he might not pan out to much. He started 0-2, then 3-5 and 4-6. Pedestrian numbers, to say the least. But in those four wins, all came by way of his hands.
And then he went on a nine-fight run, all stoppages, over a two-year period in 2001-02 to get the call from the Big Show.
"No Love" made his UFC debut at UFC 41, but late in the third round against Yves Edwards, he was forced to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Outside the promotion again, he went 13-3-1 – including another nine-fight streak – before getting another call from the UFC, this time to compete on Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which became known as "The Comeback Season" for its use of fighters who had been in the UFC previously, but failed to stick around.
Although he was bounced by Shonie Carter during the season in the TUF house, he got a shot on the TUF 4 Finale against Din Thomas – but he lost by second-round rear-naked choke. But he got another shot at UFC Fight Night 8 and submitted Ross Pointon at welterweight, moving up from lightweight. But at UFC Fight Night 9, Clementi dropped a unanimous decision to Roan Carneiro.
Out and back again would be the hallmark of Clementi's next several fights. A win away from the UFC got him a shot at Anthony Johnson at UFC 76, and he won by rear-naked choke to hand "Rumble" the first loss of his career. Another win away, this time back at lightweight, got him another rUFC shot – and a rear-naked choke win over Melvin Guillard.
He then strung together back-to-back decision wins over Sam Stout and Terry Etim to run his UFC win streak to four. But consecutive losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau had him again seeking wins outside the world's biggest promotion.
Clementi bounced around with major promotions as well as regional events, including Bellator, Titan FC, DREAM and Score Fighting Series before getting a shot at Bellator's Season 7 lightweight tournament in October.
In the opening-round, he handed Russian Alexander Sarnavskiy the first loss of his career after a 20-0 start. But this past Friday, he was submitted by leg lock specialist Marcin Held in the semifinals in what now will be the final fight of his career.
Of Clementi's 45 career wins, 27 (60 percent) came by submission, and a staggering 80 percent were finishes. Among other major promotions, he finished with a 5-5 record in the UFC, including the impressive wins over future title contenders Guillard and Johnson.
Before his fight with Held, Clementi told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com) that he was proud of the fact he never had any walk-through fights in his career.
"If you look at my record, I've never been brought up and just handed guys," he said. "I'm a guy that loves to fight and the tougher the challenge, the more excited I get about it. ... I'm a hard-nosed type cat, and nothing's going to stop me from trying to reach my goal, no matter what it is."
Sixty-eight fights in 13 years? Hard-nosed, indeed.
UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem settles lawsuits with former Golden Glory reps
A legal fight between Alistair Overeem and his former management group is now over.
The parties have settled and dismissed competing lawsuits filed in Nevada and California, a press release today announced.
"Everyone worked extremely hard to resolve these matters," stated Golden Glory lawyer Rodrick Lindblom.
In November 2011, Overeem sued his former team in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming it bullied him into a bad deal that had him pay 35 percent of his pre-tax earnings. He also claimed the team owed him $151,000 in back pay.
Knockout Investments, the team's corporate parent, countersued in Clark County (Nev.) Civil Court one day prior to the heavyweight's headlining fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. It alleged Overeem breached a five-year deal struck with the fighter and didn't pay a 30 percent commission owed in the wake of a June 2011 Strikeforce win over Fabricio Werdum. The lawsuit named then-Overeem rep Colin Lam as a co-defendant.
The same month, KOI attempted to place a court-ordered lien on Overeem's UFC 141 purse and other monies, but was unsuccessful. A second attempt in February won the group a court order to withhold $427,714.27, double the amount of the previous order.
The judgement applied to 30 percent of Overeem's purse, win bonus, pay-per-view proceeds, and payment for ancillary and intellectual property rights.
Overeem, a former Strikeforce champ, broke from Golden Glory in September 2011, citing a "breach of trust." The move came several weeks after he signed a lucrative deal with the UFC that brought him a $1 million signing bonus in addition to a cut of pay-per-view profits.
Overeem, who bested Lesnar to earn a top contender's spot, is scheduled to fight Antonio Silva at UFC 156, which takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and airs live on pay-per-view.
The bout is Overeem's first since he failed a pre-fight drug test for UFC 146 and lost a title shot against Junior Dos Santos.
"Everyone worked extremely hard to resolve these matters so that Golden Glory and (Golden Glory head) Bas Boon can walk away and move forward with the Glory World Series Promotion in Europe, Japan and the USA, and Alistair Overeem can concentrate on his fighting career with his new manager Glenn Robinson at Authentic Sports Management and his new team, the Blackzilians," the release stated.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
A legal fight between Alistair Overeem and his former management group is now over.
The parties have settled and dismissed competing lawsuits filed in Nevada and California, a press release today announced.
"Everyone worked extremely hard to resolve these matters," stated Golden Glory lawyer Rodrick Lindblom.
In November 2011, Overeem sued his former team in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming it bullied him into a bad deal that had him pay 35 percent of his pre-tax earnings. He also claimed the team owed him $151,000 in back pay.
Knockout Investments, the team's corporate parent, countersued in Clark County (Nev.) Civil Court one day prior to the heavyweight's headlining fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. It alleged Overeem breached a five-year deal struck with the fighter and didn't pay a 30 percent commission owed in the wake of a June 2011 Strikeforce win over Fabricio Werdum. The lawsuit named then-Overeem rep Colin Lam as a co-defendant.
The same month, KOI attempted to place a court-ordered lien on Overeem's UFC 141 purse and other monies, but was unsuccessful. A second attempt in February won the group a court order to withhold $427,714.27, double the amount of the previous order.
The judgement applied to 30 percent of Overeem's purse, win bonus, pay-per-view proceeds, and payment for ancillary and intellectual property rights.
Overeem, a former Strikeforce champ, broke from Golden Glory in September 2011, citing a "breach of trust." The move came several weeks after he signed a lucrative deal with the UFC that brought him a $1 million signing bonus in addition to a cut of pay-per-view profits.
Overeem, who bested Lesnar to earn a top contender's spot, is scheduled to fight Antonio Silva at UFC 156, which takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and airs live on pay-per-view.
The bout is Overeem's first since he failed a pre-fight drug test for UFC 146 and lost a title shot against Junior Dos Santos.
"Everyone worked extremely hard to resolve these matters so that Golden Glory and (Golden Glory head) Bas Boon can walk away and move forward with the Glory World Series Promotion in Europe, Japan and the USA, and Alistair Overeem can concentrate on his fighting career with his new manager Glenn Robinson at Authentic Sports Management and his new team, the Blackzilians," the release stated.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Chris Weidman out of UFC 155 bout vs. Tim Boetsch with shoulder injury, Costa Phillipou to fill in
Chris Weidman out of UFC 155
Chris Weidman out of UFC 155
Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida headed to UFC 157 in Anaheim
The Dan Henderson-Lyoto Machida fight that UFC President Dana White has been promising for a while looks to be closer to official.
Though Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) earlier this month said he would meet fellow contender Machida (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) on the UFC's Super Bowl weekend card, UFC 156, it appears the two will wait until later in the month to throw down.
The two light heavyweights will meet Feb. 23 in Anaheim on a card expected to be UFC 157, sources with knowledge of the booking on Wednesday confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com).
As first reported by MMAjunkie.com, UFC 157 will take place at Honda Center in Anaheim.
After some Twitter buzz that that the fight would take place on Feb. 23, Tatame reported the matchup's new date, and other news outlets, including MMAFighting.com, said the bout is not expected to serve as the card's main event.
As for just who might wind up headlining the card, rumors have already been swirling that the UFC's first female fighter, Ronda Rousey, could wind up on the top of the bill. Rousey hails from Southern California. White has said already that Rousey, Strikeforce's women's bantamweight champ, is now under the UFC banner.
Henderson will fight for the first time in 15 months. He was scheduled to face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 151, but an injury forced him out and the rest, as they say, was history for that card.
In his most recent outing, he outpointed Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in what many considered 2011's "Fight of the Year" at UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif.
Henderson recently appeared on Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" and said he was fighting Machida at UFC 156, which takes place Feb. 2 in Las Vegas. But that proved to be premature, and UFC officials never made a formal announcement about that date and have yet to make one about the new date.
Machida, meanwhile, is hoping to earn another shot at the title. After a 1-3 stretch that included a title loss to Rua, a split-decision setback to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and a title loss to Jones, Machida recently picked up a second-round knockout of Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4 in August in Los Angeles
The Dan Henderson-Lyoto Machida fight that UFC President Dana White has been promising for a while looks to be closer to official.
Though Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) earlier this month said he would meet fellow contender Machida (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) on the UFC's Super Bowl weekend card, UFC 156, it appears the two will wait until later in the month to throw down.
The two light heavyweights will meet Feb. 23 in Anaheim on a card expected to be UFC 157, sources with knowledge of the booking on Wednesday confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com).
As first reported by MMAjunkie.com, UFC 157 will take place at Honda Center in Anaheim.
After some Twitter buzz that that the fight would take place on Feb. 23, Tatame reported the matchup's new date, and other news outlets, including MMAFighting.com, said the bout is not expected to serve as the card's main event.
As for just who might wind up headlining the card, rumors have already been swirling that the UFC's first female fighter, Ronda Rousey, could wind up on the top of the bill. Rousey hails from Southern California. White has said already that Rousey, Strikeforce's women's bantamweight champ, is now under the UFC banner.
Henderson will fight for the first time in 15 months. He was scheduled to face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 151, but an injury forced him out and the rest, as they say, was history for that card.
In his most recent outing, he outpointed Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in what many considered 2011's "Fight of the Year" at UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif.
Henderson recently appeared on Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" and said he was fighting Machida at UFC 156, which takes place Feb. 2 in Las Vegas. But that proved to be premature, and UFC officials never made a formal announcement about that date and have yet to make one about the new date.
Machida, meanwhile, is hoping to earn another shot at the title. After a 1-3 stretch that included a title loss to Rua, a split-decision setback to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and a title loss to Jones, Machida recently picked up a second-round knockout of Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4 in August in Los Angeles
UFC boss White: Belt wouldn't be on line if Anderson Silva met Georges St-Pierre at 1
Following his win over Carlos Condit this past Saturday, UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre questioned whether he needed to gain weight at all to fight middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.
Silva, he said, fought in PRIDE at 168 pounds and possibly carried the kind of frame suited to weight gains and drops – unlike him.
Silva again expressed his desire to fight St-Pierre following UFC 154. And while UFC President Dana White still hopes to make the match in 2013, one incentive would likely be off the table if Silva dropped to welterweight: GSP's belt.
"Probably not, because I don't know how many times Anderson would actually defend it," White said at the post-event press conference for this past Saturday's pay-per-view event.
St-Pierre, who outpointed Carlos Condit in UFC 154's headliner, said he needed to confer with his team before committing to a superfight with Silva, which he said could take place at a catchweight.
However, St-Pierre's longtime coach, Firas Zahabi, echoed an assertion made by the fighter as far back as two years ago when buzz around the superfight was at its peak. He told MMAFighting.com that a catchweight bout might prompt a permanent move up in weight. A welterweight fight would be fair.
Meanwhile, Silva, who's defended his middleweight belt a staggering 10 times, suggested the potential fight should take place at 177 pounds. The long-limbed champ has two fights remaining on his current contract following a first-round decimation of light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153.
The 37-year-old Silva's dwindling time inside the cage, coupled with St-Pierre's weight concerns, have lessened the importance of putting a belt on the line.
"It's more of a pound-for-pound, legacy-type fight," said White, who plans to give St-Pierre plenty of time to recover from his recent bout before approaching the possible matchup
Following his win over Carlos Condit this past Saturday, UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre questioned whether he needed to gain weight at all to fight middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.
Silva, he said, fought in PRIDE at 168 pounds and possibly carried the kind of frame suited to weight gains and drops – unlike him.
Silva again expressed his desire to fight St-Pierre following UFC 154. And while UFC President Dana White still hopes to make the match in 2013, one incentive would likely be off the table if Silva dropped to welterweight: GSP's belt.
"Probably not, because I don't know how many times Anderson would actually defend it," White said at the post-event press conference for this past Saturday's pay-per-view event.
St-Pierre, who outpointed Carlos Condit in UFC 154's headliner, said he needed to confer with his team before committing to a superfight with Silva, which he said could take place at a catchweight.
However, St-Pierre's longtime coach, Firas Zahabi, echoed an assertion made by the fighter as far back as two years ago when buzz around the superfight was at its peak. He told MMAFighting.com that a catchweight bout might prompt a permanent move up in weight. A welterweight fight would be fair.
Meanwhile, Silva, who's defended his middleweight belt a staggering 10 times, suggested the potential fight should take place at 177 pounds. The long-limbed champ has two fights remaining on his current contract following a first-round decimation of light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153.
The 37-year-old Silva's dwindling time inside the cage, coupled with St-Pierre's weight concerns, have lessened the importance of putting a belt on the line.
"It's more of a pound-for-pound, legacy-type fight," said White, who plans to give St-Pierre plenty of time to recover from his recent bout before approaching the possible matchup
'UFC on FX 7: Belfort vs. Bisping' official for Sao Paulo's Ginasio do Ibirapuera
The UFC's first event of 2013 has had a lineup for several weeks, and now it has a location.
UFC officials today released an official event poster for the card that revealed Sao Paulo's Ginasio Estadual Geraldo Jose de Almeida, also known as Ginasio do Ibirapuera, plays host to the Jan. 19 event, dubbed "UFC on FX 7: Belfort vs. Bisping."
The night's main card airs in the U.S. on FX and features a five-round headliner between Vitor Belfort (21-10 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Michael Bisping (23-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC).
Additional main-card contests include C.B. Dollaway (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Daniel Sarafian (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Ben Rothwell (32-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) plus a lightweight bout between Thiago Tavares (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
Ginasio do Ibirapuera opened in 1957 and holds seating for approximately 11,000 people. The event marks the company's first visit to Sao Paulo since the city's Ginasio da Portuguesa hosted "UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil" (also known as UFC 17.5) in October 1998.
As has been customary for the UFC's cards in Brazil, a Brazilian fighter is featured in each of the 12 fights on the UFC on FX 7 card.
UFC on FX 7 will be the UFC's fifth event in Brazil in about 17 months, a sure sign of the promotion's commitment to continue to bring live events to what most consider the birthplace of MMA. It will, however, be the first non-pay-per-view card for the UFC in Brazil after numbered events for UFC 134, 142, 147 and 153, which took place just this past month in Rio de Janeiro.
The latest card for the UFC's return to Brazil includes:
MAIN CARD
•Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
•C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian
•Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell
•Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Thiago Tavares
PRELIMINARY CARD
•Godofredo Castro vs. Milton Vieira
•Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes
•Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes
•Edson Barboza vs. Justin Salas
•Michael Kuiper vs. Thiago Perpetuo
•Yuri Alcantara vs. George Roop
•Roger Hollett vs. Wagner Prado
•Francisco Trinaldo vs. C.J. Keith
The UFC's first event of 2013 has had a lineup for several weeks, and now it has a location.
UFC officials today released an official event poster for the card that revealed Sao Paulo's Ginasio Estadual Geraldo Jose de Almeida, also known as Ginasio do Ibirapuera, plays host to the Jan. 19 event, dubbed "UFC on FX 7: Belfort vs. Bisping."
The night's main card airs in the U.S. on FX and features a five-round headliner between Vitor Belfort (21-10 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Michael Bisping (23-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC).
Additional main-card contests include C.B. Dollaway (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Daniel Sarafian (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Ben Rothwell (32-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) plus a lightweight bout between Thiago Tavares (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
Ginasio do Ibirapuera opened in 1957 and holds seating for approximately 11,000 people. The event marks the company's first visit to Sao Paulo since the city's Ginasio da Portuguesa hosted "UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil" (also known as UFC 17.5) in October 1998.
As has been customary for the UFC's cards in Brazil, a Brazilian fighter is featured in each of the 12 fights on the UFC on FX 7 card.
UFC on FX 7 will be the UFC's fifth event in Brazil in about 17 months, a sure sign of the promotion's commitment to continue to bring live events to what most consider the birthplace of MMA. It will, however, be the first non-pay-per-view card for the UFC in Brazil after numbered events for UFC 134, 142, 147 and 153, which took place just this past month in Rio de Janeiro.
The latest card for the UFC's return to Brazil includes:
MAIN CARD
•Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
•C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian
•Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell
•Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Thiago Tavares
PRELIMINARY CARD
•Godofredo Castro vs. Milton Vieira
•Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes
•Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes
•Edson Barboza vs. Justin Salas
•Michael Kuiper vs. Thiago Perpetuo
•Yuri Alcantara vs. George Roop
•Roger Hollett vs. Wagner Prado
•Francisco Trinaldo vs. C.J. Keith