11 Bouts Official for UFC Live 3 on March 3

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has added three new contests to the official fight card for UFC Live 3 “Sanchez vs. Kampmann”.

The promotion on Wednesday updated the lineup to include a middleweight tilt between Alessio Sakara and Rafael “Sapo” Natal, a light heavyweight scrap featuring Steve Cantwell and Cyrille Diabate, and a welterweight affair pitting Johny Hendricks against Paulo Thiago. The card is now nearly complete with 11 bouts. Only an expected middleweight matchup between Rousimar Palhares and Dave Branch is yet to be confirmed.

UFC Live 3 takes place March 3 and will go down at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. The event will be headlined by a welterweight showdown between Danish striker Martin Kampmann and the resurgent Diego Sanchez.

Although poor health kept Sakara from competing in the second half of 2010, the heavy-handed Italian still rides a three-fight winning streak heading into his contest with Natal, with two of his three recent wins coming by way of knockout. “Legionarius” was initially supposed to meet Chute Boxe product Maiquel Falcao at UFC Live 3, but Natal stepped up to replace his fellow Brazilian after an injury sidelined “Big Rig.”

In Natal, Sakara faces a Renzo Gracie product with a potent ground game. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, “Sapo” holds seven of his 12 career victories by submission. Natal has gone 0-1-1 in his UFC career, losing to Rich Attonito in his debut and drawing with Jesse Bongfeldt in his sophomore effort in December.

Cantwell and Diabate each have their backs against the wall, as both men are looking to rebound from defeats. Cantwell has lost two straight bouts to Luis Cane and Brian Stann, while Diabate comes off a one-sided loss to Alexander Gustafsson.

Hendricks and Thiago also both tasted defeat in their previous outings, as the Brazilian was outworked by Diego Sanchez at UFC 121 and Hendricks dropped a close unanimous decision to Rick Story at “The Ultimate Fighter 12” finale. The loss marked the first defeat of Hendricks’ career.

Source: sherdog.com

Names in the Game: Derek Brunson

You may not know the name Derek Brunson right now, but by the end of 2011 the fighter hailing from North Carolina is hoping to change all that.

A former 3-time Division II All-American wrestling from UNC-Pembroke, Brunson like many wrestlers made the move to MMA, and with just over a year under his belt he’s sitting at 5-0 and looking to make it six with his fight on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Fla.

Brunson’s story matches many of the top fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce. A top level wrestler who when college was over still had competitive juices flowing in his blood, and decided MMA was the best possible future.

“I always enjoyed mixed martial arts, but just was kind of focusing on wrestling,” Brunson said. “When I was finished wrestling I just took my attention to doing mixed martial arts, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

In the year Brunson has been doing MMA, he’s racked up 5 wins with all of his fights ending in the first round. Similar to former UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin early in his career, Brunson has barely tasted what it’s like to go past two minutes through his time so far in MMA.

And while wrestling may be his pedigree, Brunson has shown tremendous knockout power as well, knocking out 4 of his 5 opponents.

“When I first came in, I’ve got a guy named Jeremy Owens, he’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu from the Nova Uniao academy, he pretty much brought me in as a wrestler and taught me some jiu-jitsu defense, that’s pretty much how we started out. Then I started to do a little bit of boxing to work with my takedowns. A lot of people are scared of my takedowns so it set my hands up better,” Brunson explained.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better since day one. I remember when I first came in just from wrestling straight to boxing and I wondered if my hands were ever going to get any better. Through time they got a lot better and in a year, I’ve improved a lot of things.”

Improvement is an understatement, but Brunson isn’t shy when talking about what he wants for his future. He looks to fighters like Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Gerald Harris and Anderson Silva as far as a model of how he wants to perform in the cage, and he hopes to have just as much success.

Brunson still currently trains out of Evolution MMA in Wilmington, NC, but he admits that to get to the next step in his career he’s probably going to have to venture out to work with new training partners and coaches. He’s in discussions to potentially work with the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City, as well as taking a trip to New Mexico to see what Greg Jackson’s camp is all about.

Even though he’s still young, Brunson is hungry to get better and climb the ladder all the way towards a potential landing spot with the UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator. The other thing he’s focused on…keeping his record spotless for as long as he can.

“I’m that type of guy, I don’t really feel any pressure. I want to go out there and stay undefeated,” said Brunson. “I don’t want to go out there and do things half way, if I do it, I want to be the best in whatever I do. I want to stay undefeated.”

Brunson will try to keep that streak alive on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Fla where he will take on Danny Babcock as a part of the WEF show.

Source: mmaweekly.com

UFC Fight for the Troops 2: Yves Edwards Fighting for More Than Bragging Rights

The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB all have one thing in common. Their rosters consist of world-class athletes who, at one point in their lifetimes, wanted to become part of their respective professional sports league. Some athletes are lucky enough to make the pros and spend their entire careers at that level. Other athletes aren’t so lucky. Some have a cold streak and are forced to go down to the minor leagues and hone their skills before being called back up to compete at the premier level again.

A lot of the same happens in the UFC, which is widely regarded as the major leagues of mixed martial arts. Some fighters spend their entire careers fighting in the organization, while others might fight a few here and there, having to earn some wins in an effort to get back to the bigs on an extended basis.

For UFC Fight for the Troops 2 competitor Yves Edwards, the return to the premier league is a great feeling, but it’s not all that he fights for. He trains to be a top competitor in the league, not just to compete in the top league.

“Everybody wants to be in the UFC and everybody wants to say, ‘oh, I fought in the UFC,’” Edwards told MMA Weekly Radio. “That’s not the ultimate goal. Some guys, once they get there, they really don’t even reassess. They don’t change things and say, ‘hey, I want to be a contender. I want to potentially go after that belt.’”

Being in the UFC is a great goal by any means, but getting there is just the beginning of the journey. Fighters conquer obstacles on their way to the bigs, but once they get there, they still have to fight their way up the ranks of the UFC division they fight in.

And once they begin their climb up those UFC rankings, the method of which they choose to compete is also key.

One of the issues MMA fans have voiced their opinions about lately is the lack of fighting in a fight. “Lay and pray,” as it is most commonly referred, is something that many viewers have a tough time wrapping their heads around. The lack of offense by one fighter after gaining an advantageous position seems to frustrate those paying to be entertained as spectators.

Some would call this method “smart.” Edwards believes this not to be true.

According to the 155-pound fighter, if you’re not going to fight, then you run the risk of sitting on the wrong side of a competition, soaking in the mud of defeat.

“Any time you fight not to lose, you run a big risk of not winning,” he said.

At this point in his professional career, Edwards is approaching 60 fights. Not many fighters can say they’ve fought as many times as Edwards and been successful. With a win at UFC Fight for the Troops 2, Edwards will reach the 40-win plateau. Keeping good company has helped him get to this level.

The toughness of his training partners and coaches have been all the reason he needs to train where he trains. Working with Antonio McKee in California has been a big help in Edwards’ preparation for his fight with TUF 12 alumnus Cody McKenzie.

“I always work with those guys because everyone in that gym is tough,” he said. “They keep a high pace and the conditioning there is really, really good. So that was a big part of it. They’ve got some really good guys there. Jesse Juarez helped me a lot with the jiu-jitsu game for this fight. When you fight a guy like Cody who has a specialty move, you have to adjust (for) that. You can’t totally ignore it.”

Source: mmaweekly.com

Bellator Completes 8-Man Welterweight Field

UFC veteran and former International Fight League champion Jay Hieron on Thursday was made official as the final entrant in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 4 welterweight tournament.

Hieron joins former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good, Season 2 finalist Dan Hornbuckle, Team Rough House veteran “Judo” Jim Wallhead, Season 2 semi-finalist Steve Carl, undefeated Olympic judoka Rick Hawn, unbeaten knockout artist Chris Lozano and the surging Brent Weedman in the eight-man draw.

The winner of the tournament will receive a crack at reigning Bellator welterweight titleholder Ben Askren, along with a $100,000 payday. Based at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas, Hieron figures to enter the tournament as one of the favorites.

“Jay’s the perfect fighter to round out our stacked welterweight tournament,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “He’s a true mixed martial artist who has very few weaknesses and a ton of strengths inside the cage. Jay will be a tremendous test for anyone and everyone in this talent-rich tournament.”

Hieron will carry a seven-fight winning streak into his promotional debut, likely against Carl on March 5. The 34-year-old last appeared under the Strikeforce banner in January 2010, when he defeated fellow UFC veteran Joe Riggs by unanimous decision at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. A well-rounded competitor, Hieron owns notable victories against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 semi-finalist Jesse Taylor, 2009 Dream welterweight grand prix finalist Jason High, former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championDelson Heleno and UFC veteran Jake Ellenberger.

“I feel great right now. I turned a negative into a positive with my time off and just took the opportunity to sharpen my skills,” Hieron said. “When you’re training for a fight, the pressure’s on, so it’s hard to learn and evolve. It’s straight business. With this time off, I’ve been able to focus on a lot of new techniques. Now, I’m just excited to get back in there and show off my new arsenal.”

Hieron has secured more than half (11) of his 19 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The New York native has not tasted defeat in nearly four years and favors Bellator’s tournament format.

“This is the exact type of situation I wanted to be in right now. With the tournament format, there’s no politics, no golden boys and nobody getting protected; there’s none of that. If you win, you move forward, and that’s that. That’s the bottom line, and that’s exactly what I was looking for,” Hieron said. “I feel like I’ve been through as bad a situation that somebody can go through in their career, and I’m still here. Not only that, but my body’s right, I'm healthy, and I feel like it’s my time.”


Source: sherdog.com

Johny Hendricks vs. Paulo Thiago targeted for UFC on Versus 3

Welterweights Johny Hendricks (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Paulo Thiago (13-3, 3-3 UFC) have been targeted to meet at UFC on Versus 3.

Sources close to the event today said that verbal agreements are in place with contracts on the way.

UFC on Versus 3 takes place March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., and airs live on Versus.

It's unknown whether Hendricks vs. Thiago will replace a scheduled welterweight bout between Matt Brown and Matt Riddle that was thrown into the lurch when Riddle injured his right hand and was forced to bow out.

Regardless, both men are hungry for redemption coming into the spring fight. Hendricks experienced the first loss of his professional career in his most recent appearance when he was outpointed by Rick Story at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. The setback snapped a four-fight streak earned after his migration from the WEC to the UFC.

Thiago, meanwhile, has his back to the cage. Despite an all-out effort that won him "Fight of the Night" honors, he was outpointed by the persistent Diego Sanchez this past October at UFC 121. That compounded a decision loss to division standout Martin Kampmann in his previous fight.

Sanchez and Kampmann are now scheduled to headline UFC on Versus 3.

A member of Brazil's elite special police squad B.O.P.E., Thiago burst onto the UFC scene with a first-round knockout of Josh Koscheck. He was outpointed in a subsequent performance to Koscheck teammate Jon Fitch, but rebounded afterward with two consecutive wins against Jacob Volkmann and AKA regular Mike Swick.


Source: mmajunkie.com

Jose Aldo Confirmed for Fight at UFC 129

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will compete at UFC 129, the promotion confirmed Thursday.

The 24-year-old, who was forced out of a scheduled New Year's Day match with a neck injury, is set to go for the UFC's April 30 debut in Toronto, though his opponent won't be known for at least a few more days.

Canadian Mark Hominick has been promised the title shot if he can defeat George Roop at Saturday night's Fight for the Troops 2 event at Ford Hood, Texas.

The UFC gave no indication of who might step in and face Aldo if Roop upsets Hominick.

One potential candidate, Josh Grispi, is off the table after losing to Aldo's UFC 125 replacement, Dustin Poirier.

Another possibility is the UFC waiting to see if the winner of the upcoming UFC 126 fight between Chad Mendes and Michihiro Omigawa emerges healthy. Either one would be considered a worthy challenger. A win over the respected veteran Omigawa would make Mendes a perfect 10-0, while Omigawa is in the midst of a five-fight win streak as he readies for his UFC debut.

Aldo's fight would serve as the co-main event. Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre's title defense against Jake Shields will headline the Rogers Centre spectacle.


Source: mmafighting.com

Nick Diaz Rips Mayhem Miller Rumors, Welterweight Rankings

Nick Diaz has apparently had all he can take when it comes to questions about the bout that never was against Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Nine months after a post-fight melee in Nashville ignited a bitter and ongoing rivalry between the pair, the sides are no closer to getting into a cage and settling it the old-fashioned way.

And during a conference call to hype up his upcoming Jan. 29 title defense against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, Diaz made his feelings very clear on the matter, saying that given the weight disparity, it's not a fight he'll agree to unless the cash is right.

The conference call followed the pattern of a typical Diaz fight: jab, jab, feel out the spacing, and then, when he was properly warmed up, he let it rip.

"I'd be happy to move up," he said. "I'd just like to be paid for it, you now. I don't like how people try to say that I didn't accept the fight with Miller because I was too small. I never said anything about that. I said, If I'm going to go off-track, it's going to screw with my season, screw with my whole year, screw with my capabilities fighting at 170 pounds. So If I'm going to do that, I would like to get paid in full. I'd like to have a reason for doing that. It's not just doing it at everyone else's convenience. I would like to get paid something extra. Double, triple, something crazy for me to do that, to move up in weight and fight at that weight.

"Moving up or moving down, I'd rather move down before I moved up," he continued. "If you want me to move to a different class, let me move down if you're not going to pay me more money for it. I might as well be moving down. That's probably better. I'll move up, but can I get paid for it? People see something great. Offer me a fight at 185, offer me a big money fight and I'll make it happen. But I'm not just doing it for free when I make the same money at 170 pounds. It's more work. Twice as much work. I never would've signed for that fight with Miller. They were talking about making me move weight. I said, 'Tell his ass to get in f---ing shape and make weight like I do.' It's f---ing hard enough for me to make 170 pounds. He acts like he wouldn't be able to do it. He doesn't want to work hard like me. That's the problem. So he could work his ass off and make 170 pounds, 175 pounds. Or somebody can pay me a couple f---ing million dollars and I'll move up to 185 pounds and I'll fight him."

The Strikeforce welterweight champion made it clear it's an issue of money over bad blood, despite the fact that he recently signed a contract extension with the San Jose, California-based promotion.

"That motherf---r doesn't want to fight me," he said. "Talking about, 'he wants to fight me' every chance he gets. He's got control of the media. I'll fight at any weight. I'll fight at 185 pounds. I'd like to get paid. Pacquiao's making $40 f---ing million, GSP's making a couple millions dollars. And I'm over here driving a Honda because my s---'s breaking down?"

Diaz also took issue with world fighter rankings, telling the story of when he cornered a fighter who had only fought twice before as he took on the UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck.

The fighter, likely former Team Cesar Gracie member Chris Sanford, who was actually 4-0 at the time, was knocked out in the first round by Koscheck (who was 2-0 and making his UFC debut after appearing on the Ultimate Fighter). Diaz, though, sees that as an example of selective matchmaking that helped several UFC stars build up strong records, and helps hoodwink the media and public into believing they are better than they actually are.

"I never had fights like that," he said. "So when you bring up guys like that to me and tell me they're the best fighters in the world, it's a f---ing joke. It's a joke to me. He may be a good fighter now, but these guys that are ranked up there, I was here first. That's fine, but lets fight then, you know? Make it happen."

Diaz, who said his dream fights would be against Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre, was asked why he continues to call out fighters that it's unlikely he'll ever face while he's under contract to a rival promotion.

"Why wouldn't I get this fight?" he said. "Why are you saying it's unavailable? Because we fight for different companies? I think there's enough money involved that they can organize that sort of thing."

In the meantime, he'll have to settle for Santos, an 18-13 brawler who won his divisional debut by TKO over Marius Zaromskis in December.

"I think this is the best opponent for right now that I'd agree to," he said. "I want to fight GSP. But I think my partner [teammate Jake Shields] will take him out regardless."


Source: mmafighting.com

Junior dos Santos: 'Beating Brock Lesnar will prove once and for all I deserve a shot at the belt'

Called on to challenge UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos saw his hopes dashed when his opponent pulled out injured. UFC president Dana White had a good solution for the problem, though. Cigano is now the coach of the next season of the The Ultimate Fighter reality show, putting him up against former champion Brock Lesnar.

And the challenge has become all the greater, seeing as the Brazilian admits his English is not exactly up to par although he does guarantee he will be able to handle his own on the show.

“I’m nervous! My manager called me, said he wanted to put me in the UFC house, and I told him about the language problem. He replied: ‘If they’re not worried about it, why would you be?’ That made me more confident and I agreed to it,” Cigano told graciemag.

One who provided all the support he could was Rodrigo Minotauro, who has already had the experience.

“Rodrigo did the show with Frank Mir and told me it’s a good thing to do, that there my life will be divided into pre-TUF and pro-TUF, that that will be clear in my life. I was really stoked!”

Out Velasquez, in Brock Lesnar, an opponent of extraordinary strength.

“It’s the fight that came about to prove, once and for all, that I deserve a shot at the belt. I have to be calm, prudent, and fight him intelligently. I have to keep on my toes not to let myself fall into his game,” he says.

As is the rule on the reality show, there should be plenty of provocation. Cigano is ready.

“I feel that’s part of it and I’ll even like it. If I understand what he says, I may even have a comeback for him! Truth is, whatever happens in the house will be settled in the octagon, that’s for sure!” he says in closing.

Source: graciemag.com

Strikeforce: Fedor Emelianenko vs Antonio Silva VIDEO TRAILER

Paul Daley to Face Winner of Diaz/Cyborg, But First Headlines BAMMA Show in England

Strikeforce welterweight contender Paul Daley is getting ready to head back into action, but this time it will be in his home country of England.

Daley has been approved to headline an upcoming show for the British run MMA organization BAMMA, and is expected to be part of the the main event of their show in February.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the news to MMAWeekly Radio on Wednesday night.

“Paul has requested to have a fight in the UK, and our deal with Paul we have to sign off on it, and we have to have an opponent approval,” Coker stated.

The opponent for Daley has not been finalized, although MMAWeekly.com has confirmed several names are on the list. Coker said much the same, and believes they could have final word about Daley’s opponent in the next few days.

“There’s a couple names and we’re going through that process with him. He wants to stay busy and he wants to fight the winner of (Nick) Diaz and Evangelista (Cyborg), and I think that makes a lot of sense,” said Coker.

Daley’s one-off fight in the UK will keep him busy to kick off 2011, but according to the Strikeforce president if he wins he will be fighting the winner of the upcoming fight between Diaz and Cyborg set to go down on Jan 29.

Coker simply said ‘yes’ when asked if he is the de facto No. 1 contender for the title, and he will be waiting in the wings when the welterweight title fight is settled next Saturday night.

Source: mmaweekly.com

Georges St-Pierre, Manager Shari L. Spencer Part Ways

Georges St-Pierre and his manager Shari L. Spencer have decided to amicably split up.

According to a press release, "They felt they had a different vision for the future of Georges' career and it was best to remain close personally but dissolve their business relationship."

St-Pierre signed with Spencer in 2007 and has since become one of the most recognizable MMA athletes in the world, signing endorsement deals with blue-chip sponsors Gatorade Canada and Under Armour.

"Shari has been very valuable to me and my career over the last several years. We broke through a lot of barriers together and so I will always be grateful to her and call her my friend," St-Pierre stated.

Spencer, who also represents UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, is one of the few female managers in MMA. She runs her own boutique management group, The Spencer Firm.

"I am extremely proud of the representation I provided to Georges and the incredible opportunity to have partnered with an athlete of his caliber. I am thankful for the trust that he displayed in me in managing his career since mid 2007 and I wish him the best going forward," she stated.

St-Pierre will remain a part of the Creative Arts Agency Sports team, who he signed with in 2008, but will also hire a new manager shortly. No word just yet on who that person will be.

The UFC welterweight champion will defend his title next against Jake Shields at UFC 129 on April 30 in Toronto.


Source: mmafighting.com

Longstanding injuries return to UFC's Sean Sherk, but summer return possible

If Sean Sherk's body had an odometer, it would probably read 500,000.

All those miles have taken a severe toll on him in the 10 years since he started fighting professionally, and several longstanding injuries have returned following his split decision victory over Evan Dunham this past September at UFC 119.

Sherk (34-4-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) today told MMAjunkie that he won't fight again until he's fully healed.

"I made a decision a couple of years ago that I wasn't going to fight injured any more, so that's where the layoff has been," he said. "It's not worth training half-ass because I'm hurt and fighting half-ass, and giving opponents an opportunity to beat me because I wasn't able to prepare properly. That's just not a chance I'm going to take any more."

The former UFC lightweight champion sat out for 16 months prior to the Dunham fight and underwent a rigorous rehabilitation program with several doctors before he was ready to compete.

"All those injuries that I had to rehab, they came back," he said. "So, now I need to get them dealt with again."

Sherk won't say exactly what's ailing him but will say the injuries prevent him from doing certain types of training which in the end affect his conditioning. He admits he ran out of gas in the third round of the Dunham fight.

"I felt like that was something I could have avoided if I was able to step up the conditioning process more," he said.

But he shrugs at the outcry which followed his victory. The split decision was unanimously scorned as one of the worst of the year, and UFC president Dana White said this past week that he still considered Dunham undefeated. For Sherk, though, it was just another chapter in a career that's not always been picture perfect.

"There's always controversy," he said. "I've had controversy surrounding me for a long time. Controversy surrounding the California State Athletic Commission – that still hangs over my head. People still talk crap about me about that, and that was three years ago. So I don't go on the Internet. I don't read anything people are talking about. I just worry about what I have to do, and that's it."

Now, his focus is back on rehabilitation. He said he's still working out five days a week and stands at seven or eight percent bodyfat, but he can't commit to his usual 12-week training camp. That means fighting is on the backburner. His business, which includes the marketing of an elevation mask that simulates training at altitude, is taking up time as well. 

"I'm not going to lie; I'm not getting any younger, unfortunately," he said. "So my injuries are just something that needs to be dealt with properly. I don't want to destroy my legacy. It's not worth it."

Doctors have told him he could be ready to fight by this summer, but it sounds like that's more of a target and less of a plan.

He's not quitting, though. He has one more goal to fulfill before he retires.

"I want to win that belt one more time," Sherk said. "That's my ultimate goal: To be a two-time UFC lightweight champion. I think I would put myself in a very elite class of athletes if I was able to do that."


Source: mmajunkie.com

Junior Dos Santos Makes His Choices for TUF 13 Assistant Coaches

With filming set to begin next week for the 13th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Junior Dos Santos has started to select his coaching staff to go head-to-head with Brock Lesnar on the reality show.

The Brazilian heavyweight has a who’s who list of potential trainers to bring with him. He has already chosen a couple of top coaches to assist him when the show starts.

“He’s got quite a few different guys. His main coach is gonna be the main coach (on the show), Luiz Dorea, who is Anderson’s boxing coach, Junior’s boxing coach, Rodrigo Nogueira and Rogerio Nogueira’s boxing coach. He coaches the Brazilian national team. That’s gonna be one of the boxing coaches,” Ed Soares, Dos Santos’ manager said.

In addition to Dorea, Dos Santos will bring in another stand-up coach to work with his team.

“We’ve got Billy Scheibe, who lives down in Oceanside. He trains Junior in Muay Thai. He trains Brandon Vera. He trains Nogueira. He’s going to be one of the coaches. And there are some other guys we’re working on,” Soares revealed.

One plan that may come into effect later in the season are guest coaches that could assist Dos Santos along the way. Names like Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and many other top fighters who train at Blackhouse MMA alongside Dos Santos on a daily basis could find their way onto the show.

“Of course, you never know,” Soares hinted about Silva or Nogueira appearing on the show. “That can always happen.”

Dos Santos will travel to Las Vegas next week to begin his six-week stint on the show coaching a team of welterweight fighters, before heading back into training himself for a June showdown against Lesnar. The two are likely to square off at UFC 131 in Vancouver.

Source: mmaweekly.com

Vladdy “The Janitor” Matyushenko Wants To Mop Up The Winner of Nogueira/Ortiz

Vladimir Matyushenko has a bit of a grudge and he’s looking to settle it.

The often soft spoken Russian is silent no more about a couple of fighters that hold wins over him, and he’s looking towards a particular bout on March 26 to help unload that burden.

The main event of the upcoming UFC Fight Night in Seattle, Wash. features Antonio Rogerio Nogueira against Tito Ortiz in a light heavyweight battle, and Matyushenko is letting it be known that he wants to face the winner. Although from the sound of things, Matyushenko believes it’s Nogueira that he’d be facing.

“I can’t wait for the fight to see Tito get his ass kicked, I think that’s what’s going to happen,” Matyushenko told MMAWeekly on Wednesday. “You never know. I think he’s still in good shape. I can’t wait because I want to fight either of those guys. I want to fight both of them, but whoever wins I think will be a good match-up to fight me.

“I’d put money on (Nogueira), but it’s MMA. It’s fun to watch because you never know.”

Matyushenko has history with both fighters, inside and outside the UFC. The Russian born fighter stepped in on short noticed after an injury forced Vitor Belfort out of UFC 34, and Matyushenko took the chance and ended up losing a decision to Tito Ortiz in the main event on the card.

Meanwhile, Matyushenko has already had two fights against Nogueira. Matyushenko holds a win in 2002 over the Brazilian, and the pair rematched under the Affliction banner in 2009, with Nogueira coming out on top.

Unfortunately, Matyushenko went into the fight with a bum knee and while he takes nothing away from Nogueira in the win, he wants a chance to finish what they started almost 9 years ago.

“In my mind I still can beat them. I respect them both, but with Nogueira the last fight I had a serious injury before that and I think it was not a fair fight, and the fans want to see the real deal. Same with Tito, it was a short notice kind of deal and it was a long time ago, and a lot of fans keep asking me about it and I think it will be a good thing to happen,” Matyushenko stated.

After March 26, Matyushenko plans to once again call for the winner of the fight to meet him down the road, possibly at the UFC Rio event in Brazil. He spent time in the country over the holidays and says he would be honored to fight on that event, even against Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

In the meantime, Matyushenko doesn’t plan on waiting around just to see who wins that fight. He wants to stay busy and looks to return to action in the first half of 2011.

“There’s a lot of guys in the 205lb division right now. Maybe Stephan Bonnar, I would like to fight him,” Matyushenko answered about who he’d like to fight next. “He’s kind of a veteran too and well known, but he’s a tough guy. I never turn away a fight, so whatever I’ve been offered I’ll fight, but that’s one that kind of interests me.”

Matyushenko’s manager, Nima Safapour from Alchemist Management, isn’t sure that Nogueira or Ortiz are up for the challenge, but he’s hopeful they’ll come around after March 26.

“First thing, Vladdy just wants to put on exciting fights for the fans. Vladdy has been calling out both guys ever since he got back to the UFC,” Safapour said. “It’s a fight they simply don’t want to take because they compromise their records doing so. But if they do step up and take the fight, it’s a bout the fans will praise them for, for years to come.”

Matyushenko is currently training in California while he waits for word from the UFC about his next fight, and he plans on watching the March 26 card with baited breath as well.

Source: mmaweekly.com

Cesar Gracie on Nick Diaz-Mayhem Miller, Greg Jackson and Batista

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is about 10 days from his title defense against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. If most fans had their way, Diaz would be fighting Jason "Mayhem" Miller that night.

The rivalry between Diaz and Miller exploded last April, when the two were among the participants in a post-fight brawl following Jake Shields' championship win over Dan Henderson.

On Wednesday's edition of The MMA Hour, Diaz's manager and trainer Cesar Gracie explained why the matchup has yet to happen. 

According to Gracie, Strikeforce ultimately decided that Diaz-Cyborg was the company's direction, although company president Scott Coker at one time believed that Miller-Diaz would happen.

"Part of me was disappointed because I wanted Nick to shut him up," Gracie said. "That's about it, to beat him up. But the other part, I kind of realized why that fight can't happen. You can't give a guy a fight just because he talks a lot. It sets a precedent."

Strikeforce did look into the possibility of putting the feuding duo in the cage, but the bout may have been undone by the weight differential between the pair. Gracie said Diaz is lighter than usual because he's been competing in triathlons, and would not go all the way to the middleweight division's 185-pound weight class. 

According to him, Miller only wanted to meet him at 183.

"You don't ask the champion to move up a weight class just because you want to fight him. That's stupid," he said. "If that happened in the UFC, Dana White would shut people up. It'd be the equivalent of Chris Leben calling out Georges St. Pierre and saying, 'I don't like you. You have to fight me at 185.' Dana would ridicule that. Everybody would ridicule that. I don't know how this thing got legs. It's stupid."

Diaz recently signed an extension with Strikeforce. Though Gracie could not discuss the exact terms, he said reports the contract was for a three-year deal were inaccurate.

He confirmed that the UFC was interested in Diaz but noted that the decision was ultimately made to stay with Strikeforce because Diaz's brother Nate and his main training partner Jake Shields also fight in the UFC's welterweight class.

Diaz, however, is not closing the door on a return to the UFC (he fought 10 times for the promotion between 2003-2006, going 6-4).

"There's definitely scenarios where I could see Nick back in the UFC," he said. "Right now though, we've got a very good contract with Strikeforce. They treat Nick very well. The terms of the contract are favorable, and as a manager, I'm happy with the contract."

In April, Gracie will take Shields into battle against the aforementioned St. Pierre, who is viewed by most as a Greg Jackson-trained fighter. Gracie, however, doesn't see it that way, referring to Shields and GSP as "two Gracie-trained fighters fighting each other." 

Interestingly, he disagrees with people who call the noted trainer Jackson a great coach, or who refer to him as a coach at all.

Gracie said he believes Jackson often receives too much credit for his fighters' successes. In the case of St. Pierre, he noted, technical coaches like Firas Zahabi, Phil Nurse, John Danaher and Renzo Gracie are the ones handling the details that are often the difference between winning and losing.

"He's more of a coordinator where he puts things in perspective," he said. "And he's great at what he does. Training's at this time, let's go run the mountain or something. Let's go train with this guy. He's more of a motivational speaker possibly, but as a true sense of the word 'coach,' he's not on the same page as great coaches of the world. He's not." 

Gracie said if someone were to credit him on Nick Diaz's striking progress, for example, he would have to credit Diaz's striking coach rather than accept the praise himself.

"I've got nothing against Greg Jackson in particular," he said. "It's just that we're talking about him. There's a lot of guys like that. I'm sure he's a great guy and everything. But the guys from American Top Team in Florida, it's like, you don't have Dan Lambert doing that. He doesn't get in the limelight and he's great, he does everything. He sets it all up, and he's done an incredible job. You never see him pretending he did something he didn't do. The great coaches are in the background."

Gracie, himself a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, also trains Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez.

Asked about another student, the former WWE wrestler Dave Batista, who was rumored to one day be fighting in a Strikeforce cage, Gracie said it's still a possibility.

"I really hope to see him in Strikeforce," he said. "Strikeforce said they want him. They're doing so many things at once that they're a little slow sometimes on doing stuff. But he's become a friend and that would be great.

"He's not going to beat Fedor," he continued. "Everybody has what it takes. Everybody can fight and push yourself. This is a sport, like anything else. He's not going to be world champ, probably, because he's older. But If Herschel Walker can have a shot, why can't Batista?"


Source: mmafighting.com

UFC Fight Night 24: Ortiz vs. Nogueira Fight Card Announced

Tito Ortiz, once one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, is now on his last leg with the promotion. He’s 0-4-1 in his last five fights, but getting a shot at redemption.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Wednesday made official UFC Fight Night 24, which features Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event. The event will take place on March 26 at the KeyArena in Seattle.

While Ortiz was sliding down, Nogueira was rising up, to the tune of seven straight victories. That is up until his last fight, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Top 10 ranked Ryan Bader at UFC 119.

Also made official in Wednesday’s announcement were several supporting bouts. Former title contender Dan Hardy will face Anthony Johnson in a welterweight battle, while another 170-pound contest features Duane “Bang” Ludwig and “Ultimate Fighter” winner Amir Sadollah.

Nam Phan and Leonard Garcia will rematch at UFC Fight Night 24, trying to silence critiques of a hotly disputed split decision victory for Garcia when the two met at the TUF 12 finale.


Source: mmaweekly.com

Vitor Belfort Parts Ways With Trainer Shawn Tompkins Ahead of UFC 126

Vitor Belfort has worked with striking coach Shawn Tompkins since mid-2008, when Belfort first walked into the gym of longtime rival Randy Couture in hopes of training with him.

The union between coach and fighter has been productive. Belfort earned three knockouts in three fights while under Tompkins' watch. But with Belfort in the midst of preparation for the biggest match of his career a UFC 126 title shot against champ Anderson Silva the partnership is apparently over.

On the Tuesday edition of The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo, Tompkins briefly addressed the situation, as well as the recent story that Belfort was training with former boxing great Mike Tyson.

"Well, you know, Vitor's done this before. Vitor sometimes, he gets a little clouded in his head," Tompkins said. "It's not that he brought in Mike Tyson or anything like that. Vitor just wanders, you know, and he goes where what's happening, what's famous, what's popular and he'll go over there. Mike Tyson isn't teaching him anything. Neither is the other eight gyms that he's training at. Just because he's over at Couture's and not with me doesn't mean he's with Couture. Vitor isn't loyal to anybody. We've seen it before."

The middleweight star hasn't fought since a Sept. 2009 knockout over Rich Franklin at UFC 103.

Since then, two dates with divisional champion Silva have been postponed by injuries. Belfort and Tompkins were still working together in the fall of 2010, but now, Belfort's gone in another direction, much to the chagrin of his former trainer.

"I hope for the best for him, but you know, for a guy who told me about respect, loyalty, and God and all this stuff for so many years, he sure did prove the opposite," Tompkins said. "So, we'll see. Best of luck to him. Best of luck to Anderson, as well."

Belfort is reportedly training his striking under Xtreme Couture coach Gil Martinez, a well-respected trainer who most recently prepared Gray Maynard for his title shot against Frankie Edgar.


Source: mmafighting.com

M-1 Global in Favor of 'Strict Drug Testing' Throughout Strikeforce GP

M-1 Global held a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday to hype the upcoming M-1 Challenge XXIII on March 5. In attendance were M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein and Fedor Emelianenko, who also discussed the upcoming Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.


When Finkelchtein was asked about drug testing in the tournament, he said that he was in favor of "a strict drug testing" considering the history of some of the participants.


"Two out of eight fighters in the tournament previously failed a drug test," Finkelchtein said (as translated by LowKick.com). Obviously, I'm talking about Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva. We want fair competition for everyone, so that's why I will ask the commission to perform a strict drug testing. Fedor is not using any kind of substance to enhance his performance, and will be ready for any kind of testing. So if the commission decides to follow our suggestion, we'll be ready. 


"Our organization paid a heavy price after the cancellation of the fight between Josh Barnett and Fedor. We did a lot of promotion for this fight, which in the end did not take place. That's why as a promoter and manager, I don't want this to happen ever again."


All we know at this point is that the first round of the tournament will take place in New Jersey, a state with a solid reputation when it comes to MMA drug testing. There is no word on whether the M-1 Global team specifically asked for a more advanced drug testing procedure than New Jersey usually conducts, but chances are, with the Feb. 12 fight date rapidly approaching, that nothing will change.


Emelianenko was also asked about whether he would be interested in seeing MMA become an Olympic sport, and perhaps surprising to some, "The Last Emperor" said he was not in favor of this idea.


"To tell you the truth, I don't think MMA should be an Olympic sport. In my opinion, it could be an Olympic sport only on the amateur level. In MMA you have Olympic Champions in Wrestling, Judo and many other sports, that's why I don't think that making MMA in the Olympics is necessary to push the sport forward. I'm not interested participating in the Olympics. I think that I'm already past this stage of my career."


Finally, Finkelchtein hinted that M-1 and Showtime could be announcing a separate TV deal "in something like two weeks" to air M-1 Global events on the premium cable network.


Source: mmafighting.com

Suddenly, The Idea of Fighting Seems 'Very Stupid' to Pat Barry

Pat Barry may be the only fighter in the UFC who's willing to admit it, but he's pretty sure he's not the only one who feels it.

When his impending fight against Joey Beltran at the UFC's Fight for the Troops 2 finally began to seem a little more real this week, he wasn't exactly feeling eager to get in there and slug it out. More like eager to get it over with.

"Honestly, I don't think it's anything new or particular to me," Barry said. "I think most guys feel this, but they won't tell you. Hell man, I can admit it. It's the week of the fight; I don't want to fight no more. You know? [Laughs] It's like all of a sudden, the idea of fighting is very stupid." 

Just take what happened in his last fight at UFC 115, for instance. In the process of battering Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic around for the better part of the first round, Barry broke his right hand and right foot. Then he still had to try and survive the next two rounds. 
Does that sound like anything you'd be looking forward to trying again? 

"I don't know about you, but I had to go six, seven weeks wiping my a-- with my left hand. I don't ever want to experience that again. That's impossible," said Barry. "That hurt. It hurt a lot. Pain is not my friend. I'm not one of these guys where I'm like, 'Ah, getting punched in the face turns me on!' Not me. I don't like it at all."

That's not to say he wants to back out. He doesn't. For Barry, this is all quite normal for fight week. It's expected, even. It also not especially important in the end, he said.

"Once you're in there, it's just survival. Like, I could say all this stuff now, but it doesn't matter. I'm walking around and my nose is stuffed up, I think might be coming down with the flu or something. But that's normal pre-fight stuff. I'm not feeling too well, I don't want to eat anything, I'm not hungry. 

"Like, I'm leaving to go to Texas, and I'm thinking that really it'd be nice if I had two more weeks," Barry said. "I think that's a feeling that all fighters have at some point in time. Two months ago, I was anxious to go. Now I'm like, ah sh-t. I wish I had a little more time. But it doesn't matter on fight night. No matter what hurts or what doesn't feel right, it's all perfect once you get in there."

That's not to say there aren't some doubts, even for an experienced fighter like Barry. After breaking his hand against Filipovic just seven months ago, he's still a little hesitant to use it to pummel another human being's skull while wearing thinly padded four-ounce gloves.

"I've hit people with it in practice, but to this day I still haven't hit someone with it in small gloves in an actual fight," Barry explained. "You can practice all day, but we don't go all out, hit each other in the head with small gloves. Am I little worried that a part of me will be a little afraid to let it go? Yeah. That's always going to be there, and I can say that. I'm not some tough guy."
The problem is, after watching film on Beltran he knows he's going to have to hit his opponent early and often on Saturday if he's going to have any hope of winning. With the way Beltran can take a shot, Barry said, he doesn't hold out much hope for an early knockout over "The Mexicutioner." 

"He's not the most athletic guy, and he's not the most explosive guy, but what he does do he does really well," said Barry. "And no matter what you hit him with he never falls down. He continually comes forward. I've been saying that he's a zombie. He's a living zombie, just coming forward. It's going to be a sniper versus a zombie."

The question is, after such a painful experience his last time out, will the sniper be able to fire his weapon when he sees an opening? It may not be easy, but then when you're as unflinchingly honest with yourself as Barry is, you know that going in, just like you know from experience that the fears will melt away once the cage door closes. 

First though, he has to make it until then. The fight itself may last no more than fifteen minutes, but it's the waiting and, for Barry, the thinking that's really excruciating.


Source: mmafighting.com

Former UFC Middleweight Patrick Cote Signs with Ringside MMA, Debuts This Spring

Patrick “The Predator” Cote has a new home.

The former UFC middleweight has signed on to compete in Ringside MMA based out of Cote’s hometown of Montreal starting this spring.

The news of the signing was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the negotiations on Wednesday.

Cote (13-7) had a tough run to end his recent stint with the UFC. After shattering his knee in a 2008 title fight against Anderson Silva, the Canadian had to undergo several operations and sit out for over a year before he was able to return to action.

Upon his return, Cote came up short against Alan Belcher and Tom Lawlor before being released from the promotion.

Now he’s more motivated than ever to get back to action and hopefully return to the UFC one day.

While no opponent or date has been set for Cote’s debut, it’s expected he will make his first appearance for Ringside MMA by this spring.