THE UFC NEWS

UFC 135 pay-per-view main card set

2011-08-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

The main card for the UFC's heavily anticipated "UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage" event is set.

UFC 135's pay-per-view lineup features five fights, including a headliner pitting UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) against former champ and current top contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

Other bouts slated for the Sept. 24 main card include Matt Hughes (45-8 MMA, 18-6 UFC) vs. Diego Sanchez (23-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC), Rob Broughton (15-5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Travis Browne (11-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC), Nate Diaz (13-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Mark Hunt (6-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. Ben Rothwell (31-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

The event takes place at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. Denver, of course, also hosted the promotion's first two events.

UFC 135 will also feature a pair of bouts on a Spike TV "UFC Prelims" special, though the promotion has yet to announce which contests will fill the broadcast.

The leading candidates for the slots include Aaron Riley vs. Tony Ferguson and Damacio Page vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

The latest UFC 135 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

Champ Jon Jones vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (for light-heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. Diego Sanchez
Rob Broughton vs. Travis Browne
Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi
Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell

PRELIMINARY CARD

Aaron Riley vs. Tony Ferguson
Damacio Page vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring
Ricardo Romero vs. James Te Huna
Diego Nunes vs. TBA
Cole Escovedo vs. Takeya Mizugaki

UFC 134 main-card results: Okami little challenge for champ Silva, "Shogun" blasts Griffin

2011-08-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

RIO DE JANEIRO – The UFC's return to Brazil ended in a grand celebration for the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today.

In the main event of a sold-out UFC 134 event, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva extended his record for consecutive title defenses to nine with an all-too-easy TKO win over Yushin Okami.

The bout headlined the pay-per-view portion of UFC 134, which took place Saturday at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The event, which also featured prelims on Facebook and Spike TV, was the UFC's first in Brazil since 1998.

The bout concluded a successful night for Brazilian fighters, who went 7-1 when facing competitors from other countries.

The first round of the night's championship headliner opened with little action as Silva circled his opponent and figured out his timing. But a few minutes in, Silva threw some lunging punches, though he still seemed to be fishing for information. Ultimately, though, Okami got the clinch and put Silva against the cage, but he couldn't get the takedown. The fighters then traded some jabs, and Okami was too slow to check a head kick, but the round ended without a clear winner.

In the second round, Silva was ready to engage. He unloaded a quick barrage of punches and low kicks, though Okami initially was up for the firefight. Silva, though, then dropped his hands and seemingly taunted Okami, only to then drop the Japanese fighter with a straight right. Okami was quickly back up, but Silva again dropped him moments later with another quick punch and then stood over him and delivered a steady stream of punches and elbows as Okami covered up.

With Okami unable to fight back as instructed, the TKO stoppage came soon after, at the 2:04 mark of the second round.

With the arena showering him with cheers, Silva was mostly tongue-tied in his post-fight interview.

"I'm so happy bro," Silva told broadcaster Kenny Florian. "I'm sorry."

So who's next for the UFC's unbeatable champ?

"My clone," Silva joked.

Silva (29-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) now has won 15 straight fights and avenges his most recent loss: a disqualification defeat to Okami (26-6 MMA, 10-3 UFC) at a 2006 Rumble on the Rock show.

"Shogun" gets revenge, KOs Griffin

UFC 134's co-headliner had all types of subplots. Brazilian vs American. Ex-champ vs. ex-champ. A rematch four years in the making.

Ultimately, though, Brazilian star Mauricio "Shogun" Rua avenged a loss in his 2007 UFC debut and scored an impressive first-round TKO victory over Forrest Griffin.

After a brief feeling-out process, a confident Rua closed the distance and unloaded a right that caught Griffin flush. Initially, Griffin kept swinging, but the effects of the blow finally caught up to his legs, and he fumbled to the mat. Once there, Rua unloaded a dizzying assault of hammerfists that forced Griffin's eyes to roll to the back of his head. The ref halted the bout soon after.

The KO stoppage came at the 1:53 mark of the opening round.

"Forrest is a good fighter," said Rua, who suffered submission defeat to Griffin back at UFC 76. "But I trained hard for three months."

Rua (20-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) fought for the first time since his March title loss to Jon Jones and proves his top-contender status..

Griffin (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who had gotten back into contention with wins over ex-champs Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, now heads back to the drawing board.

Barboza edges Pearson in stand-up affair

In a bout that featured two evenly matched strikers, Brazil's Edson Barboza used a key second-round knockdown to score a close split-decision victory over fellow lightweight Ross Pearson.

As expected, the two fighters kept the fight upright throughout its 15-minute duration. Both fighters delivers punches and kicks from varying angles, though Pearson was usually more the aggressor.

However, after a close first round, Barboza unloaded a gut-wrenching body-kick/straight-right combo that sent Pearson to the mat midway through the second round. Surprisingly, Pearson quickly returned to his feet, but it likely earned Barboza what would become a pivotal second round.

The third round played out much like the first, though Barboza seemed to keep the edge despite his backpedaling. However, despite both fighters being bloodied and bruised, they continued looking for the knockout blow up until the final seconds of the fight.

Ultimately, the judges scored the fight 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 for the local fighter. (MMAjunkie.com scored it 30-28 for Barboza after much internal debate.)

"In each fight, we take a step on the UFC ladder, and each time we get a better fight," Barboza said through a translator.

Barboza (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) keeps his perfect record intact and goes to a decision for a second straight time after seven stoppage victories.

Pearson (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC), meanwhile, takes a hit following a recent 5-1 run, which included winning "The Ultimate Fighter 9."

"Big Nog" stuns Schaub via KO

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was supposed to be a stepping stone on Brendan Schaub's rode to a title shot. Instead, the aging veteran proved he's got a little something left in the tank and posted a stunning first-round knockout in his first-ever fight on home soil.

The Brazilian, though, had his hands full early in the fight. Schaub fought off takedown attempts, out-struck Nogueira from the clinch, and unloaded a series of stiff uppercuts from distance. With the damage mounting and Nogueira unable to score a takedown, he instead let his hands fly.

With Schaub in a precarious position with his back near the cage, Nogueira unloaded the fight-altering right-left combination. Schaub appeared out on his feet, but Nogueira continued with additional blows until Schaub finally fell face first into the canvas, which forced the referee's intervention at the 3:09 mark of the opening round.

Prior to the fight, the often-injured Nogueira admitted he rushed his recovery schedule so he could have the opportunity to fight in his home country.

"I just had three and a half months for training for that fight," he said. "I was injured. I had surgeries in both hips and my knee. I sacrificed, though, because I never fought at home before."

The victory, which came after an 18-month layoff, moves Nogueira (33-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) to 2-1 over his past three fights and 5-2 since late 2006, when he closed out his illustrious PRIDE career with a victory over Josh Barnett.

Schaub (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who had put together a four-fight win streak after a runner-up finish on "The Ultimate Fighter 10," now returns to the middle of the pack in the UFC's heavyweight division.

Nedkov wins slugfest with Cane

With a single right-left combo, Bulgarian light heavyweight and UFC newcomer Stanislav Nedkov sucked the energy of HSBC Arena and became the night's first non-Brazilian to beat one of the country's fighters.

Facing veteran Luiz Cane, Nedkov often looked overmatched early in the fight. He was slower to the punch and ate a couple punches for each one he landed. Cane sat in the pocket and delivered blows with little regard for his opponent as his confidence continued to build.

However, with Cane seemingly in cruise control in the first round, Nedkov unloaded a right-left combo. Cane was staggered by the blows and tried to shake off the cobwebs. However, Nedkov instantly swarmed, shoved Cane in the fence, unloaded blows that sent him to a seated position, and then battered Cane was additional pucnhes that ultimately forced an end to the fight.

The TKO stoppage came at 4:13 mark of the round.

Nedkov (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former World Victory Road/Sengoku fighter, remains undefeated with his sixth career knockout. Cane (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), meanwhile, suffers his third loss in four fights, all of which have come via knockout.

SEE ALSO: UFC 134 preliminary-card results: Tavares stops Fisher, Palhares survives mental gaffe

MAIN CARD

Champ Anderson Silva def. Yushin Okami via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:04 (to retain middleweight title)
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Forrest Griffin via KO (punches) - Round 1, 1:53
Edson Barboza def. Ross Pearson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Brendan Schaub via KO (punches) - Round 1, 3:09
Stanislav Nedkov def. Luiz Cane by TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:13

PRELIMINARY CARD

Thiago Tavares def. Spencer Fisher via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 2:51
Rousimar Palhares def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Paulo Thiago def. David Mitchell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Raphael Assuncao def. Johhny Eduardo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Erick Silva def. Luis Ramos via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:40
Yuri Alcantara def. Felipe Arantes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Yves Jabouin def. Ian Loveland via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC 134 bonuses: Nogueira, Barboza and Pearson earn $100,000 awards

2011-08-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

RIO DE JANEIRO – Antonio Rodrigo Noguera, Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson each earned $100,000 "Fight Night" bonuses for their performances at Saturday's UFC 134 event.

Nogueira earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" bonus, and Barboza and Pearson each took home "Fight of the Night" honors. With no submissions on the card, no "Submission of the Night" award was issued.

UFC 134 took place Saturday at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro and was the first UFC event in Brazil since 1998. The night's main card aired on pay-per-view, and the preliminary card aired on Spike TV and streamed on Facebook.

The bonuses were some of the most lucrative in UFC history. Only UFC 129 ($129,000) and UFC 100 ($100,000) awarded the winners as much as UFC 134 did.

Nogueira earned his award with an impressive and upset main-card win over heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub. Midway through the first round, "Big Nog" unloaded a left-right combination that dazed Schaub. Nogueira followed with additional punches until Schaub fell face first into the mat, which prompted a KO stoppage at the 3:09 mark of the opening round.

Barboza and Pearson, meanwhile, engaged in a close stand-up fight in a main-card attraction. The evenly matched lightweights delivered 15 minutes of action, though Barboza, who mixed in solid leg kicks with quick combinations, ultimately took the split decision via scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.

Reminder: "UFC Fight Night 25: Ellenberger vs. Shields" tickets on sale this week

2011-07-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, tickets for the UFC's return to Louisiana go on sale beginning this week.

The event, "UFC Fight Night 25: Shields vs. Ellenberger," takes place Sept. 17 at New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and features a welterweight headliner between former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields and fast-rising contender Jake Ellenberger.

Tickets for the event, which is also being marketed as "Battle on the Bayou," range from $225 to $250.

The public on-sale date is set for Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT local time) at Ticketmaster.

However, UFC Fight Club members can purchase tickets on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET, and UFC.com e-newsletter subscribers can buy tickets Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

The UFC Fight Night 25 main card airs on Spike TV.

The UFC hasn't held an event in Louisiana since UFC 37 in May 2002. That event took place in Bossier City. The UFC's most recent event in New Orleans was UFC 27, which took place in September 2000.

The latest UFC Fight Night 25 card includes:

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jake Shields
Alan Belcher vs. Jason MacDonald
Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang
Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch
Shamar Bailey vs. Evan Dunham
Clay Harvison vs. DaMarques Johnson
Cody McKenzie vs. Vagner Rocha
Mike Lullo vs. Mackens Semerzier
Ken Stone vs. Donny Walker

Lashley scratched from Titan FC 19; French vs. Krause, Evinger vs. McMann headline

2011-07-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Former professional wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley (6-1) has been forced to withdraw from next week's Titan Fighting Championship 19 event due to personal reasons.

Titan Fighting Championship officials on Friday morning announced the heavyweight's removal from the card, simultaneously promoting a 160-pound catchweight fight between Clay French (18-6) and James Krause (12-3) to the evening's main event.

A female scrap between Tonya Evinger (8-5) and Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann (2-0).

Lashley is now expected to return to action at Titan Fighting Championship 20, which takes place Aug. 26.

"Unfortunately, with the things going on in Bobby's life right now, it was not the right time to have him fight," Titan CEO Joe Kelly stated. "Bobby will be the main event on the next Titan FC card on Aug. 26, which will take place in Kansas City and feature other top fighters such as L.C. Davis, Brian Davidson, Eric Marriott and many more."

Lashley had been expected to face Eddie Sanchez (12-5). It's currently unknown if the UFC vet will remain on board for the August date.

Big-show veterans French and Krause now headline the event, which takes place July 29 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The night's main card airs on HDNet.

"The fight between Krause and French is one that will be action-packed from the very start," Kelly stated. "These two guys are studs and the winner of this fight will find themselves on the top of everyone's radar."

Supporting bouts also announced include Rob Kimmons (23-7) vs. Brendan Seguin (22-17-1), Willian de Souza (1-1) vs. Joe Wilk (11-6), Marcio Navarro (7-5) vs. Nick Nolte (3-3), Daniel Gallemore (0-0) vs. Alex Huddelston (0-0) and Anthony Gutierrez (2-0) vs. Cody Land (4-0).

With the changes, the latest lineup for Titan Fighting Championship 19 includes:

James Krause vs. Clay French
Tonya Evinger vs. Sara McMann
Rob Kimmons vs. Brendan Seguin
Willian de Souza vs. Joe Wilk
Marcio Navarro vs. Nick Nolte
Daniel Gallemore vs. Alex Huddelston
Anthony Gutierrez vs. Cody Land

"TUF" vet Dollar hoping for bigtime fight (and bigtime manager) with Legacy FC 7 win

2011-07-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

As a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 9," Cameron Dollar (9-2) had a brief taste of life on the big stage.

Falling to British product Andre Winner in the tournament's semifinals, Dollar was invited to fight on the show's live finale, where his octagon dreams were ended by a Jason Dent submission.

Two years later, Dollar has scored five-straight wins and now headlines Friday night's Legacy Fighting Championships 7 event in Houston. A win could put Dollar closer to the big stage. But the 24-year-old isn't rushing anything. He's just hoping to find a bigtime manager.
"I don't really have a big-name manager,I've just had a lot of friends and good people help me out. to get me where I am now".Dollor
"I'm looking at this being pretty much my second chance. I think that's going to open opportunities for bigger management – get on board with some real professional people, be looked after and make a life in one of the bigger shows."

Dollar admits his lack of proper representation is probably as much his fault as anyone else's. He's had a few conversations with top representation, but none have really pitched him with a hard sell. Dollar's hoping a win over veteran Carlo Prater in the HDNet-televised main event will help create a sense of urgency among potential managers.

"Nobody has really approached me," Dollar said. "It has been kind of by me by choice though, too, because it's a two-way street. I could definitely look for or seek out one of those guys, too, but I've talked to Alchemist. I've talked to SuckerPunch. I've talked to Mike Roberts about legal stuff and whatnot and different things about how they work – just try and get more educated. But it's kind of been by my own choice, I guess. Nobody has come after me though."

In the meantime, Dollar has relied on a friend to handle his financial wrangling while he works solely on improving himself as a mixed martial artist.

"I've got good friends," Dollar said. "I've got to give it up to my buddy Leonard. Leonard never really knew anything about it. He was just a big fan, got into it. I kind of hooked him up with some numbers and some contacts I had, and he's taken care of everything else. I try to just focus on the fight.

"I can't be the middleman also, talking money, talking business before the fights. He does all that stuff for me for right now. But he's just a good friend, and we've been doing it off of a good-friend basis and been able to keep that relationship."

Which is all well and good on the regional stage. But on the eve of a nationally-televised appearance, Dollar is ready to progress past that level. He's gone undefeated since his "TUF" run, and all five wins have come via first-round submission. He's fought at featherweight in the interim, but a new supplement program and increased focus on diet have seen Dollar bulk up, and he'll face Prater at lightweight.

It's no small order. Prater has faced some of the very best fighters in the world. But if Dollar can continue his post-"TUF" streak, he hopes maybe his phone will start to ring.

"I feel stronger than I've ever been and bigger than I've ever been," Dollar said. "I've increased my diet, and I'm doing everything the right way. I feel real good at 155 pounds. I'm ready to go."

With Nogueira out, Franklin also scratched from August's UFC 133 event

2011-07-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

It looks like the UFC finally ran out of options.

After a hectic pace of shuffling in light heavyweights to key UFC 133 matchups, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was finally forced to admit defeat.

UFC officials today announced that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira's withdrawal from the Aug. 6 event has forced the cancellation of a planned co-feature contest with Rich Franklin.
A shoulder injury suffered in training was reportedly the culprit. A timetable for Nogueira's return is not immediately evident.

Featuring a recently announced main-event rematch between former light-heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, UFC 133 takes place Aug. 6 at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and Franklin vs. Nogueira was slated as the broadcast's co-headliner.

With the change, Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama has been promoted to co-main event status, and a preliminary card matchup between Brian Ebersole and Dennis Hallman has been bumped up to the evening's main card.

With the change, the UFC 133 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Vitor Belfort
Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara
Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle
Brian Ebersole vs. Dennis Hallman

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Matt Hamill
Chad Mendes vs. Rani Yahya

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Ivan Menjivar vs. Nick Pace
Johny Hendricks vs. Mike Pierce
Mike Brown vs. Nam Phan
Rafael "Sapo" Natal vs. Costantinos Phillippou

After life-changing loss, reinvented Mike Ricci looking to extract a little revenge

2011-07-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

In April 2010, Canadian lightweight prospect Mike Ricci (6-1) was on top of the world.

Then, following one thunderous right hand from Pat Curran, Ricci was lying flat on his back on a Bellator Fighting Championship mat, wondering exactly what happened.

Following a one-year layoff from competition, Ricci now knows exactly what happened: He got cocky. Things came too easy, too fast, as he quickly worked his way from an unknown to the international stage. Lesson learned, Ricci is now ready to start anew.

"I just remember physically being in the best shape I could possibly be in but mentally not really being up to par," Ricci admitted to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I got a lot of attention when I signed with Bellator, and I went from a guy on the local scene who was hungry and fighting to win to just a guy who thought everything was going to be given to him. When I fought Pat Curran, I was just asleep. I had no drive or no real fire inside because I really didn't feel like I needed any.

"The whole training camp, I was just so caught up in a lot of [expletive] that didn't matter, like what websites I was on, what TV show I was on. I just really lost my drive. I was past confident. I crossed that line, and I became cocky. I just really wasn't ready in that fight, mentally. Obviously, that showed in my performance. If you watch my fights before that, I really set a high pace when I fight. With Curran, I was kind of just laid back and chilling."

Back to the drawing board

Ricci had been labeled the "next big thing" to come from Canada. But in a little more than three minutes, Curran ended the hype. It was more than just a humbling experience for Ricci; it was downright embarrassing.

Following the loss, the youngster took a year away from the sport to consider his options.

"I took some time to reflect," Ricci said. "I didn't fight for a year, but I wasn't out of the gym for a year. But I did spend a good three or four months out of the gym, and I really had to reflect.

"That was the first time I ever got whooped. Being whooped is a real humbling experience. I was undefeated as an amateur. I was undefeated as a pro. I never thought I would lose. I carried my pride and my ego in that ring, which you should never do. That's why the loss, to me, was a lot worse than it should have been. I took some time to reflect.

"At first, I didn't really understand what happened. I didn't know why it happened. I woke up the morning after we fought, and I thought, 'I'm bigger than him. I'm stronger than him. I'm from a better camp than he is.' I was just always pushing a lot of things before I realized it was nobody's fault but mine."

A member of Firas Zahabi's famed Tristar Gym in Montreal, Ricci turned to his coaches and training partners for advice on how to progress. There were technical issues to fix, to be sure, but it was the mental side of the game where he found his biggest opportunity for betterment.

"The biggest change was a mental approach, but obviously what I did was a technical error, as well," Ricci said. "I was always physically capable of doing a lot of things, and I was a little more gifted than others. Standing up as tall as I did and being 6-foot-1, I should stand lower. Circling to his power hand was really something I shouldn't have done, but I always got away with it. Physically, I was just always fast and had good reflexes, but at an international level, these technical mistakes, guys are going to pick up on them. I went back, and I realized I needed to be more 'chin down, hands up' and not so flashy and cocky.

"It was a small technical change but nothing compared to the mental change I needed to make. Mentally, I don't think I ever would have become close to the fighter I am today if I didn't lose that fight in that manner."

Ricci reborn

Ricci took 51 weeks to address the issue before he returned at this past April's "Ringside MMA 10: Cote vs. Starnes" event. When he stepped into the cage against fellow prospect Jesse "The Body Snatcher" Ronson, Ricci admits it was a unique – and potentially career-changing – moment.

"It was a different feeling than I got when I fought in April; I had never had that feeling before," Ricci said. "I always had mixed emotions when I fought. Sometimes I would be really nervous. Sometimes I would be scared. Sometimes I would be confident. It was always a whirlwind of emotions that I never really understood, being a young fighter. This time around, it was a little bit different. I felt something that I never felt before. I think that's the difference between fighters who mature and gradually mature and grow. I think things change for them. I really felt a big change, and I think that time between fights was the difference.

"When I stepped into the cage against Jesse Ronson, I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see anything outside of that cage. It was all there. My focus was 100 percent there. If I had that same focus that night against Pat Curran, I'm not going to say whether I would have won or lost, but I wouldn't have been hit with that punch. I got hit with that punch because it was the last thing I expected. Against Ronson, I was just so much more focused and so much more on point. I think that was the big difference between the fight with Curran and my last fight."

Ricci once again looked impressive, bouncing back from the frustrating loss to earn a first-round TKO win. The performance was solid enough to earn him a title shot at an October Ringside MMA event, but Ricci isn't taking anything for granted. He made that mistake once before, and after one frustrating, painful, life-changing moment, Ricci vows it will never happen again.

"Before I lost, I was really young and immature," Ricci said. "I always was kind of iffy about what I wanted. But now, things are a little more clear. Now that I came back, I sat down with my coach, Firas Zahabi, and I said, 'You know, coach, I fought and went undefeated. I went 5-0 and got the big contract with Bellator. I did all that in under two years. I did all that, and I wasn't nearly as focused as I am now.' I told him that I wanted to start fighting again, and he said, 'What do you want?' I said, 'Well, if you think I did it big before, watch what's going to happen this time. Let's take it one fight at time.'

"That's the difference between now and then. Then I was always running before I was walking. I was always looking to see what was next. When I got into the tournament and I was fighting Pat Curran, I'm like, 'Oh, Roger Huerta is in the tournament. Let me get at him.' I was always looking past everything. Now, my focus is where it should be.

"I just want one fight at a time. Every time I get a fight, every time I hear my opponent's name, it's him, and that's it. There's nothing else. For now, I'm not going to talk about UFC and this and that. For now, I'm just looking to buzzsaw through a couple people and get a little bit of payback for the bad taste in my mouth."

Chael Sonnen hosts UFC Fight Club Q&A session prior to UFC 133 weigh-ins

2011-07-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

Better get your popcorn ready.

UFC middleweight contender and part-time standup comedian Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) hosts next month's UFC Fight Club Q&A session.

The session takes place on Friday, Aug. 5, prior to the day's official weigh-ins for "UFC 133: Evans vs. Davis II."

Featuring a recently announced main-event rematch between former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, UFC 133 takes place Aug. 6 at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. A location for the weigh-ins has not yet been determined.

A 14-year veteran of the sport, Sonnen gained prominence in recent years with victories over Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami and Dan Miller before falling victim to a fifth-round submission to Anderson Silva. Along the way, Sonnen entertained fans and angered opponents with his outrageous trash talk, which is sure to be on display at the Q&A session.

Despite recent struggles with the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels following his loss to Silva, Sonnen fights again at UFC 136 in October.

Doors to the event open at 12 p.m. ET, and Sonnen hits the stage at 2 p.m. ET. The session is open only to members of the UFC Fight Club, the UFC's official fan club.

The weigh-ins, which are open to the public, follow at 4 p.m. ET.

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson boxes James Wade on Aug. 13 in Oklahoma

2011-07-16T04:46:00.000-07:00

The beard is back, and now he has an opponent.

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson returns to competition in August, though this time with boxing gloves on rather than the four-ounce variety.

Gary Shaw Productions and Tony Holden Promotions today announced Slice will box James Wade in a four-round main event at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

The previously announced event takes place Aug. 13.

"Just like in MMA, Kimbo Slice is walking around with bullseye on his back," Team Kimbo promotional advisor Jared Shaw stated. "His opponents know they can make themselves known to the world if they can take him out.

"To Kimbo, it's a pro boxing debut. To James Wade, this is a world championship fight."

It was Gary Shaw who actually introduced Ferguson to the MMA world in 2007 as the head of the since-folded EliteXC organization. A former underground sensation who rose to fame thanks to his bareknuckle-fighting videos on YouTube, Ferguson won his first three MMA bouts, including the first-ever U.S.-network televised MMA headliner (against James Thompson at "EliteXC: Primetime"). Despite an eventual loss to Seth Petruzelli in the final major EliteXC show, UFC president Dana White took a gamble on "Kimbo" in 2009.

Ferguson was the featured fighter on a heavyweights-only 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which shattered the reality series' ratings record. After an opening-round loss to eventual show champ Roy Nelson, Ferguson won his first official UFC fight with a lackluster decision victory over Houston Alexander at the show's live finale.

Surprisingly, though, he was dropped from the roster following a subsequent loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.

Wade made his professional debut this past January and suffered a third-round knockout loss to Carlos Torres.

"DREAM: Japan GP Final" weigh-in results: All bouts official

2011-07-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

After some initial difficulty, all 16 competitors for this weekend's "DREAM: Japan GP Final" event are on weight.

Late replacement Drew Fickett (41-14 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) was initially a couple pounds for his contest with Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2 MMA, 7-1 DREAM) but was given additional time and made the mark on his second attempt.

"DREAM: Japan GP Final" takes place at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum. North American broadcast plans have yet to be announced.

Fickett was a late replacement for Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire.

The non-title contest between DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis (14-6 MMA, 5-0 DREAM) and Eiji Ishikawa (22-16-2 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) will take place as a 175-pound catchweight affair. Ishikawa was announced just yesterday as a replacement for Japanese superstar Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-12-2 MMA, 4-4 DREAM).

Champ Hiroyuki Takaya (65 kg/143 lbs.) vs. Kazuyuki Miyata (65 kg/143 lbs.) - for featherweight title
Masakazu Imanari (61 kg/134.2 lbs.) vs. Hideo Tokoro (60.8 kg/133.2 lbs.) - Japan bantamweight-tourney finale
Champ Gegard Mousasi (93 kg/204.6 lbs.) vs. Hiroshi Izumi (92.7 kg/203.9 lbs.) - for light-heavyweight title
Drew Fickett (70 kg/154 lbs.) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (70 kg/154 lbs.)
Keisuke Fujiwara (61 kg/134.2 lbs.) vs. Kenji Osawa (60.8 kg/133.8 lbs.) - Japan bantamweight-tourney third-place fight
Tatsuya Mizuno (92 kg/202.4 lbs.) vs. Trevor Prangley (93 kg/204.6 lbs.)
Champ Marius Zaromskis (79 kg/173.8 lbs.) vs. Eiji Ishikawa (78.7 kg/173.1 lbs.) - welterweight non-title fight
Bruno Carvalho (70 kg/154 lbs.) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (69.7 kg/153.3 lbs.)

UFC 136 gets second title fight as champ Jose Aldo meets Kenny Florian

2011-07-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

A pretty darn good card has just gotten better.

UFC officials today confirmed a second title fight added to UFC 136, which takes place Oct. 8 at Houston's Toyota Center.

Featherweight champ Jose Aldo (19-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes the second defense of his UFC title when he meets two-time lightweight challenger and newly minted 145-pound fighter Kenny Florian (15-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC).

Aldo returns after some confusion about his immediate future following his first title defense against Mark Hominick at UFC 129. After successfully outpointing Hominick at the record-breaking event, reports surfaced about an injury to Aldo that would keep him out of the cage for an anticipated bout with Chad Mendes at UFC 133.

Although Aldo's manager Ed Soares later downplayed the fighter's health problems in an interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), he said the fighter was targeting a September return.

"Whether it's Mendes or any other top contender, Jose is competing against the very best opponents in the world, and he wants ample time to prepare," Soares said. "When you're the champion, everyone is gunning for you, and it's important to be 100 percent."

Mendes, of course, chose not to wait for the champ and instead took a bout against Rani Yahya at the Aug. 6 event.

Florian, however, took a prime position to seize the day when he bested Diego Nunes on points at UFC 131. And given his status as a perennial contender, the UFC has given him a third crack at a major title.

The veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 1" made the move to featherweight after a title eliminator bout with Gray Maynard that sacked his third attempt at the lightweight belt. He went 9-3 in that division with losses to Sean Sherk and B.J. Penn in his two attempts at UFC gold.

For more on UFC 136, stay tuned to the THE UFC NEWS.

Ex-UFC champ Brock Lesnar's recovery proving "incredible," says Dana White

2011-07-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has retreated to the relative solitude of his farm in Canada to recover from a second bout of diverticulitis.

Although he's shirked all communication with everyone other than those closest to him, the move has gone well, according to UFC president Dana White.

From the sound of it, Lesnar is on track to beat the intestinal disease a second time.

"I guess his recovery has been incredible," White today told reporters.

Of course, the news comes secondhand; Lesnar isn't using things such as phones or computers.

"He's basically up there farming and completely disconnected himself from the world," White said.

However, the update is good news for Lesnar's future in MMA. He had 12 inches of his colon removed in May as part of his treatment, and White said the often-cranky fighter was in good spirits.

Lesnar's return to the cage could happen in 2012, White added.

"I'll tell you one thing: I'm not retiring," Lesnar said after the disease resurfaced and prompted him to withdraw from a headlining fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131. "This isn't the end of my fight career.

"This is something that I believe in my strong faith, that there's a solution to every problem. I just have to find the right solution to fix this problem."

Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) lost his belt to current champ Cain Velasquez this past October at UFC 121. The former WWE star, who recently coached "The Ultimate Fighter 13" on Spike TV, was forced out of a UFC 131 bout with Junior Dos Santos due to his illness. Despite his health issues, Lesnar has emerged as the UFC's top pay-per-view draw.

DREAM 17: Todd Duffee fights 'Afrozilla' on July 16 in Tokyo

2011-06-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Former UFC heavyweight phenom Todd Duffee will look to rebound from back-to-back losses when he travels overseas (again) to challenge Nick Gaston at the upcoming DREAM 17 event at the Ariake Coliseum on July 16 in Tokyo, Japan.
The promotion announced the pending match-up earlier today.
After a torrid 6-0 start to his mixed martial arts career, Duffee (6-2) was upended by Mike Russow at UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans" back in May 2010. Some behind-the-scenes shenanigans led to an early release from the promotion as well as an early release from his consciousness later in the year.
That's because Duffee took a short-notice fight against Dutch "Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem at FEG's year end Dynamite!! event and got Reemed in under a minute. Now he's heading back to the "land of the rising sun" for redemption and a piece of the afro.
Gaston (5-0, 1 NC) remains unbeaten in six fights under the King of the Cage (KOTC) banner but is probably best known for his stint on MTV's "Bully Beatdown." No question a beatdown on Duffee would further raise his stock while proving disastrous for the career of his opponent.

Strikeforce 'Overeem vs Werdum' fight card: KJ Noons vs Jorge Masvidal preview

2011-06-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night (June 18, 2011) on the Strikeforce: "Overeem vs. Werdum" main card, two lightweights will duke it out in "The Lone Star State" as K.J. Noons takes on Jorge Masvidal with a potential Strikeforce lightweight title shot on the line.

Noons is just one bout removed from a thrilling title fight against Nick Diaz this past October in a serious grudge match. He's not only looking to get back on track but he's hoping to put himself square into the title picture in his more natural 155-pound weight class.

Masvidal has quietly gone 3-0 in Strikeforce during his promotional run. Most fans remember him for being on the receiving end of one of MMA's greatest submissions of all time but he's built a solid resume with some major victories. He knows how important a victory on Saturday night will be for his career.
Can Noons get back on track and perform the way he knows he's capable of on the biggest stage? Will Masvidal be able to create a positive highlight of his own? Which fight will impress the suits upstairs enough to earn a title shot against Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez?

TUF 13 Recap Ep. 10

2011-06-03T00:02:00.001-07:00

The morning after, it’s quiet in the house, and seemingly no one has any intention of speaking with Ferguson, especially his upcoming opponent (and teammate) O’Neil.

“Tony has burned every last bridge in this house,” he said. Ferguson does man up though, apologizing to his teammates for his drunken behavior, but they’re not buying it.

In the first semifinal matchup, it’s Team dos Santos’ lone rep in the final four, Nijem, against Team Lesnar underdog Cope.

The two size each other up briefly before a wild flurry of punches allows Nijem to close the distance and pin Cope to the fence. After another flurry, he locks Cope up, and after a brief stalemate, the two break. Nijem again throws wild strikes to get inside, and the two battle it out while locked up against the cage. With 1:33 left, referee Steve Mazzagatti restarts the bout, and the fighters engage in some kickboxing as the seconds tick away.

Nijem comes up short on a takedown early in round two, but doesn’t worry about it. Instead, he goes back to his standup attack and he starts throwing and landing wild overhand rights. After getting back to the fence, he starts flurrying with his strikes, and after an unanswered barrage that hurts and drops Cope, Mazzagatti steps in and stops the fight.

Next up is a clash of teammate vs. teammate as Ferguson battles O’Neil.

Ferguson’s striking is sharp and accurate as the fight opens, but O’Neil starts giving back as good as he gets as the round progresses. The action is crisp from both men, but Ferguson starts taking the lead in the final two minutes.

There is more of the same in round, two, but Ferguson begins tagging O’Neil with more flush shots. By now, O’Neil is bloodied, and while he keeps throwing, when he hesitates or misses, Ferguson makes him pay.

Finally in round three, Ferguson closes the show, using leg kicks to slow O’Neil down and a big right hand to drop him. O’Neil gets back to his feet gamely, but after another right to the head and a body shot, O’Neil falls and referee Herb Dean stops it.

The finals are now set – Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson, live at The Palms in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 4th.

Here’s the final team breakdown:

Team Lesnar
Len Bentley – Eliminated on episode three by Ryan McGillivray
Charles Rader – Eliminated on episode four by Ramsey Nijem
Tony Ferguson 3-0
Clay Harvison 1-1 – Eliminated on episode eight by Ramsey Nijem
Chuck O’Neil – 2-1 Eliminated on episode six by Zachary Davis. Returned for Wild Card bout and re-entered the competition. Eliminated on episode 10 by Tony Ferguson.
Chris Cope 2-1 – Eliminated on episode 10 by Ramsey Nijem
Nordin Asrih – Eliminated on episode one by Shamar Bailey

Team dos Santos
Shamar Bailey 1-1 – Eliminated on episode eight by Chris Cope
Ryan McGillivray 1-1 – Eliminated on episode nine by Tony Ferguson
Javier Torres – Eliminated on episode two by Chris Cope. Returned for Wild Card bout and was eliminated by Chuck O’Neil
Ramsey Nijem 3-0
Zachary Davis 1-1 – Eliminated on episode nine by Chuck O’Neil
Mick Bowman – Eliminated on episode five by Clay Harvison
Justin Edwards – Eliminated on episode six by Tony Ferguson

How to Throw The Ultimate Viewing Party

2011-05-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

Like most things in life, what you get out of The Ultimate Fighter is equal to what you put into it. So stop worrying about picking up the right dip or finding a buddy to watch with when all you have to do is sit down in your living room and throw a party. If you provide adequate viewing space, they will come, and they just might leave you the extra Miller Lites.

DO
Do serve meat. Burgers, wings, meatballs -- the choice is yours but one of them needs to be there.

Do have a large flat-screen and HD cable. No one's ever wanted to party at the Playboy dorm room.

Do Febreeze the living room when everyone leaves. You'll alleviate the stink before it becomes a problem and avoid the mockery of lighting scented candles.

Do tell all attendees to bring beer. Your chances of running out are less likely and you'll hopefully end up will a few extra bottles of Miller Lite. You're hosting so you've earned this.

Do amuse yourselves with hilarious impressions of favorite fighters. Recommended: Rampage Jackson, Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra. Not Recommended: Jeremy May, Jesse Taylor, Junie Browning.

Do plan for the party to start before the actual show. That way everyone will have arrived, settled and already be into their first Miller Lite by the time the show starts.

Do make sure you're current on all TUF info. It's completely unacceptable for the host to be unaware who won and who threw up during training last week.

DON'T
Don't fight each other, at least not in the living room. You'll want to keep it in good condition for next week's party anyway.

Don't provide dessert, this is not a Real Housewives marathon.

Don't bring sand to the beach. If you know an actual MMA fighter, it's best to "lose" his invite, unless you plan to find out what happens if he disagrees with the judges' decisions this week.

Don't kick your friends out. Sometimes the loss of your favorite fighter from the competition can take some time and a couple of Miller Lites to fully process. Maybe have some tissues handy.

Don't wear pajamas. Just because you're the one throwing the party doesn't mean anyone wants to think about what goes on behind closed doors once the episode is over.

Don't play video games after. Youll likely still be in a heightened state of consciousness and more likely to accidentally throw your controller through your television screen.

BONUS: SHOPPING CHEAT SHEET
Don't buy anything you havent had before. This is not the time to see what the hummus craze is all about.

You will, in all likelihood, need extra cheese dip.

Unless you're planning ahead for next week's party (which we all know you're not) you'll be on a time crunch, buy your Miller Lite pre-chilled.

UFC 130 Results: Rampage Jackson's Injury Could Derail Title Shot, Miller vs. Bisping to Headline TUF 14 Finale

2011-05-29T13:32:00.001-07:00

Dana White announced on the UFC 130 Post-Fight Press Conference the recipients of the $70,000 'Fight Night' bonuses for the evening. Travis Browne received the Knockout of the Night bonus for landing that huge superman punch that toppled the Skyscraper, Stefan Struve. Gleison Tibau got Submission of the Night honors for choking out Rafaello Oliveira. Finally, the Fight of the Night bonus went to Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago, even though most people thought the Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson bout was a lot more entertaining despite the faulty judging.
Here are a few news and notes from the presser:

Frank Mir had to go to the hospital for a broken jaw and rib. Roy Nelson on the other hand, said he just lost because he got out-wrestled by a bigger and stronger guy. He also joked that he brought in Dan Hardy in this week to help him work on his wrestling.
Dana White confirmed that the battle of the newly announced Ultimate Fighter coaches, Jason Miller and Michael Bisping won't be on a PPV card. It will headline the TUF 14 Finale on Spike TV.
Brian Stann has a fractured thumb, but he chose not to go to the hospital along with the other injured fighters from the night. Stann says he doesn't know he will fight next, but said "I’d always love to fight Wanderlei. He’s one of my favorite fighters ever. It would be a dream come true". He also mentioned that members of the "SEAL Team 6", the group that took out Osama Bin Laden, was in the crowd to watch the night of fights.
The event drew 12,816 fans in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and had a live gate of $2.57 million.
Rampage on his hand injury: "Honestly, I hurt my hand in Japan back in December. Drinking around, fighting with my friend in the hallway. I thought it would heal up. I did a crazy jab on one of my sparring partners, and I hurt it."
Quinton Jackson's hand injury, if serious, could derail his title shot. If Rampage can't do it, Jon Jones could be defending his light heavyweight title against Lyoto Machida, or even Rashad Evans.

TUF 13 EPISODES

2011-05-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

EPISODE 1
CLICK HERE

EPISODE 2
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EPISODE 3
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EPISODE 4
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EPISODE 5
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EPISODE 6
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EPISODE 7
CLICK HERE

EPISODE 8
CLICK HERE

EPISODE 9(QUARTER FINALS)
CLICK HERE

UFC 130 Weigh in

2011-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

UFC 130, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill and the heavyweight battle between Frank Mir and Roy “Big Country” Nelson, airs live on Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Fans can also tune in to Spike TV at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to see live UFC 130 preliminary bouts, and those who “like” the UFC on Facebook can see the rest of the prelim bouts at 6:45 pm ET / 3:45 pm PT.

MAIN EVENT
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (205) vs. Matt Hamill (205)

PPV
Roy Nelson (260) vs. Frank Mir (260)
Travis Browne (247) vs. Stefan Struve (255)
Jorge Santiago (185) vs. Brian Stann (186)
Rick Story (170) vs. Thiago Alves (170)

SPIKE TV PRELIMS
Demetrious Johnson (135.5) vs. Miguel Angel Torres (135.5)
Tim Boetsch (186) vs. Kendall Grove (185)

ONLINE FIGHTS
Rafaello Oliveira (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Michael McDonald(136)
Cole Escovedo (135) vs. Renan Barao (135)

The prelims will also stream live on Heavy.com, Versus.com, Univision.com, Rivals.com, Foxsports.com and the websites of USA Today, Miami Herald, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Indianapolis Star, Boston Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Post-Standard of Syracuse, Chicago Sun-Times, Telegraph (UK and AUS) and more

TUF 13 Recap Ep. 9: The ‘Drinking Booze and Making Friends’ Episode

2011-05-27T11:02:00.001-07:00

It is the dream of every SpikeTV producer that at some point during a season, the contestants trapped within the confines of the TUF House – in a moment of boredom, or distraction, or weakness – partake in the copious amounts of alcohol stored throughout the humble abode. There is, inevitably, when the booze starts flowing and the testosterone starts boiling, drama.
Guess what? Tonight there was drama!
But first, four of the remaining fighters must fight.
“I already beat him with a submission, so this time I want to beat him with striking,” says Zach Davis of his opponent Chuck O’Neil. Davis is brimming with confidence. He did, after all, defeat O’Neil in the quarterfinals with a triangle choke, so why shouldn’t he think that victory a second time is assured? “I want to show my diversity,” says Davis.
Striking? Diversity? Oh, the irony.
Soon the two combatants are blasting holes through doors and squaring off in the cage, and at the referee’s behest, they fight. Or, more accurately, O’Neil starts beating on Davis’ head like it’s an insolent speedbag. For two rounds the action alternates between Davis demonstrating a lifelong point-karate stylist’s prowess at dodging punches, the Team Lesnar-ite coming very close to sticking his fist down the Team dos Santos rep’s throat, and Davis hanging on for dear life against the cage. If their initial meeting was close until the submission, this one is about as much of a blowout as you can get without a competitor dying. When time expires, there’s no doubt O’Neil has earned the decision.
Afterwards, coach Brock Lesnar is ecstatic, and O’Neil is all smiles. But back at the TUF House, Davis returns from the doctor with sad news. Absorbing all those punches tore both his retinas, and though some quick laser surgery repaired them, his fighting future is in question. (For the sake of good taste, I will refrain making a “he literally punched his eyes out” joke.)
Then it’s on to the next bout, which will see Lesnar’s star pupil Tony Ferguson clash with Ryan McGillivray. Everyone thinks Ferguson is the best Team Lesnar has to offer, and few argue against the notion that McGillivray is among the Brazilian heavyweight contender’s worst. We’re again reminded of their respective backstories – right before he fights, Ferguson likes to get dressed like he’s going to the prom, while McGillivray likes to weep about his young daughter.
And then they’re fighting. Well, not really fighting as much as re-enacting that scene from Star Wars where the Death Star fires its big, destructive laser on the planet Yavin (where Princess Leia went to junior high school). In this case, Ferguson is the Empire’s deadly secret weapon, and McGillivray is a million souls all crying out at once before going silent. There’s a moment of circling, an uppercut, and some hammerfists on McGillivray’s dazed form, and then the referee is waving his arms in the middle of an asteroid field. Ferguson is the winner by knockout.
Dana White wastes no time picking the last batch of match-ups. Before the assembled TUFers, he decrees that Ferguson will take on O’Neil and Chris Cope will take on Ramsey Nijem.
Cue the booze.
Back at the TUF House, it’s Miller time. And margarita time. And tequila shot time. Everyone is partying like it’s 1999, and as usual Nijem is sliding out of his clothes and shaking his groove thang. But when Charlie Rader pours alcohol on an inebriated Ferguson’s head, well folks, that’s when it gets ugly.
Rader seems pretty cool with Ferguson tackling him, and when Ferguson escalates his aggression, Rader still manages to be cool. Yet it’s clear that someone cannot hold their liquor, or play well with others when the liquor starts flowing, and soon Ferguson is hurling the must hurtful insults on the most hurtful topic his drunken mind can think of. Namely, the son that – for whatever reason – Rader doesn’t hasn’t seen in a year and a half.
If everyone thought Ferguson was a nice guy before, they hate him for sure now, and all present agree that he’s crossed the line. Everyone does their best to calm Rader down, and everyone decides that Ferguson is akin to Darth Vader, Adolph Hitler and Osama bin Laden.
O’Neil, who must fight Ferguson next, declares that justice will be served. He will take Ferguson’s dreams away (which sounds more ominous than it should).
Oh, the drama. Don’t you love it? A SpikeTV producer does, and somewhere, he’s watching the episode unfold.
And he’s happy.

UFC 130

2011-05-27T11:00:00.001-07:00

In an alternate universe, UFC 130 is totally going to kick ass. Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will complete their hard-fought trilogy and firm up the lightweight division title situation once and for all, while in the co-main event Quinton Jackson and Thiago Silva’s impending stand-up battle will provide more thrills than a rollercoaster packed with sticks of dynamite and on fire. But alas, we’re in our universe, where injuries have scrapped Edgar/Maynard III and Rampage is facing a tough yet completely unassuming Matt Hamill. UFC 130 does show promise – it’s hard to overlook two highly-skilled heavyweights, we get to see if Thiago Alves is still in “beast mode”, and Jorge Santiago returns to the Octagon after totally killing it in Japan. Unfortunately, there’s about zero heat going into this event, so let’s break down the bouts and discuss why the event is worth hitting “purchase” on your DVR’s remote control.
Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill – Ever since Rampage got paid to act alongside Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson in the “A-Team” movie, his efforts in the Octagon can best be summed up by the phrase “Dude has really been phoning it in”. Hey, good for him for finding another revenue stream. Fighting for a living sucks. But now we have to get excited for a main event featuring a man no longer excited about fighting, and that sucks. With his wrestling and burgeoning striking skills, Hamill is no pushover, and though in his most recent fights he barely squeaked by Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine – and he was unequivocally slain by Jon Jones – he should at least force Jackson to break a sweat. That merits a look-see, no?
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson – Mir was the champ, and when Nelson was announced as a member of the TUF 10 cast, there was never any doubt that he’d win it all. Regardless of who they can and cannot beat in the current heavyweight roster, and regardless of their placement in the pecking order, they’re undeniably two very skilled bad mama jamas. They met once in grappling competition years ago, but if recent fistic trends are any indication, expect this one to be a stand-up contest. And maybe even a good one, at that.
Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne – Struve is big and tall and good at crushing cans. We’re not sure if Browne is a can yet, although thanks to Cheick Kongo repeatedly grabbing his shorts at UFC 120, he has managed to earn a “draw” against one of the UFC’s elite. Will Struve crush the American? I have no idea, but it may be fun watching him try.
Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves – As top dogs Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch proved, the best way to defeat Alves is to wrestle him to death. Any deviation from that path will get you killed. Story is great at wrestling, although it remains to be seen if his skills are comparable to St. Pierre and Fitch. Ultimately, this means that we’re going to see either Alves commit murder or Story lay on top of him for three rounds.
Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago – Brian Stann is a living, breathing GI JOE action figure who scored big when he smoked Chris Leben at UFC 125. He should have his hands full with Santiago, though, who can hit hard and submit harder. Compared to the other bouts on the card, this one has the most crowd-pleasing potential, as it’s very likely these dudes are going to just stand in front of each other and drop bombs.

Rampage Jackson Press Conference

2011-05-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

UFC FIGHTERS AT TRAINING

2011-05-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Brock Lesnars

Cain Velasques

JAKE SHEILDS

Randy Couture