MMA News Thread

[RM211]

Ufc on fx 7 weigh-in results: Bisping, belfort on weight

SAO PAULO – MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) was on scene and reporting live from today's UFC on FX 7 fighter weigh-ins at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, where 21 of 22 competitors successfully made weight on their first attempt.

The festivities took place at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo.

Among those weighing in were middleweights Michael Bisping (186) and Vitor Belfort (185), who headline Saturday's FX-televised main card. After an intense staredown at Thursday's press conference, today's was just as heated. Belfort, who angered Bisping on Thursday by resting a fist to his opponent's chin, kept his distance. But Bisping waved him off as the two fighters kept jawing.

Both, though, left the stage without incident.

Only preliminary-card fighter C.J. Keith missed weight on his first attempt. He weighed 157 pounds and has an additional hour to make weight.

The full weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (FX)

Vitor Belfort (185) vs. Michael Bisping (186)
C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Daniel Sarafian (186)
Gabriel Gonzaga (255) vs. Ben Rothwell (258)
Khabib Nurmagomedov (155) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)

Godofredo Castro (145) vs. Milton Vieira (146)
Andrew Craig (185) vs. Ronny Markes (186)
Nik Lentz (145) vs. Diego Nunes (145)
Edson Barboza (154) vs. Lucas Martins (154)
Yuri Alcantara (135) vs. Pedro Nobre (136)
Ildemar Alcantara (201) vs. Wagner Prado (206)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

C.J. Keith (157)* vs. Francisco Trinaldo (154.5)
* - Has two hours to make weight

 

[007SYBORG]

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi slated for April in Sweden

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi slated for April in Sweden - MMA Fighting

It appears as though Alexander Gustafsson will be the first to welcome Gegard Mousasi to the UFC.

Gustafsson and Mousasi have verbally agreed to meet on April 6 in Sweden. The event is expected to be dubbed UFC on FUEL TV 9. MMAFighting.com confirmed the story with one source earlier in the week, and Swedish MMA Web site Kimura.se is reporting Gustafsson announced the fight at a gym opening in Sweden on Saturday.

This will mark the UFC's second trip to Sweden. UFC on FUEL TV 2, also headlined by Gustafsson, was held in Stockholm, Sweden last April, and the sold-out event was a rousing success. The same report states UFC on FUEL TV 9 will also be held at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena.

Gustafsson (15-1) most recently defeated Shogun Rua at UFC on FOX 5. The 26-year-old Swede has won his last six fights in a row.

The 27-year-old Mousasi (33-3-2) enters the UFC unbeaten in his last six fights. He defeated Mike Kyle via submission at the final Strikeforce event last week.

The UFC has yet to officially announce the card.

 

[The Duke of Earl]

that's gonna be a good fight

 

[B-Buzz]

hell yeah

 

[RM211]

Sonnen responds to Belfort: I 'will gladly arrange' a meeting with Jesus

Soon after he blasted his way to a win over Michael Bisping in Saturday's UFC on FX 7 headliner, Vitor Belfort wasn't interested in calling out other middleweights. Instead, he took aim at a notable light heavyweight.

Perturbed that recent middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen got an immediate light-heavyweight title shot and a coaching spot on "The Ultimate Fighter 17," Belfort used his post-fight interview to attack him and then campaign for a rematch with Jones.

"Take that clown away!" Belfort said. "Go home! You did a reality show? Go home! Let me fight that real champion. Champion vs. Champion. Not that clown!"

Afterward, Sonnen, who served as a commentator on the night's FUEL TV broadcast, addressed him.

"First, let me be really clear and talk to you Vitor," said Sonnen, who's scheduled to meet Jones at UFC 159 in April. "You've been telling the world that you want to meet Jesus, and I will gladly arrange that travel. But first I'm going to get rid of Jon Jones, but you are next."

Sonnen said he "accepts" Belfort's challenge. However, it's unlikely – or should be, anyway – that Sonnen vs. Belfort would happen anytime soon even if Sonnen upsets Jones. A line of contenders – including the Dan Henderson/Lyoto Machida winner, Alexander Gustafsson/Gegard Mousasi winner, Rashad Evans/Antonio Rogerio Nogueira winner, and others – are building a queue and awaiting their turns for a shot at the belt.

Can the UFC further delay those worthy contenders?

 

[RM211]

After beating Bisping at UFC on FX 7, Vitor Belfort makes case for Jones rematch

SAO PAULO – Not long after notching one of the biggest wins of his MMA career, Vitor Belfort was ready for another title shot.

Now, what he wants and what reality is might be two different things. But the former champ certainly wasn't lacking confidence after his second-round TKO win over Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC on FX 7 on Saturday night.

Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) landed a head kick against Bisping (23-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) that put him on the canvas. Then he pounced and pounded until the fight was stopped.

UFC on FX 7 took place at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The main card aired on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.

After the fight, Belfort called out Chael Sonnen, the next challenger for light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, saying Sonnen doesn't deserve a shot at Jones – a shot he will get in April. Instead, Belfort wants another crack at Jones, who beat him in September.

"I just told you what I want: I want to fight Jon Jones," Belfort said at the post-fight news conference. "That's something that I want to do. There are many other strong guys in this division and many other divisions, and I don't get to decide this alone. The decision to fight Jon Jones isn't mine or my camp's. ... I've already told you what challenge I want, and it's up to the UFC now.

"Right now, I'm at a very, very good stage, and I'm feeling so well to be able to fight Jon Jones."

Belfort fought Jones at 205 pounds, of course. But now he's back at middleweight. And his win over Bisping knocked the Brit from a likely title shot against Anderson Silva had he won.

But Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC's managing director of international development, said at the news conference that he exchanged text messages with UFC President Dana White after the fight – and Belfort isn't likely to jump immediately back into the title picture in either division just yet.

"The thinking is, now that Vitor is at middleweight again, and the way he lost to Anderson, he needs to win another couple fights to get back in contention," Zelaznik said of his conversation with White. "But you know how things shake out in the UFC, so he's done himself justice tonight."

Belfort got a shot at Silva at UFC 126, but lost from a front-kick knockout.

But that won't stop Belfort from lobbying for the biggest opportunity he can get. He especially doesn't appear to be a fan of the way Sonnen went from losing a middleweight shot at Silva to a shot at Jones without having to win any other fights at light heavyweight.

Instead, Sonnen coaches opposite Jones on Season 17 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which begins airing Tuesday, and fights him in the spring.

"I'm not the one cutting in front," Belfort said on the off-chance he did get another shot at Jones. "Chael Sonnen is the one who cut the line, in reality. But it doesn't even need to be for the title. It's just a challenge I have. I want to win a fight I nearly won. That's just my wish. We don't see it as cutting the line.

"I just wanted to say something that was in my heart. Not all of our dreams come true, but you always have to have dreams. If a man doesn't dream something, there's no reason to live."

Against Jones, Belfort locked in an armbar in the first round that wound up doing damage to Jones. But Jones survived and went on to a fourth-round submission win.

Belfort pulled no punches when it came to his feelings on Sonnen and his ability to, as critics have said, talk his way into another title fight, this time with Jones.

"We can't be WWF wrestlers," Belfort said. "We can't just speak out to get a title shot. There are different histories here. I want to fight against champions. I want to be able to develop challenges. I don't like people who just talk (to get ahead).

"I think it's very important for us to not fear challenges. I think we need to see this rematch (with Jones), and this is a rematch I would love to do."

 

[RM211]

Sadly, Vitor Belfort's wild request isn't all that crazy

Moments after expertly fitting his shin upside Michael Bisping's skull in Sao Paulo, Vitor Belfort launched into a passionate monologue that left me feeling like one of us is definitely confused about the way things work in the UFC.

Which one of us it is, however, is something I'm less sure about the more thought I give it.

First, just so we can all appreciate the absurdity of the situation, let's recap what actually happened in Saturday's UFC on FX 7 main event. In one corner we had Belfort, who was coming off a loss against UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a fight he never really had any business in, seeing as how he hadn't won a UFC fight in that division since 2004. Still, it was hard times at 205 pounds just then. Belfort stepped up, nearly finished with a surprise armbar, then got systematically dismantled by Jones, who spent the next three rounds picking him apart in much the same way that a cat dissects a bird it's in no particular hurry to eat.

But hey, big deal. He rolled the dice, came up short, then headed back to middleweight where he belonged, right? That brings us to this fight with Bisping, who was promised a shot at UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva if he won this fight. Belfort? No, he received no such promise – or, really, any promise beyond a paycheck. Once he'd safely head-kicked his way to victory, all it told us was who the next middleweight title challenger wouldn't be.

You could forgive Belfort for feeling a little directionless just then. You couldn't even be too shocked if he decided to call out the champ, if only to give himself a little guided momentum in uncertain times. It's only his choice of champ that remains really baffling.

"Let me fight Jon Jones," Belfort said in his post-fight interview, right after begging the UFC to get rid of "that clown" Chael Sonnen, who is currently scheduled to fight Jones at UFC 159 in April. "I need that rematch. Take that clown away. Go home. Let me fight a real champion, champion against champion."

If you weren't interested in the results of Belfort's post-fight drug test before, you ought to be now. I know fighters can get carried away in the emotions of a victory. Without a doubt, TKO-ing Bisping in Brazil had to be a big one for Belfort. But anyone who talks that crazy ought to have a chemical excuse, and I'm not sure adrenaline alone (or even synthetic testosterone) is enough to justify that logical leap.

Was this a serious request by Belfort? Does he really think that the UFC is going to run an entire season of reality TV pumping up the Jones-Sonnen fight, only to change it up at the last minute and replace Sonnen with the last man Jones defeated? When he says "champion against champion," does he mean UFC champion against Cage Rage champion? Or does Belfort somehow regard himself as a current UFC champion – despite the fact that he is, you know, not one? And, if the answer to that last question is yes, how different is he from "that clown" Sonnen, who got a few chuckles when he walked around with a fake UFC belt, claiming that it was the real thing?

You could argue that at least Sonnen was in on his own joke. Belfort, on the other hand, seems like he might not even realize that he's criticizing Sonnen for doing almost exactly what he would like to do.

The crazy part is, what Belfort is asking for is not nearly as impossible as it ought to be. Just look around. The next scheduled light-heavyweight title fight includes a challenger who lost his previous fight, and in a completely different division. Meanwhile, down at welterweight, the champion is slated to defend his title against an opponent who's coming off both a loss and a lengthy drug suspension. It's a similar story at featherweight, only without the drug suspension, and with at least the benefit of a challenger who was very recently a champion.

With a landscape like that, can you blame Belfort for having a skewed sense of what's possible? He already had one title shot he didn't earn. Why shouldn't he go ahead and ask for another?

After all, according to the UFC's Marshall Zelaznik, the powers that be aren't inclined to grant him a title shot in the division he's actually competing in. Not with "the way he lost to Anderson [Silva]," and not unless he wins "another couple fights to get back in contention."

"But," Zelaznik added, "you know how things shake out in the UFC, so he's done himself justice tonight."

Yes, we do know. We know all too well. So does Belfort. He might sound a little bit crazy now, but in his defense, he is playing a crazy game. Experience in the UFC taught him the rules – or, if you prefer, the lack of them. We can't be too surprised now that Belfort's trying to make them work in his favor. Nor should he be surprised to see that a "clown" has beaten him to it.

 

[RM211]

UFC 157 lineup set with Koscheck-Lawler on PPV, Schaub-Johnson on FX

The lineup is set for next month's "UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche" event with the placement of fights on pay-per-view, FX and Facebook.

The 12-fight event takes place Feb. 23 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and newly minted women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets Liz Carmouche (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the headliner. It marks the first female bout, first women's title fight, and first all-female main event in UFC history.

The final spot on the PPV main card features veteran welterweights Josh Koscheck (17-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. Robbie Lawler (19-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC).

Prior to the night's main card, FX carries four prelims during a two-hour broadcast. The featured bout pits Brendan Schaub (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. fellow heavyweight Lavar Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

The full UFC 157 fight now card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

•Champ Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche - for women's bantamweight title
•Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida
•Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar
•Manny Gamburyan vs. Chad Mendes
•Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)

•Lavar Johnson vs. Brendan Schaub
•Mike Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen
•Court McGee vs. Josh Neer
•Caros Fodor vs. Sam Stout

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:30 p.m. ET)

•Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice
•Brock Jardine vs. Kenny Robertson
•Neil Magny vs. Jon Manley

 

[RM211]

After UFC 156, Rashad Evans would consider drop to face Silva: 'I believe I can beat

First things first for Rashad Evans. He has a matchup at UFC 156 against a veteran in Antonio Rogerio Nogueira that he respects immensely. Though Evans is a strong favorite to win, there is always a danger in looking past an immediate threat for a prospective one, and he refuses to do it. But he cannot escape the questions and speculation emanating from the fans and media that maybe, just maybe, there will be an opening for him in the UFC's middleweight division as a challenger for Anderson Silva.

So he addressed the elephant in the room.

Yes, he will consider a drop to 185 pounds for the right opportunity, and yes, an offer to face Silva will qualify as that kind of opportunity.

That doesn't mean he's announcing himself as a candidate for the role, or that he will begin to lobby for the spot. It just means that he finds all the speculation, shall we say, intriguing.

"It'd be a tremendous honor to have held the belt in two different divisions," he said on Monday. "But also the chance to compete against Anderson Silva, he's one of my favorites fighters to watch. I get excited every single time I have a chance to watch him fight. When my career is all said and done, I want to be able to say I competed against some of the best guys ever in history. For me to get the chance to compete against Anderson Silva would just be an amazing experience and something I'll take with me forever."

But here's where his words might have ever-so-slightly crossed the line from speculative answer to conclusions drawn from previous thought. Maybe.

"To be able to say I went against the best guy and beat the best guy," he said, "I believe I can beat Anderson Silva, and I believe with the skills and stuff I have is something he'd have a hard time dealing with. But competing against him first and foremost would be an honor in itself."

Well, that was hardly a no, even though it was also far from a yes.

Who knows if the fight will ever happen. After all, Evans is a former light-heavyweight champion who has never ventured lower than his current home in the 205-pound division, and he said that as time has gone on, his body has settled at a weight that would make the cut to 185 a rough one.

Evans said that he often walks around between camps between 227-230 pounds, and has gotten as high as 235.

That means that he'd need major changes in his diet to make the downward shift.

From some of the answers he gave, it seems as though he's given it some thought in the past. He mentioned that at one point, he decided not to move to 185 because he didn't want to put in all the extra work to make the lower weight only to find himself in the same position as a top contender. If that is the case, better to just live his normal life and stay where he is.

"If an opportunity came along that made more sense, then it would be worth the sacrifice," he said. "But right now, if I'm going to drop down and be in the same place I'm at in 205, why cut the extra 20-something pounds?
It's a fair stance, meaning there might only be one fight that would convince him to move, but even that, like everything else in this scenario, is hypothetical. For it to happen, we have to assume that (a) Evans wins at UFC 156, (b) the UFC is interested in Evans-Silva, (c ) Silva wants the fight and (d) Evans decides that yes, he will attempt the cut. That's a lot of variables that have to break in the right direction.

Then again, with no true clear-cut No. 1 contender that will suit Silva's desire for a big-money match, things at the top get tricky. It's with that factor in mind where Evans, a top-five pay-per-view draw, becomes a potential solution to a vexing problem. At least until after the night of Feb. 2, it remains a matter of weight and wait.

 

[RM211]

After Bisping loss, Chris Weidman reiterates desire to fight Anderson Silva: 'I am a

What a bizarre series of months it's been for the top of the UFC's middleweight division. Highly hyped Hector Lombard came in and lost his debut. Contenders Tim Boetsch, Alan Belcher and Michael Bisping all suffered losses. Surging Chris Weidman injured his shoulder and required surgery. And Vitor Belfort, after a spectacular win, instead of calling out the divisional champ, instead looked right past him to a weight class he doesn't compete in. Meanwhile, Anderson Silva doesn't seem to be interested in anybody.

Yes, the division is in disarray, but Weidman, still rehabilitating his repaired right shoulder, says he's the man to bring some stability, as well as a challenge for Silva.

In recent months, the quiet New Yorker has lobbied for a chance to fight for the belt, and on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, he reiterated his desire to do that, saying his projected date of a June return coincides perfectly with Silva's stated desire of fighting in the summer.

Now he's just got to convince the UFC brass and Silva it's the right call. But, he says, he's not willing to take the route of badgering the champ until he gives in. Instead, he says he wants to follow in the footsteps of other UFC champions who have earned it with their resumes.

"I’m not going to start saying Anderson Silva is a chicken and scared of me," he said. "I do think I am a bad matchup for him. I think I really have him beat in a lot of areas. I don't think he's faced anybody like me. I also can understand from his view point why he doesn't want to fight me, for a couple reasons."

Weidman says Silva likely believes it's a high-risk fight for him. As many have pointed out, it's wrestling that has given Silva the most problems over the years, and Weidman has a pedigree in the combat sport as a two-time Division I collegiate All-American. While some collegiate stars have had trouble adapting their wrestling skills to the MMA arena, the undefeated Weidman (9-0) has been a quick study; according to FightMetric, he has landed 72 percent of his takedown attempts and has never been taken down.

Weidman is planning to travel to Chicago this week to be in attendance for the UFC on FOX event, and hopes to talk to the UFC brass about his return.

While he's not opposed to fighting another contender, like Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold or Belfort if that's what the UFC decides upon, Weidman hasn't yet given up on the possibility that he'll be called upon for Silva, especially after Bisping lost last Saturday night.

"Right now I think I’m the most deserving to get it if they want to make the [Silva] fight right away," he said. "I just don't know if Anderson Silva will be interested."

Weidman said he wasn't rooting against Bisping last weekend and that never roots against anyone, afraid of any bad karma that might come his way as a result. In fact, he expected Bisping to win the fight and go on to a title match against Silva.

If Weidman does get the Silva fight in the summer, it will come after about a year on the sidelines. He says he'd take it anyway, because he doesn't exactly view his time out of the cage as being sidelined. Despite being injured, he's regularly in the gym, and has spent a lot of time improving his kicks and working on his left hook, tools that will only increase his firepower upon his return.

And whoever it is, whether it's Silva or another contender like himself eager to get to a title shot, Weidman is just ready to keep on climbing.

"Whoever UFC decides, I’m good," he said. "I just cant wait to get back in the octagon and just keep proving myself. There are still a million doubters out there and I love proving them wrong. All the people who think I’m going to get killed by Anderson Silva, eventually I want to prove those guys wrong."

 

[007SYBORG]

*Reminder* T.U.F. 17 Team Jones vs Team Sonnen starts 2night on FX.

 

[The Duke of Earl]

The Joe Rogan Experience


joe rogan podcast
#316 podcast has enson inoue , chuck liddell

#315 has jimmy smith retired fighter and announcer for bellator

 

[RM211]

Eddie Alvarez's motion denied, will not fight at UFC 159

Eddie Alvarez won't be fighting at UFC 159.

A federal judge today denied a motion to release the fighter from his Bellator contract to sign with UFC parent Zuffa, according to the New York-based MMA legal blog The Fight Lawyer.

New Jersey District Court judge Jose L. Linares ruled Alvarez didn't prove he would be irreparably harmed by not signing the deal.

Alvarez, who this past week countered a breach of contract suit filed by Bellator, hoped to demonstrate the promotion did not match an offer from Zuffa and that he was being irreparably harmed by not being allowed to sign the deal.

The fighter asked Linares to issue an injunction against Bellator and declare him free to sign with Zuffa.

Alvarez's lawyers argued there is key difference between Bellator's promise to put Alvarez on Spike as opposed to Zuffa's to put him on FOX, and the two aren't equal.

But Linares stated that using a common-sense interpretation of the word, Bellator did match by replicating the industry-leader's contract and substituting its name for Zuffa's.

"If, as Alvarez claims, Bellator's substituting its name for that of Zuffa amounts to a failure to match, Bellator would never be able to match the terms of any contract, and thus its right of first refusal would amount to no right at all," Linares wrote. "It is speculative to suggest, as Alvarez does, that an inability to compete in the April 27 event will result in irreparable harm in the form of a lost opportunity to obtain notoriety, endorsements, and a wider exposure to viewers," Linares wrote.

"Alvarez's argument requires this court to make speculative assumptions about what might or might not happen as a result of his participation in the April 27 event. Based on the record before it, the court cannot make such assumptions."

While the judge admitted that Alvarez might prevail in court when arguing a key difference between FOX and Spike, he stated the court could not make that decision based on the evidence presented. Because the fighter didn't immediately demonstrate his suit would succeed, his injunction was denied.

Alvarez's contract with Bellator expired this past October, after which he was bound to negotiate exclusively with the promotion for 90 days. However, the promotion waived the period so he could receive an offer from Zuffa. But when Bellator issued a matching offer, he declined to sign the deal.

This past month, Bellator sued Alvarez for breach of contract and five unnamed parties of tortious interference. After filing a countersuit in state court, Alvarez answered Bellator's claim this past week.

Included in the counterclaim was a letter from Zuffa confirming an offer for Alvarez to fight at UFC 159, which takes place April 27 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The Philadelphia-based fighter was last seen inside the cage at Bellator 76, when he knocked out Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in the final fight of his contract.

On Thursday, UFC President Dana White was asked for his feelings on the ongoing litigation.

"I hope it works out for him," White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "This isn't a kid who's their world champion. This kid doesn't have their title. His contract's up. We'll see what happens. Either him or his lawyer basically said, 'The UFC and Bellator both want to take me to dinner. The UFC's taking me to Morton's, and Bellator's taking me to McDonald's.' No two dinners are created equal. No two pay-per-views are created equal. These two fight companies aren't created equal.

"But on the flip side, don't forget this, either: Everybody talks about Bellator like they're some poor little promotion. Viacom owns f---ing Bellator. Viacom runs that s---. Bellator sits on $5 billion in cash. Pay the kid the exact monetary offer we gave him, and you deserve the right to have him. We're not talking about some poor little promotion, 'Oh, poor little Bellator and the big, bad UFC.' Viacom – we're not sitting on $5 billion in cash (at the UFC). Pay the kid. Pay him."

 

[RM211]

UFC champ Jon Jones: Heavyweight move could come as early as this year

CHICAGO – It's a question Jon Jones has heard many times before. But Friday, he put perhaps his biggest public timeframe on it.

And that is, when is his all-but-inevitable move to heavyweight?

His answer? It might be sooner than everyone thinks – perhaps even within the calendar year.

Long shot? Maybe. And there still are challenges ahead at 205 pounds for him. But Jones still was quick to answer with a possible time table.

"I think heavyweight is going to come along around 2014 – maybe even late this year," the UFC light heavyweight champion on Friday told a question-and-answer crowd. "Who knows. It'll definitely be a fight for the fans."

Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) took part in a fan Q&A at the Chicago Theatre prior to the official weigh-ins for UFC on FOX 6, which takes place Saturday at United Center in Chicago. The champ has been on a PR push promoting the current 17th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which airs Tuesday nights on FX.

Jones coaches opposite Chael Sonnen (27-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC), and the two are scheduled to fight for the title at UFC 159 on April 27 in Newark, N.J.

After Sonnen, there are contenders in the mix at light heavyweight. Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Lyoto Machida (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) next month at UFC 157, and UFC President Dana White on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) if Henderson wins, he'll be next in line.

But if Machida wins, the UFC boss said the company may take a look at the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 8 in Sweden – Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

Jones said he'll also be keeping his eye on some of the recent Strikeforce imports at light heavyweight – and said former champ Gegard Mousasi is the 205er he believes is most impressive of those crossovers.

Jones was quick with his Mousasi answer, despite a crowd that seemed to be pro-Daniel Cormier, Strikeforce's unbeaten heavyweight grand prix champion. Cormier has called Jones out in regard to a possible drop to light heavyweight to go after the title after he fights Frank Mir in April in his UFC debut.

But Jones said a fight with Cormier would have to take place at light heavyweight, not Cormier's heavyweight class.

"(Cormier) is going to have to come and get me," Jones said. "He talked all that trash – I'm going to make him cut that weight."

A move to heavyweight would mean Jones would eliminate a weight cut to 205, one notch in his favor. But as for who he'd want to fight if or when he moves up, since apparently Cormier is off the table, he'd welcome a bout with former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem.

"I would love to face (Overeem)," he said. "I would fight anybody, any time. I'm just a lot smaller than those guys (at heavyweight). I know that it would be a major challenge to fight one of those guys being the size I am right now."

For now, though, it doesn't appear as if Jones is thinking much past Sonnen, keeping the heavyweight timetable a goal, but certainly nothing definitive.

"Chael's a great fighter," Jones said. "He's been a WEC champion and a top contender for many years. I respect him a lot and I'm training really hard."

 

[RM211]

White: 'Rampage' made $15.2M over 11 fights, but 'shoots himself in the foot'

CHICAGO – In a response to Quinton Jackson's hints at being swindled out of money, UFC President Dana White put a number on the fighter's earnings between 2007-2012.

His reported take: $15.2 million, which averages $1.38 million over 11 trips to the octagon.

"If you're going to go out and you want to say all this stuff about the UFC, we know what we are, we know what we do, we know what you've been paid," White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "OK, you made $15.2 (million) but you wanted $100 (million). It's always going to be the case."

White and Jackson agree they've been at odds since Jackson's role in the remake of "The A-Team," which forced him to withdraw from a fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 107 following "The Ultimate Fighter 10," where both served as coaches.

White said the incident is water under the bridge, but clearly, Jackson hasn't forgotten. In the buildup to what could be his final octagon appearance at UFC on FOX 6, the ex-champ has aired a laundry list of grievances with the UFC and is considering a career in pro boxing.

The question heading into Saturday is whether the relationship is irreparable.

White expressed dismay at the 34-year-old fighter's behavior during a pre-event press conference in support of the event, where Jackson (32-10 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will fight Glover Teixeira (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the FOX-televised co-main event at Chicago's United Center.

Appearing sullen and withdrawn, Jackson played a video game, he said, and gave short, terse answers to the media.

"To come up here and treat the media the way he did, it's professional suicide," White said. "'Rampage' has the ability to be a huge star. We've seen it. When he's on and his head is right and in the game, there's no one more entertaining. There's no better press conference to be at."

Jackson recently said his bridge is burned with the UFC, but White isn't ready to call it quits. The executive praised Jackson's skill in front of the camera and said the fighter "has the potential to do anything." He also told MMAjunkie.com that he couldn't rule out the possibility the UFC would make a run at re-signing the former champion.

"It's just when he gets in these moods, he shoots himself in the foot," White said.

Jackson admitted his behavior was part of a cycle. During a pre-fight workout for the event, he noted that his exit from the now-defunct PRIDE came about in much the same way. When he started to feel disrespected and taken advantage of, he left, regardless of the consequences.

"I'm a fighter," Jackson said. "I fight everything. That's my problem. I don't win all my fights; I fight everything. I just say, 'You know what, forget it.'"

It's anyone's guess how Jackson's attitude will serve him going into a fight with Teixeira, who hasn't lost a fight in seven years.

White, though, said pressure isn't on Jackson's shoulders.

"When you look at this situation and where 'Rampage' is right now, mentally, and all the things going on with him, you can tell there's absolutely no pressure or stress on 'Rampage' whatsoever. It's another fight for him. He honestly believes 100 percent that he's going to go box or whatever he's going to do.

"For Glover, all the pressure is on him. This is, I'm sure, the most nervous he's ever been. It's a career-defining moment."

 

[InfamousICON]

Randy Couture Signs Deal With SpikeTV, Will Coach On Bellator's Reality Show

Randy Couture Signs Partnership with Spike, Will Coach on New Bellator Reality Series | MMAWeekly.com

Randy Couture Signs Partnership with Spike, Will Coach on New Bellator Reality Series

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Ken Pishna

Randy Couture has signed a new deal to keep him involved in mixed martial arts, but what may or may not come as a surprise, is the company he signed the deal with.

Spike TV officials on Tuesday morning sent out a release confirming a new partnership between the network and the former UFC champion, although they didn’t yet announce the scope of the partnership.

The crux of the deal, however, is Couture’s involvement as a coach on the upcoming Bellator MMA reality series that begins filming in February.

The partnership, according to a report by Sports Illustrated and confirmed by MMAWeekly.com sources, is a multi-year agreement that involves multiple projects. The Bellator coaching stint is just the launching pad.

Seeing as how Spike TV and Bellator MMA are properties under the Viacom umbrella, Couture’s involvement will likely heavily revolve around Bellator, but may include many other opportunities.


MMAWeekly.com’s sources said Couture’s position as one of the first two coaches on Bellator’s new reality series on Spike TV is set, and further indicated that his opposing coach is likely to be another pioneering figure in mixed martial arts.

Official details of Couture’s new partnership with Spike will be revealed on Tuesday, Feb. 5, during a media conference call.

UFC president Dana White, when asked about the possibility of his company being a monopoly, along with citing a Federal investigation that determined it is not, has often noted that part of Bellator’s ownership includes Viacom, and that Viacom is sitting on billions of dollars that the UFC isn’t.

It now seems that Viacom is ready to start utilizing some of that money and it’s position in the entertainment industry to build Bellator into a viable competitor.

 

[InfamousICON]

Judge Who Scored 30-27 In Favor Of Guida Over Hioki, Guida's Facebook Friend

This is pretty fucked up, considering the uproar in the online community over Hioki being robbed, the fact it was a split decision where two judges had it a close fight and the one judge who mysteriously had it as a clean sweep for Guida just happens to be his facebook friend. Pro fighters generally don't accept facebook friend requests where they show up as your friend unless they really actually know you. Judges within a state funded Athletic Commission should not have any sort of relationship what so ever with a fighter including something like social media friends. This should have been caught fairly easy by the commission. New Jersey was smart about it when Ricardo Almeida retired from fighting and became a judge in the state, they pulled him from all fights where he had any sort of affiliation in the least.


The Judge Who Scored Guida vs. Hioki 30-27 Is Also Clay's Facebook 'Friend' | Bleacher Report

Ever wonder what an athletic commission considers a conflict of interest?

It’s a question running amok in my brain as I type and mull over last weekend’s featherweight bout between Clay Guida and Hatsu Hioki.

Guida took home a split decision nod over Hioki after three tough rounds.

The bout was certainly a closely contested match. But by the 10-point must system in which the UFC abides, it’s relatively easy to understand how Clay Guida exited the cage victorious, despite being out-struck by a tally of 74-40 (according to Fightmetric) and having half of his takedown attempts thwarted.

Clay obtained and secured top position for extended stretches of the fight, and regardless of how active a fighter is or isn’t from his back, the common misconception among uninformed judges is that the man on top is winning the fight by default.

Fair enough, I’m not outraged by the outcome, despite having scored the fight in Hioki’s favor by one point. I can understand why Guida was afforded the win, whether I agree with it or not, and I’m not out to slight Guida or his in-cage efforts.

However, one must wonder: at what point does an athletic commission, or those assigned the task of overseeing a MMA event, examine the deeper relationships between appointed judges and the fighters whose fights they score?

Both Gabriel Sabaitis (the judge who scored the bout a clean sweep, 30-27 in Guida’s favor) and Clay Guida are Illinois representatives. Fair enough, UFC on FOX 6 was hosted by the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. It’s not baffling to know that the Chicago Sports Commission would employ the services of a local judge.

But the relationship between Guida and Sabaitis stretches a bit more. See, Sabaitis and Guida are also “Facebook friends.” Big deal, you ask? Maybe, maybe not.

From a neutral stance, it seems a bit questionable that a man assigned the task of judging two fights on one card would just so happen to draw a bout featuring a hometown favorite. It also seems a bit questionable that no one would question the depth of Sabaitis and Guida’s relationship, given their online status as acquaintances.

Does Gabriel really know Clay? It’s tough to say. For all we know, the two may have never shared any communication other than a “friend accept” in the vast expanse of the interwebs. But if a commission aims to ensure fair judging, it seems as though a hint of research might ensue prior to assigning judges specific tasks.

Questionable situations such as the one we currently eye could easily be avoided with a few Google searches.

Standing here, on the outside looking in, I'm forced to admit that appointing Gabriel Sabaitis as one of three judges set to score Clay Guida’s fight looks a little suspect. Sabaitis’ questionable scoring (again, a reminder that Gabriel was the only judge who seemed to feel Hatsu Hioki didn’t do enough to secure a single round) only raises further question marks and eyebrows.

Did Gabriel give Hatsu a fair shake? Furthermore, did the commission afford Hatsu a fair shake?

I’m not here to accuse anyone of misconduct. Don’t misconstrue this piece. This is about raising awareness in regards to the judging system (and not just in Chicago) worldwide. Fighters invest every ounce of their being in the sport, the preparation for competition, competition itself and every subplot of the assignment (i.e., press, travel, public appearances, etc.) in between. I think they certainly deserve to have an unbiased eye overseeing their work in the cage.

The question now becomes this: did Hatsu Hioki receive three pairs of unbiased eyes to judge his bout with Clay Guida, or only two?

For the record, all information revealed in this article, including the image, are publicly available. If you’ve got a Facebook page, you can view Gabriel’s page publicly, and you can view his friends as well. You’ll spot Clay in the lineup, and if he happens to disappear in the wake of this release, well, you’ve got an attached image that proves the two are FB buddies.

 

[The Duke of Earl]

if i wanted to i could add a couple notable refs on fb that probably dont remember any of the times they ref'd my fights . its not a big deal

 

[InfamousICON]

the only things that make it a big deal is the fact that the guy isn't facebook friends with very many fighters, he's from the same area, it was found that him and Clay were even myspace friends like 4 years ago lol, and out of all of the fights that occured on the card this judge only judged 2 of them, most commissions won't allow a judge to judge a fight with any link in any way shape or form with a fighter, if he was only going to judge 2 fights anyway, why take the risk?

Red flags get raised when he's the ONLY judge that saw it as a land slide 30-27 for Guida and when you add that possibility whether it's true or untrue that there could be a connection between the two it raises questions. Athletic commissions are already under a ton of scrutiny over judging all across the country. Why even risk it if the guy was only going to judge two fights anyway? He was the only local judge, judging a local fighter who he's "online friends" with and he gave the only landslide decision to the local guy. Not a good look IMO.

 

[drunkaholic707]

Joe was saying that ref needed to be fired during the broadcast