MMA world

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Rogerio Nogueira Set for UFC Sweden Main Event

2012-01-12T00:53:00.004-05:00

Stockholm's own light heavyweight Alexander Gustfasson will take on Brazilian veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of UFC Sweden, the UFC announced Tuesday.

"UFC Sweden" (also known as UFC on FUEL TV 2), the promotion's debut in Sweden, takes place Saturday, April 14 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.

"Sweden has been on our radar for a long time and on April 14, we're excited to finally bring the UFC to Stockholm," UFC President Dana White stated Tuesday. "We're putting together a great card for the Swedish fans. I can't wait to get there in April!"

Gustafsson (13-1) has been on a tear, finishing all four of his opponents in his last four UFC fights. Last month at UFC 141, Gustafsson earned the biggest win of his career, a first-round TKO over veteran Vladimir Matyushenko. Nogueira (20-5) last month snapped a two-fight losing streak by stopping former champ Tito Ortiz at UFC 140 in Canada.

Since this is not a pay-per-view card, Gustafsson vs. Nogueira will be a three-round fight.

The current UFC Sweden matchups are below.

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Paulo Thiago
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire
Jörgen Kruth vs. Cyrille Diabate
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Francis Carmont
Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
James Head vs. Papy Abedi

Why Dan Henderson Should Fight for the Middleweight Title

2012-01-12T00:52:00.001-05:00

After fulfilling his four-fight contract with the organization of Strikeforce,Dan Henderson returned to the UFC in hopes of making one last run towards gold.

Henderson proved he's still a tip-top contender in an historical showdown with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139.

After five grueling and heart-wrenching rounds of war, Henderson and Rua awaited a judge's decision that would eventually reveal a Henderson unanimous decision victory.

While Henderson is in the light heavyweight division, he should make the transition back to the 185-pound weight class.

Not only that, but "Hendo" should receive an immediate title shot.

Not only is competition thinner in the middleweight division, but it's a place where Henderson has some unfinished business to take care of.

As we know, Henderson was defeated by current 185-pound champion Anderson Silva when the two met at UFC 82 years ago.

Henderson put Silva on his back and began to unleash vicious power punches and elbows, very similar to what Chael Sonnen did to Silva at UFC 117.

Unfortunately for Henderson, his chance at gold came crashing down when he was caught in a submission in the second round of action.

However, a transition to the middleweight division would mean far more than just a rematch with Silva.

The middleweight division is where Henderson could be at full potential.

Already one of the strongest 205-pounders in MMA today, Henderson would clearly outpower nearly every opponent that came his way.

In addition, Henderson is a former Olympic wrestler which would make him the front-runner of all martial artists in the middleweight division.

At this point, Henderson's knockout power and ability to take a punch are an add-on bonus making him an even deeper threat.

Henderson should fight for the middleweight championship.

Dana White Says Silva vs. Sonnen 2 Would be in a Soccer Stadium

2012-01-12T00:50:00.001-05:00

It’s no secret that a soccer stadium is on the UFC’s radar. The promotion has been rumored to be scouting locations in Sao Paulo, Brazil for early summer, which is coincidentally the time frame for injured middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s return to the Octagon.

UFC president Dana White hasn’t exactly taken a hard stance in deflecting the rumors of a record-breaking show in Brazil.

“What happens is you guys get all this sneaky information and then I say stuff at the press conference and my whole crew says, ‘What are you doing?’” White commented following UFC 139, before adding, “I don’t know if we’re going to Sao Paulo in June and if Anderson Silva is headlining the card. I have no clue. That would be awesome though,” a coy grin plastered across his face.

In a recent outtake from the new UFC Tonight series on Fuel TV, White all but confirmed that if Chael Sonnen is victorious over Mark Munoz this month at UFC on Fox 2, a rematch with Silva is on tap for a soccer stadium in South America.

“Obviously if Sonnen faces Anderson Silva, that’ll be a hot ticket. People all over the world will want to see that fight,” said the UFC boss. “If that fight goes down, it will probably be in Brazil and it will probably be in a soccer stadium.”

White also discussed the company’s plans for Japan and the rest of Asia, and even talked about the possibility of putting on an event in Paris. Check out the outtake below…

Rampage Jackson on Muhammed Lawal: "He's a Hater"

2012-01-12T00:48:00.001-05:00

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has long been a mainstay in the UFC light heavyweight division.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has found success while competing in the UFC, so it'd be hard to see him fighting anywhere else.

While appearing on HDNet's "Inside MMA" earlier this week, Jackson addressed his ongoing feud with current rival Muhammad Lawal. The two light heavyweights have traded words back and forth for some time, leading most fans hoping to see a future bout between them.

Lawal challenged Jackson to a matchup, however, it wouldn't reside in the UFC. When asked about the potential bout, Jackson didn't seem too fond of the idea.

"It's funny that he gotta talk about me after his fight and say I should move down to the Strikeforce and fight him. I'm sorry, but from where I'm sittin', that's a step down," Jackson said.

Jackson would go on to discredit Lawal's skills and essentially show no interest in facing the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.

"I don't like the guy. He's a hater. He's a big time hater, you know what I'm sayin'?," he said. "Why would I wanna step down to the Strikeforce and fight him when I'm fightin' in the biggest organization in the world?"

"King Mo" was one of the potential fighters to be brought over from Strikeforce, however, since he recently signed a multi-fight deal, it doesn't look like a bout with Jackson will happen anytime soon.

As for Jackson, he is scheduled to meet Ryan Bader at UFC 143 in Japan on February

Nick Diaz: GSP's training methods make him prone to injuries

2012-01-12T00:45:00.001-05:00

Nick Diaz shared his thoughts about George St. Pierre's training methods, stating that the French-Canadian's training methods are too extreme. According to Diaz, St. Pierre's experimental workouts is what makes him prone to injuries, and are the main reason the UFC Welterweight division now has to crown an interim champion. Once again, Diaz bought his MMA record as an example, claiming that he has more fights than anyone in the UFC Welterweight division.

Quote via CagedInsider.com:

"I don’t think so. I think he’s hurt. I think he might’ve hurt himself. He shouldn’t have done that. If it hurts, don’t do it. I had to go through a lot of fights like that. You know, there were things I couldn’t do, and I couldn’t come in at 100 percent. So basically, heal and worry about your weight cause that’s all you’re gonna be able to do is make the weight and go out there and fight. Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some, and sometimes you can’t be at 100 percent though. But, no, you know, he hurt himself, and you know, the type of exercises he does too, your injury prone. You’re higher likely to hurt yourself doing explosive workout exercises. I have different type of workouts. I’m a different type of athlete, and I think that we get hurt less and we fight more. That’s why I have more fights. I have twice as many fights as most of these guys out here."

Dana White: Rashad Evans Wins and Remains Injury Free, He Gets Bones Jones Next

2012-01-12T00:42:00.003-05:00

When Rashad Evans faces Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28 in Chicago, he will control his own destiny and his goal of facing former friend and training partner Jon “Bones” Jones next.

Speculation began to swirl last week after UFC president Dana White said in an interview that Jones was already done with his vacation and looking to get back in action sooner rather than later. He mentioned that Jones could potentially face former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson next, with most pointing at the UFC 145 fight card in Montreal as a possible landing spot.

While anything is still possible, on Tuesday when speaking with the Jim Rome Show, White said that Jones is indeed ready to get back in the cage, but if Evans wins on Jan. 28 and comes out unscathed, he’ll get his chance to face the champion.

“We’re working on it now. We’re going to obviously see what happens in this Rashad fight at the end of the month. The next fight on Fox, Rashad is fighting (Phil) Davis, so we’ll see what happens there,” White said on Tuesday.

“If Rashad wins, if Rashad comes out injury free, we’ll get the Jon ‘Bones’ Jones/Rashad Evans fight going.”

That’s obviously good news for Evans, who had to be curious what the next course of action would be should he defeat Davis.

Evans was always assured of a title shot with a win, but now that Jones is ready to return and the UFC 145 card in Montreal needs a main event, it just seemed to make sense to put the UFC light heavyweight champion at the top of that card.

As for Dan Henderson, he may have just become the biggest Phil Davis fan in the sport, because if Davis upsets Evans, then the longtime UFC and former Pride fighter will most likely get the next shot at Jones.

The UFC on Fox 2 main event will tell the tale however. If Evans wins and comes out injury free, he may finally get his chance to settle the score with Jon Jones in the Octagon.

Jon Jones Itching to Fight, So Dan Henderson May Be Next

2012-01-09T23:02:00.001-05:00

Dan Henderson may have leapfrogged Rashad Evans as the No. 1 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division.

With champion Jon Jones now saying that he wants to fight as soon as he can -- changing his mind after previously saying he needed some time off following a very busy 2011 -- it appears likely that Henderson will get the next crack at the champion, and Evans' quest for the belt will have to wait.

UFC President Dana White said on ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas that Jones had called him and said he's hoping to get back into the Octagon as soon as possible. Evans is already booked for a January 28 fight on Fox against Phil Davis, so Henderson may get the next title fight.

"He had said he wanted to take some time off (but) he called about four days ago and said, 'OK, let's go. ... Let's get back to work. I'm ready to get productive again,'" White said of Jones. "He wants to fight as soon as possible."

Based on the UFC's calendar, as soon as possible would likely be UFC 145, on March 24 in Montreal. That fight still needs a main event, and Jones vs. Henderson would be a big one.

"We've got to see how this thing plays out but what could end up happening is Dan Henderson fights Jon Jones first," White said.

But some would say it would be unfair to Evans: A former light heavyweight champion, Evans has been waiting for a title shot and wants to fight Jones, his former friend and teammate. The UFC has promoted Evans vs. Davis as the opportunity for Evans to earn his shot at Jones, but if the UFC wants to book Jones in the first quarter of 2012, then Evans is going to have to wait.

One way or another, White said, the light heavyweight division has plenty of challengers who can contend for Jones's belt. If Henderson gets the next shot, that just means the winner of the Evans vs. Davis fight would be first in line to face the winner of Jones vs. Henderson.

"I think we have a ton of guys," White said. "It's not like everything depends on one guy or two guys. The great thing about us is we've got 10 of 15 guys so it's never like we have to depend on one person."

UFC: Why Dana White and Zuffa Should Worry About the Drop in PPV Buys

2012-01-09T23:00:00.002-05:00

The UFC had, for all intents and purposes, a "down year" in 2011.

Sure, the company isn't going under anytime soon, and the panic meter hasn't even been turned on yet. But there still should be some measure of concern, especially considering Dana White and the UFC want to do more shows in 2012.

Although most people would believe that more shows equals more money, that isn't true.

As the UFC continues to grow and put on more shows, fans are beginning to become over-saturated with "lower-level" main events.

Fights like Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz and Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill shouldn't be headlining major UFC events.

Of course, injuries plagued some shows, most noticeably the two events mentioned above, and that will always be the case in a combat sport.

Taking a look at the PPV buy rates from 2011, the biggest shows of course had the biggest draws in the UFC. UFC 126, UFC 129 and UFC 141 were the biggest moneymakers for the UFC in 2011.

UFC 126 benefited from having fan favorites like Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin dotting the card along with Anderson Silva. Having two young future stars like Jon Jones and Ryan Bader didn't hurt, either.

UFC 129 was undoubtedly the event of the year for the UFC. Besides the UFC on Fox event, the company put so much time into making UFC 129 something special. It effectively became a week-long event with the fan expo.

mmamania.com

The fact it was the UFC's first stadium show almost became more of a spectacle than the show itself.

Another one of the UFC's biggest draws, Brock Lesnar, was making his return at UFC 141. The UFC knows that putting Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar on a card guarantees them at least 700,000 buys.

The problem for the UFC is that both of them are out of action in 2012. GSP's ACL injury is going to put him on the sidelines for longer than people are thinking and Lesnar retired following his loss at UFC 141.

Without the two main draws and with Silva out until the summer, the UFC is going to need to put their hype machine into overdrive. Not only is the middleweight title inactive until later this year, the bantamweight title likely won't be defended for a while given that Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz will be coaching the next Ultimate Fighter.

Jon "Bones" Jones has had the best year of any MMA fighter, but clearly isn't a hit with fans. Beyond all the negative talk about Jones on the Internet, Jones' buy rates for the three shows he headlined are extremely low for a UFC champion.

UFC 135 did over 700,000 buys but considering UFC 140 didn't even break 500,000, I'm willing to bet the main draw at UFC 135 was "Rampage" Jackson.

The promotion has clearly hit a bit of a plateau, but that is likely to end with the UFC and Fox sports deal. A new type of audience will be integrating into the MMA scene and as new stars are built throughout the year, these new fans will be able to identify with them more than the hardcore fans.

fightertrends.com

I know MMA fans like to distance themselves from WWE, but you can draw comparisons from how the UFC has relied too heavily on the big names like GSP and Lesnar.

WWE just lost their No. 2 drawbehind John Cena with the injury to Randy Orton, and it's scary to think how the company would be able to handle losing both Cena and Orton given the state of blandness in WWE.

This scary thought is now a reality with the UFC given that their top draws likely will only be on one show this year or none at all.

There are plenty of good fighters in the UFC, and there's a bevy of talented fighters who could take the leap into superstardom. It's just a matter of the UFC getting behind them and building them up to fans.

King Mo Says Rampage Is More B-Team Than A-Team These Days

2012-01-09T22:58:00.001-05:00

Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal may be one of the most dangerous combinations in all of MMA. Devastating skills in the cage and on the microphone.

No one will ever accuse King Mo of holding his tongue when any subject is brought up, including future opponents.

With his TKO win over previously undefeated Lorenz Larkin on Saturday, Lawal moves into position to challenge once again for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.

One thing is for sure however…he has no desire to face the fighter he beat for the belt the last time in a rematch.

“Don’t say (Gegard) Mousasi’s name or I’m going to fall asleep,” Lawal said. “He’s the most boring person in MMA. If they want me to beat Mousasi, or ‘Kermit’, up, I’ll do it.”

Lawal dominated Mousasi for five rounds to win the Strikeforce light heavyweight title in April 2010, but it’s unknown if they’ll ever get back together for a rematch.

Another name that came up after his win was old foe Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Lawal and Jackson have been engaged in a war of words for quite some time now, and the back and forth heated up again during fight week between the two fighters on Twitter.

Needless to say, Lawal is not a Rampage fan, in or out of the cage.

“It’s like this, if he wants to come to Strikeforce and get beat, he can,” Lawal said about Rampage. “He needs to stick to acting and doing movies, cause to me in my mind and in my eyes, he ain’t got it no more. He can hit me up on Twitter and talk trash, try to get me off my game, but we all know the truth.

“He’s a actor, a subpar actor. He should be on the B-team not the A-Team.”

Check out what else King Mo had to say after his win in Strikeforce:

Rumor: Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva vs. Cain Velasquez in April?

2012-01-09T22:56:00.001-05:00

According to Portal do Vale Tudo (via the UG), Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva will make his first appearance under the UFC banner against no other than the former Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.

The website credits Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's interview to the Brazilian newspaper "Extra", where Minotauro reveals his new teammate Antonio Silva will make his first appearance inside the Octagon in April, against Cain Velasquez. None of the sides officially confirmed the news, but since Antonio Silva is now a part of Team Nogueira, Big Nog is more than just a reliable source in everything related to Bigfoot's Octagon debut.

Both Velasquez and Silva are coming off defeats in their most recent bouts. Silva was surprisingly TKO'd by Cain Velasquez's teammate Daniel Cormier last September, while Velasquez lost his title to Junior dos Santos via KO at UFC on FOX, which took place back in November.

My 2 Euro Cents:

Frank Mir was widely considered as the most logical choice for Cain Velasquez, who will look to prove a point after a disappointing performance against Junior dos Santos. Mir is currently one of the few Top 10 Heavyweights with a win-streak. In fact, the only fighters currently enjoying an unbeaten run inside the Octagon are Cheick Kongo, Travis Browne, and Mike Russow.

Velasquez vs. Mir is a perfect Heavyweight blockbuster, where both fighters have something to gain and something to lose. On the contrary, Cheick Kongo is currently the best option for Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, who has to earn some credibility points by testing himself against a top Heavyweight striker.

UFC: Why the UFC Should Do Away with Interim Titles

2012-01-04T21:35:00.002-05:00

In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, interim titles are put up for grabs when a specific champion is either injured, leaves the division or in the case of a rare fatality.

However, the interim championship has quickly fluctuated to become somewhat overused in today's organization.

While interim titles are certainly needed in the rarest of instances, the frequency of its use has elevated over the most recent years.

After defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91, Brock Lesnar was declared the UFC heavyweight champion by way of second-round knockout.

In his very next fight at UFC 100, Lesnar would get revenge on Frank Mir only to be sidelined for a full year.

In result, Lesnar's "undisputed" title was turned over as the interim title.

Mir would have the opportunity to become the newest heavyweight champion when he met Shane Carwin at UFC 111.

However, it was Carwin who would become the newest UFC champion, or some would say, by first-round knockout.

However, what was the point?

Lesnar would return to the Octagon just three months later only to be pronounced the heavyweight champion by submitting Carwin at UFC 116.

This leads us to the burning question: Should Carwin even be considered a former champion?

The same could be said for the up-and-coming interim welterweight championship bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

With current "undisputed" champion Georges St-Pierre sidelined until the midpoint of 2012, Diaz and Condit with battle it out on February 4th at UFC 143.

But, for what reason?

For the winner to earn a shot at St-Pierre when he returns?

If this is the case, the system needs to be fixed.

In fact, if St-Pierre would be victorious in his return to the Octagon, he would be credited with a successful title defense, meaning he was truly the champion all along.

The UFC interim titles have become overused and abused which should result in it's dismissal once and for all.

If interim titles are left for use by the UFC, it needs to occur under the rarest occurrences.

Matthew Riddle Takes Amir Sadollah’s Slot vs. Jorge Lopez at UFC 143

2012-01-04T21:34:00.001-05:00

TUF 7 winner Sadollah injured, out of fight

Amir Sadollah, winner of Season 7 of "The Ultimate Fighter," has suffered an injury and is out of his UFC 143 fight against Jorge Lopez.

The UFC announced the injury Tuesday, as well as Sadollah's replacement in the fight – fellow TUF 7 veteran Matthew Riddle. Riddle gets the new bout just days after he had to pull out of hisUFC 141 fight hours before it was to take place.

Riddle (5-3, 5-3 UFC) has spent his entire professional MMA career in the UFC. He won his debut on the TUF 7 Finale card with a unanimous decision win over Dante Rivera, then followed it up with a pair of decision wins over Steve Bruno and Dan Cramer. After a TKO loss to Nick Osipczak at UFC 105, Riddle put together two more wins over Greg Soto and DaMarques Johnson to get to 5-1.

But Riddle has suffered back-to-back losses over Sean Pierson at UFC 124 and Lance Benoist at UFC Fight Night 25 – a bout that won Fight of the Night honors in New Orleans. Riddle was scheduled to meet Luis Ramos last week at UFC 141, but not long before the bout on the preliminary card, UFC officials announced Riddle became ill before the fight and was not allowed to compete.

Lopez (11-2, 0-1 UFC), a protege of Wanderlei Silva, made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 25 in September, but lost by unanimous decision to Justin Edwards. That setback snapped a 10-fight winning streak for the welterweight.

UFC 143 features a main event interim welterweight title fight between Carlos Condit and former Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz. Also on the card, welterweight contender Josh Koscheck faces Mike Pierce and Roy Nelson meets Strikeforce heavyweight crossover Fabricio Werdum

UFC 141 Video: Alistair Overeem Doesn’t Think Brock Lesnar Should Retire

2012-01-04T21:32:00.001-05:00

Alistair Overeem met with the media at the UFC 141 post-fight press conference to discuss his victory over Brock Lesnar. Perhaps surprisingly, he also expressed that he didn’t think that Lesnar should retire, despite Overeem’s quick finish over the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Why the Strikeforce Heavyweights Will Fail to Compete Seriously in the UFC

2012-01-04T21:29:00.001-05:00

Not every heavyweight can be judged by a company. Individuals will succeed and fail based on their own merit and not anything else.

After all, it seems like Alistair Overeem is doing well in the UFC. However, the UFC stripped him from Strikeforce before the rest of the other heavyweights followed, so he might be one exception.

I also wrote an article about how Fabricio Werdum would beat Roy Nelson, so perhaps the focus should be on their competition at the highest level.

The a level where in which fighters who reach it are talked about being put in a title shot and possibly being the future of the division.

No matter how fans break it down, most of the Strikeforce heavyweights will get beaten once they appear in the UFC or otherwise self-destruct.

Many of the heavyweights that are in MMA's second biggest promotion are polite and healthy. The only one who might be destructive is Josh Barnett.

He not only competes in pro wrestling, which the UFC and its president, Dana White, won't condone, but also he has been busted several different times for taking different types of substances banned in MMA.

He was a large part of the reason why Affliction folded so quickly. They may have been headed down that route anyway, but his removal from their main event didn't help.

It's hard to see a guy like that not butting heads with White and the UFC.

Obviously Randy Couture doesn't count.

The other heavyweights are a little different.

Most are names that casual fans won't have heard of. The only one they probably know is Herschel Walker.

The others are fighters like Chad Griggs, Daniel Cormier and Antonio Silva. Some of these men have faced former UFC fighters and done well. Some have just started cutting their teeth and are now being thrown into MMA's shark tank.

And that is the real problem. It isn't that they aren't good enough. It's that they aren't prepared.

Strikeforce's business model left them with a few marquee heavyweights but mostly young or inexperienced fighters who were just cutting their teeth. Some are very good, but they haven't been put in with elite opposition or anything close to it.

They won't know how to react to not only the pressure in the UFC, but the nervousness which goes with being viewed by that many fans.

It is tough and there is no way to really prepare for it. Especially when the Strikeforce heavyweights realize that there is nowhere else to go back to. Between a lack of experience and the intensity they will face when they step into the cage, it will trouble them heavily.

When fighters get in the cage, they do so as themselves and should be judged as such. It doesn't matter what organization they fought for.

It does, however matter what opposition they have faced and how it prepared them, and to be honest, the Strikeforce heavyweights are not ready.

And just like the division, the fighters will be swallowed up by the UFC.

UFC 141 Medical Suspensions; Several Stretch up to Six Months

2012-01-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem took place Friday night, Dec. 30, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Alistair Overeem dominated his first start in the Octagon, taking out Brock Lesnar in the opening round, sending him into retirement.

Overeem and Lesnar both received medical suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission following the fight. The NSAC on Tuesday released the full suspension list to MMAWeekly.com.

UFC 141 Medical Suspensions:

Brock Lesnar – Must have abdominal injury cleared by a doctor or no contest until June 6.

Alistair Overeem – Suspended until Feb. 14 with no contact prior to Jan. 30 due to cuts on right eye.

Nate Diaz – Suspended until June 28, unless cleared by an ophthalmologist. Minimum suspension until Jan. 30 with no contact prior to Jan. 21 due to right eye injury.

Donald Cerrone – Suspended until Feb. 14 with no contact prior to Jan. 30 due to a cut on his lower lip.

Jon Fitch – Suspended until Feb. 29 with no contact prior to Feb. 14.

Vladimir Matyushenko – Suspended until June 28, unless his left knee is cleared by an orthopedic doctor. Minimum suspension until Feb. 14 with no contact prior to Jan. 30.

Alexander Gustafsson – Suspended until Jan. 30 with no contact prior to Jan. 21 due to right tibia contusion.

Nam Phan – Suspended until Feb. 29 with no contact prior to Feb. 14 due to a cut on his right eyebrow.

Junior Assuncao – Suspended until Jan. 30 with no contact prior to Jan. 21 due to a cut on his right cheek.

Dong Hyun Kim – Suspended until Jan. 30 with no contact prior to Jan. 21 due to left foot contusion.

Manny Gamburyan – Suspended until June 28 unless he has his right shoulder x-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor. Minimum suspension until Jan. 30 with no contact prior to Jan. 21.

Diego Nunes – Suspended until Feb. 14 with no contact prior to Jan. 30 due to a cut on his left eye

Muhammed Lawal: Why King Mo Could Be a Force in the UFC

2012-01-04T21:24:00.003-05:00

The name Muhammed Lawal may not be recognized by many mixed martial arts fans today.

However, throw in the nickname "King Mo" and fans become well aware of who we are referring to.

Lawal, who stands 6'0'' and weighs 205 pounds has come to be one of the most popular fighters in MMA today.

After beginning his career with an impressive 5-0 record, Lawal signed on with the organization of Strikeforce as his career appeared to be hitting the premier stage.

However, it wasn't necessarily Lawal's record that landed him a gig, but his powerful strikes that allowed him to finish four opponents in his first five bouts.

Lawal didn't miss a beat after signing on with Strikeforce, posting a perfect 2-0 record on route to becoming the light heavyweight champion.

Despite losing his very next bout to Rafael Cavalcante, "King Mo" would bounce back with an enormous first-round knockout over Roger Gracie at the Strikeforce World Grand Prix.

While Lawal is currently set to take on Lorenz Larkin at the upcoming Strikeforce event on January 7th, it's hard not to look at his possible future in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Not only does Lawal have a potential future in the UFC but a successful one at that.

Lawal's knockout power has quickly separated him from the middle of the pack in the 205-pound weight division.

In fact, in nine total fights, Lawal has finished off his opponent via knockout six different times.

However, while Lawal is often recognized as a serious threat in the stand-up, many often fail to realize just how well-rounded "King Mo" truly is.

Lawal is a freestyle wrestler who took home gold at the Pan American Championships in 2007.

While Lawal's plan of attack has revolved around his striking, he is more than capable of grappling with nearly any light heavyweight in the world.

With the future of Strikeforce in jeopardy, it's likely we could see a merger allowing "King Mo" to make his UFC debut in the near future.

Lawal's skill set demonstrates all the right ingredients for a successful career in the UFC.

UFC 141 Salaries: Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar Lead the Pack

2012-01-04T21:23:00.001-05:00

Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar earned the lion's share of the distributed purses at UFC 141on Friday. The salaries were released Tuesday to HeavyMMA.com by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Lesnar took home the pay-per-view's biggest official check, earning $400,000 for his main event loss to Overeem, who earned $385,714.28 in the victory. Overeem was making his UFC debut and scored a first-round TKO after a kick to Lesnar's liver.

Lesnar's $400,000 was a flat pay day without a win bonus attached and is the same amount he made in his previous three UFC fights against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin – successful UFC heavyweight title defenses – and Cain Velasquez, in which he lost the belt at UFC 121 in October 2010. Lesnar announced his retirement after the loss to Overeem.

For his co-main event win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Nate Diaz earned $74,000, including a $37,000 win bonus. Cerrone made $30,000 in the loss.

The night's other biggest earners on the year-end card, with a disclosed total payout of $1,369,714.28, included Jon Fitch, who made $60,000 for his 12-second loss to Johny Hendricks, who pocketed $52,000; and Dong Hyun Kim, who made $82,000 for his decision win over Sean Pierson on the preliminary card.

Additionally, even though they were unable to fight because Matthew Riddle was ill before their bout, both Riddle and Luis Ramos were reportedly given their show and win bonuses. Riddle's $30,000 and Ramos' $12,000 are not a part of the official pay schedule for the card since the fight did not take place.

The complete list of salaries is below:

Alistair Overeem $385,714.28 (inc. $121,428.57 win bonus) def. Brock Lesnar ($400,000)
Nate Diaz $74,000 (inc. $37,000 win bonus) def. Donald Cerrone ($30,000)
Johny Hendricks $52,000 (inc. $26,000 win bonus) def. Jon Fitch ($60,000)
Alexander Gustafsson $32,000 (inc. $16,000 win bonus) def. Vladimir Matyushenko ($40,000)
Jimy Hettes $16,000 (inc. $8,000 win bonus) def. Nam Phan ($8,000)
Ross Pearson $40,000 (inc. $20,000 win bonus) def. Junior Assuncao ($8,000)
Danny Castillo $38,000 (inc. $19,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Njokuani ($12,000)
Dong Hyun Kim $82,000 (inc. $41,000 win bonus) def. Sean Pierson ($8,000)
Jacob Volkmann $32,000 (inc. $16,000 win bonus) def. Efrain Escudero ($10,000)
Diego Nunes $24,000 (inc. $12,000 win bonus) def. Manny Gamburyan ($18,000)
Luis Ramos $12,000 (inc. $6,000 win bonus)*
Matthew Riddle $30,000 (inc. $15,000 win bonus)*

*Ramos and Riddle did not fight, as scheduled, because, according to a UFC official, Riddle "fell ill" before the fight. MMA Junkie reported Saturday both fighters received their show and win money.

The Legacy of Brock Lesnar

2012-01-04T02:14:00.000-05:00

“I’m a fighter, and I believe that if somebody should be holding a belt in the UFC, it’s Brock Lesnar.” ~ Brock Lesnar speaking to MMAWeekly Radioin August 2007

It’s hard to believe that a fighter with a 5-3 record overall, much less a 4-3 record in the UFC, could have such a singular impact on a sport, but that’s exactly what Brock Lesnar did in the four short years he was involved in MMA.

On Friday night at UFC 141, following a loss to Alistair Overeem, Lesnar called it a career and said his MMA days are behind him.

It’s irrefutable, however, the impact that Lesnar had on MMA and the UFC specifically over his time with the promotion.

Following one fight that he had in K-1 to kick off his career, a victory over Min Soo Kim, Lesnar was already calling out UFC champions and awaiting a call from UFC president Dana White.

“I mean, you take Randy Couture for example, I mean he’s the heavyweight champion of the UFC, but he’s a small heavyweight. Let’s face it, Tim Sylvia was not a legitimate heavyweight champion,” Lesnar said in 2007.

“I enjoyed watching Randy beat the (expletive) out of Tim Sylvia. I enjoyed that. I mean take a look at this guy, Tim Sylvia, the guy’s feet, they’re damn near webbed. He looks like the Swamp Thing. The guy is a vulture. He can’t wrestle worth a crap. He’s got a jab and a little right hand. There’s no way. I’d double-leg his ass right through that cage so fast, and that would be the end of the fight. I’m tired. I’m tired of this. Brock Lesnar wants to fight somebody, somebody with credentials, and Tim Sylvia ain’t the guy.”

Strong words undoubtedly, but Lesnar was willing to back them up in the cage.

Shortly after that very interview, Lesnar signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC, and despite his lacking 1-0 record, he wasn’t asking for a pass or a warm-up fight. He wanted to face the best of the best on day one, and there was no other option for Lesnar.

“I just want to find out a name, get a face, and be able to watch his previous fights and then just start training everyday to dismantle my opponent,” Lesnar told MMAWeekly Radio in October 2007, just after signing with the UFC.

Following that statement, the UFC handed Lesnar a very dangerous opponent for his first foray in the Octagon. Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was the fighter chosen to greet Lesnar for his first fight with the promotion, no easy task for such an inexperienced mixed martial artist.

What resulted was a submission loss for Lesnar, but not without landing his own share of shots on Mir. If you looked at both fighters after it was over, most would assume it was Lesnar that came out on top, but a lesson was learned and he would come back stronger.

Following that fight, Lesnar dominated Pride and UFC veteran Heath Herring before being given a shot at legend and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. In only his fourth professional fight, Lesnar TKO’d a living legend and took home his first taste of UFC gold.

Lesnar further cemented his place in the sport when he returned at UFC 100 and tasted revenge as he bested Frank Mir to defend his heavyweight crown. The powerful fighter from Minnesota mauled and bludgeoned Mir to retain his belt, and at that moment it seemed Lesnar would be unstoppable.

Unfortunately for the giant heavyweight, it was a disease that would topple him, not another fighter in the cage. In October 2009, it was announced that Lesnar had contracted diverticulitis and would be sidelined for the immediate future.

At that point, it wasn’t even about MMA, it was literally about Lesnar fighting for his life.

A long medical battle followed, but the Lesnar that returned to the cage just didn’t seem like the same beast that entered it a couple of years earlier. While Lesnar did best Shane Carwin in his return bout in 2010, he then fell to Cain Velasquez to relinquish his heavyweight belt.

Another fight with diverticulitis followed in 2011 following a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter alongside Junior dos Santos. A few months later, after recovering, he faced his final battle in the cage against Alistair Overeem.

Lesnar may retire with a 5-3 record, but his legacy in the world of MMA will be cemented forever.

As a former pro wrestler with the WWE, Lesnar brought a huge amount of fans with him, eyeballs that may have never even given the UFC a chance if not for following the massive heavyweight after his career in sports entertainment ended.

The pay-per-view sales alone justify Lesnar as one of the most popular and watched fighters to ever enter the sport of MMA.

When he grabbed the microphone and spoke, there was always a little pro wrestling flavor thrown in, but it was something that MMA fans could embrace. Whether they loved him or hated him, Brock Lesnar was somebody everybody wanted to see compete.

There’s also no denying that Lesnar faced the absolute best of the best from his first day in the UFC to the last time he stepped out of Octagon.

Once upon a time in the WWE, Lesnar was nicknamed “the next big thing.” Just days after his retirement from the UFC, Lesnar may have been the biggest thing this sport has ever seen.

2012-01-04T02:05:00.000-05:00

UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has a date with Mark Munoz at the end of January, but he doesn't waste any time in taking shots at possible future opponents, and Lyoto Machida is someone he may end up facing if the former UFC light heavyweight champion decides to drop in weight for his next fight.

Sonnen recently tweeted about "The Dragon."

I don't have time for "pee pee" mouth. All the time I can spare him is enough to cold cock him and walk away.

Of course, Sonnen is referring to Machida, who is known to drink his own urine leading up to his fights. It was most notably shown leading up to his title fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 98, where he would go on to capture the title by second-round knockout.

Evans also made jokes about the subject at the time of the fight, saying Machida's secret weapon could be "urine breath."

Sonnen's response came from a Machida tweet just hours before.

Chael Sonnen, acabei de sair da cirurgia, mas posso lhe dar seu presente dentro do octogono com um so braco e so vc aceitar a luta.
Translation: Chael Sonnen, I just got out of an surgery but I can give you your Christmas gift inside the octagon with only one arm. Just take the fight

Since that fight, Machida's career has been up-and-down, winning two fights and losing three. His losses came against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Jon Jones and Quinton Jackson.

Sonnen will face Munoz at the upcoming UFC on Fox 2 show, which features a main event between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. Munoz is a former NCAA Division I wrestler and has claimed victories over Demian Maia and Chris Leben. The winner could be next in line to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva.

If Silva isn't ready by the time Sonnen wants to fight again, a fight versus Machida could be on order, and it would already have a lot of hype behind it.

2012-01-04T02:01:00.000-05:00

Former management team attempted to collect in court

After some questions about when and how much he would get paid for his Friday UFC debut, Alistair Overeem got his answer. And if his former management team hopes to collect monies it says it is due from the heavyweight, it will have to wait until his next fight.

Knockout Investments and Golden Glory, Overeem's former management team, went to court in Nevada on Friday, the day Overeem fought Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. And it got an order against the fighter to garnish his wages for the fight, saying that Overeem owed Golden Glory 30 percent of his earnings.

But that order required a $200,000 bond be posted in order to get more than $241,000 of Overeem's purse held – and that bond was not posted in time. Therefore, Overeem was paid his show money and win bonus after the fight.

In a statement released late Monday from Golden Glory's legal representation, The Law Offices of Roderick J. Lindblom in Beverly Hills, Calif., Golden Glory will continue to pursue the money it says it is owed.

"The UFC paid Alistair Overeem on Friday night, immediately following his UFC 141 win," the statement says. "This took place prior to the posting of the $200,000 bond by KOI and Golden Glory, which was required to place a hold on $241,000 of Overeem’s fight purse. This was a short-term possibility that KOI and Golden Glory were prepared for. Seeking the initial writ was merely the first step in a long-term litigation strategy that KOI and Golden Glory will prosecute in Nevada. The writ of attachment remedy remains fully available to my clients and will be sought as to Mr. Overeem’s future pay-per-view payout, which we expect will be more lucrative than his initial fight purse. Rest assured, now that we have had the opportunity to troubleshoot complex international hurdles – and without a long holiday weekend to contend with – future writs of attachment will be utilized to ensure that Mr. Overeem makes good on the commissions owed to my clients and his Golden Glory training team, who helped him achieve the success he now enjoys."

Overeem beat Lesnar with a first-round TKO, setting up a UFC heavyweight title fight against champion Junior dos Santos sometime in 2012. After the fight, Overeem said he hopes that bout will take place before the end of the summer.

Gina Carano on MMA Hiatus and Future, 'Haywire' and Ronda Rousey

2012-01-04T01:59:00.000-05:00

MMA Fighting recently caught up with the elusive Gina Carano to discuss why she disappeared from the MMA landscape for the last two and a half years, her upcoming film, "Haywire," which opens in theatres nationwide on Jan. 20, how she landed the starring role in the film, whether she will ever fight again, and the emergence of Ronda Rousey as perhaps the new face of women's MMA.

UFC 141 Results: Nate Diaz Is Now an Elite Lightweight

2012-01-02T16:09:00.002-05:00

Nate Diaz finally stepped from the long-cast shadows of his brother Nick Diaz atUFC 141.

The lightweight contender completely decimated a red hot Donald Cerrone en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory and quite possibly a shot at UFC gold.

To many, Diaz's win over Cerrone represented his true coming out party as an elite lightweight in the UFC, but pundits tend to go back further and see that Diaz has always maintained a solid track record at 155 pounds.

Before jumping to welterweight, the Cesar Gracie student was coming off a win over Melvin Guillard and a highly controversial split-decision loss to Gray Maynard, who is widely considered as one of the top three lightweights in the world.

Diaz has obviously come a long way in his striking, which looked almost identical to his brother Nick's against Cerrone. He constantly presses forward and wears opponents down with a high volume of punches in the pocket.

Cerrone had opportunities to seek out takedowns or jump into Diaz's guard, but along with world-class boxing skills, the Diaz brothers are known for having some of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the sport.

The primary hole in Diaz's game lies in his wrestling, but he tends to brush that fact aside and hope that his submission prowess stands out as the great equalizer.

It's going to be interesting to see how he deals with strong wrestlers with great submission defense.

Lightweights such as Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson and Gray Maynard should all be significant tests, but if the Cerrone bout was any indication, the year 2012 could represent the rise of Nate Diaz

UFC 141: 10 Things We Learned from UFC's Last Event of 2011

2012-01-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

The UFC has concluded its most active year in history in thrilling fashion that saw one of its biggest stars announce to the world that he was calling it quits after getting thoroughly dismantled by Alistair Overeem.

While the main event and Lesnar's subsequent retirement will dominate the headlines, there was a lot of drama and action that took place at UFC 141. From upsets to knockouts to the emergence of new talents, the last big event of 2011 had it all.

Let's take a look at 10 things we learned from UFC 141.

One thing I was happy to see was that Dong-hyun Kim ended up being on the main broadcast last night. For some inexplicable reason, Dana White and the UFC put this man on a Facebook match that wasn't even a live prelim.

is 6-1-1 in the UFC with his lone loss coming earlier this year when he lost to No. 1 contender Carlos Condit. He's one of the biggest Asian draws in all of mixed martial arts and uses an exciting stand up fighting style that makes fans happy.

His skills were displayed in a dominant win last night over Sean Pierson, which proved once again that Kim may not be a top contender, but he's a guy that should be able to make one of the top five fights of any card.

I wont lie. Heading into the Hettes/Pham fight tonight, I really had no clue who Jimy "The Kid" Hettes was, nor did anyone else at the establishment where I saw the pay-per-view. But after 15 minutes of absolute dominance, Hettes made himself known to everyone that saw UFC 141 last night.

When people ask what mixed martial arts is, you should put in the tape of this match as Hettes showed what a modern day UFC fighter is. He displayed good boxing skills and punching power, used effective judo throws, trapped Pham in numerous submissions and also used a devastating ground and pound.

No one knows how good Hettes really is as Pham is nowhere near a top contender, but "The Kid" certainly earned himself more time on the top of any fight card in the future.

UFC 141 was thankfully devoid of much controversy, but the quick bout between Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks had some as referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the bout in just 12 seconds after Hendricks clobbered the perennial top contender with a huge punch.

It was shocking to see this occur considering Fitch, who was 13-1-1 in the UFC has never been stopped, much less by a single punch. Despite Fitch's ability to withstand punishment, Mazzagatti swooped in to stop the fight the second Fitch hit the canvas.

In Mazzagatti's defense, Fitch was hit quite hard but upon looking at several replays, it looked like Fitch was already starting to regain a sense of alertness. But before Hendricks could land another shot, Mazzagatti came in and stopped the fight.

It is always a fine line for officials to stop a fight as you don't want to see a fighter sustain unnecessary trauma, but you also don't want to stop a fight prematurely. Too many times Mazzagatti has made the wrong call. Last night was just another example.

Perhaps Hendricks would have finished Fitch off with another punch. But let's remember the punishment Fitch absorbed from the hands of George St. Pierre several years back, but yet he kept coming back for more.

I for one am tired of seeing fights get altered by the consistent controversial calls by Mazzagatti. As Dana White said in a 2009 interview.

"This guy shouldn't even be watching MMA on TV, let alone refereeing it. I think he's the worst ref in the history of any fight business, ever. He's horrible. We don't pick the refs. The athletic commission does. Those guys are picked by the government. It's not that I don't like him, he's a nice guy. He's an absolute nice guy, he has no business whatsoever being anywhere near mixed martial arts."

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

For some reason, UFC fans and even people within the organization never have appreciated Jon Fitch's fighting ability. Sure it may not have the pizazz of some of the best strikers in the UFC but his wrestling and ground and pound methods have been very effective.

Still, despite a 13-1-1 record, with his only loss coming against GSP, Fitch was nowhere near a title shot and instead was only the middle fight of the card taking on Johny Hendricks. You could get the sense the UFC was just looking for a reason to knock Fitch out of the title picture.

Well with his devastating loss last night, the UFC now has its excuse. Most fighters who have only two loses in 16 UFC bouts gain the credibility to be a top threat for a title shot, but I could honestly see Fitch being stuck in a position where he's co-main eventing some event on "UFC on Fuel" in the next six months.

As an aside, I really don't know what to make of Johny Hendricks. He is now 7-1 in the UFC and could well take on the winner of the upcoming Carlos Condit/Nick Diaz title fight. However, I don't know how much we can take away from his performance against Fitch other than the fact he can throw a hard punch.

While all of the talk about new blood in the UFC's light-heavyweight division has been directed at the phenom that is Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson has quietly ascended the rankings and after his performance last night, is deserving of some stiffer competition.

Gustafsson put away his opponent Vladimir Matyushenko with relative ease last night with a stiff jab right into Matyushenko's face. The former Swedish kickboxer is now 5-1 in the UFC including three wins in 2011. His lone blemish came against Phil Davis, a top contender at the light-heavyweight class.

A spring 2012 fight against someone like Stephan Bonnar could be very entertaining. Bonnar these days seems to act as a gatekeeper for the division, as Jon Jones himself beat the American Psycho nearly two years ago.

No one will argue for a second that Donald Cerrone possesses the kind of talent that can one day see him fighting for the UFC's lightweight title. He had an incredible 2011 that saw him win four fights and he looked to make it five against UFC veteran Nate Diaz.

Last night didn't go Cerrone's way though as he lost in what was the most competitive bout of the night, which is why it was no shock both men took fight of the night honors.

The fight was largely determined in the first round as Cerrone ate well over a dozen combinations to the face. Frankly, Cerrone looked tired after about 30 seconds as his blood filled mouth seemed to be open for the vast majority of the fight.

Perhaps this shouldn't come as a shock though. Considering many top flight UFC fighters only have two or three fights per year, it could well be Cerrone's tank was simply on empty.

At 28-years-old, Cerrone will be in the title hunt in short order. A fight between he and Clay Guida in the spring of 2012 could be a very, very entertaining fight

While much of the pre-fight talk revolved around his opponent, Nate Diaz showed the world last night that he's still improving as a lightweight and after his win last night, moved himself up to the cusp of top contender status.

At just 26-years-old, Diaz fought in already his 15th UFC bout, compiling a 10-5 record after last night. He's been involved in some close wars as he earned his fifth "Fight Of The Night" bonus with Cerrone last night.

Despite all these fights and relative success, many UFC fans and insiders didn't take Diaz seriously. Even Joe Rogan in last night's pre-match hype believed Cerrone had better striking, wrestling and power and was even with Diaz in terms of submissions.

Diaz also doesn't help himself with the way he acts, and frankly looked like he was desperately trying to emulate the Brock Lesnar we saw two and three years ago, routinely giving Ceronne the one finger salute. Frankly, the place I saw the fight last night got loudest during this bout as everyone wanted to see Diaz get knocked out.

Well, Nate Diaz disappointed everyone while also impressing them at the same time. He made Donald Ceronne's head look like a speed bag for much of the first round, hitting him at will with countless combinations.

That first round slowed down Ceronne to the point Diaz was able to pick him apart throughout the fight, though Diaz was caught with nearly 10 leg kicks that knocked him down.

Moving forward, a fight between Diaz and Gray Maynard makes sense. The two have split their contests with Diaz winning on The Ultimate Fighter and Maynard winning a close split decision several years later.

If Diaz could win that fight, he may indeed earn a title shot sometime in 2012 or 2013.

This may sound silly, but think back to the movie Rocky III. As Clubber Lang, played to perfection by Mr. T entered the ring for the first fight, he had this look of anger, hatred and determination.

Rocky meanwhile was not in the right mindset between his manager dying and the fact he hadn't had a real tough challenge in over 10 title fights. What ensued was Clubber Lang destroying Rocky.

When I saw this fight last night, it made me think of that first bout in Rocky III. As Overeem calmly and confidently came to the octagon, Lesnar looked meek and almost disinterested.

The fight itself really looked no different. Lesnar was timid and looked visibly nervous (as we learned in the ensuing two minutes, for good reason!). His punches lacked power and quickness and his takedown attempt was swatted away by Overeem like he was a fly.

About a dozen knees and a pulverizing kick to Brock Lesnar's liver later, and we saw the potential end to Brock Lesnar's UFC career.

It looked quite clear that Lesnar should never have been in the same ring as Overeem. He didn't look anywhere close to prepared to fight one of the most dangerous men on this planet.

Though Lesnar announced his retirement, I for one am skeptical this is the actual end for Lesnar. At 34-years-old, he's still young enough to get himself back into shape after dealing with a very serious illness.

The WWE may indeed look like greener pastures for Lesnar, but I would not be shocked to see a triumphant return sometime in the middle to late months of 2012.

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

One thing that makes the UFC so popular is the fact they will always put forth good bouts and not let any politics get in the way. It's something that has led to the downfall of boxing and is a big reason I personally have become a huge fan of the sport.

With all of that said, the UFC should not have made this fight. I understand the desire to get two of the bigger names in MMA and have them go at it, but there are times when there should be extenuating circumstances.

Brock Lesnar was coming off a very serious illness that forced him to have just one fight between July of 2010 and last night; a loss to Cain Velasquez. With just six UFC fights under his belt and still obviously inexperienced, they had Lesnar go against one of the more polished heavyweights in MMA in Alistair Overeem, a man who had 29 more wins than Lesnar has had fights.

The result last night was really not surprising.

Imagine being out of work for about five months due to a serious illness and on your first day back, being forced to give an important presentation to your boss and his supervisors from out of town. Sounds a bit daunting, no?

That's the type of hill Lesnar was asked to climb last night and it did not end well.

Maybe Dana White and the UFC knew that Lesnar planned to retire long before the fight happened or they were so worried about him defecting back to professional wrestling, they wanted to milk every penny out of their cash cow.

But the whole idea of Lesnar having to fight Overeem seemed very unfair.

While Brock Lesnar may not have been ready for last night, it should not take away from the fact Alistair Overeem is a very scary individual.

I have never seen him fight except for a few highlights here or there and let me just say I was impressed. He managed to do something that I never thought possible...He made Brock Lesnar look small.

Perhaps it was due to his illness, but Lesnar, who was a man that towered over his previous competition, looked much smaller than Overeem. The hands that Lesnar possesses are often talked about being almost grotesquely huge, yet Overeem's looked just as big.

The hulking muscles Lesnar has looked smaller. Heck, Brock Lesnar looked flabby compared to the chiseled body of Overeem that looked like he had abs popping out of his abs.

The ensuing two minutes of destruction showed Overeem treating Lesnar like he was a ragdoll. He ate what few punches Lesnar offered with ease, tossed away his takedown attempts and easily got inside to deliver numerous knees to the body.

If there is anything we have learned from the UFC, it's that every fighter has a weakness. We once thought guys like Lesnar, BJ Penn and Lyoto Machida could not lose. Even Jon Jones was put to the test last month and Anderson Silva narrowly escaped defeat.

Alistair Overeem will likely be bested some day. But last night, he looked like an indestructible fighter and I believe he will beat Junior Dos Santos. The one person I think could give Overeem issues is Cain Velasquez.

But right now, Overeem has arrived in the UFC and he is here to stay.

Junior dos Santos: The fight with Alistair Overeem will be "good for the fans"

2012-01-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

"Brock seemed a little bit anxious to throw punches and kicks. That surprised me, because I thought he should have taken Alistair down and kept the fight on the ground.

It's going to be really, really good for the fans. Because he's [Overeem] a striker and I'm a striker, it's going to be a stand-up battle. He's pretty good at using his kicks, his knees, his punches, but I believe so much in my boxing." - USAToday.com

UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos shared his thoughts about the upcoming fight with "The Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem. Cigano is currently recovering from a knee injury suffered just twelve days prior to the UFC on FOX encounter with Cain Velasquez, who was dethroned by dos Santos in 64 seconds. Alistair Overeem has a statistical advantage over Junior dos Santos, finishing nearly 95% of his professional MMA bouts. However, dos Santos enjoys a higher KO/TKO ratio than "The Reem", flattening 72% of the opponents he faced inside the cage or ring.

Overeem Sends Lesnar into Retirement

2011-12-31T14:22:00.000-05:00