MMA News Thread

[RM211]

Frankie Edgar discusses marketability, thinks UFC 162 win could net title shot

As Frankie Edgar attended UFC 159 this past weekend in his home state, the New Jersey native was reminded how much a fighter's marketability factors into matchmaking.

Chael Sonnen, who on paper had a weak case for a shot at UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones' title, nonetheless got the pay-per-view headliner, and by all early indications, he helped make it a financially successful event.

Edgar admits he'll never by the trash-talker Sonnen is. However, the former lightweight champion, who's currently stuck in a three-fight losing streak following a drop in weight class and a failed bid at featherweight champ Jose Aldo's belt, believes one more win could get him another shot.

"Let's be real about the way this goes," he told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) on the night of UFC 159. "It's not always the No. 1 contender that gets the title shots. Look at tonight. It's who they invest money in and who's a known name. In the lighter weights, just being that I've fought seven title fights in a row, I think I'm that guy. So I think it makes sense for them, and it obviously makes sense for me."

That's why he believes he's just a win or two away from another fight with Aldo, or with Antony Pettis, who meets the champ in August at UFC 163. One pay-per-view event earlier, Edgar (15-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) meets fellow featherweight Charles Oliveira (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC 162.

"I'm going to go out there and fight to the best of my ability, and I hope it's enough to get the attention toward my way," he said.

Edgar is a bit of a riddle. He's lost three straight and is 1-3-1 in his past five fights. But even the losses – two to Benson Henderson and one to Aldo – were close, and Edgar easily could have won any or all. A victory over Oliveira likely will shoot him up the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA featherweight rankings, where he's an honorable mention simply due to the lack of a win in the division.

For the first time in three years and six fights, he won't headline a show when he fights at UFC 162. Edgar knows title losses are largely forgivable, especially when they're so close, but he also knows a defeat to Oliveira could be a substantial setback for his title hopes.

So is it refreshing not to be the center of attention and to have a little pressure taken off him?

"It kind of is, but what are we doing this for?" he said. "I want to do this to be the best and carry cards and be a headline guy. You don't want to get comfortable saying, 'It's kind of nice to not having all the attention.' That's what pays the bills."

So in his current training camp, he's working diligently on one obvious hole in his game: slow starts. For the first time in seven fights, Edgar won't fight more than three rounds. That makes a quick start and winning rounds decisively even more important.

"I'm always trying to improve in all areas, and that's definitely something that being in these close fights brings to my attention," he said. "I've got to either do something to make this gap wider, where there's no doubt, or finish fights. So I'm definitely working on it in the gym."

 

[RM211]

Diego Sanchez returns at UFC 164 in Milwaukee

Following a narrow split-decision win over Takanori Gomi in March, veteran UFC lightweight Diego Sanchez will return in August at UFC 164.

Sanchez (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) today revealed the fight date on MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMA Radio, UFC Radio - MMAjunkie Radio*–*MMAjunkie.com).

No opponent has been set, but "The Ultimate Fighter 1" winner and former title challenger said there are too many good options to name them all.

"I talked to (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva yesterday, and he penciled me in for Aug. 31," Sanchez said. "We're looking at opponents. I did like I always do and said, 'Look, you're the man, Joe. You're the one who makes all these big matchups. And I'm, in my opinion, in the most stacked division in the UFC, and there are plenty of great fights out there, and you'll hook me up with a good scrap.'"

UFC 164 takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. According to Sanchez, he will be part of the night's pay-per-view main card. Currently, he's the only fighter rumored for the card.

But as for a possible opponent? Sanchez said there are plenty of options. He mentioned Pat Healy, Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner (who recently called him out) all as possibilities.

"There are so many good fights in that division that I couldn't narrow it down to one," he said.

So he said the onus is now on Silva to pick one he likes.

Sanchez, who last vied for a title in 2009, is currently on a 3-1 run, which included victories over welterweights Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. After a loss to Jake Ellenberger, he returned to lightweight and picked up the controversial win over Gomi at UFC on FUEL TV 8.

Now, he's hoping for a final run at the belt. And if a fellow hopeful wants to meet him at UFC 164 and calls him out, he understands.

"I'm totally used to it," he said. "I don't take it as any disrespect at all. I see it as an honor. If someone wants to fight me, that's a compliment."

 

[RM211]

Twelve-bout UFC 160 lineup set, Pyle vs. Story serves as featured prelim

The 12-bout lineup for next month's "UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2" event is now complete.

UFC 160 takes place May 25 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

In addition to the night's heavyweight championship headliner between current title holder Cain Velasquez (11-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and challenger Antonio Silva (18-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), the event's pay-per-view main card also features heavyweights Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) vs. Mark Hunt (9-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC), light heavyweights James Te Huna (16-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) vs. Glover Teixeira (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), lightweights T.J. Grant (20-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. Gray Maynard (11-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and lightweights Donald Cerrone (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. K.J. Noons (11-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

In addition to the night's pay-per-view broadcast, FX carries a four-fight "UFC Prelims" broadcast that sees welterweights Mike Pyle (24-8-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. Rick Story (15-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in the featured slot.

Additionally the night starts out with three contests that stream on Facebook, a section headlined by welterweights Nah-Shon Burrell (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Stephen Thompson (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

With the official broadcast plans announced, the full UFC 160 lineup now includes:

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

Champ Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva - for heavyweight title
Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt
James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira
T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

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

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story
Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway
Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:35 p.m. ET)

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Stephen Thompson
Brian Bowles vs. George Roop
Estevan Payan vs. Jeremy Stephens

 

[RM211]

Veteran cutman 'Stitch' Duran recounts triage of Jon Jones' 'hitchhiking' toe

Jacob "Stitch" Duran was already walking down the stairs leading out of the octagon and planned to catch a bus to UFC 159's host hotel when he heard UFC commentator Joe Rogan say Jon Jones' toe was broken.

"So I put everything on hold," Duran on Monday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMA Radio, UFC Radio - MMAjunkie Radio*–*MMAjunkie.com).

Moments earlier, Duran walked into the cage and discovered he had little work to do on the light-heavyweight champion – only brush some sweat from his brow after he pounded Chael Sonnen for a first-round TKO this past Saturday in the pay-per-view event's headliner.

Even earlier in the night, Duran had wrapped the hands of Jones, who joked he was going to change his nickname from "Bones" to its Spanish equivalent, "Huesos." (Duran is of Hispanic descent and is fluent in Spanish.)

Duran, nicknamed "Stitch," didn't flinch when he saw Jones had broken his left toe, as it turned out in the midst of his assault.

Jones, meanwhile, looked like he was going to faint.

"A fan said it best: It looked like he was hitchhiking," Duran said.

Then the veteran cutman sprung into action, straightening and wrapping Jones' toe with a bandage he called "Qwick-aid," culled from the Duran's own Stitch Premium product line, which he said has a special type of cotton that is ideal for serious wounds.

"I said, 'Jon, are you in any pain? Are you OK?' He said, 'Yeah, I'm OK,'" said Duran, who added that he loosened the wrap slightly when he felt Jones' leg jerk in pain.

As MMAjunkie.com medical consultant Johnny Benjamin noted earlier, infection was a serious danger for Jones, who was fitted with a makeshift boot and briefly attended the event's post-event press conference at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., before being taken to an area hospital.

"It's like a triage when you're in the battlefields, you've got to get this warrior prepped up so they can take him to the hospital," Duran said. "I was in the right place at the right time.

"I was talking to doctors in Las Vegas, and they were saying [the bandage has] a matrix that really coagulates the blood, but in doing that, not only does it coagulate the blood, it draws the impurities out."

Jones has yet to reveal the status of his injury and how long it will keep him out of action. His trainer, Greg Jackson, said he is waiting for an update.

According to UFC President Dana White, the champ could sit on the sidelines while a No. 1 contender match materializes, but he cautioned that it's too early to tell.

Jones tweeted on Sunday, "Screw my big toe, I'm on a mission. No time to slow down now," after saying a planned post-fight trip to Jamaica was off. Today, he tweeted a picture of what looked like a corporate office for Coca-Cola, writing, "Big things ahead."

The champ already has inked a high-profile deal with Nike, who created the "Bones Jones" line he wore to the octagon this past Saturday. Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) has defended his title five times, tying a record set by UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz.

 

[RM211]

UFC pledges to hold at least four events per year in New York in first three years of

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to dedicate itself to New York, despite getting the cold shoulder from the Empire State.

With the chances of MMA legalization in New York in 2013 looking dimmer with each passing day, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta stated on Tuesday that the promotion would hold at least four events per year in the first three years MMA is legal and regulated once again in New York.

"If UFC hosted events in Buffalo’s First Niagara Center, Syracuse’s Carrier Dome, Albany’s Times Union Center, and either of New York City’s premiere venues, we would sell more than 85,000 tickets, generating more than $12 million in tickets sales and more than $1 million – just from those ticket sales – in direct state revenue," Fertitta stated in a press release.

"That does not begin to count the state and local sales tax revenue from concession and merchandise sales at the arenas, parking, hotel rooms, restaurants, and other expenditures by UFC fans. It also does not count the income tax revenue from the union workers who will be employed at those venues," Fertitta said. "And that’s just UFC. We know there will be scores more professional MMA events held across the state by other national, regional and local MMA promoters."

Historically, the UFC hasn't held more than two shows in the same state in a calendar year outside its home base of Nevada.

The state Senate has passed legislation to legalize MMA four times, including this year, however, the bill has never been brought up for a vote in the Assembly. The bill must also pass in the Assembly for it to go into effect. According to the New York Daily News, 63 of the 150 Assembly members have signed in favor of the bill so far.

The same report also states that Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, has spent $1.6 million dollars since 2007 in lobbying and campaign contributions to help get the sport legalized in the state for the first time since 1997.

On Saturday, the UFC held an event in Newark, N.J., headlined by Jon Jones, a New York-native. The card drew 15,227 fans and a gate of $2.7 million.

After proclaiming late last year that the promotion had reserved a November date at Madison Square Garden in New York for the UFC's 20th anniversary show, UFC president Dana White seemed much less optimistic last week when discussing the possibility of holding a show in Manhattan this year.

"It's not even that I'm pessimistic," White said. "I just don't care anymore."

"I'm just over it."

 

[RM211]

Bummed but not broken, Rich Franklin eying UFC return before end of year

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin has accomplished quite a bit in his mixed martial arts career. He's earned and defended a UFC title, coached on a reality show, fought elite opposition in two weight classes all over the world, earned the admiration of adoring fans and the list goes on. At 38 years of age, however, and acknowledging his time in the sport in 'limited', what's really left for him to do?

Truthfully, Franklin isn't entirely sure about what his fighting future's going to look like. What he does know, however, is that no one should be perceiving his silence since his loss to Cung Le at UFC on FUEL TV 6 in November as proof he's mulling over retirement.

"I haven't been sitting on my end thinking about retirement," Franklin told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour Monday. "I don't want any of the fans out there to think, 'Oh, Rich is just out there contemplating retiring.'"

Fair enough, but what has he been doing?

As he explained, he's not done fighting, but knows he needs to at least begin planning for what's next. He's in the process of opening two juice bars in the Los Angeles area at the moment, realizing he'll need to set up avenues of income when the UFC checks stop coming in.

"The loss to Cung was a big setback for me. Unexpected in my camp," Franklin said. "I'm kind of sitting here thinking what's my next move going to be. And I realized I'm 38 years old and my time is limited in the sport. I know that I'm not going to be fighting another 10 years. I have to start think about the things that I'm doing outside of MMA.

"At this point in time, I'm actually out in L.A. currently. I'm looking at some retail locations for an organic juice business that I'm opening up. We were looking at some possible opening dates and things like that and the opening dates got shifted back a little bit," he said.

The UFC was happy to give him the time off and as Franklin explained, they told him to call them when he was ready to be scheduled for another fight.

"I'd have to check my contract. I have at least one more fight, possibly two more fights left on my contract. I always said I would definitely like to fulfill my contract, so, looking at that, I at least have that much.

"I'm not saying I'm only planning on fighting once or twice more," Franklin clarified, " but as soon as I get this stuff going on my end with this juice business and things are kind of moving in the direction that they should be moving, then I am going to be focused more on, instead of recreationally training, back on specific fight training. And I'll look at taking another fight at that point in time, which could possibly be before the end of the year."

While the juice business plans might be in full swing, Franklin has been reluctant to talk about that loss that caused him to take free time to open the juice business to begin with: the devastating knockout loss to Le. As Franklin explained, it was a particularly difficult defeat to accept.

"Every loss is unique," he lamented. "This one kind of took a while. I'd moved back down to 185 [pounds]. I had a great performance prior to that against Wanderlei [Silva] in Brazil and was feeling really good. My body was in great shape. I'd conducted at least half my camp down in Singapore at Evolve for that fight. Things were going really well. I did everything I needed to do, made all the sacrifices that I needed to make for that fight.

"I think going into that, because camps had gone well and I made the sacrifices I needed to make, I could never see how I would've lost that fight. And then when you come up on the short end of the stick, you're stuck wondering," Franklin said.

He continued: "Often times when you lose a fight, you can at least sit in your locker room or when you go back to the drawing board, you can look and say, 'Here's where I messed up. There was a day where maybe I cut this practice short or I should've spent more time doing this or should've been doing that.'

"When that happens, you kind of leave that situation scratching your head saying 'what more could I have possibly done?' And the answer to that question really is nothing. It's just, things happen the way they do sometimes."

Franklin isn't ruling out another title run, although he's the first to acknowledge the Le loss was particularly bad for him in terms of his divisional placement. He also contends he isn't delusional about his age. While he knows he's not at his peak as an athlete, his coaches around him state he hasn't lost a step yet. Even former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes called him to say retiring after the loss to Le would be a premature move.

That's why Franklin's staying busy. While he mulls his next move and figures out his calendar, he's planting the seeds for his post-fight career. It's just time off, time away and maybe the chance to reflect on what happened and what's next.

Whatever it is, it isn't retirement.

"I haven't really begun talking about retirement or anything like that," Franklin insists. "I'm just kind of laser focused onto something else for the time being."

 

[RM211]

Thiago Alves vs. Matt Brown targeted for UFC on FOX Sports 1 in Boston

A welterweight fight between Thiago Alves (19-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and Matt Brown (17-11 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is targeted for the UFC's late-summer return to Boston.

Sources with knowledge of the bout on Saturday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) of the planned fight, which MMAFighting.com reported earlier in the day.

The UFC debuts on the new FOX Sports 1 cable network with a live event from TD Bank Garden in Boston on Aug. 17, the same day the network launches. Live UFC events on the channel will replace events currently airing on FX and FUEL TV.

While Alves-Brown is the first fight to materialize for the card, UFC President Dana White recently told a small group of reporters prior to UFC 159 in Newark, N.J., that the event would be "the best television card we've ever done."

Alves will return to the octagon for the first time since a March 2012 loss to Martin Kampmann in Australia. In that fight, he was winning handily deep into the third round. But going after a takedown, Kampmann caught him in a guillotine choke to finish the fight. Alves was expected to return at UFC 149 in July 2012, but pulled out with an injury. He then elected to take the time to rehab several nagging ailments with the hope of a stronger return.

A seven-fight win streak earned him a shot at welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100, a fight he lost by unanimous decision to set off his current 2-4 stretch.

The surging Brown has won five straight and six of his past seven to become one of the hottest fighters in the 170-pound division. At UFC on FOX 7 two weeks ago, he picked up a "Fight of the Night" bonus by stopping Jordan Mein with a second-round TKO. At UFC on FOX 5, he knocked out Mike Swick in the second round.

In his five-fight run, he has four knockout or TKO stoppages, and his lone decision win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 145 was a dominant performance that included a pair of 30-27 scores. His current run came after a three-fight skid and four losses in five fights had his UFC job in jeopardy.

 

[RM211]

Mark Hunt reveals visa issues ahead of UFC 160, remains confident fight still on

UFC heavyweight contender Mark Hunt (9-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is having a few struggles traveling to the U.S. in advance of his UFC 160 bout with Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), but "The Super Samoan" remains confident the bout will go on as planned.

"Denied again at airport," Hunt wrote on Twitter. "I'm never helping anymore d---head mates."

Earlier this week, Hunt revealed he was told he didn't have the proper paperwork necessary to fly from his native New Zealand to the U.S., where he's scheduled to meet dos Santos later this month. At the time, Hunt said he anticipated only a short delay while waiting for his passport to be shipped to him from Australia.

"Well wed is the day I'm out," Hunt wrote on Monday. "Got to wait for my old passport coming from aus."

Things unfortunately took a turn for the worse today, as he was again denied an opportunity to board a flight bound for the U.S.

"Getting real tired of this s---," Hunt wrote. "This is wat happens wen u have friends that are d---heads the last f---n time I help these mother f---n trouble makers.

"Denied again at airport I'm never helping anymore d---head mates."

While there were some initial reports that Hunt had been arrested in New Zealand, Hunt wrote to MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) on Twitter that the issues were tied to an event that took place more than a decade ago.

"It was a incident that happened 2002," Hunt wrote.

Hunt has since said UFC officials are assisting him with his paperwork and he is expected to fly out some time Friday night (Australia and New Zealand are one calendar day ahead of U.S. time).

UFC officials declined comment on the matter, and initial attempts to reach Hunt by phone were unsuccessful.

UFC 160 takes place May 25 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The evening's main card airs on pay-per-view.

 

[RM211]

Chael Sonnen continues push for Wanderlei Silva fight, issues 24-hour deadline

Recent UFC light-heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen is still pushing for a fight with Wanderlei Silva – and he's given the Brazilian a 24-hour deadline to give the green light.

"Wand- you have 24 hours to accept," Sonnen tweeted Wednesday night. "If you do, I will donate 10% of my purse to help schools in your hometown of Curitiba .. I mean, VEGAS."

Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC), who previously said he chose Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) because he wants "an easy fight" and because "Wanderlei is broke," began campaigning for the matchup soon after his April 27 title loss to Jon Jones. The bout marked the former top middleweight contender's return to the division, where he competed early in his career.

However, immediately after the lopsided defeat to Jones, Sonnen said he was undecided on retirement, though a few days later he said he planned to stay at 205 pounds and wanted to fight Silva.

With both fighters far from a title shot, it's a marketable option with two proven names. The bout, in fact, is a possibility for the debut UFC on FOX Sports 1 card in Boston on Aug. 17.

Silva, who had been competing at middleweight and in catchweight fights, most recently fought in March, when he moved up to 205 pounds and scored a rousing knockout win over Brian Stann in UFC on FUEL TV 8's headliner. It marked his second win in three fights, which also included a TKO victory over former Strikeforce champion Cung Le.

 

[RM211]

Former UFC interim champ Shane Carwin announces retirement from MMA

Approaching two years since his last fight, former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin on Tuesday announced his retirement from MMA.

Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) leaves the sport on a two-fight skid, but more importantly after fighting through injuries and surgeries.

Carwin posted on his Twitter account late Tuesday: "Officially retired 2day thank you to my family, friends and fans! #dreambig GOD BLESS!!!"

Carwin last fought at UFC 131 in June 2011 against Junior dos Santos in a heavyweight title eliminator. He took dos Santos the distance, but dropped a unanimous decision.

Several months later, he said he expected to be back by the start of 2012. But not long after that, he revealed back surgery would sideline him until the middle of 2012.

That recovery took longer than planned, but Carwin hoped to return in the fall. While recovering, he was tapped to coach Season 16 of "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Roy Nelson, with a fight planned for December.

But a month before the fight, a knee injury knocked Carwin out of that bout.

And after a neck surgery in 2011, the back surgery and the knee injury, the 38-year-old Carwin elected to hang up the gloves.

Carwin signed with the UFC in 2008 after starting his pro career 8-0 with eight first-round stoppages, including Ring of Fire's heavyweight title.

His run of first-round finishes continued in the UFC with knockout wins over Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga.

In March 2010, with champion Brock Lesnar sidelined, Carwin fought Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title and finished Mir with a "Knockout of the Night" performance – also in the first round.

That win set up a title unification fight against Lesnar, and through five minutes, Carwin appeared on the way to the belt. After taking a beating from Carwin, Lesnar survived the round – and Carwin had nothing left in the tank in the second, eventually tapping to an arm-triangle choke.

Carwin underwent his neck surgery later that year, then returned for the fight with Dos Santos – which would be his last.

Amazingly, in Carwin's 12-0 start to his career, his fights averaged just 81 seconds.

 

[RM211]

Melvin Manhoef faces Mamed Khalidov at KSW 23

Mamed Khalidov, considered by some to be the top-ranked middleweight outside of the UFC, will take on Melvin Manhoef in the main event of KSW 23 next month.

The event takes place on June 8 at Ergo Arena in Gdansk/Sopot, Poland.

The match features two of the top finishers in the division. Manhoef has stopped opponents in all of his wins, with 25 career knockouts and two submissions, while Khalidov has 11 KO's, 14 submissions and only one decision among his 26 victories.

Khalidov has only lost once since Oct. 2005, a span over 26 bouts. He holds wins over former or current UFC fighters Jorge Santiago, Igor Pokrajac, Rodney Wallace, James Irvin, Matt Lindland and Kendall Grove.

He's won each of his last five fights by stoppage, including a submission win over Grove in his most recent bout. He has in the past been offered a UFC deal but passed, saying he made more money fighting in KSW.

Meanwhile, his opponent Manhoef has chased a UFC deal, but has not been able to secure one. His campaign was set back in his most recent performance, a decision loss to Brock Larson at ONE FC 8. That defeat snapped a three-fight win streak for the 36-year-old, who has a career record of 27-10-1 with 1 no contest.

KSW 23 will also feature the return of strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski in the co-main event against an opponent yet to be named, along with Grove taking on Michal Materla.

 

[RM211]

Wanderlei Silva responds to Chael Sonnen's challenge – but too late?

Chael Sonnen wanted a fight with Wanderlei Silva. And maybe he has one – or maybe Silva responded too late.

Silva responded to Sonnen's recent 24-hour challenge on Tuesday's edition of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV. But Sonnen, the show's co-host, had a quick rebuttal – and implied that Silva's response may have been moot.

This past week, Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) took to his Twitter account to issue a challenge to Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC).

"Wand- you have 24 hours to accept," Sonnen tweeted a week ago. "If you do, I will donate 10% of my purse to help schools in your hometown of Curitiba .. I mean, VEGAS."

Sonnen this past month challenge Jon Jones for his light heavyweight title, moving up from middleweight. But he lost by first-round TKO at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J., and never really gave much of a threat in the fight.

Following that fight, Sonnen said he would stick around at light heavyweight rather than retire – and mentioned Silva as someone he'd like to fight. The Twitter challenge followed.

On Tuesday, Silva responded to Sonnen, well outside of Sonnen's 24-hour deadline.

"Jon Jones and Anderson (Silva) have been too nice to Chael," Silva told "UFC Tonight" correspondent Ariel Helwani. "I want to suck his blood. I want to smell it. Not just fight. Not just fight. I want to hurt him. Chael is a joke, man. He’s going to be second forever. He’s never going to be first."

Sonnen, naturally, responded as only Sonnen can.

"I think the real breaking news there is that Wanderlei Silva put together a coherent sentence that somebody understood," Sonnen said. "But I can assure you, Wanderlei, I will not be signing a contract for you to suck on any part of me. I suggest you go to a bath and find yourself."

Rumors have circulated online that Sonnen and Silva may be targeted for the headlining spot on the UFC's debut on FOX Sports 1, which takes place Aug. 17 in Boston. The UFC has made no announcements for the main event of that card.

 

[RM211]

After failed marijuana test, UFC's Pat Healy loses at least $130,000 in bonuses

An evening with old friends ultimately will cost UFC lightweight Pat Healy at least $130,000 in lost bonuses.

As MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) reported Tuesday, Healy (29-16 MMA, 0-1 UFC) failed a post-fight drug test following his recent UFC 159 win over fellow lightweight Jim Miller (22-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC). His third-round submission victory has been overturned to a no-contest, and he's been suspended 90 days, according to Healy.

Additionally, though the organization hasn't made a formal announcement, Healy must surrender his $65,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus and a $65,000 "Submission of the Night" award, as well as his undisclosed win bonus for the April 27 fight, which took place in Newark, N.J.

Healy, who fessed up to marijuana use in a prepared statement, used the drug while out with his friends a month before the fight, according to Phil Claud, Healy's trainer at Sports Lab in Portland, Ore.

It's a costly penalty for a non-performance-enhancing drug – one that can stay in a fighter's system far longer than most other drugs. The system for penalizing marijuana users has come under fire in recent months, especially as the legal use of testosterone-replacement therapy remains an issue in the sport. Still, Healy stated he should have been a "better role model."

The UFC recently changed its policy and currently withholds fight-night bonuses until drug-testing results are available.

The bout would have been Healy's seventh consecutive win following a successful run in the now-defunct Strikeforce promotion, where a promised title shot with then-champ Gilbert Melendez never materialized.

 

[RM211]

Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera heavyweight bout targeted for UFC 164 in Milwaukee

Two UFC veterans are targeted to meet in a fight that could very well send the loser packing from the octagon.

Multiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) that Ben Rothwell (32-9 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Brandon Vera (12-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) are targeted to meet at UFC 164.

UFC 164 takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee and will be the promotion's second trip to Wisconsin. The main card will air on pay-per-view, though it is not yet know if Rothwell-Vera will be part of the main card or the prelims.

The bout would be Vera's first in the heavyweight division in more than five years, in addition to his first appearance in 12 months. "The Truth" most recently appeared this past August at UFC on FOX 4, where he fought Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in an unofficial title eliminator. He lost via fourth-round TKO.

Debuting in the UFC as a heavyweight, Vera rocketed up the ranks with four straight wins before losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum sent him to the light heavyweight class. There, he struggled to build momentum, going 4-4 with one no-contest, which arose when his opponent, Thiago Silva, admitted to submitting fake urine for his drug test.

Rothwell, meanwhile, has hopscotched between wins and losses since his exit from the now-defunct IFL. Notably, he rebounded with a first-round KO of Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 before being submitted in his most recent outing by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC on FX 7.

 

[RM211]

Lauzon-Johnson, Alves-Brown now official for UFC on FOX Sports 1 debut in Boston

A pair of previously reported fights for the UFC's return to Boston later this summer now are official.

Welterweights Thiago Alves (19-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and Matt Brown (17-11 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will meet, as will lightweights Joe Lauzon (22-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Michael Johnson (12-8 MMA, 4-4 UFC) at the first event on UFC on FOX Sports 1.

The UFC late Monday made the two bouts official for the card, which takes place at TD Bank Garden in Boston on Aug. 17. The main card will air on FOX Sports 1, which debuts that same day.

Lauzon is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jim Miller at UFC 155 this past December in Las Vegas. Before that, he picked up a double bonus for "Submission of the Night" and "Fight of the Night" for his third-round tapout of Jamie Varner at UFC on FOX 4 this past August. Lauzon has won nine bonus awards in his past nine fights.

Johnson will be trying to get back in the win column after a submission loss this past month in Sweden to Reza Madadi. At UFC 155 in December, he dropped a unanimous decision to Myles Jury, which snapped a three-fight win streak for the "TUF 12" runner-up.

Alves will return for the first time since a March 2012 loss to Martin Kampmann in Australia. Alves was expected to return at UFC 149 in July 2012, but pulled out with an injury. He then elected to take the time to rehab several nagging ailments with the hope of a stronger return. He had a seven-fight win streak that got him a shot at welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100, a fight he lost by unanimous decision. But since then, he's just 2-4.

Brown has won five straight and six of his past seven to become one of the hottest fighters in the 170-pound division. At UFC on FOX 7 this past month, he picked up a "Fight of the Night" bonus by stopping Jordan Mein with a second-round TKO. At UFC on FOX 5, he knocked out Mike Swick in the second round. In his five-fight run, he has four knockout or TKO stoppages.

 

[InfamousICON]

Pat Healy is a fucking moron for that. Do I believe weed should be illegal in MMA? Fuck no, but the fact it is I can't feel sorry for the guy especially after Nick Diaz, Dave Herman, Jake Shields, Thiago Silva, Bruce Leeroy etc. all getting popped for weed and got their decisions over turned.

Pro athletes need to be smarter than that, now he's $130k poorer. Crazy thing is dude probably hasn't made $130k total over the course of the last few years. Keep seeing all these sob stories on MMA forums about feeling sorry for the guy, but I can't do it.

 

[InfamousICON]

Bryan Caraway Awarded Pat Healy's $65k Submission of the Night Bonus

Bryan Caraway awarded Pat Healy's $65K 'Submission of the Night' bonus | News*–*MMAjunkie.com

Pat Healy's loss is Bryan Caraway's gain; a $65,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus initially awarded to Healy instead will go to Caraway....

 

[RM211]

UFC suspends Nate Diaz following tweet, manager unrepentant (updated)

UFC lightweight Nate Diaz is the latest fighter to violate the UFC's code of conduct, and the promotion has suspended him.

Hours after Diaz wrote a derogatory term for a homosexual person on his official Twitter account, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) the fighter would be fined and suspended – or possibly released from the promotion. He did not give a timeline for a decision.

But late Thursday, UFC officials issued a statement to MMAjunkie.com saying Diaz had been suspended by the company.

“We are very disappointed by Nate Diaz’s comments, which are in no way reflective of our organization," the statement read. "Nate is currently suspended pending internal investigation and we will provide further comment once the matter has been decided.”

Diaz issued a pair of tweets Thursday in which he expressed sympathy for Pat Healy, who was docked $130,000 in bonus money after testing positive for marijuana, and attacked the fighter given $65,000 of the money, Bryan Caraway.

"I feel bad for pat Healy that they took a innocent mans money and I think the guy who took the money is the biggest F-g in the world," Diaz wrote on Twitter.

Healy submitted Jim Miller at UFC 159 this past month in Newark, N.J. But after his positive test, the win was overturned to a no contest.

Earlier this year, the UFC instituted a formal code of conduct that bars fighters from using discriminatory or derogatory language. This past month, the promotion suspended and fined heavyweight Matt Mitrione for an offensive rant about transgendered fighter Fallon Fox, though the suspension lasted a mere three weeks before he was rebooked for another fight.

Diaz's manager, Mike Kogan, told MMAjunkie.com he expected the UFC to take action, but as of a Thursday afternoon conversation with MMAjunkie.com had not spoken to anyone from the promotion.

Kogan, however, defended Diaz's choice of words. He did not advise the fighter to delete the tweet and advised his Twitter followers to look up the meaning of the word "f-g" in the Urban Dictionary.

"Nate voiced a personal opinion about an incident that took place involving Bryan Caraway in which he chased Dana all over Twitter to try to get a bonus, which was taken away from Pat Healy, got the bonus, and then had the nerve to go back out there and bash the guy and talk s--t about weed-smoking and how much he hates it and how it's wrong, which was, at best, a s--t move on his side," Kogan said.

"Guess what? The word f----t, at least in Northern California, and where Nate is from, means bitch. It means you're a little punk. It has nothing to do with homosexuals at all. So when Nate made the comment that he made, he didn't make it in reference to homosexuals or calling Caraway a homosexual. He just said it was a bitch move."

White has defended fighters such as Ronda Rousey for voicing controversial opinions, but has also blasted fighters for not exercising common sense in using social media. In 2011, the UFC released bantamweight Miguel Torres for tweeting a joke making light of rape, though it later reinstated the fighter after he apologized.

Discussing Mitrione's suspension, White stressed that fighters were free to voice their opinion, but were subject to the consequences of their choice of words.

"How people take it is beyond my control," said Kogan when asked whether fighters such as Diaz are held to a higher standard in their use of social media. "But that's what his intent was. And it was a bitch move, for the record. Pat Healy? It's not like Pat Healy is Georges St-Pierre and he could afford it. That was probably the most money he's ever made in his life. And because of something he did I'm pretty sure way before the fight ... it's not like he walked out into the cage with f---ing weed in his mouth. He got fined. He doesn't need somebody else dwelling over it.

"I'm sure some people got offended, and hopefully this article will explain what his intent was. But how people view it is how people view it. I can't control that. His intent was not to make a derogatory term toward homosexuals. He used the word to refer to a punk or a bitch."

 

[RM211]

Vitor Belfort (T-Rex) wants to teach history lesson to Luke Rockhold (lion)

JARAGUA DO SUL, Brazil – If the 36-year-old Vitor Belfort is indeed the "young dinosaur," 28-year-old former Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold may very well be a metaphorical "young lion." As Belfort sees it, that's a complete mismatch.

"Imagine if the T-Rex was in the jungle," Belfort told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "Do you think a lion could stand with a T-Rex? Maybe [Rockhold] doesn't know history."

Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meet in the headlining bout of Saturday's UFC on FX 8 event, which takes place at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. The night's main card, including the Belfort vs. Rockhold main event, airs on FX.

During a Thursday pre-fight media event, Belfort – whose 16-year history with the UFC has led him to label himself as a "young dinosaur" – revealed he even identifies himself as a certain species of ancient carnivore.

"I'm really happy to be the only T-Rex in this jungle," Belfort said.

He'll need to be at his best, of course, as Rockhold does present legitimate skills in the cage. A proven submission expert with the cardio necessary to last a full five rounds if needed, Rockhold also boasts a reach advantage on the feet. But Belfort has long been considered on of the best fighters in the world and said his belief in himself and God means he's not concerned with anything Rockhold presents.

"Muhammed Ali said if you're not confident, just pretend you're confident," Belfort said. "Confidence, I believe, comes from inside. It's all about what I have and what I've accomplished.

"I have the joy of the Lord, man. No man can stand before me all the days of my life. To the glory of God."

With a win, Belfort would improve to 4-1 in his past five fights, and his lone losses in the past seven years of UFC work have been in failed bids to claim UFC titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He's admitted he'd like one more shot at the belt, but for now Belfort said he's not looking past Rockhold.

"Maybe you misunderstand," Belfort said when asked if he was hoping to earn a title shot. "What I want is a win. A win takes care of itself. What I want is to win. That's what I want."

Belfort has been a controversial figure in recent months with critics targeting his approved use of testosterone replacement therapy as a potential problem with the sport of MMA. But the dinosaur isn't interested in political debates.

He realizes his time in the sport – like the T-Rex's time on Earth – will eventually run out. So with what's left, Belfort intends to make the most of his time.

"I'm focused on winning," Belfort said. "I'm focused on today, so I'm going to cut weight. It's a special moment. It's a cleanse, and it's fun. I just enjoy it. I don't have a lot of years. I have to enjoy every moment. I will miss these years with my friends, with my trainers. I'm going to be around, for sure, but I just have to enjoy it. That's how I love life.

"Today could be your last day. What can you do if you knew today was going to be your last day? You would change so much. If you have to change so much, that means you're living a wrong life. If you could just enjoy it and be happy, that means you're living the right life."

 

[RM211]

Interim champ Renan Barao 'probably' out of UFC 161 main event with injury

UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao (30-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is likely out of next month's UFC 161 pay-per-view headliner with Eddie Wineland (20-8-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) due to a foot injury.

A UFC official today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) Barao "probably" will be unavailable for the event. Tatame initially reported Barao as a definite no-go.

It's not clear what the UFC will do as its Plan B.

UFC 161 takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg and is the promotion's first visit to the Manitoba province in Canada. Already booked for the event's main card are Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson.

Barao looked to defend his interim title for a second time as champion Dominick Cruz recovers from a knee injury. The fighter, who's won 30 straight fights (and five straight in the UFC), defended it for the first in February with a submission win over Michael McDonald.

Wineland, a former WEC champion, recently fought his way back into title contention with back-to-back wins over veterans Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett.

The latest UFC 161 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
•Eddie Wineland vs. TBA
•Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua
•Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
•Patrick Barry vs. Shawn Jordan
•Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton

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

•Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley
•Sam Stout vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
•Stipe Miocic vs. Soa Palelei
•Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6 p.m. ET)

•Yves Jabouin vs. Dustin Pague
•Sean Pierson vs. Kenny Robertson
•Mitch Clarke vs. John Maguire
•Roland Delorme vs. Edwin Figueroa