MMA News Thread

[RM211]

Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Lauzon lightweight bout booked for UFC 183 in Las Vegas

FIREWORKS!




The UFC’s Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas continues to near completion with the addition of a new lightweight bout.

Al Iaquinta (10-3-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Joe Lauzon (24-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) are set to meet at the event, UFC officials announced today. The news first was reported by Newsday.

UFC 183 takes place Jan. 31 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card, with an Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz superfight headliner, airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Iaquinta has won five of his past six and two straight, both coming this fall. At UFC Fight Night 50, he stopped Rodrigo Damm with a third-round TKO. Then he went to Australia and knocked out Ross Pearson in the second round of the UFC Fight Night 55 co-main event for the biggest win of his career.

Lauzon has won back-to-back fights after a skid that saw him drop three of four. The UFC’s resident bonus-winning machine won another fight-night award his most recent time out in September, taking “Fight of the Night” honors for his second-round TKO of Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Night 50. Before that, he topped Mac Danzig at UFC on FOX 9.

With the addition, the latest UFC 183 card includes:

Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Tyron Woodley
Thiago Alves vs. Jordan Mein
Sara McMann vs. Miesha Tate
Tim Boetsch vs. Thales Leites
Rafael Natal vs. Tom Watson
Diego Brandao vs. Jimy Hettes
Andy Enz vs. Thiago “Marreta” Santos
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Richardson Moreira
John Lineker vs. Ian McCall
Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Lauzon

 

[RM211]

Report: Tachi Palace champ Willie Gates meets John Moraga at UFC on FOX 13

The UFC has tapped a Tachi Palace Fights champion to make his promotional debut next month in Arizona.

As MMAjunkie first reported, Jussier Formiga (17-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was forced to withdraw from UFC on FOX 13. Stepping in for him against John Moraga (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC), according to multiple reports, will be Willie Gates (11-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC). The news first was reported at MMAFighting.com. The UFC subsequently made the booking official.

Featuring a heavyweight matchup between Junior Dos Santos and Stipe Miocic, UFC on FOX 13 takes place Dec. 13 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX and UFC Fight Pass.

Gates has wins in seven of his past eight fights, all by first-round stoppage, and none of those bouts have gone longer than two minutes. He has won five straight fights, all since April. Earlier this month, he won Tachi Palace Fights’ flyweight title with a first-round TKO of Hector Sandoval.

Moraga, a former UFC title challenger, rebounded from a TKO loss to top contender John Dodson (due to a doctor’s stoppage following a knee to the nose) with a submission victory over Justin Scoggins at UFC Fight Night 50. The 30-year-old Arizona-based fighter is now 2-1 since a July 2013 title loss to reigning champ Demetrious Johnson.

With the change, the UFC on FOX 13 card currently includes:

Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione
John Moraga vs. Willie Gates
Joe Riggs vs. Ben Saunders
Drew Dober vs. Jamie Varner
Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman
Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Ellenberger
David Michaud vs. Garett Whiteley
Anthony Birchak vs. Ian Entwistle
Henry Cejudo vs. Dustin Kimura
Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

 

[Foul Mouth]

Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione
John Moraga vs. Willie Gates
Joe Riggs vs. Ben Saunders
Drew Dober vs. Jamie Varner
Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman
Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Ellenberger
David Michaud vs. Garett Whiteley
Anthony Birchak vs. Ian Entwistle
Henry Cejudo vs. Dustin Kimura
Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

main card is dope as fuck. don't know why he has the chicks as the first fight tho. they're #2 & 3 straws in the world. you would think this would set up the first title shot out of TUF and they give it the fightpass/ticket treatment.

 

[B-Buzz]

 

[InfamousICON]

Diego Nunes faceplanted Hellboy earlier.

 

[RM211]

Josh Koscheck meets Jake Ellenberger, not Neil Magny, at UFC 184

Josh Koscheck will fight at UFC 184, but it won’t be against fellow welterweight Neil Magny.

After originally being targeted for a matchup with Magny (13-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Koscheck (17-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) instead will fight fellow vet Jake Ellenberger (29-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC).

UFC officials today announced the bout via dailynews.com.

Featuring championship fights in both the middleweight and women’s bantamweight divisions, UFC 184 takes place Feb. 28 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

It’s not clear where Koscheck vs. Ellenberger will be placed on the lineup.

A cast member on the debut season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Koscheck has been a mainstay in the UFC’s welterweight division for nearly a decade. While the 37-year-old reached the pinnacle of his career in 2010, falling short in a welterweight tile bid against then-champ Georges St-Pierre, Koscheck has struggled recently with three losses. The defeats, though, came to current champ Johny Hendricks and fellow notables Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley.

Koscheck now meets a fellow standout wrestler in Ellenberger, a onetime surging contender who’s recently hit a rough patch. The 29-year-old also is stuck in a three-fight skid following losses to Rory MacDonald, Lawler and Kelvin Gastelum. Ellenberger was on an impressive 8-1 run before the recent setbacks.

With the addition, UFC 184 now includes:

Champ Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort – for middleweight title
Champ Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano – for women’s bantamweight title
Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva
Yoel Romero vs. Ronaldo Souza
Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck
Roman Salazar vs. Norifumi Yamamoto

 

[RM211]

SHOWTIME FATTIS LOL

 

[HERESY]

That bitch ass hypocrite CM Punk signed a multi fight deal with UFC. And get this, he got called out by the Green Ranger who actually does have MMA experience (4 fights.)

 

[Foul Mouth]

That bitch ass hypocrite CM Punk signed a multi fight deal with UFC. And get this, he got called out by the Green Ranger who actually does have MMA experience (4 fights.)

i'm looking forward to AJ Lee. and i am interested in seeing if they will pan to her looking worried or screaming in fear. but either way, i'm looking forward to AJ Lee.

Brock and Bobby Lashley did/do pretty good at pro MMA. Bautista trained with Nick Diaz and i think he is 1-0 in MMA. CM Punk probably woulda actually made more money if he signed with Bellator and fought Bobby Lashley. he woulda got destroyed tho.

 

[RM211]

Punk vs bobby lashley? Lol. You do know punk is fighting at MW right? He even hinted at WW.

 

[Foul Mouth]

naw i don't know his weight but i knew he wasn't as big as Lashley. it's gonna be a gay ass novelty fight. fuck UFC. Bellator is about to sign Alberto Del Rio. he actually does have an MMA background tho.

 

[RM211]

As teammate nears title shot, Rashad Evans considers departure from 205-pound divisio

Former UFC champion Rashad Evans has teased the idea of a drop to the middleweight division for several years, but it could soon become reality.

Despite his No. 4 spot in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings, Evans (19-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) believes a future outside of the 205-pound division could be on the horizon.

With his good friend and Blackzilian teammate Anthony Johnson, who’s ranked No. 5, just one victory away from a title fight, Evans may switch weight classes to avoid the possibility of a future meeting with “Rumble.”

“I have thought about it, and I’ve been thinking about it more now as my teammate, my brother ‘AJ’ climbs the rankings, and it may be his time at 205,” Evans said on the “You’re Welcome! With Chael Sonnen” podcast. “I’ve thought about that.”

Evans hasn’t fought since a first-round TKO of Sonnen at UFC 167 in November 2013. He was scheduled to face Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 in February, but a knee injury that required surgery knocked him out of the bout.

The former titleholder and winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 2″ has been sidelined since the procedure and is targeting a 2015 comeback. He was offered a matchup with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on FOX 14 in Sweden but was forced to turn it down due to concerns about the health of his knee.

Johnson was then penciled in for the opportunity to face Gustafsson in a No. 1 contender bout at the Jan. 24 event. Should he get past “The Mauler,” Johnson would likely be next in line to challenge the winner of the UFC 182 headliner between reigning champ Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

That hypothetical situation would put Evans in a difficult position, especially if Johnson wins the belt. He said he considers Johnson to be “a brother” and has no desire to enter a situation in which he’s in line to fight a teammate. He already had such a well-documented fallout with former teammate Jones.

A drop to middleweight could be the best remedy, but Evans is still unsure how he would physically handle shedding an additional 20 pounds off his frame. Evans said he hasn’t kept himself in the best shape during his time off. He’s reached nearly 250 pounds, he said, which he claims is close to or the heaviest he’s ever weighed.

In a way, his unflattering poundage brings added motivation to make career changes, he said. The 35-year-old said he doesn’t want to get that out of shape again and knows he would have to make serious dietary changes should he permanently move down a division.

“It’s something that may be a good option for me,” Evans said. “I’ve got to learn to eat better and start cutting some of this heavy weight off me. I can’t get to 250 anymore, I’ll tell you that.”

Regardless of whether he comes back at light heavyweight or middleweight, Evans knows one thing: His 13 months and counting away from the octagon have rekindled his fire for competition.

“Right now this is my job and what I love to do,” Evans said. “I’ve got so much more passion for it after not being able to do it. Just sitting back and watching’s got me so hungry.”

 

[trips]

Anderson Silva responds to gay rumors: 'It could be in the future I find out that I am

By Adam Guillen Jr.

Some mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters such as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's bantamweight contender Liz Carmouche are very open and proud to be gay.

Then there are plenty others, according to Anderson Silva, who have yet to embrace their sexuality.

During a recent conversation with Brazilian lifestyle magazine Trip (via Fightland), "The Spider" talks about homosexuality in the sport, saying that unlike his mentor Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, he has no issues with training with an openly gay male fighter.

He also addressed some rumors regarding his sexual orientation, too:

"I don't think there's prejudice, but there's a lot of homosexuals in mixed martial arts. There are a lot of them who haven't yet come out. [If they were to come out,] nowadays it's so silly to not express your feelings. As long as you respect people's spaces, and respect their limits. You have to live your life in peace and no one has anything to do with that. I would train with a gay man. As long as he respected me, it's all right. I don't think much of it. The fact that guy is gay doesn't mean he's going to accost you. He can be gay, have a relationship, live among guys who aren't gay. He can do whatever he wants with his private life"

According to the former UFC middleweight champion, his own sexuality has been questioned by many throughout his illustrious despite the fact that he is a married man and father of three.

And even though he is quick to say that he is straight, Silva did go on to say that he could very well discover that he is gay later on in life.

He explains:

"They tease me. Sometimes people think I'm gay. A lot of people have asked me if I'm gay. I answer, 'Look, not to my knowledge. But, I'm still young, it could be that in the future I'll find out that I'm gay.' I take good care of my things, I put everything in a bag, I use soap, I put on a cream after training. People think it's capricious. To each his own. Doesn't mean you're more man or less man, more gay or less gay."

Silva isn't the only high-profile fighter who has openly expressed his approval of gay fighters in the sport.

Joseph Benavidez, Phil Davis and Chuck Liddell have also gone on record saying they have no qualms with having an openly gay fighter compete inside the Octagon ... as long as they can fight and win. Even UFC President Dana White has encouraged gay fighters to come out.

And who knows, Silva may be the one to lead the charge if he sticks around long enough.

 

[trips]

damn lol

check out this brutal amateur mma with sticks in the woods

 

[trips]

UFC Star Miesha Tate -- Ronda Rousey Stinks!!!

 

[trips]

GLORY STARS JOIN VAN DAMME IN KICKBOXER REMAKE

‘Kickboxer’ was released in 1989 and became an instant classic. It launched Belgian action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme to superstar status after his turn in the lead role. The movie also sparked a worldwide boom in the sport.

Now it has been decided that it is due for a remake. Filming will begin in New Orleans next week and the producers are aiming for a late 2015 release in theaters across the US and internationally.

Van Damme is set to appear in the new Kickboxer only this time - given his veteran years and experience - as the instructor who guides the student on his path. In the original version it was a young Van Damme who went into the jungle seeking Muay Thai training from an old master.

Numerous fighters have cited youthful viewings of ‘Kickboxer’ as a key driving force in their decision to start training and become fighters themselves. Some went into Muay Thai and kickboxing, others into MMA.

Two welterweight champions are among that number: Georges St Pierre, former holder of the UFC belt, and ‘Bazooka’ Joe Valtellini, current GLORY World Welterweight Championship. The two Canadians are big Van Damme fans and have accepted roles in the remake of the iconic movie.

Also appearing in the film will be California’s Joe ‘Stitch ‘Em Up’ Schilling, winner of the GLORY 10 LOS ANGELES Middleweight Championship Tournament. The photo above is from Schilling’s Instagram account.

GLORY’s next event will take place in February, headlined by a World Heavyweight Championship clash between defending champion Rico Verhoeven and his rival Errol Zimmerman. The card is also expected to feature welterweight contender Nieky Holzken.

 

[RM211]

Report: Glover Teixeira vs. Rashad Evans booked for UFC Fight Night 61 in Brazil

It appears the UFC’s February return to Brazil, its first scheduled trip there in 2015, has its main event.

According to a report from Brazilian news outlet Globo, Brazil’s Glover Teixeira (22-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC), a recent light heavyweight title challenger, will meet former champion Rashad Evans (19-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) in the headliner of UFC Fight Night 61. UFC officials have not yet made a formal announcement.

UFC Fight Night 61 takes place on Sunday, Feb. 22,at Gigantinho Gymnasium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The main card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Tickets, which range from approximately $92 to $307, are currently on sale for the event at www.ticketsforfun.com.br.

Teixeira is in bad need of a victory after losing back-to-back fights. He started his UFC career 5-0, including four stoppages as part of a 20-fight winning streak. He earned a title shot against light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, but lost a lopsided unanimous decision at UFC 172 in April. He followed that up at UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro with a decision loss to Phil Davis, giving him the first losing skid of his career.

Evans will fight for the first time in more than a year when he steps back in the octagon. In November 2013 at UFC 167, he stopped Chael Sonnen with a first-round TKO, giving him two straight wins. At UFC 161, he took a split decision from Dan Henderson to snap a two-fight skid that saw him lose a light heavyweight title fight against former friend and teammate Jon Jones, then get upset by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156.

Evans started his career 13-0-1 and won Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter” at heavyweight. After a stunning knockout of Chuck Liddell, he beat Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to win the 205-pound title. But he lost it to Lyoto Machida in his first defense at UFC 98, losing for the first time in his career.

 

[RM211]

Early numbers have 181 doing 375-400k buys. That makes it the #2 UFC PPV for 2014, second to UFC 175, and just ahead of 170 and 172. Final numbers are in for UFC on FOX 13, the average increased to 2.8 million, with a peak of 3.8 million for the main event. Solid numbers.

 

[RM211]

Mark Hunts epic plan to KO JDS, destroy Werdum then fight Cain in Melbourne in 2015

Nice article from The Super Samoan today.



Heading into his interim-heavyweight title clash the odds were stacked against Mark Hunt (10-9-1). Facing a huge weight cut, a short turnaround and severe acclimatisation hurdles, the New Zealand born power-puncher was a steep under-dog against number one ranked Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1).

Despite falling to an eventual second round TKO (knee), Hunt dominated the opening round, knocking the big Brazilian down on numerous occasions. Speaking exclusively to MMA Kanvas editor Adam Ireland this week, Hunt revealed that the pre-fight race to make it to the Octagon saw him operating at near half of his capacity as a fighter.

“I was about 40 percent. 40-50 (percent), I’m not going to use it as an excuse for why I got caught, he caught me with a good shot and that’s about it,” he said.

“When I’m 110 percent I can beat anyone. I’ll beat all of them. A 100 percent Mark Hunt will beat any of these guys. I’ve gone a lot of my career fighting the top guys without much training and doing dumb stuff that I don't do now, but this opportunity was too good to give up and let go.”

While gracious in defeat, the Sydneysider believes that if the roles were reversed on Werdum, he would have steamrolled the now interim-champ - and it's a loss he wants to avenge.

“Winning against Werdum would have got me (a title shot), so I want to beat his arse. I’d like to fight him with a full camp and see how he goes. I don’t think he would have lasted one round if I had had a full camp (to prepare) and he didn’t.”


With Christmas just a week away, and no fight booked, you would forgive the number five ranked heavyweight to be enjoying some time off from the gym and perhaps some seasonal food synonymous with this time of year - but the 40 year old is already back in training, and plans to continue his fitness regime right through his scheduled family holiday in Queensland.

"2015 will be the biggest year for Mark Hunt as a UFC fighter. I’m getting back to training this week. I’m getting in good shape for next year so it’s going to be a big year for Mark Hunt. A really good year,” he promised.

We've had the good fortune of interviewing Mark many times over the past four years and we've literally never heard him so positive, so motivated and so.. well, fired up.

If you find that sentiment a little too subjective, consider the fact that "The Super Samoan" turned down a lucrative book deal, documenting his life because he absolutely believes the climax of his tale as a fighter is still yet to play out.

“I still think there’s more chapters of my story to tell. It might be a bit more lucrative if I hold off for about a year, and win a world title. Then it would be a better deal," he explained.

“I’ve still got more to tell in this story as a fighter. I’m still in the top ten of the world in the UFC, I feel that I can beat all these guys. Next year is going to be a pretty important year for Mark Hunt to climb up and get that title. If I sign a book deal now then it’s done. It’s a done deal and you can only do a book once,” he continued.

The two-time "KO of the Night" winner is as pumped as anyone about the UFC's plan for a stadium event at Etihad in Melbourne, Victoria next year, and he plans on earning a spot on what could well be the biggest combat sports event in Australia's history.

"It’s going to be awesome for Australia and Melbourne. It’s a big stadium and it’s going to be packed to capacity. I want to be on that card somewhere,” he said.


But before then, Hunt knows that he has to claw his way back to the top of the ladder in the UFC's heavyweight weight class. While the aforementioned rematch with Werdum is on his list, there's another man who Hunt would like to square off with once again - number two ranked former champion Junior dos Santos (17-3).

“I want the rematch with JDS. I want to knock his fricken' head off. My next fight I’d like it to be with JDS," he declared.

“I’m a better striker than him. He got me in the last fight, I can beat him. I can beat any of them,” he continued.

The combat sports veteran has his sights set on two things, winning a UFC world title and competing in front of his Aussie fans in Victoria next year, it would be one hell of a climax to the Mark Hunt story should those stars align.

“If it (the event) is in November next year, it might even be for a world title, who knows. All I need is a couple of good fights and we’ll see what happens. I (want to be) 100 percent, no time delays or weight cuts... I think that Mark Hunt versus Cain Velasquez (13-1) would have to be the go," he said.

“I want to fight in my home and I want to get back in the winners circle. I’d like to be on the card somewhere so I need to get back to fighting and winning and getting a title shot.”

Hold off on pre-ordering his biography for now, the story of Mark Hunt is far from over.

 

[RM211]

Rumors swirling that Rampage is headed bacc to the UFC. Not official and this a post from Brian.


@FrontRowBrian said:
UPDATE on Rampage Jackson to UFC rumors... A source tells me Bellator has no intention of releasing Rampage from his contract.



We'll see what happens in the coming hours and days.