MMA News Thread
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Just got a couple tickets to that Bellator 126, only $25 each in section 108, dope seats, will see in the cage perfectly.
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#BREAKING: Heavyweights M @MattM itrione and G @gon zagabjj to meet on FOX card in Phoenix Heavyweights Matt Mitrione, Gabriel Gonzaga to meet on FOX card in Phoenix | FOX Sports
REALLY SHAPING UP TO BE A DOPE CARD! ALL HW CARD? WOULD LOSE MY TOP IF THEY PUT ARLOVSKI V ROTHWELL ON HERE HUNT/NELSON V BARNETT??
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#BREAKING: Heavyweights M @MattM itrione and G @gon zagabjj to meet on FOX card in Phoenix Heavyweights Matt Mitrione, Gabriel Gonzaga to meet on FOX card in Phoenix | FOX Sports
REALLY SHAPING UP TO BE A DOPE CARD! ALL HW CARD? WOULD LOSE MY TOP IF THEY PUT ARLOVSKI V ROTHWELL ON HERE HUNT/NELSON V BARNETT??
The five best MMA fights at Saitama Super Arena in Japan
TOKYO – On Saturday, the UFC visits hallowed ground in the MMA world: Saitama Super Arena, a 14-year-old multi-purpose venue that sits 20 miles north of downtown Tokyo in Saitama, Japan, and has seen more championship MMA bouts than any other building outside of Las Vegas.
The UFC has visited the venue twice before, but between 2000 and 2007, Saitama Super Arena hosted 25 events promoted by PRIDE, a Japanese-based promotion that in 2007 was purchased by the UFC and saw most of its assets brought into the UFC fold.
A marvel of modern engineering, Saitama Super Arena generally seats around 12,000 people for an MMA event but has been expanded on a handful of occasions to hold nearly 50,000 people.
On Saturday, the UFC will use the more typical setup for UFC Fight Night 52, which sees sluggers Mark Hunt (9-8-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) and Roy Nelson (20-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) clash in a matchup of two of the heaviest hitters in the heavyweight division, not to mention two of the most iron-chinned fighters in any weight class.
Ahead of Saturday’s event – which also features a stacked lineup that includes Takanori Gomi, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Miesha Tate and streams live on UFC Fight Pass (12:30 a.m. ET) – MMAjunkie looks at five of the greatest MMA fights to ever take place at Saitama Super Arena.
1. FEDOR EMELIANENKO DEF. MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC AT PRIDE FINAL CONFLICT 2005
While it’s no longer the case, there was a time when the best heavyweights in the world weren’t fighting in the UFC. Instead, they competed for PRIDE, and Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Filipovic were considered the cream of the crop.
While it took several years for the two fighters to finally meet in the ring, when the clash was finally scheduled for Aug. 28, 2005, it was among the most anticipated matchups in the history of the heavyweight division. Featuring fantastic displays of tactics and heart from both men, the two fought for 20 minutes before Emelianenko was awarded a hard-fought decision win. “The Last Emperor” would go on to win 27-consecutive fights but never did set foot in the UFC octagon.
2. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA DEF. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA AT PRIDE CRITICAL COUNTDOWN 2005
While Mauricio Rua would go on to gain fame as a UFC light heavyweight champion, he first burst on to the scene in 2005, when he turned in what remains one of the most impressive calendar years in MMA history, downing Hiromitsu Kanehara, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona en route to claiming the 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix title.
While he downed Arona and Overeem in a single night to claim the tournament win, it was a wild three-round bout with Nogueira that may have been Rua’s most impressive fight of the run. Going back and forth for three rounds, the two Brazilians combined for what was widely considered 2005’s “Fight of the Year.”
3. WANDERLEI SILVA DEF. QUINTON “RAMPAGE” JACKSON AT “PRIDE 28: HIGH OCTANE”
Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson were two of PRIDE’s biggest superstars, not to mention two of its most feared knockout artists. On Oct. 31, 2004, the two met in a rematch of their initial 2003 meeting, and the action proved to be among the most intense in PRIDE history.
While Jackson looked primed to end the PRIDE middleweight champion’s 16-fight unbeaten streak with an opening-round barrage, it was a vicious deluge of Silva knees that ended the fight in the second round with a highlight-reel ending that remains among the most memorable in PRIDE history.
4. MIRKO FILIPOVIC DEF. JOSH BARNETT AT “PRIDE FINAL CONFLICT ABSOLUTE”
mirko-cro-cop-filipovic-2.jpgWhile “Cro Cop” Filipovic never quite displayed the same form during a 10-fight UFC run, the Croatian kickboxer was one of the most feared strikers in the world during his five years competing under the PRIDE banner. He reached the pinnacle of his success on Sept. 10, 2006, when he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett to secure the 2006 PRIDE open weight grand prix title.
Not only was Filipovic’s victory over Barnett an impressive first-round stoppage, it came on the same night “Cro Cop” knocked out MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in the tournament’s semifinals, earning the Croatian two memorable victories in one evening.
5. WANDERLEI SILVA DEF. BRIAN STANN AT “UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SILVA VS. STANN”
Brazilian berzerker Wanderlei Silva fought 13 times at Saitama Super Arena under the PRIDE banner, but he saved something special for his return to the venue as a UFC fighter on March 3, 2013.
Silva and Brian Stann went toe-to-toe in the center of the octagon for nearly two full rounds, bringing the crowd to its feet and harkening scenes of “The Axe Murderer’s” glory days. Stann wobbled Silva on a few occasions, but it was the former PRIDE champ who ultimately scored the knockout win late in the second round. As it turned out, it was the final appearance of Stann’s fighting career.
TOKYO – On Saturday, the UFC visits hallowed ground in the MMA world: Saitama Super Arena, a 14-year-old multi-purpose venue that sits 20 miles north of downtown Tokyo in Saitama, Japan, and has seen more championship MMA bouts than any other building outside of Las Vegas.
The UFC has visited the venue twice before, but between 2000 and 2007, Saitama Super Arena hosted 25 events promoted by PRIDE, a Japanese-based promotion that in 2007 was purchased by the UFC and saw most of its assets brought into the UFC fold.
A marvel of modern engineering, Saitama Super Arena generally seats around 12,000 people for an MMA event but has been expanded on a handful of occasions to hold nearly 50,000 people.
On Saturday, the UFC will use the more typical setup for UFC Fight Night 52, which sees sluggers Mark Hunt (9-8-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) and Roy Nelson (20-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) clash in a matchup of two of the heaviest hitters in the heavyweight division, not to mention two of the most iron-chinned fighters in any weight class.
Ahead of Saturday’s event – which also features a stacked lineup that includes Takanori Gomi, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Miesha Tate and streams live on UFC Fight Pass (12:30 a.m. ET) – MMAjunkie looks at five of the greatest MMA fights to ever take place at Saitama Super Arena.
1. FEDOR EMELIANENKO DEF. MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC AT PRIDE FINAL CONFLICT 2005
While it’s no longer the case, there was a time when the best heavyweights in the world weren’t fighting in the UFC. Instead, they competed for PRIDE, and Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Filipovic were considered the cream of the crop.
While it took several years for the two fighters to finally meet in the ring, when the clash was finally scheduled for Aug. 28, 2005, it was among the most anticipated matchups in the history of the heavyweight division. Featuring fantastic displays of tactics and heart from both men, the two fought for 20 minutes before Emelianenko was awarded a hard-fought decision win. “The Last Emperor” would go on to win 27-consecutive fights but never did set foot in the UFC octagon.
2. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA DEF. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA AT PRIDE CRITICAL COUNTDOWN 2005
While Mauricio Rua would go on to gain fame as a UFC light heavyweight champion, he first burst on to the scene in 2005, when he turned in what remains one of the most impressive calendar years in MMA history, downing Hiromitsu Kanehara, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona en route to claiming the 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix title.
While he downed Arona and Overeem in a single night to claim the tournament win, it was a wild three-round bout with Nogueira that may have been Rua’s most impressive fight of the run. Going back and forth for three rounds, the two Brazilians combined for what was widely considered 2005’s “Fight of the Year.”
3. WANDERLEI SILVA DEF. QUINTON “RAMPAGE” JACKSON AT “PRIDE 28: HIGH OCTANE”
Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson were two of PRIDE’s biggest superstars, not to mention two of its most feared knockout artists. On Oct. 31, 2004, the two met in a rematch of their initial 2003 meeting, and the action proved to be among the most intense in PRIDE history.
While Jackson looked primed to end the PRIDE middleweight champion’s 16-fight unbeaten streak with an opening-round barrage, it was a vicious deluge of Silva knees that ended the fight in the second round with a highlight-reel ending that remains among the most memorable in PRIDE history.
4. MIRKO FILIPOVIC DEF. JOSH BARNETT AT “PRIDE FINAL CONFLICT ABSOLUTE”
mirko-cro-cop-filipovic-2.jpgWhile “Cro Cop” Filipovic never quite displayed the same form during a 10-fight UFC run, the Croatian kickboxer was one of the most feared strikers in the world during his five years competing under the PRIDE banner. He reached the pinnacle of his success on Sept. 10, 2006, when he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett to secure the 2006 PRIDE open weight grand prix title.
Not only was Filipovic’s victory over Barnett an impressive first-round stoppage, it came on the same night “Cro Cop” knocked out MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in the tournament’s semifinals, earning the Croatian two memorable victories in one evening.
5. WANDERLEI SILVA DEF. BRIAN STANN AT “UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SILVA VS. STANN”
Brazilian berzerker Wanderlei Silva fought 13 times at Saitama Super Arena under the PRIDE banner, but he saved something special for his return to the venue as a UFC fighter on March 3, 2013.
Silva and Brian Stann went toe-to-toe in the center of the octagon for nearly two full rounds, bringing the crowd to its feet and harkening scenes of “The Axe Murderer’s” glory days. Stann wobbled Silva on a few occasions, but it was the former PRIDE champ who ultimately scored the knockout win late in the second round. As it turned out, it was the final appearance of Stann’s fighting career.
UFC terminates Thiago Silva's contract, suspends Anthony Johnson indefinitely
The UFC has again released Thiago Silva, and fellow vet Anthony Johnson has been suspended indefinitely, the promotion today announced.
Both were the result of abuse allegations.
The UFC initially released Silva after an incident in February. Police said the fighter drove to Pablo Popovitch Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Oakland Park, Fla., and threatened his wife and Popovich with a gun before fleeing to his home, which led to a four-hour standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. He eventually came out of his home and was Tasered before being taken into custody.
The charges were eventually dropped when his wife was deemed “uncooperative” after she fled the country. Earlier this month, UFC President Dana White stated Silva “went through the legal process and came out of it untainted” and reasoned, “How do you not let the guy fight again?”
However, with additional information, likely from a recent Globo report, the organization today announced it’s terminated his contract:
Thiago Silva was released from his UFC contract on Feb. 7 due to his arrest by police in South Florida. The charges against Silva were dropped by the Broward County District Attorney’s office and Silva was re-signed to the UFC earlier this month. Based on new information received today in the form of video and audio evidence, Silva has been terminated from his UFC contract.
Johnson, meanwhile, is suspended indefinitely following allegations from the mother of his children that he struck her in 2012 and knocked out two of her teeth. She also alleges he’s been threatening her. BloodyElbow.com‘s Brent Brookhouse first reported the depth of the allegations.
The UFC’s statement read:
We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Johnson. As a result, we are suspending him indefinitely. We are using a third-party law firm to conduct a formal investigation and once we have more information, we’ll determine whether further course of action is necessary.
Johnson subsequently posted a statement on Facebook:
Silva (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a 31-year-old Brazilian who first joined the UFC in 2007, hasn’t fought since an October 2013 win over Matt Hamill. Upon his re-signing, the light heavyweight had planned to make a return to the cage in early 2015.
Johnson (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who’s ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings, recently fought his way back to the UFC and picked up wins over Phil Davis and Antonio Rogerio Nogueria to move into title contention. The 30-year-old was initially released in 2012 following a loss and a series of weight-cutting gaffes as a welterweight.
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Anthony Johnson
4,756 followers · 2 hrs ·
..
The shit ppl will say and the lengths ppl will go just to tell a Fucking lie is ridiculous.
That's all I'm going to say and thank you all for the support and positive feedback that I'm getting.
The UFC has again released Thiago Silva, and fellow vet Anthony Johnson has been suspended indefinitely, the promotion today announced.
Both were the result of abuse allegations.
The UFC initially released Silva after an incident in February. Police said the fighter drove to Pablo Popovitch Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Oakland Park, Fla., and threatened his wife and Popovich with a gun before fleeing to his home, which led to a four-hour standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. He eventually came out of his home and was Tasered before being taken into custody.
The charges were eventually dropped when his wife was deemed “uncooperative” after she fled the country. Earlier this month, UFC President Dana White stated Silva “went through the legal process and came out of it untainted” and reasoned, “How do you not let the guy fight again?”
However, with additional information, likely from a recent Globo report, the organization today announced it’s terminated his contract:
Thiago Silva was released from his UFC contract on Feb. 7 due to his arrest by police in South Florida. The charges against Silva were dropped by the Broward County District Attorney’s office and Silva was re-signed to the UFC earlier this month. Based on new information received today in the form of video and audio evidence, Silva has been terminated from his UFC contract.
Johnson, meanwhile, is suspended indefinitely following allegations from the mother of his children that he struck her in 2012 and knocked out two of her teeth. She also alleges he’s been threatening her. BloodyElbow.com‘s Brent Brookhouse first reported the depth of the allegations.
The UFC’s statement read:
We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Johnson. As a result, we are suspending him indefinitely. We are using a third-party law firm to conduct a formal investigation and once we have more information, we’ll determine whether further course of action is necessary.
Johnson subsequently posted a statement on Facebook:
Silva (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a 31-year-old Brazilian who first joined the UFC in 2007, hasn’t fought since an October 2013 win over Matt Hamill. Upon his re-signing, the light heavyweight had planned to make a return to the cage in early 2015.
Johnson (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who’s ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings, recently fought his way back to the UFC and picked up wins over Phil Davis and Antonio Rogerio Nogueria to move into title contention. The 30-year-old was initially released in 2012 following a loss and a series of weight-cutting gaffes as a welterweight.
Follow
Anthony Johnson
4,756 followers · 2 hrs ·
..
The shit ppl will say and the lengths ppl will go just to tell a Fucking lie is ridiculous.
That's all I'm going to say and thank you all for the support and positive feedback that I'm getting.
checc out this sicc ko from the 5th episode of tuf: Latin America(Velasquez v Werdum)
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Julio Cesar might be a factor.
Honeycutt is kinda wet behind the ears, but dude got potential.
Honeycutt is kinda wet behind the ears, but dude got potential.
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B-Buzz and B-Buzz
Weidman Hurt, Lawler vs. Hendricks 2 Now Main Event Of UFC 181
With Chris Weidman hurt, Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler headlines UFC 181 | MMAjunkie
A hand injury suffered by middleweight champion Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has caused his main event title fight against Vitor Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) to be scrapped from the lineup. UFC officials announced the news on Monday. Officials did not announce when Weidman-Belfort would be rescheduled for.
But for fight fans, all is not lost, and Christmas will come a little early. The new main event on the card will be the welterweight title rematch between Johny Hendricks (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (24-10 MMA, 9-4 UFC).
Retaining its co-main event status on the card is the lightweight title fight between champ Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
UFC 181 takes place Dec. 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Hendricks and Lawler first met in March at UFC 171, where they engaged in a back-and-forth main event for the welterweight title that was vacated by Georges St-Pierre. Thanks in part to a takedown in the fifth round, Hendricks inched out a unanimous decision victory.
The champion has been sidelined since then rehabbing injuries, and in the meantime, Lawler stopped Jake Ellenberger in May, then took a unanimous decision from Matt Brown in July to earn his way back to the rematch with Hendricks.
As for Weidman and Belfort, the champion defended his title in July with a unanimous decision win over Lyoto Machida, his second defense of the belt after retaining it in a rematch with Anderson Silva this past December. Belfort was set to fight him earlier this year, but in the process of cycling off his therapeutic-use exemption for testosterone-replacement therapy, he had to pull out of the fight. In the meantime, he has maintained he’ll be cleared for the fight – though now he has some unexpected extra time thanks to Weidman’s injury.
With Chris Weidman hurt, Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler headlines UFC 181 | MMAjunkie
A hand injury suffered by middleweight champion Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has caused his main event title fight against Vitor Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) to be scrapped from the lineup. UFC officials announced the news on Monday. Officials did not announce when Weidman-Belfort would be rescheduled for.
But for fight fans, all is not lost, and Christmas will come a little early. The new main event on the card will be the welterweight title rematch between Johny Hendricks (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (24-10 MMA, 9-4 UFC).
Retaining its co-main event status on the card is the lightweight title fight between champ Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
UFC 181 takes place Dec. 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Hendricks and Lawler first met in March at UFC 171, where they engaged in a back-and-forth main event for the welterweight title that was vacated by Georges St-Pierre. Thanks in part to a takedown in the fifth round, Hendricks inched out a unanimous decision victory.
The champion has been sidelined since then rehabbing injuries, and in the meantime, Lawler stopped Jake Ellenberger in May, then took a unanimous decision from Matt Brown in July to earn his way back to the rematch with Hendricks.
As for Weidman and Belfort, the champion defended his title in July with a unanimous decision win over Lyoto Machida, his second defense of the belt after retaining it in a rematch with Anderson Silva this past December. Belfort was set to fight him earlier this year, but in the process of cycling off his therapeutic-use exemption for testosterone-replacement therapy, he had to pull out of the fight. In the meantime, he has maintained he’ll be cleared for the fight – though now he has some unexpected extra time thanks to Weidman’s injury.
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Nate Diaz‘s return from an extended layoff is now set, as he faces fellow lightweight Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 13.
UFC officials today announced the matchup will serve as co-main event of the Dec. 13 fight card, which takes place at Phoenix’s U.S. Airways Center.
The matchup will make an impact at 155 pounds, as Dos Anjos currently sits at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, while Diaz checks in just behind at No. 8.
Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) hasn’t fought since an impressive November 2013 win over Gray Maynard. The much-needed result snapped a two-fight losing streak for Diaz, but he’s spent the past several months involved in a contract dispute with UFC officials. Still, he remains an in-demand commodity with MMA fans and now gets a big fight in his return.
Meanwhile, Dos Anjos (22-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) is currently enjoying the best run of his career, going 7-1 in his past right UFC appearances. Along the way, he picked up key wins over former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Donald Cerrone, while the lone loss in that stretch came to undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov.
With the addition, the latest UFC on FOX 13 lineup now includes:
•Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
•Nate Diaz vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
•Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
•Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione
•Jussier Formiga vs. John Moraga
•Drew Dober vs. Jamie Varner
•Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman
•Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Ellenberger
•Joe Riggs vs. Ben Saunders
•Anthony Birchak vs. Ian Entwistle
UFC officials today announced the matchup will serve as co-main event of the Dec. 13 fight card, which takes place at Phoenix’s U.S. Airways Center.
The matchup will make an impact at 155 pounds, as Dos Anjos currently sits at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, while Diaz checks in just behind at No. 8.
Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) hasn’t fought since an impressive November 2013 win over Gray Maynard. The much-needed result snapped a two-fight losing streak for Diaz, but he’s spent the past several months involved in a contract dispute with UFC officials. Still, he remains an in-demand commodity with MMA fans and now gets a big fight in his return.
Meanwhile, Dos Anjos (22-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) is currently enjoying the best run of his career, going 7-1 in his past right UFC appearances. Along the way, he picked up key wins over former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Donald Cerrone, while the lone loss in that stretch came to undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov.
With the addition, the latest UFC on FOX 13 lineup now includes:
•Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
•Nate Diaz vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
•Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
•Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione
•Jussier Formiga vs. John Moraga
•Drew Dober vs. Jamie Varner
•Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman
•Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Ellenberger
•Joe Riggs vs. Ben Saunders
•Anthony Birchak vs. Ian Entwistle
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