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Sep 20, 2005
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lol what a stupid dumb fuck


UFC's Thiago Silva jailed in Florida on four charges, including attempted murder

Thiago Silva remains jailed in South Florida following a Thursday night altercation at a jiu-jitsu school and subsequent standoff with police at his home.

The UFC light heavyweight is being held at the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Broward County, Fla., and faces multiple charges – including a pair of counts of felony attempted murder. According to the BSO website, he is being held without bond on those charges.

Silva also faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and non-violent resisting of an officer/obstructing justice.

No court date has been set for the 31-year-old native of Brazil.

But Friday morning, UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports that Silva “will never fight in the UFC again.”

According to a live report from South Florida’s NBC-6 TV late Thursday, Silva was taken into custody following an armed standoff with police.

The station reported that a man, now known to be Silva, was taken into custody following a four-hour standoff at a home in Oakland Park, Fla. The standoff occurred, the report said, following an incident at Pablo Popovitch Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Oakland Park, where Silva allegedly threatened people inside before fleeing to his home.

After barricading himself inside his home, NBC-6 reported, Silva was arrested in a non-violent ending.

Public records indicate that the home he fled to at 2041 Coral Heights Blvd. in Oakland Park is the home, as well as business location, of Silva and his wife, Thaysa, who trains at Popovitch’s MMA school.

TMZ Sports reported that the police report from Thursday’s incident states Silva pulled a gun on his wife at the MMA school, accusing her of having an affair with Popovitch, and told her, “You have 10 seconds to bring Pablo outside and if he does not come out, I will go in the gym and start shooting everyone.” After that, the report obtained by TMZ states Popovitch emerged from the building, and Silva then threatened both of them before fleeing to his home when Popovitch went inside to call police.

On Friday morning, a report from NBC-6 showed Silva after being detained after the standoff. From the back of a police car, he told a cameraman he didn’t pull a gun on his wife. “She wanted my house and she wanted my money. Just don’t report. Can you do that for me?”

UFC officials released a statement to MMAjunkie late Thursday, then later made that statement public. “This evening, we were made aware of a situation involving Thiago Silva,” the statement read. “We are in the process of gathering the facts and have no further comment at this time.”

The charges filed against Silva were not yet made public at the time of the UFC’s initial statement.

Silva (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has had an up-and-down run with the UFC. The Brazilian started his pro MMA career 13-0, including 4-0 in the UFC. But after a win at UFC 125 against Brandon Vera, he falsified a urine sample and had his win overturned to a no-contest and was suspended for a year.

He returned in April 2012 and lost a decision to Alexander Gustafsson. But in his next fight in November 2012, he won “Submission of the Night” against Stanislav Nedkov – only to have it taken away and handed another no-contest when he tested positive for marijuana. He was suspended six months by the UFC.

In 2013, things started looking back up for Silva. He knocked out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante this past June and won “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” honors. And in October, despite missing weight, he beat Matt Hamill in Brazil.

Silva trains with the Blackzilians team in South Florida alongside the likes of Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. His next scheduled bout is set for March 15 at UFC 171 in Dallas against Ovince St. Preux.

Stay tuned to MMAjunkie for more details on this story as they become available.
 
Feb 10, 2006
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Fuckin Rashard pulled out of the Cormier fight. What a douche! Got Em!!


he suffered a knee injury, how is that being a douche?? And it's Rashad btw...Cormier already has an opponent lined up for this card too. They've already scheduled evans and cormier for another ppv event. cant remember which one 172 0r 173 i think.
 
Sep 20, 2005
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Bellator MMA, Gilbert Melendez agree to multi-fight deal, UFC holds matching rights


In a bold move, Bellator MMA officials today announced the promotion has agreed to a “deal structure” with Gilbert Melendez while he’s within the matching period of his expired UFC contract.

“The moment Gil was legally able to explore the free agent market, Gil’s management team reached out to me and we began figuring out how to bring Gil to Bellator,” stated Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney in a press release.

The deal structure was characterized as a multi-year, multi-fight agreement, though the Viacom-owned promotion didn’t say when Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will become an unrestricted free agent. Bellator officials were not immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie. UFC officials also declined to comment.

The announcement nonetheless puts the ball in the UFC’s court as to how it will proceed with the former champion, though the promotion’s president hasn’t seemed too hopeful a deal will get done.

UFC President Dana White on Wednesday said he was “done” dealing with Melendez’s rep, Georges St-Pierre manager Rodolphe Beaulieu, and said the fighter needed to talk with UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta “quick” to save any possible deal.

Attempts to reach Melendez for comment were unsuccessful, but Rebney said, “Gil has a vision for what he wants to accomplish both inside and outside the cage and we can help make his vision a reality.

“We are in the business of developing and showcasing the greatest fighters on earth. That’s what we intend to do here with Gil and it’s what we’ll continue to do in the future.”

Melendez, 31, served out the remainder of his contract with the now-defunct Strikeforce in the UFC, where he immediately fought for the promotion’s lightweight title and lost a closely contested split decision to then-champ Benson Henderson (although he banked a flat $175,000 for his efforts). He went on to outpoint Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 in a bloody slugfest that was one of the best fights of 2013.

This past December, the UFC announced Melendez would face Khabib Nurmagomedov, but White later said the fight was off.

Reports of a contract impasse first surfaced this past month. Melendez hasn’t spoken publicly about the issue, but today tweeted, “As soon as I was a free agent, I had my team call Bellator, and Bjorn made an amazing offer that would allow me to reach my goals.

“It’s an opp. to be apart of something special and I could make history testing myself against some of the toughest LWs in the world.”

Prior to the announcement, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler expressed his desire to fight Melendez in the promotion’s circle cage. Chandler is expected to face current champ Alvarez in a rubber match later this year.
 
Feb 8, 2006
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props to Gilbert Melendez, fuck the UFC! they racist ass fuck



Bellator MMA, Gilbert Melendez agree to multi-fight deal, UFC holds matching rights

In a bold move, Bellator MMA officials today announced the promotion has agreed to a “deal structure” with Gilbert Melendez while he’s within the matching period of his expired UFC contract.

“The moment Gil was legally able to explore the free agent market, Gil’s management team reached out to me and we began figuring out how to bring Gil to Bellator,” stated Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney in a press release.

The deal structure was characterized as a multi-year, multi-fight agreement, though the Viacom-owned promotion didn’t say when Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will become an unrestricted free agent. Bellator officials were not immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie. UFC officials also declined to comment.

The announcement nonetheless puts the ball in the UFC’s court as to how it will proceed with the former champion, though the promotion’s president hasn’t seemed too hopeful a deal will get done.

UFC President Dana White on Wednesday said he was “done” dealing with Melendez’s rep, Georges St-Pierre manager Rodolphe Beaulieu, and said the fighter needed to talk with UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta “quick” to save any possible deal.

Attempts to reach Melendez for comment were unsuccessful, but Rebney said, “Gil has a vision for what he wants to accomplish both inside and outside the cage and we can help make his vision a reality.

“We are in the business of developing and showcasing the greatest fighters on earth. That’s what we intend to do here with Gil and it’s what we’ll continue to do in the future.”

Melendez, 31, served out the remainder of his contract with the now-defunct Strikeforce in the UFC, where he immediately fought for the promotion’s lightweight title and lost a closely contested split decision to then-champ Benson Henderson (although he banked a flat $175,000 for his efforts). He went on to outpoint Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 in a bloody slugfest that was one of the best fights of 2013.

This past December, the UFC announced Melendez would face Khabib Nurmagomedov, but White later said the fight was off.

Reports of a contract impasse first surfaced this past month. Melendez hasn’t spoken publicly about the issue, but today tweeted, “As soon as I was a free agent, I had my team call Bellator, and Bjorn made an amazing offer that would allow me to reach my goals.

“It’s an opp. to be apart of something special and I could make history testing myself against some of the toughest LWs in the world.”

Prior to the announcement, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler expressed his desire to fight Melendez in the promotion’s circle cage. Chandler is expected to face current champ Alvarez in a rubber match later this year.

For more on the UFC and Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
 
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Feb 8, 2006
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Tito Ortiz out as Cyborg's manager



By Brett Okamoto | ESPN.com

Former UFC champion Tito Ortiz stepped down from his role as manager to Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris Justino, aka "Cyborg," on Friday.

The news comes one day after UFC president Dana White shot down the potential of a future fight between Justino and UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

At a media luncheon Thursday in Las Vegas, White expressed doubt that Justino, who tested positive for an anabolic steroid in 2011, is a clean fighter. He also ripped Ortiz's abilities as a manager.

In a statement released to "Inside MMA," Ortiz, who battled with White during his fighting career in the UFC, issued his response in the form of a resignation.

"I can live with Dana not liking me but what I can't live with is Dana using me to hurt someone else," Ortiz said.

"I've taken abuse and maybe I deserved some of it, but Cris is a beautiful person and great athlete and she doesn't deserve to be insulted like this.

"I won't stand in the way from the fans getting a fight they want and I won't hold Cris back. So, I'm stepping down as Cris' manager."

Even with Ortiz out, a fight between Rousey and Justino is far from a reality.

Justino (12-1) has said she has one fight remaining on her current deal with Invicta FC. The problem, however, is the same one that existed when the UFC attempted to sign her to a contract in 2013 -- the weight at which she fights.

During a news conference in February 2013, Justino and Ortiz made it clear it is unsafe for her to cut to 135 pounds due to health reasons. The UFC does not currently promote a 145-pound female weight class.

Nevertheless, the UFC offered Justino a deal that would have kept her under contract while allowing her to compete in outside organizations. Justino declined, signed with Invicta FC and won the promotion's featherweight title in July.

"They come out with this press conference where he says she will die if she goes to 135," White said. "So, I'm going to go before an athletic commission and say I want to make a fight between Ronda Rousey and Cyborg at 135 pounds? She's on record saying she'll die."

In 2012, Rousey (8-0) became the first female to sign a UFC contract. A former U.S. Olympian in judo, she defended her title twice in 2013 and is scheduled to do it again next weekend against Sara McMann at UFC 170 in Las Vegas.

According to White, Rousey's star power has been so strong in the UFC that it's possible she will crack the company's 10 highest-earning fighters of all time by the end of her third fight.

"She's a world champion and she's got to answer questions about Cyborg, who will die if she goes to 135 pounds?" White said. "It makes no sense.

"Ronda doesn't need Cyborg. Most people don't know who the f--- Cyborg is. It's funny how you guys talk about everything being fair and drug use, but you want to see Cyborg fight Ronda."

In regards to White's comments questioning whether Justino is a clean fighter, Ortiz, in his last move as her manager, challenged the UFC head to pay for a test.

"I challenge you to put up or shut up," Ortiz said. "Test her or stop lying about her."
 
Feb 8, 2006
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UFC: Alistair Overeem not interested



By Brett Okamoto | ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Efforts taken by the UFC to book a high-profile heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos continue to come up empty.

UFC president Dana White confirmed Thursday he recently offered Overeem two options for a fight against Dos Santos, both of which he turned down.

The offers included a five-round main event fight in Brazil and a three-round co-main event in Las Vegas. Overeem (37-13), who defeated Frank Mir earlier this month at UFC 169, has cited a rib injury as to why he's currently not accepting.

"I bet you his rib wouldn't be hurt if we got Brock Lesnar," said White, referring to Overeem's recent callout of Lesnar, who is retired. "I bet you his rib would be fine, then.

"I offered him Dos Santos two different ways. He said, 'Yeah, I don't want five rounds in Brazil.' OK. No problem. Co-main in Vegas, three rounds? 'My rib hurts.' You guys come to whatever conclusion you want on that. I know what the truth is."

Overeem weighed in via Twitter on Thursday.

Alistair Overeem ✔ A @alis tairovereem
Follow
Twitter going bananas!
Not running for anyone, on holiday right now & also rehabbing injuries so not ready to discuss a fight at this time.

6:14 PM - 12 Feb 2014

Overeem and Dos Santos (16-3) were previously scheduled to meet in a UFC title fight in May 2012, but the bout fell through when Overeem tested positive for high testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels during a surprise drug test.

White expressed doubt as to whether the fight would eventually get made.

"I have a feeling this rib injury is going to last as long as it takes until Dos Santos has another opponent. That's what I'm willing to bet," White said. "This is going to be the longest rib injury ever. As soon as we get Dos Santos a fight, that rib will heal right up."
 
Feb 8, 2006
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Rashad Evans to undergo surgery, expected to be out six months



Ex-UFC champ Rashad Evans (21-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) will undergo surgery this week in Los Angeles to repair a knee injury suffered in training for his now-scrapped bout with Daniel Cormier at Saturday’s UFC 170.

Evans’ medical team expects him to be out of action for six weeks, according to a statement released by his team, Blackzilians, but a rep today told MMAjunkie that timeline will be further solidified after the procedure is completed.

At this point, the exact nature of Evans’ injury is being withheld, the rep said.

“I am deeply disappointed to be missing the action at UFC 170, but I am, as always, incredibly grateful for the support of my family, friends, management, the UFC, and most of all my fans during this minor setback,” Evans said in a prepared statement. “Thank you for your continued messages of support. I’ll be back stronger than ever!”

The doctor working on the ex-light heavyweight champ – Los Angeles Kings and Los Angeles Blades team physician Ronald S. Kvitne – is the same one that earlier this month repaired the badly injured knee of “The Ultimate Fighter 18″ winner Julianna Pena, who also traveled to Los Angeles for the procedure.

UFC President Dana White this past week said Evans was injured while drilling takedowns with “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” winner Cezar Ferreira at the Blackzilians’ gym in Delray Beach, Fla., when his knee got caught in the mat and badly twisted.

“Rashad’s out for a while,” White said.

Evans most recently fought this past November at UFC 167, where he stopped his fellow “UFC Tonight” analyst Chael Sonnen in the first round of their pay-per-view fight. It was his second straight win since suffering through a disappointing two-fight losing streak.

Cormier (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is now set to fight short-notice replacement Pat Cummins (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who will meet the former Olympic wrestler in UFC 170′s co-main event at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center.
 
Feb 8, 2006
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For Daniel Cormier, UFC 170 weigh-in may bring 'overwhelming sadness'



It was at a team dinner the night before his semifinal bout in Strikeforce’s world heavyweight grand prix in September 2011 when Daniel Cormier mentioned – perhaps only half-seriously – that he might drop from heavyweight to light heavyweight at some point in his career. This got a laugh, only not from Cormier.

“Dude, come on,” said Luke Rockhold, a fellow UFC fighter and teammate at San Jose’s American Kickboxing Academy. He thought about it for a moment as if trying to picture Cormier at 205 pounds, then shook his head, caught somewhere between amusement and genuine concern.

The last time Cormier had tried to get his weight that low, at the 2008 Summer Olympic in Beijing, Rockhold reminded him, “You almost died.”

That might have been overstating it a bit. And, as Cormier was quick to remind Rockhold and everyone else within earshot of the hotel restaurant, he made the 211-pound weight limit in Beijing. It was only after the weigh-in that his kidneys shut down, leaving him cramping and vomiting on the floor, rendering him unable to compete for the gold medal that many observers thought he had a very good shot at that year.

That was the last time Cormier made it into the low-200s with his weight. Until now.

With his light heavyweight debut at UFC 170 now just five days away, the numbers on the scale are no longer terrifying obstacles for Cormier, he told MMAjunkie in a recent phone interview.

“I’m actually smaller now than I was when I was wrestling,” he said. “I was wrestling and weighing 240, 245 [pounds] sometimes. Now I’m actually weighing 220 in the morning. I’ve never been this light. It’s an amazing feeling.”

It’s also, according to Cormier, a little bittersweet. Back when he was the captain of the U.S. Olympic wrestling squad, coach Kevin Jackson warned him several times that he was going about his weight cut the wrong way, letting himself get too heavy and forcing his body to make a drastic cut in the days before the competition. Even back then Cormier knew he was right, but he didn’t realize how serious the situation was until it was too late.

That’s why, he said, stepping on the scale in Las Vegas this Friday afternoon will be an emotional experience.

“I’ve so far been down past my Olympic weight, and it’s a relief but it’s also very sad,” Cormier said. “It reminds me that because I wasn’t disciplined and committed to myself and my goal, I cheated myself out of a chance to become an Olympic champion. So it will be a good feeling to weigh in, because yeah, I did it, I got this done. But there’s also this overwhelming sadness at what I cost myself and what I cheated myself out of in the grand scheme of things.”

The good news is, there’s still time for redemption. Not in the Olympics – that door has closed for the 34-year-old Cormier. But in the UFC’s 205-pound class the former heavyweight standout has the chance to make a major impact. Cormier (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) may be fighting replacement opponent Patrick Cummins (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) instead of former champion Rashad Evans, who withdrew with a knee injury late this past week, but Cormier’s name has been tossed around in the title shot conversation since he announced his intention to move down in weight.

Or at least, that seemed to be the case with those who believed he could actually make 205 pounds. Some, not unlike his teammates, were skeptical. And to be fair, he hasn’t actually made it yet. The moment of truth comes Friday, when Cormier will step on the scale with a brand new body, albeit one that, he admitted, is still carrying some of the old baggage.

“I think it gets lost on people sometimes that, yeah, I wasn’t doing things the right way, but I still belong to a small fraternity of people who competed in the Olympic Games and competed at the highest level,” Cormier said. “Now I’m in the UFC, but I’m still an Olympic-level athlete, and an Olympic-level athlete is a person who, when they set their mind to something, they get it done. So yeah, there is a part of me that says, to hell with people who say I can’t do this. I’ve done things that most people can only dream of. To set my mind to something like this and do it again, it does feel pretty good.”
 
Feb 8, 2006
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Gilbert Melendez may fight in spring



By Brett Okamoto | ESPN.com

Bellator MMA CEO Bjorn Rebney is hopeful that highly ranked lightweight Gilbert Melendez will be officially signed and fighting in a Bellator cage by the spring.

Melendez (22-3) announced last week he had agreed to terms with Bellator on a multiyear deal. The UFC, for which Melendez competed twice in 2013, has the right to match Bellator's offer.

The exact length of the matching period remains unclear. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta told ESPN.com last week, "I'm sure we will have plenty of time to consider."

On Monday, Rebney expressed optimism that the process would not prevent Melendez from fighting on the company's first pay-per-view offering, which is expected to take place this spring.

"One thing Gil spoke to me directly about is he wanted to get busy right away," Rebney said. "We have a huge PPV coming up with a 155-pound title fight in the spring. Conceptually, we could have [Gil] fighting on that same card.

"I think [the matching period] is a 21-day-period. Hopefully, [the UFC] will provide an answer quick and we'll be able to start doing some great stuff with Gil."

In addition to the planned pay-per-view event, Rebney said Melendez could land on a Spike TV broadcast within the same time frame.

"His first fight out of the box, in all likelihood, wouldn't be for the title," Rebney said.

Melendez and his manager, Rodolphe Beaulieu, contacted Bellator last month -- presumably following a 90-day exclusive negotiating period with Zuffa, parent company of the UFC.

Rebney, who unsuccessfully tried to sign Melendez in 2008, wasted no time making an offer.

"It was surprising, because Gil is one of the top lightweights on Earth," Rebney said. "It was a spectacular call. I had to ask twice if they were sure he was available.

"The offer Gil has agreed to is long-term and has a lot of pieces to it. Obviously, the fight piece is really compelling because of the level of talent we have here at 155, including [Eddie] Alvarez, [Michael] Chandler and [Will] Brooks. There is also a collection of opportunities we worked on [involving] on-air and marketing opportunities."

Prior to Bellator's announcement, UFC president Dana White stated he was "done" negotiating with Melendez and Fertitta would handle the matter moving forward.

In 2012, a similar situation unfolded when the UFC attempted to sign Alvarez, a restricted free agent, to a multifight deal. Bellator elected to match the offer.

Counter lawsuits between Alvarez and Bellator ensued, as Alvarez claimed the Bellator deal wasn't the financial equivalent to Zuffa's. The sides settled out of court in mid-2013 and Alvarez returned to Bellator.

"The interesting thing about it to me is this is the first time the UFC is faced with having to use matching rights to keep an elite, top-tier, fan-favorite," Rebney said.

"The bottom line is that this is great for fighters and our sport. That might sound a little counterintuitive coming out of the mouth of a promoter, but when you step back and take a look at the bigger picture, having two major players in MMA is far and away the best situation for fighters."
 
Feb 8, 2006
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Retired or on hiatus, Nick Diaz says he's still the UFC's top draw



LAS VEGAS — Is Nick Diaz retired? Is he merely taking a break to get his personal life in order? Is he holding out for the right opportunity?

Perhaps all three, or, knowing Diaz, none of them.

The former Strikeforce champion and onetime UFC welterweight title challenger materialized backstage at UFC 170 and gave an impromptu interview, which weaved and rambled its way toward a decisive statement about his place in the sport.

Even though he’s technically retired, a fact the UFC has repeatedly emphasized, Diaz believes he’s indispensable to the UFC.

“Bottom line, I’m the only draw out here,” he said.

Diaz, though, is currently focused on his home life, as he is moving out of his old house and in the process of looking for a new one. Meanwhile, he’s training here and there, helping teammates prepare but not necessarily pushing himself the way he did when his fight schedule was filled.

“Right now, I’m going through a little bit of indecisiveness, running around here and there and getting some things done, and at the same time, trying to move out of my house,” Diaz (26-9) said. “It’s been hard to do exactly what I want to do, as far as training and everything like that. That’s what I’m trying to square away right now.

“This whole year I’ve been using to take care of myself, because I didn’t have a lot of people taking care of me while I was doing these fights. A lot of fights. Hopefully, sometime by this summer, I’ll have everything squared a way. If I wanted to do something, like take a fight, it would make a lot more sense now than living out of some apartment or some sh—y house, where I’ve got crazy stuff going on all the time.

“With fighting, it’s a traumatic sort of 11 years of fighting that you go through when you’re a fighter that fights the way that I fight, three to six times a year. You go through it a little bit. You work out all the, what you call it, nicks, then start to figure something out.”

If he does return, however, it won’t be merely for the thrill of competition – it will be for a title, and nothing less.

“I’ve been fighting for 11 years,” Diaz told MMAjunkie. “I don’t have to take a warmup fight. What, am I going to take a warmup fight, to help somebody out? Bring them up to my level? Because I’ve already been through that, and you still haven’t seen me take an ass-whupping.”

According to Diaz, it’s the desire to see him take one, or give one out, that separates him from the rest of the pack, and that value is worth something if he comes back to the UFC one year after he retired with a loss to Georges St-Pierre.

Although he lost, the UFC 158 pay-per-view event he headlined with the now-former champ was one of the more successful of 2013.

“That wasn’t just because of Georges St-Pierre,” Diaz said. “These guys aren’t doing that. They’re not doing that. They want to pay to see me fight; they want to see somebody get knocked out or they want to see me get tapped out, or they want to see me get my ass whupped, like people have been waiting to see. But they still don’t get to see. They’re like, ‘What’s wrong?’ Why aren’t I getting my money?’ It’s because he didn’t get his ass whupped yet.

“So, as far as I’m concerned, we’re not taking care of the fans until we see someone take an ass-whupping. We all know that’s what everybody wants to see.”

Diaz’s relationship with the UFC always has been up and down, but he said he and UFC President Dana White are now on good terms. With that said, he isn’t about to jump if the promotion approaches him with an opportunity.

“They come to me and they say, ‘Oh, I turned down a fight,’” he said. “I’m like, yo, we weren’t talking about money, what this is going to do for me. We weren’t talking about co-main events, so I could, what, sell a show, and then everyone could take my money.

“So, we’ll get it figured out. We’ve got to figure out who’s going to win, and who’s important, and if anybody wants to see me fight.”

One month ago, it wasn’t MMA that the UFC wanted for Diaz, but boxing. He said White called him to offer a bout with former boxing champ Roy Jones Jr.

“I haven’t been updated or filled in or anything on the status of anything since then,” said Diaz, who clarified that Jones only was interested in fighting MMA fighters in the square circle and not the cage.

“He’s a smart individual,” Diaz said of Jones. “He’s not trying to be an MMA fighter. You don’t start MMA in your later age.”

Despite his 35 fights, Diaz recently turned 30, and is nowhere near the age where most would say its wise to retire. Now, the question is whether he stays that way.

To that, Diaz might say it’s whatever – until he gets what he needs.
 
Sep 20, 2005
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Gilbert Melendez stays with UFC, will coach 'TUF 20' opposite Anthony Pettis, fight for belt


Despite agreeing to an offer from Bellator MMA, Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will still fight for the UFC.

UFC officials today announced Melendez has agreed to a new contract with the world’s largest MMA promotion and will now coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 20″ opposite current lightweight champ Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC). The two will then meet later this year for the UFC’s 155-pound belt.

Terms of Melendez’s deal were not disclosed.

Earlier this month, Bellator MMA officials announced then-free-agent Melendez had agreed to a multi-fight deal. However, the UFC retained matching rights on the contract and has now apparently exercised that clause.

Meanwhile, Pettis earned the title with an incredible first-round submission win over then-champ Benson Henderson at August’s UFC 164 event. However, knee injuries have since kept “Showtime” on the sidelines, and the champ was forced to withdraw from a planned December defense against Josh Thomson.

“The Ultimate Fighter 20″ begins filming in May and as previously reported will feature the launch of the promotion’s women’s strawweight division. The winner of the season, which debuts Sept. 10 on FOX Sports 1, will become the first UFC women’s 115-pound champion. As MMAjunkien previously announced, the UFC has already signed some of the world’s best fighters for the series, including Carla Esparza, Alex Chambers, Claudia Gadelha, Felice Herrig, Bec Hyatt, Emily Kagan, Juliana Lima, Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Paige VanZant and Joanne Calderwood.

Melendez is also expected to make an appearance on the recently-announced “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” series, which debuts this summer. Broadcast plans for that series are expected to be announced shortly.
 
Sep 20, 2005
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UFC Fight Night 38 lineup finalized with 10 bouts on FOX Sports 1

The lineup is set for next month’s UFC Fight Night 38 event, which includes 10 bouts on FOX Sports 1 and a pair of matchups on UFC Fight Pass.

The event, which features a light-heavyweight headliner and rematch of Mauricio Rua (22-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (29-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC), takes place March 23 at Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

“Shogun” and Henderson first met in UFC 139′s main event in November 2011. That fight, a unanimous-decision win for Henderson, earned many “Fight of the Year” honors because of its back-and-forth nature, with each fighter taking big momentum swings and continuing to plod forward in the fourth and fifth rounds despite being visibly exhausted.

The veterans now head to Rua’s home country for the rematch. The rest of the card features a number of fellow Brazilian competitors.

Additionally, a new addition we didn’t previously report includes light heavyweights Francimar Barroso (16-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Hans Stringer (21-5-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who, in their past 20 combined fights, have suffered just one loss. The 205-pounders are scheduled to kick off the fight card.

The full UFC Fight Night 38 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET)

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua
C.B. Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
Norman Parke vs. Leonardo Santos
Fabio Maldonado vs. Gian Villante
Michel Prazeres vs. Mairbek Taisumov
Rony Jason vs. Steven Siler

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)

Diego Brandao vs. Will Chope
Ronny Markes vs. Thiago “Marreta” Santos
Jussier Formiga vs. Scott Jorgensen
Thiago Perpetuo vs. Kenny Robertson

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 4 p.m. ET)

Noad Lahat vs. Godofredo Pepey
Francimar Barroso vs. Hans Stringe
 
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TUF China Finale

March 1, 2014 | The Venetian Macao’s CotaiArena | Macau, China

main CARD
UFC Fight Pass, 8 a.m. ET
John Hathaway vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Zhang Lipeng vs. Wang Sai
"TUF: China" welterweight tourney final
Shawn Jordan vs. Matt Mitrione
Vaughan Lee vs. Nam Phan
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ivan Menjivar


preliminary CARD
UFC Fight Pass, 6:15 a.m. ET
Yui Chul Nam vs. Kazuki Tokudome
Zak Cummings vs. Alberto Mina
Albert Cheng vs. Anying Wang
Mark Eddiva vs. Jumabieke Tuerxun