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overeem hurt his vagina and is out the fight at ufc 160 with jds i see hunt steppin in to fight jds at 160
Alistair Overeem Out of UFC 160 Bout with Junior dos Santos Due to Injury
Once again, Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will not be able to fulfill a planned meeting in the octagon.
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with sources close to the event that Overeem has withdrawn from the planned UFC meeting with the former Brazilian champ. The scratch was first reported by MMA Fighting.
UFC 160 takes place May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will air on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Overeem's name was most recently in the news when Nevada State Athletic Commission officials revealed his blood test following January's UFC 156 event was both clean and also with testosterone levels below a normal range of 250-1,100 nano grams per deciliter (ng/dL). As MMAjunkie.com first reported, Overeem's total testosterone came in at 179 from the test, which was administered the morning after the fight at 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 3.
Dos Santos, of course, had hoped to rebound from his loss to Velasquez at UFC 155 in December. That was his first loss in the UFC and came in his second defense of the heavyweight title after a win over Frank Mir at UFC 146. He had been itching to fight Overeem while he was champion, but now it's unclear whether he'll try and wait out the former Strikeforce champ or instead take another opponent.
Overeem had looked to try to climb back from his first loss since September 2007. The elite kickboxer was supposed to have a shot at Dos Santos' heavyweight title at UFC 146, but failed a pre-fight drug test with elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels. The NSAC would not consider licensing him for a period of nine months, which amounted, effectively, to a non-suspension suspension for the Dutch fighter. His return at UFC 156 was supposed to be a top contender's fight for him, with a win securing him a shot at Velasquez. But an unexpected loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva set the former Strikeforce champion back in the pack.
Alistair Overeem Out of UFC 160 Bout with Junior dos Santos Due to Injury
Once again, Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will not be able to fulfill a planned meeting in the octagon.
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with sources close to the event that Overeem has withdrawn from the planned UFC meeting with the former Brazilian champ. The scratch was first reported by MMA Fighting.
UFC 160 takes place May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will air on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Overeem's name was most recently in the news when Nevada State Athletic Commission officials revealed his blood test following January's UFC 156 event was both clean and also with testosterone levels below a normal range of 250-1,100 nano grams per deciliter (ng/dL). As MMAjunkie.com first reported, Overeem's total testosterone came in at 179 from the test, which was administered the morning after the fight at 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 3.
Dos Santos, of course, had hoped to rebound from his loss to Velasquez at UFC 155 in December. That was his first loss in the UFC and came in his second defense of the heavyweight title after a win over Frank Mir at UFC 146. He had been itching to fight Overeem while he was champion, but now it's unclear whether he'll try and wait out the former Strikeforce champ or instead take another opponent.
Overeem had looked to try to climb back from his first loss since September 2007. The elite kickboxer was supposed to have a shot at Dos Santos' heavyweight title at UFC 146, but failed a pre-fight drug test with elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels. The NSAC would not consider licensing him for a period of nine months, which amounted, effectively, to a non-suspension suspension for the Dutch fighter. His return at UFC 156 was supposed to be a top contender's fight for him, with a win securing him a shot at Velasquez. But an unexpected loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva set the former Strikeforce champion back in the pack.
After UFC 160 scratch, Alistair Overeem vs. JDS now likely in summer
Although an injury has forced Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) out of May's UFC 160 lineup, it appears UFC officials will simply delay his bout with fellow heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) passed along news of Overeem's withdrawal from the May 25 event on Wednesday.
Overnight, UFC President Dana White suggested a replacement won't be sought.
"Not lookin good," White tweeted when asked about a possible replacement. "Cigano vs Overeem in the summer."
A few names, including recent UFC on FUEL TV 8 co-main-event winner Mark Hunt, had emerged as possibilities. The New Zealander even suggested his fans direct their requests to White himself.
"I want in troops and only the boss D @DANA white can make it happen lets go army ATTACK the general wants in on this fight," he tweeted.
For now, though, it appears the UFC will proceed with Overeem vs. dos Santos, which could be a title eliminator. White didn't give a definitive timetable for the bout, though Overeem later tweeted that he suffered a slight tear in his quad muscle.
Overeem looks to bounce back from the first loss of his career since September 2007. His return from an extended layoff due to a failed drug test came this past month at UFC 156, where he was a win away from a title shot. But an unexpected loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva spoiled his shot at the belt.
Dos Santos looks to rebound from his a recent loss to Velasquez at UFC 155 in December. It was his first defeat in the UFC and came in his second defense of the heavyweight title, which he had won from Velasquez in late 2011.
Although an injury has forced Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) out of May's UFC 160 lineup, it appears UFC officials will simply delay his bout with fellow heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) passed along news of Overeem's withdrawal from the May 25 event on Wednesday.
Overnight, UFC President Dana White suggested a replacement won't be sought.
"Not lookin good," White tweeted when asked about a possible replacement. "Cigano vs Overeem in the summer."
A few names, including recent UFC on FUEL TV 8 co-main-event winner Mark Hunt, had emerged as possibilities. The New Zealander even suggested his fans direct their requests to White himself.
"I want in troops and only the boss D @DANA white can make it happen lets go army ATTACK the general wants in on this fight," he tweeted.
For now, though, it appears the UFC will proceed with Overeem vs. dos Santos, which could be a title eliminator. White didn't give a definitive timetable for the bout, though Overeem later tweeted that he suffered a slight tear in his quad muscle.
Overeem looks to bounce back from the first loss of his career since September 2007. His return from an extended layoff due to a failed drug test came this past month at UFC 156, where he was a win away from a title shot. But an unexpected loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva spoiled his shot at the belt.
Dos Santos looks to rebound from his a recent loss to Velasquez at UFC 155 in December. It was his first defeat in the UFC and came in his second defense of the heavyweight title, which he had won from Velasquez in late 2011.
'UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman' heads to MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 6
This summer's UFC 162 blockbuster between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) and top contender Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) now has a venue.
As announced on Wednesday, the title fight is slated for July 6 in Las Vegas. Officials since have confirmed a venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The Sin City venue has hosted the UFC's past four early-July cards, including the historic UFC 100 event in 2009.
UFC 162, which includes a pay-per-view main card and prelims on FX and Facebook, should be one of the UFC's biggest events of 2013. Silva fights for the first time since October and looks to extend his UFC records for most consecutive wins (16), title defenses (10), most finishes (14) and longest title reign (2,336 days and counting).
Other bouts announced for the card include middleweights Tim Boetsch (15-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) vs. Mark Munoz (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), middleweights Roger Gracie (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Tim Kennedy (15-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and light heavyweights Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC).
Officials plan to announce additional bouts and a ticket on-sale date in the coming weeks
This summer's UFC 162 blockbuster between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) and top contender Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) now has a venue.
As announced on Wednesday, the title fight is slated for July 6 in Las Vegas. Officials since have confirmed a venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The Sin City venue has hosted the UFC's past four early-July cards, including the historic UFC 100 event in 2009.
UFC 162, which includes a pay-per-view main card and prelims on FX and Facebook, should be one of the UFC's biggest events of 2013. Silva fights for the first time since October and looks to extend his UFC records for most consecutive wins (16), title defenses (10), most finishes (14) and longest title reign (2,336 days and counting).
Other bouts announced for the card include middleweights Tim Boetsch (15-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) vs. Mark Munoz (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), middleweights Roger Gracie (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Tim Kennedy (15-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and light heavyweights Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC).
Officials plan to announce additional bouts and a ticket on-sale date in the coming weeks
Following UFC 158, Nick Diaz up for shots at middleweight, lightweight titles
Next Saturday Nick Diaz challenges for the UFC's welterweight title. But in the future, he wouldn't mind moving up to compete at middleweight – or even down a division to challenge for the 155-pound title.
"If I had that option available to me, I would be honored to be in that position, and I would be gratefully accepting of that position or fight, if you will, with the 185-pound champion or the 155-pound champion," Diaz said. "I would take either fight, and I think I could beat either guy to win a title at both weights.
"I'd like to be runner-up in the pound-for-pound rankings. That's the No. 1 goal, aside from the No. 1 ranking in the welterweight division."
While Diaz has often talked about a potential move up to 185 pounds, especially if it involved a potential bout with top pound-for-pound fighter and the long-reigning middleweight champ Anderson Silva. However, today call was the first time he mentioned a possible drop to lightweight to challenge for that title, as well.
The move wouldn't be entirely unprecedented. In the past, Diaz competed for the now-defunct PRIDE and EliteXC organizations. However, those promotions set the lightweight limit at 161 and 160 pounds, respectively. The UFC's lightweight limit is 155 pounds.
Still, Diaz said he's interested in fighting the very best fighters in the world, regardless of weight class.
Of course, he'll have exactly that in front of him at next week's "UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz" event, where Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (23-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC), widely considered one of the sport's top three fighters. St-Pierre has held the UFC's welterweight title since 2008, and he currently boasts six straight title defenses, more than any welterweight champion in UFC history.
In short, St-Pierre is not the type of opponent to look past. But Diaz said that's simply the way he approaches his career. Sure, he's focused on the task at hand, but there are other challenges ahead. Such is the way of a top martial artist.
"Me and Georges St-Pierre, we're a lot different," Diaz said. "For me, I look past every opponent because I'm not looking at just one obstacle. I think for me, it's easier to deal with when I accept the fact that I'm never going to get out of this. It's not just a fight, it's fighters.
"I look past every opponent to get to the No. 1 spot of the welterweight division, and I look further beyond that. If it were up to me, I would take that fight with Anderson Silva. I would say, 'Yeah, of course.' I'm looking for the next best thing, and the next best thing is always the closer fight to the No. 1 fight, and that's what I've been working toward this whole time."
"UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz" takes place March 18 at Montreal's Bell Centre. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Next Saturday Nick Diaz challenges for the UFC's welterweight title. But in the future, he wouldn't mind moving up to compete at middleweight – or even down a division to challenge for the 155-pound title.
"If I had that option available to me, I would be honored to be in that position, and I would be gratefully accepting of that position or fight, if you will, with the 185-pound champion or the 155-pound champion," Diaz said. "I would take either fight, and I think I could beat either guy to win a title at both weights.
"I'd like to be runner-up in the pound-for-pound rankings. That's the No. 1 goal, aside from the No. 1 ranking in the welterweight division."
While Diaz has often talked about a potential move up to 185 pounds, especially if it involved a potential bout with top pound-for-pound fighter and the long-reigning middleweight champ Anderson Silva. However, today call was the first time he mentioned a possible drop to lightweight to challenge for that title, as well.
The move wouldn't be entirely unprecedented. In the past, Diaz competed for the now-defunct PRIDE and EliteXC organizations. However, those promotions set the lightweight limit at 161 and 160 pounds, respectively. The UFC's lightweight limit is 155 pounds.
Still, Diaz said he's interested in fighting the very best fighters in the world, regardless of weight class.
Of course, he'll have exactly that in front of him at next week's "UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz" event, where Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (23-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC), widely considered one of the sport's top three fighters. St-Pierre has held the UFC's welterweight title since 2008, and he currently boasts six straight title defenses, more than any welterweight champion in UFC history.
In short, St-Pierre is not the type of opponent to look past. But Diaz said that's simply the way he approaches his career. Sure, he's focused on the task at hand, but there are other challenges ahead. Such is the way of a top martial artist.
"Me and Georges St-Pierre, we're a lot different," Diaz said. "For me, I look past every opponent because I'm not looking at just one obstacle. I think for me, it's easier to deal with when I accept the fact that I'm never going to get out of this. It's not just a fight, it's fighters.
"I look past every opponent to get to the No. 1 spot of the welterweight division, and I look further beyond that. If it were up to me, I would take that fight with Anderson Silva. I would say, 'Yeah, of course.' I'm looking for the next best thing, and the next best thing is always the closer fight to the No. 1 fight, and that's what I've been working toward this whole time."
"UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz" takes place March 18 at Montreal's Bell Centre. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Dana White says Mark Hunt turned down UFC 160 fight with Junior dos Santos
Mark Hunt (9-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had an opportunity to replace injured Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and fight Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) but turned it down, according to UFC President Dana White.
Overeem bowed out of the UFC 160 bout on Wednesday due to a thigh injury, and as MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) reported earlier today, White later said his fight with former heavyweight champ dos Santos will be rebooked for the summer.
But Hunt? White said he wasn't interested.
"Hey dummy Mark Hunt turned down the fight with JDS as of last night so STFU when u don't know what ur talkin about," White tweeted in response to one of his followers.
He then suggested a big fight could be in order for the New Zealand kickboxer, who recently demolished Stefan Struve in this past week's UFC on FUEL TV 8 co-headliner in Japan. It marked Hunt's fourth straight win and continued a recent career resurgence.
"With his win last week he broke into the top 10," White tweeted. "He will get a top 10 fight but as of last nite he turned down JDS."
On Wednesday Hunt told MMAFighting.com he was open to the May 25 fight with Dos Santos if offered. However, he declined comment today.
With Overeem's injury expected to sideline him weeks instead of months, his fight with Dos Santos likely will be rerouted to one of the UFC's big summer pay-per-view cards.
Mark Hunt (9-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had an opportunity to replace injured Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and fight Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) but turned it down, according to UFC President Dana White.
Overeem bowed out of the UFC 160 bout on Wednesday due to a thigh injury, and as MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) reported earlier today, White later said his fight with former heavyweight champ dos Santos will be rebooked for the summer.
But Hunt? White said he wasn't interested.
"Hey dummy Mark Hunt turned down the fight with JDS as of last night so STFU when u don't know what ur talkin about," White tweeted in response to one of his followers.
He then suggested a big fight could be in order for the New Zealand kickboxer, who recently demolished Stefan Struve in this past week's UFC on FUEL TV 8 co-headliner in Japan. It marked Hunt's fourth straight win and continued a recent career resurgence.
"With his win last week he broke into the top 10," White tweeted. "He will get a top 10 fight but as of last nite he turned down JDS."
On Wednesday Hunt told MMAFighting.com he was open to the May 25 fight with Dos Santos if offered. However, he declined comment today.
With Overeem's injury expected to sideline him weeks instead of months, his fight with Dos Santos likely will be rerouted to one of the UFC's big summer pay-per-view cards.
Despite Diaz claims, UFC 158's Hendricks says he doesn't want 'wrestling match'
There were six people on today's media conference call in support of UFC 158, but it was a two-man show.
With Nick Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (23-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) dominating airtime, the four remaining fighters – Carlos Condit, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt and Johny Hendricks – were resigned to afterthought status.
Ellenberger (28-6 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Marquardt (32-11-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) never even got a chance to speak about their upcoming fight, which was assembled when Rory MacDonald (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) bowed out of UFC 158 due to injury, and MacDonald's original opponent, Condit (28-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC), was slotted to fight Hendricks (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
But like most who listened to Diaz once again go off the deep end, the top-shelf welterweights probably listened with rapt attention as the challenger attacked the champ, who joins him in headlining next Saturday's pay-per-view event at Montreal's Bell Centre.
And, perhaps thankfully, St-Pierre wasn't the former Strikeforce champ's only target. In a minutes-long rant about the declining purity of mixed martial arts, Diaz brought Hendricks into the discussion.
"You're going to go out there and work out and have a wrestling match with Johny? No. That's not what anybody wants to see," Diaz said.
Finally, there was a chance to get in a word edgewise. Displaying the restraint of a man who'd grown wiser with disappointment, Hendricks, who St-Pierre passed over to fight Diaz, calmly defended his fighting style.
"If he's watched any of my fights, when have I ever took anybody down?" he said. "I have wrestling – yeah, I do. My background is wrestling. I have knockout power. Just because I don't go out there and use it all, you don't have to use it all to win fights.
"The most important thing is to win fights. Doesn't matter how you do it. If that means you've got to take the guy down and get a win like Georges does, then do it. It's about getting your hand raised, and the fans like that."
That obviously wasn't the opinion of Diaz, who ranted that wrestling and scoring systems were ruining the sport. But Hendricks, perhaps sensing the call had reached its limit of drama, declined to engage him.
"He's got his opinion, and I've got mine," Hendricks said. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters, like Georges said, is everyone wants to be on top, but there can be only one, and we're all fighting to get there."
Indeed, Hendricks appears to have found a different mindset following his snub, which followed a knockout of Martin Kampmann in the co-main event of the St-Pierre-headlined UFC 154 this past November. He's even taken a more shrewd look at his career, as well, defending his camp's push to fight Condit over Ellenberger as a better business move.
"You've constantly got to be adaptive, meaning that, of course, I wanted to fight Georges St-Pierre, but he chose somebody else," Hendricks said. "Alright, cool. I had Jake Ellenberger, and I trained very hard for him. Then I was able to get Carlos Condit, an excellent fighter. That's what it's all about. Take it fight by fight, day by day. That's how I live it. If I even thing about overlooking Condit, he'll definitely beat me. Nothing else matters but Carlos."
There were six people on today's media conference call in support of UFC 158, but it was a two-man show.
With Nick Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (23-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) dominating airtime, the four remaining fighters – Carlos Condit, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt and Johny Hendricks – were resigned to afterthought status.
Ellenberger (28-6 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Marquardt (32-11-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) never even got a chance to speak about their upcoming fight, which was assembled when Rory MacDonald (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) bowed out of UFC 158 due to injury, and MacDonald's original opponent, Condit (28-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC), was slotted to fight Hendricks (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
But like most who listened to Diaz once again go off the deep end, the top-shelf welterweights probably listened with rapt attention as the challenger attacked the champ, who joins him in headlining next Saturday's pay-per-view event at Montreal's Bell Centre.
And, perhaps thankfully, St-Pierre wasn't the former Strikeforce champ's only target. In a minutes-long rant about the declining purity of mixed martial arts, Diaz brought Hendricks into the discussion.
"You're going to go out there and work out and have a wrestling match with Johny? No. That's not what anybody wants to see," Diaz said.
Finally, there was a chance to get in a word edgewise. Displaying the restraint of a man who'd grown wiser with disappointment, Hendricks, who St-Pierre passed over to fight Diaz, calmly defended his fighting style.
"If he's watched any of my fights, when have I ever took anybody down?" he said. "I have wrestling – yeah, I do. My background is wrestling. I have knockout power. Just because I don't go out there and use it all, you don't have to use it all to win fights.
"The most important thing is to win fights. Doesn't matter how you do it. If that means you've got to take the guy down and get a win like Georges does, then do it. It's about getting your hand raised, and the fans like that."
That obviously wasn't the opinion of Diaz, who ranted that wrestling and scoring systems were ruining the sport. But Hendricks, perhaps sensing the call had reached its limit of drama, declined to engage him.
"He's got his opinion, and I've got mine," Hendricks said. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters, like Georges said, is everyone wants to be on top, but there can be only one, and we're all fighting to get there."
Indeed, Hendricks appears to have found a different mindset following his snub, which followed a knockout of Martin Kampmann in the co-main event of the St-Pierre-headlined UFC 154 this past November. He's even taken a more shrewd look at his career, as well, defending his camp's push to fight Condit over Ellenberger as a better business move.
"You've constantly got to be adaptive, meaning that, of course, I wanted to fight Georges St-Pierre, but he chose somebody else," Hendricks said. "Alright, cool. I had Jake Ellenberger, and I trained very hard for him. Then I was able to get Carlos Condit, an excellent fighter. That's what it's all about. Take it fight by fight, day by day. That's how I live it. If I even thing about overlooking Condit, he'll definitely beat me. Nothing else matters but Carlos."
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman Set For UFC 162
UFC middleweight Chris Weidman is getting the biggest opportunity of his career on July 6th - a UFC 162 bout with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The title contender discussed the whole process with MMA Fighting - coming back from elbow surgery and the devastation of Hurrcane Sandy; finding out about the fight just before he was sent out to lobby for MMA in New York; and how he feels he can win the bout. He starts off by discussing the chain of events (his injury, Tim Boetsch and Michael Bisping losing) that led to the decision:
"Without a doubt, it feels like fate," Weidman told MMA Fighting. "When I got injured, I was down, but I did feel like something better was going to happen out of this. I thought I was going to get an even bigger fight than the Boetsch fight. I didn't have my hopes up too much that it would be Anderson, but I knew there was a chance it could be. Everybody who could have had a shot lost. Things went my way. I'm grateful and humble for the opportunity."
According to the article, Silva agreed to the bout when he sat down for a meeting with Lorenzo Fertitta on Tuesday night. Fertitta gave Weidman the good news in the hallway of a radio station where both men were doing interviews:
"I said, 'Really?'" Weidman said. "I said, 'I love you, man. That's freaking awesome.' I wasn’t getting my hopes up for the fight even though Dana [White] said publicly that it will happen. I just didn't want to get my hopes up for no reason. I didn't want to believe it until it was announced."
He says he's not going into this just to be happy for an opportunity. He most definitely believes he can win:
"I'm very motivated to make the most of this opportunity and not just be another title contender," he said. "Every other time I've had a full training camp, I've had a finish. And I plan on continuing that. I'm going against the greatest of all-time, but that's not going to change my confidence of what I'm going to do in there. I'm very excited."
...
"I believe this is meant to be," he said. "It's not meant to be that I get there to lose. I'd be disgusted with myself if that happens. I refuse to let myself be beat. After all this, I believe I'm meant to win."
UFC middleweight Chris Weidman is getting the biggest opportunity of his career on July 6th - a UFC 162 bout with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The title contender discussed the whole process with MMA Fighting - coming back from elbow surgery and the devastation of Hurrcane Sandy; finding out about the fight just before he was sent out to lobby for MMA in New York; and how he feels he can win the bout. He starts off by discussing the chain of events (his injury, Tim Boetsch and Michael Bisping losing) that led to the decision:
"Without a doubt, it feels like fate," Weidman told MMA Fighting. "When I got injured, I was down, but I did feel like something better was going to happen out of this. I thought I was going to get an even bigger fight than the Boetsch fight. I didn't have my hopes up too much that it would be Anderson, but I knew there was a chance it could be. Everybody who could have had a shot lost. Things went my way. I'm grateful and humble for the opportunity."
According to the article, Silva agreed to the bout when he sat down for a meeting with Lorenzo Fertitta on Tuesday night. Fertitta gave Weidman the good news in the hallway of a radio station where both men were doing interviews:
"I said, 'Really?'" Weidman said. "I said, 'I love you, man. That's freaking awesome.' I wasn’t getting my hopes up for the fight even though Dana [White] said publicly that it will happen. I just didn't want to get my hopes up for no reason. I didn't want to believe it until it was announced."
He says he's not going into this just to be happy for an opportunity. He most definitely believes he can win:
"I'm very motivated to make the most of this opportunity and not just be another title contender," he said. "Every other time I've had a full training camp, I've had a finish. And I plan on continuing that. I'm going against the greatest of all-time, but that's not going to change my confidence of what I'm going to do in there. I'm very excited."
...
"I believe this is meant to be," he said. "It's not meant to be that I get there to lose. I'd be disgusted with myself if that happens. I refuse to let myself be beat. After all this, I believe I'm meant to win."
JDS vs. Mark Hunt Official For UFC 160
Mark Hunt is moving closer and closer to a UFC title shot, something that seemed almost unthinkable when he was quickly submitted by Sean McCorkle at UFC 119. Coming off a jaw breaking knockout win over Stefan Struve, Hunt seemed like a solid choice to step in at UFC 160 to face Junior dos Santos after Alistair Overeem was forced out of the bout due to injury.
After a bit of he said, he said from Dana White and Hunt over if he had turned down the bout, Hunt is now officially in.
Via MMA Fighting:
A day after UFC president Dana White said Hunt turned down a fight against Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, "The Super Samoan" got the fight he wanted following a phone conversation with White Thursday night.
As a result, Hunt will now meet dos Santos on May 25 in Las Vegas. White confirmed the news with MMAFighting.com Saturday morning.
When contacted by MMAFighting.com, an ecstatic Hunt called the opportunity "my title shot." Hunt, who denied ever directly turning down the opportunity, was pleased with the outcome of the call, as was White. They would not discuss exactly what they spoke about.
We'll have more news on the fight in the coming days.
Mark Hunt is moving closer and closer to a UFC title shot, something that seemed almost unthinkable when he was quickly submitted by Sean McCorkle at UFC 119. Coming off a jaw breaking knockout win over Stefan Struve, Hunt seemed like a solid choice to step in at UFC 160 to face Junior dos Santos after Alistair Overeem was forced out of the bout due to injury.
After a bit of he said, he said from Dana White and Hunt over if he had turned down the bout, Hunt is now officially in.
Via MMA Fighting:
A day after UFC president Dana White said Hunt turned down a fight against Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, "The Super Samoan" got the fight he wanted following a phone conversation with White Thursday night.
As a result, Hunt will now meet dos Santos on May 25 in Las Vegas. White confirmed the news with MMAFighting.com Saturday morning.
When contacted by MMAFighting.com, an ecstatic Hunt called the opportunity "my title shot." Hunt, who denied ever directly turning down the opportunity, was pleased with the outcome of the call, as was White. They would not discuss exactly what they spoke about.
We'll have more news on the fight in the coming days.
Hunt vs jds is going down , this is what i want to see , hopefully dos santos's ego will make him stand with hunt
Props:
137757
UFC 157's Lavar Johnson flagged for elevated testosterone levels
A post-fight drug test for UFC heavyweight Lavar Johnson (17-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who lost a unanimous decision to Brendan Schaub (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at UFC 157, has been flagged for elevated levels of testosterone. An additional carbon isotope ratio test "confirmed the testosterone was consistent with the administration of a steroid," according to CSAC Executive Officer Andy Foster.
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) recently requested and today received testing results from the California State Athletic Commission, which also passed along word that the event's remaining tests came back clean.
Foster clarified that the initial failure was not due to an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) level, but could not provide further details on Johnson's failure at the time of this writing.
The commission tested competitors for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancers.
UFC 157 took place Feb. 23 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Johnson, who fought Schaub on the event's FX-televised preliminary-card, tried in vain to keep the fight standing, but was repeatedly taken to the mat over the course of three rounds. From his back, he asked Schaub to stand with him in the final frame and was denied.
The loss was the second straight for Johnson, who opened his UFC career with knockout wins over Joey Beltran and Pat Barry.
Recently, the UFC took a hard line on failed drug tests when it released welterweight Matt Riddle following his second marijuana infraction, and Johnson's positive test could very well jeopardize his octagon career.
A post-fight drug test for UFC heavyweight Lavar Johnson (17-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who lost a unanimous decision to Brendan Schaub (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at UFC 157, has been flagged for elevated levels of testosterone. An additional carbon isotope ratio test "confirmed the testosterone was consistent with the administration of a steroid," according to CSAC Executive Officer Andy Foster.
MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) recently requested and today received testing results from the California State Athletic Commission, which also passed along word that the event's remaining tests came back clean.
Foster clarified that the initial failure was not due to an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) level, but could not provide further details on Johnson's failure at the time of this writing.
The commission tested competitors for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancers.
UFC 157 took place Feb. 23 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Johnson, who fought Schaub on the event's FX-televised preliminary-card, tried in vain to keep the fight standing, but was repeatedly taken to the mat over the course of three rounds. From his back, he asked Schaub to stand with him in the final frame and was denied.
The loss was the second straight for Johnson, who opened his UFC career with knockout wins over Joey Beltran and Pat Barry.
Recently, the UFC took a hard line on failed drug tests when it released welterweight Matt Riddle following his second marijuana infraction, and Johnson's positive test could very well jeopardize his octagon career.
Korean Zombie busted GSP out on facebook for wearing a racist symbol on his walk out gi lol
Props:
RM211 and B-Buzz
Alexander Gustafsson suffers cut, likely out of UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has reportedly suffered a facial cut and likely will be out of Saturday's UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner with Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
That's according to svt.se and MMA site MMAnytt.se. However, though MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) confirmed the cut with a source close to Gustafsson, we were unable to reach UFC officials for confirmation.
Additionally, the organization hasn't made a formal announcement of the injury or a possible scratch from the card.
Ultimately, the Swedish MMA Federation will decide whether Gustaffson can fight despite the cut, which reportedly opened near his eyebrow during a recent training session. According to MMAnytt.se, doctors have examined the cut and essentially labeled Gustafsson unavailable for the event.
Gustaffson, a Swedish light heavyweight, was slated to headline UFC on FUEL TV 9, which takes place at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena. It's part of the FUEL TV-televised main card, which follows Facebook prelims.
A late scratch could be devastating for Gustafsson, who hoped a seventh straight UFC win would catapult him to a title shot. Current champion Jon Jones meets Chael Sonnen next month, and the winner is expected to fight either Gustafsson or fellow contender Lyoto Machida. A delay for Gustafsson could open the door for Machida.
Although UFC on FUEL TV 9's fight card is a rather deep one for the event series, the lack of a last-minute replacement would surely lower the overall appeal. Right now, the other top matchups on the card include UFC newcomer Ryan Couture (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. fellow lightweight Ross Pearson (14-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and heavyweights Matt Mitrione (5-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. Philip De Fries (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC).
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has reportedly suffered a facial cut and likely will be out of Saturday's UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner with Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
That's according to svt.se and MMA site MMAnytt.se. However, though MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) confirmed the cut with a source close to Gustafsson, we were unable to reach UFC officials for confirmation.
Additionally, the organization hasn't made a formal announcement of the injury or a possible scratch from the card.
Ultimately, the Swedish MMA Federation will decide whether Gustaffson can fight despite the cut, which reportedly opened near his eyebrow during a recent training session. According to MMAnytt.se, doctors have examined the cut and essentially labeled Gustafsson unavailable for the event.
Gustaffson, a Swedish light heavyweight, was slated to headline UFC on FUEL TV 9, which takes place at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena. It's part of the FUEL TV-televised main card, which follows Facebook prelims.
A late scratch could be devastating for Gustafsson, who hoped a seventh straight UFC win would catapult him to a title shot. Current champion Jon Jones meets Chael Sonnen next month, and the winner is expected to fight either Gustafsson or fellow contender Lyoto Machida. A delay for Gustafsson could open the door for Machida.
Although UFC on FUEL TV 9's fight card is a rather deep one for the event series, the lack of a last-minute replacement would surely lower the overall appeal. Right now, the other top matchups on the card include UFC newcomer Ryan Couture (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. fellow lightweight Ross Pearson (14-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and heavyweights Matt Mitrione (5-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. Philip De Fries (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC).
Alexander Gustafsson still in UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner – for now
Despite a facial cut that has his status as questionable for Saturday's UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner, Alexander Gustafsson is still scheduled to fight – for now.
On Sunday multiple reports suggested the Swede, who suffered a cut near his eyebrow during a recent training session, would be unavailable for the event, which takes place at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena.
But on Sunday night, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) the fight hasn't been canceled and that Gustafsson wants to remain on the card.
Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is slated to fight UFC newcomer and fellow light heavyweight Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the FUEL TV-televised headliner of the event. Gustafsson also fought in his home country when he headlined the UFC's first Sweden event, UFC on FUEL TV 2, in 2012.
The event's sales and marketing materials have featured Gustafsson prominently. He's undoubtedly the highest-profile fighter on the card.
While the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation ultimately will decide Gustafsson's fate, the 26-year-old is anxious to extend his win streak, which currently stands at seven fights. A victory over Mousasi could potentially earn Gustafsson a title shot, though Lyoto Machida also is in the mix.
Regardless, expect some type of official announcement later today
Despite a facial cut that has his status as questionable for Saturday's UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner, Alexander Gustafsson is still scheduled to fight – for now.
On Sunday multiple reports suggested the Swede, who suffered a cut near his eyebrow during a recent training session, would be unavailable for the event, which takes place at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena.
But on Sunday night, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) the fight hasn't been canceled and that Gustafsson wants to remain on the card.
Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is slated to fight UFC newcomer and fellow light heavyweight Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the FUEL TV-televised headliner of the event. Gustafsson also fought in his home country when he headlined the UFC's first Sweden event, UFC on FUEL TV 2, in 2012.
The event's sales and marketing materials have featured Gustafsson prominently. He's undoubtedly the highest-profile fighter on the card.
While the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation ultimately will decide Gustafsson's fate, the 26-year-old is anxious to extend his win streak, which currently stands at seven fights. A victory over Mousasi could potentially earn Gustafsson a title shot, though Lyoto Machida also is in the mix.
Regardless, expect some type of official announcement later today
Following vacation, UFC's Mike Pierce calls out Jake Ellenberger, Robbie Lawler
A recent vacation in Hawaii provided a brief distraction for welterweight Mike Pierce, but he wants to get back to work.
Pierce (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who fought five times in 13 months before a current dry spell of three months, has two opponents in mind for his return. They're ambitious requests: Jake Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (20-9 MMA, 5-3 UFC).
"There's no animosity; I don't hate their guts," he today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMA Radio, UFC Radio - MMAjunkie Radio*–*MMAjunkie.com).
Previously, Pierce saw it as a public service to thump career heel Josh Koscheck, who quickly accepted his callout on MMAjunkie.com Radio. In a close fight, Koscheck emerged with a split-decision win.
Since then, Pierce has rallied with three straight victories. A fourth might put him on the cusp of title contention.
Both Ellenberger and Lawlor are riding high in the 170-pound division. Many thought Ellenberger's recent knockout of Nate Marquardt put him just behind Johny Hendricks for a title shot. Lawlor's knockout of Koscheck, meanwhile, firmly established him as a future contender.
Pierce, who beat Carlos Eduardo Rocha, Aaron Simpson and Seth Baczynski on his current streak, is trying to make the best move for his career.
"I just think they're two guys that are really relevant that would make great matchups, and I'd love to get in there and beat them down," he said.
Ellenberger did not respond to request for comment about a potential fight with Pierce, but Lawlor's longtime manager, Monte Cox, texted that his client "will get a bigger name."
That's not great news for Pierce, whose octagon record stands at an impressive 8-3.
Still, he can ask. So far, his only setbacks have been against strong wrestlers such as Jon Fitch, Hendricks and Koscheck.
"I've been doing this for a while," Pierce said. "I want [to be in title contention] sooner than later. I haven't felt old yet, so I think that's a good thing. I haven't taken a lot of damage in any fight, so I don't have a lot of wear and tear like guys who get into these absolute wars. Thus far, I've been pretty fortunate to have a workout routine that doesn't beat me down. I think I'll be around for a while."
A recent vacation in Hawaii provided a brief distraction for welterweight Mike Pierce, but he wants to get back to work.
Pierce (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who fought five times in 13 months before a current dry spell of three months, has two opponents in mind for his return. They're ambitious requests: Jake Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (20-9 MMA, 5-3 UFC).
"There's no animosity; I don't hate their guts," he today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMA Radio, UFC Radio - MMAjunkie Radio*–*MMAjunkie.com).
Previously, Pierce saw it as a public service to thump career heel Josh Koscheck, who quickly accepted his callout on MMAjunkie.com Radio. In a close fight, Koscheck emerged with a split-decision win.
Since then, Pierce has rallied with three straight victories. A fourth might put him on the cusp of title contention.
Both Ellenberger and Lawlor are riding high in the 170-pound division. Many thought Ellenberger's recent knockout of Nate Marquardt put him just behind Johny Hendricks for a title shot. Lawlor's knockout of Koscheck, meanwhile, firmly established him as a future contender.
Pierce, who beat Carlos Eduardo Rocha, Aaron Simpson and Seth Baczynski on his current streak, is trying to make the best move for his career.
"I just think they're two guys that are really relevant that would make great matchups, and I'd love to get in there and beat them down," he said.
Ellenberger did not respond to request for comment about a potential fight with Pierce, but Lawlor's longtime manager, Monte Cox, texted that his client "will get a bigger name."
That's not great news for Pierce, whose octagon record stands at an impressive 8-3.
Still, he can ask. So far, his only setbacks have been against strong wrestlers such as Jon Fitch, Hendricks and Koscheck.
"I've been doing this for a while," Pierce said. "I want [to be in title contention] sooner than later. I haven't felt old yet, so I think that's a good thing. I haven't taken a lot of damage in any fight, so I don't have a lot of wear and tear like guys who get into these absolute wars. Thus far, I've been pretty fortunate to have a workout routine that doesn't beat me down. I think I'll be around for a while."
UFC on FUEL TV 9's Gegard Mousasi doesn't care that you think he doesn't care
Everyone has a friend who's kind of like Gegard Mousasi.
He's the guy who comes to your Saturday night bowling outing, posts a score of 195 (despite not having done it in years), and sheepishly shrugs his shoulders on the way back to his seat.
You're buying his drinks the rest of the night because he's been blessed with whatever requisite combination of physical ability and mental acumen allows someone to succeed in just about any sporting endeavor. He's seemingly good at whatever he tries, even when it looks like he isn't trying. And he knows it.
So what would happen if he employed a laser-like focus on bowling and only bowling? What if he hired the best coaches in the world, studied film of his motions, and was on the lanes four hours a day, six days a week alongside other elite bowlers, for a number of years?
To quote Calvert Munson, father of Woody Harrelson's character Roy in the movie "Kingpin," well, "You put that in a bottle, you got something sweeter than Yoo-hoo."
The 27-year-old Mousasi has been formulating his concoction not on the lanes, but in the realm of MMA for nearly a decade. It's been sweet at times, the converse on occasion, and everywhere in between.
To this day nobody knows quite what to make of him – what his motivations may or may not be, his training habits, various highs and lows in the cage (or ring), his general disposition.
Frankly, it's part of his charm.
"I just go in and do my job the best I can and take care of my family," Mousasi told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "That's how I see it."
Competing and making a living doing so is what gets him going. The training is a perfunctory exercise. It's a necessary evil.
"I don't think I have a passion for [training]," Mousasi said. "I have been taking it easy in the past. But for the last fight (a submission win over Mike Kyle in Strikeforce), I trained very well for it, and I think the result was there.
"I have been training (all along). But I think the quality of the training and people pushing me, stuff like that, I have lacked in the past."
Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) appears to have turned a corner. He made sure he had a coach for each discipline and proper sparring on a consistent basis for the Kyle fight. He didn't really have either prior to it.
It has continued in his preparations for Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC). The pair – for now – is scheduled to headline UFC on FUEL TV 9, which takes place Saturday at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. As recently reported, Gustafsson recently suffered a facial cut and could be pulled from the card. But for now, both light heavyweights remain on the card.
In preparation for the fight, the Netherlands-based Mousasi has split time between Chakuriki Gym and Bert Kops' Gym in Amsterdam, in addition to his work at Team Jurojin in Leiden. He also travels to Rotterdam for strength and conditioning.
He'd offer up a regret or two about his previous setups, but he doesn't have any. He's always been comfortable training in and around the Netherlands the vast majority of the time, which is where he's lived since his family left Iran when he was 4 years old.
Mousasi has seen other top European fighters such as Gustafsson, Dan Hardy and Ross Pearson make the move to the U.S. in recent years to seek out elite training. That's all well and good with him, but Mousasi knows it doesn't necessarily correlate with success.
"I see a lot of people training at famous gyms, but that doesn't mean they're winning their fights," he said. "You can do it wherever you are. I don't think you have to be training with the very best fighter to win your fight. You can train in Siberia and you can do it."
You could even be the best fighter on the planet with the best resources at your disposal, and it still might not matter.
"It's a fight," Mousasi said. "You can get caught with a punch. (That) doesn't mean your training was bad. Or you get caught in a submission. Anything can happen."
Mousasi is also rare in that he's one of those fighters with whom you're never really sure what might happen when he takes his toolbox into the cage. At times he shows a lack of strategy and an unwillingness to stick to a game plan like he demonstrated against Keith Jardine. Or he'll get taken down nearly a dozen times by Muhammad Lawal. Or he'll fatigue late, get mounted, and lose a round to a developing prospect like Ovince St. Preux.
Other times, he's brilliant. Exposing the chin of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza with a perfectly timed upkick. Controlling K-1 heavyweight champion Kyotaro almost single-handedly with his jab in a kickboxing match. Pummeling Renato "Babalu" Sobral with ground-and-pound strikes and turning his lights out in a minute flat in his U.S. debut.
And then there's that puzzling demeanor of his.
Outside the cage Mousasi is a man of few words, but he has a friendly personality and a good sense of humor. Inside the cage is a different story. It's impossible to identify any nonverbal cues, which is all by design, of course. He's certified stolid.
"I don't have any emotions (on fight night)," Mousasi said. "I'm not angry. I'm not happy. It's just fighting."
Early in his combat sports career, he fought with a great deal of aggression, but he learned over time it was counterproductive. As far back as anyone can remember, he's showed up to A fight looking like he just woke up from a peaceful nap. His former training partner and friend Fedor Emelianenko was the same way.
Collectively, the head-scratching material (for lack of a better descriptor), which makes Mousasi who he is, has lead to an underlying perception that he flat out doesn't care. He looks and sounds like he'd rather be doing something else. He's not committed, the detractors say. He's simply coasting on his natural gifts.
So is he aware of how he's viewed by a healthy slice of the MMA community?
"I don't know, maybe," Mousasi said with a laugh. "I don't care."
Did you get that? He doesn't care that you think he doesn't care. That's beautiful.
But let's not kid ourselves. He has to have been doing a lot of things right. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has all the physical gifts in the world, trains at a high-level gym in Team Quest, and by all accounts, is dedicated to his craft.
But Sokoudjou doesn't need a room addition to his house for all the hardware he's accumulated over the years. Mousasi has an amateur boxing title, middleweight MMA titles in Cage Warriors and DREAM, and light heavyweight titles in DREAM and Strikeforce.
The thing about Mousasi is you don't have to try to figure him out. It's better just to sit back and see what transpires. The never-ending contrasts are what make him a compelling figure.
"A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma," as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker once described him.
Actually, that was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill describing Russia in 1939, but it's still apropos.
One piece of hardware Mousasi is still missing is a UFC championship belt. He's never had the opportunity. He doesn't believe a win over Gustafsson will be enough to earn a shot at it, but he wouldn't turn it down either. He's interested in Lyoto Machida as an opponent if everything plays out like he expects.
A win over Gustafsson would validate him in many ways. It would quiet many of those who have questioned him in one form or another over the years – the ones who are likely predicting it will all finally catch up to him once he sees high-level competition on a regular basis in the UFC.
"Let's see how this fight goes, and let's see how people react after this," a confident Mousasi said.
Make a statement and parlay it into a title eliminator. Now that would be sweeter than Yoo-hoo
Everyone has a friend who's kind of like Gegard Mousasi.
He's the guy who comes to your Saturday night bowling outing, posts a score of 195 (despite not having done it in years), and sheepishly shrugs his shoulders on the way back to his seat.
You're buying his drinks the rest of the night because he's been blessed with whatever requisite combination of physical ability and mental acumen allows someone to succeed in just about any sporting endeavor. He's seemingly good at whatever he tries, even when it looks like he isn't trying. And he knows it.
So what would happen if he employed a laser-like focus on bowling and only bowling? What if he hired the best coaches in the world, studied film of his motions, and was on the lanes four hours a day, six days a week alongside other elite bowlers, for a number of years?
To quote Calvert Munson, father of Woody Harrelson's character Roy in the movie "Kingpin," well, "You put that in a bottle, you got something sweeter than Yoo-hoo."
The 27-year-old Mousasi has been formulating his concoction not on the lanes, but in the realm of MMA for nearly a decade. It's been sweet at times, the converse on occasion, and everywhere in between.
To this day nobody knows quite what to make of him – what his motivations may or may not be, his training habits, various highs and lows in the cage (or ring), his general disposition.
Frankly, it's part of his charm.
"I just go in and do my job the best I can and take care of my family," Mousasi told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "That's how I see it."
Competing and making a living doing so is what gets him going. The training is a perfunctory exercise. It's a necessary evil.
"I don't think I have a passion for [training]," Mousasi said. "I have been taking it easy in the past. But for the last fight (a submission win over Mike Kyle in Strikeforce), I trained very well for it, and I think the result was there.
"I have been training (all along). But I think the quality of the training and people pushing me, stuff like that, I have lacked in the past."
Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) appears to have turned a corner. He made sure he had a coach for each discipline and proper sparring on a consistent basis for the Kyle fight. He didn't really have either prior to it.
It has continued in his preparations for Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC). The pair – for now – is scheduled to headline UFC on FUEL TV 9, which takes place Saturday at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. As recently reported, Gustafsson recently suffered a facial cut and could be pulled from the card. But for now, both light heavyweights remain on the card.
In preparation for the fight, the Netherlands-based Mousasi has split time between Chakuriki Gym and Bert Kops' Gym in Amsterdam, in addition to his work at Team Jurojin in Leiden. He also travels to Rotterdam for strength and conditioning.
He'd offer up a regret or two about his previous setups, but he doesn't have any. He's always been comfortable training in and around the Netherlands the vast majority of the time, which is where he's lived since his family left Iran when he was 4 years old.
Mousasi has seen other top European fighters such as Gustafsson, Dan Hardy and Ross Pearson make the move to the U.S. in recent years to seek out elite training. That's all well and good with him, but Mousasi knows it doesn't necessarily correlate with success.
"I see a lot of people training at famous gyms, but that doesn't mean they're winning their fights," he said. "You can do it wherever you are. I don't think you have to be training with the very best fighter to win your fight. You can train in Siberia and you can do it."
You could even be the best fighter on the planet with the best resources at your disposal, and it still might not matter.
"It's a fight," Mousasi said. "You can get caught with a punch. (That) doesn't mean your training was bad. Or you get caught in a submission. Anything can happen."
Mousasi is also rare in that he's one of those fighters with whom you're never really sure what might happen when he takes his toolbox into the cage. At times he shows a lack of strategy and an unwillingness to stick to a game plan like he demonstrated against Keith Jardine. Or he'll get taken down nearly a dozen times by Muhammad Lawal. Or he'll fatigue late, get mounted, and lose a round to a developing prospect like Ovince St. Preux.
Other times, he's brilliant. Exposing the chin of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza with a perfectly timed upkick. Controlling K-1 heavyweight champion Kyotaro almost single-handedly with his jab in a kickboxing match. Pummeling Renato "Babalu" Sobral with ground-and-pound strikes and turning his lights out in a minute flat in his U.S. debut.
And then there's that puzzling demeanor of his.
Outside the cage Mousasi is a man of few words, but he has a friendly personality and a good sense of humor. Inside the cage is a different story. It's impossible to identify any nonverbal cues, which is all by design, of course. He's certified stolid.
"I don't have any emotions (on fight night)," Mousasi said. "I'm not angry. I'm not happy. It's just fighting."
Early in his combat sports career, he fought with a great deal of aggression, but he learned over time it was counterproductive. As far back as anyone can remember, he's showed up to A fight looking like he just woke up from a peaceful nap. His former training partner and friend Fedor Emelianenko was the same way.
Collectively, the head-scratching material (for lack of a better descriptor), which makes Mousasi who he is, has lead to an underlying perception that he flat out doesn't care. He looks and sounds like he'd rather be doing something else. He's not committed, the detractors say. He's simply coasting on his natural gifts.
So is he aware of how he's viewed by a healthy slice of the MMA community?
"I don't know, maybe," Mousasi said with a laugh. "I don't care."
Did you get that? He doesn't care that you think he doesn't care. That's beautiful.
But let's not kid ourselves. He has to have been doing a lot of things right. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has all the physical gifts in the world, trains at a high-level gym in Team Quest, and by all accounts, is dedicated to his craft.
But Sokoudjou doesn't need a room addition to his house for all the hardware he's accumulated over the years. Mousasi has an amateur boxing title, middleweight MMA titles in Cage Warriors and DREAM, and light heavyweight titles in DREAM and Strikeforce.
The thing about Mousasi is you don't have to try to figure him out. It's better just to sit back and see what transpires. The never-ending contrasts are what make him a compelling figure.
"A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma," as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker once described him.
Actually, that was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill describing Russia in 1939, but it's still apropos.
One piece of hardware Mousasi is still missing is a UFC championship belt. He's never had the opportunity. He doesn't believe a win over Gustafsson will be enough to earn a shot at it, but he wouldn't turn it down either. He's interested in Lyoto Machida as an opponent if everything plays out like he expects.
A win over Gustafsson would validate him in many ways. It would quiet many of those who have questioned him in one form or another over the years – the ones who are likely predicting it will all finally catch up to him once he sees high-level competition on a regular basis in the UFC.
"Let's see how this fight goes, and let's see how people react after this," a confident Mousasi said.
Make a statement and parlay it into a title eliminator. Now that would be sweeter than Yoo-hoo
Gustafsson Out Of UFC on FUEL Main Event, Replaced By Training Parter
Gustafsson is being replaced by his training partner Iliir Latifa. lol never heard of this guy, but he does have a win over Tony Lopez who ain't no joke. Glad a fight is still happening, sucks Gus got cut so bad 5 days before the fight. Don't know why in the hell he was sparring that hard so close to fight time anyway though.
Y! SPORTS
With Alexander Gustafsson sidelined due to a severe cut, his replacement will be a Sledgehammer, not an Axe Murderer.
Less than 24 hours after the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation made it official that Gustafsson would not be allowed to fight, UFC officials enlisted the next best 205-pound Swede, Gustafsson training partner Ilir Latifa, to fight Gegard Mousasi in Saturday’s UFC on Fuel TV 9 main event.
Mousasi will face Iliir Latifa this Saturday live on
@FUEL
tv Latifa is from Sweden and training partner of Gustafsson.
— Dana White ( D @DANA white) April 2, 2013
If you’re asking yourself who Ilir Latifa is, you’re probably not alone. Known in Sweden as one of the country’s top light heavyweights outside of Gustafsson, Latifa hasn’t spent much time in the limelight.
Latifa’s biggest wins have come over the likes of King of the Cage champion Tony Lopez and WEC veteran Jorge Oliveira. He will, however, receive the biggest opportunity of his career on the biggest stage in the mixed martial arts world, a UFC main event.
The fight came about when Gustafsson was declared ineligible just four days prior to the event slated for Ericsson Global Arena in Stockholm. That left very little time to find a replacement that would be prepared both physically and with the necessary travel documents to make it in time for the fight, leaving UFC officials to enlist a home grown talent.
Former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva on Monday talked himself up as Gustafsson’s replacement, but following several interviews and confirmations to news outlets, the Axe Murder later admitted his declarations were an April Fools’ Day related hoax.
UFC president Dana White had insisted as recently as Monday that the fight card had not changed, and that Gustafsson wanted to fight. Weekend statements by SMMAF president George Sallfeldt skeptical that Gustafsson could gain clearance came to a head on Tuesday when the sanctioning body’s medical board ruled that Gustafsson would not be allowed to fight.
Enter Latifa into a three-round main event bout with Mousasi.
Mousasi, like Latifa, is also making his UFC debut on Saturday, but his resume dwarfs that of the 7-2 Swede. Mousasi maintains a professional record of 33-3-2, has held the light heavyweight championship for both Strikeforce and Dream, and is largely regarded as one of the top 205-pound fighters in the world.
To be sure, it’s an obscure UFC main event, with two debuting fighters, but it is one built from circumstance due to timing and logistics.
Gustafsson is being replaced by his training partner Iliir Latifa. lol never heard of this guy, but he does have a win over Tony Lopez who ain't no joke. Glad a fight is still happening, sucks Gus got cut so bad 5 days before the fight. Don't know why in the hell he was sparring that hard so close to fight time anyway though.
Y! SPORTS
With Alexander Gustafsson sidelined due to a severe cut, his replacement will be a Sledgehammer, not an Axe Murderer.
Less than 24 hours after the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation made it official that Gustafsson would not be allowed to fight, UFC officials enlisted the next best 205-pound Swede, Gustafsson training partner Ilir Latifa, to fight Gegard Mousasi in Saturday’s UFC on Fuel TV 9 main event.
Mousasi will face Iliir Latifa this Saturday live on
@FUEL
tv Latifa is from Sweden and training partner of Gustafsson.— Dana White ( D @DANA white) April 2, 2013
If you’re asking yourself who Ilir Latifa is, you’re probably not alone. Known in Sweden as one of the country’s top light heavyweights outside of Gustafsson, Latifa hasn’t spent much time in the limelight.
Latifa’s biggest wins have come over the likes of King of the Cage champion Tony Lopez and WEC veteran Jorge Oliveira. He will, however, receive the biggest opportunity of his career on the biggest stage in the mixed martial arts world, a UFC main event.
The fight came about when Gustafsson was declared ineligible just four days prior to the event slated for Ericsson Global Arena in Stockholm. That left very little time to find a replacement that would be prepared both physically and with the necessary travel documents to make it in time for the fight, leaving UFC officials to enlist a home grown talent.
Former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva on Monday talked himself up as Gustafsson’s replacement, but following several interviews and confirmations to news outlets, the Axe Murder later admitted his declarations were an April Fools’ Day related hoax.
UFC president Dana White had insisted as recently as Monday that the fight card had not changed, and that Gustafsson wanted to fight. Weekend statements by SMMAF president George Sallfeldt skeptical that Gustafsson could gain clearance came to a head on Tuesday when the sanctioning body’s medical board ruled that Gustafsson would not be allowed to fight.
Enter Latifa into a three-round main event bout with Mousasi.
Mousasi, like Latifa, is also making his UFC debut on Saturday, but his resume dwarfs that of the 7-2 Swede. Mousasi maintains a professional record of 33-3-2, has held the light heavyweight championship for both Strikeforce and Dream, and is largely regarded as one of the top 205-pound fighters in the world.
To be sure, it’s an obscure UFC main event, with two debuting fighters, but it is one built from circumstance due to timing and logistics.