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UFC 148: Urijah Faber's new opponent announcement date set

2012-05-16T21:45:00Z

It looks like you've got some extra incentive to tune in for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Live this Friday night (May 18, 2012).

During today's Ultimate Fighter quarterfinals conference call, it was announced that UFC President Dana White will make the official announcement of Urijah Faber's next opponent, who will be stepping in for the injured UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

The announcement will be taking place during Friday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter on FX during the 10-11 p.m. ET window, likely during the live portion after both quarterfinal bouts have taken place.

It's widely accepted that with Cruz's extended layoff due to a knee injury, Faber will be battling for the interim title, so this opponent selection will be very important in terms of the future of the bantamweight division and the title picture.

Faber has been coaching against Cruz throughout this entire season of The Ultimate Fighter in what was expected to be a perfect build to their UFC 148 trilogy fight as both men have split the first two bouts, but the injury bug got in the way.

There are plenty of potential candidates for the title shot. Youngster Michael McDonald is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of former WEC champion Miguel Torres just one month ago and is poised to take the leap to the big time.

Other possible challengers include Renan Barao, who's already fighting on the UFC 148 card against Ivan Menjivar and has gone unbeaten in 29 straight fights which includes a recent dominant decision victory over former title challenger Scott Jorgensen.

Fringe candidates include Brad Pickett, who took home "Fight of the Night" at the UFC on Fuel TV 2 show or even Barao's current opponent Ivan Menjivar, who's quietly gone 3-0 in the UFC at 135 pounds.

Who do you think will get the shot? Got anyone else in mind?

The Ultimate Fighter conference call LIVE updates today (May 16) for quarterfinals part two

2012-05-16T20:30:12Z

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will today (May 16, 2012) hold a media conference call to promote this Friday's (May 18, 2012) The Ultimate Fighter episode, which will air live on the FX television network at 10 p.m. ET nationwide.

The conference call will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the second half of the quarterfinalist fighters: Vinc Pichel, Chris Saunders, Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle.

Al Iaquinta was the first pick of Team Faber and lived up to his billing by winning a pair of decisions, most notably defeating Myles Jury after having a third round forced. Chris Saunders pulled off a huge upset, sneaking past Sam Sicilia via split decision to advance to the quarterfinals.

Vince Pichel of Team Cruz had perhaps the best fight of the season thus far, earning a late submission victory over John Cofer while his opponent, Andy Ogle, also pulled off a huge upset, defeating the heavily favored Mike Rio via submission in their sweet 16 bout a few weeks ago..

We'll have complete updates of The Ultimate Fighter Live conference call after the jump:

Brian Hemminger here. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET.

4:38 p.m. - They just came on the line and said the fighters aren't back from training yet, the call won't be starting until about 4:50 p.m. ET.

4:56 p.m. - Still haven't started, ughhh.

5:03 p.m. - We're officially getting started. Took long enough.

Al Iaquinta: He knows my style and I know his style, fighting a teammate isn't too different.

Andy Ogle: I would never hold back in practice. The main part of practice is to get caught in sticky situations and develop. You get caught in sticky situations in training so you never get put in that position in the fight.

Vince Pichel: I was thinking a lot about fighting three times in a row. I'm one of the bigger guys and it's not easy for me to cut weight. As long as I stay on my diet and not get injured, then I'll do okay.

Chris Saunders: It is in the back of my mind, having to win three fights in three weeks to win this competition, but right now I'm having to look at it fight by fight. This is the biggest fight of my life right now. If the semifinals come, that's the biggest fight of my life and you really have to keep your mindset in this house.

Al Iaquinta: I don't think it was so much that my parents didn't want me to get involved in MMA, they just saw it as very dangerous and wanted me to go to school as well. They've supported me but they wanted me to do school. I think they see now that I can make a living out of it and there's a lot of options and the sport is growing and blowing up. They've definitely been really supportive of me and what I do.

Andy Ogle: The way I see it, I'm representing my country and I'm not a burdon and I'm wearing the flag with pride. The emotional side, that's just me. I've got big highs and big lows. That's who I am and this whole thing means so much to me and I've got a big heart.

Vince Pichel: My opponents don't take me lightly, but they're looking at me like I'm looking at them. I did finish everyone but I'm looking at every guy like they're the toughest fight I've had. My opponents know I'm dangerous but as a fighter, my opponents are thinking what I'm thinking, wanting to take me out. You can't get overconfident or that'll mess with your head.

Chris Saunders: How do I prove that I belong here? Do exactly what I did in my last fight. Win, and try to finish. That's how you prove yourself.

Andy Ogle: Watching The Ultimate Fighter from the start of my career, I never ever thought that I was gonna be here. It was a dream. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just a pinhole. Now its' getting bigger and bigger and I can almost get my hand in it and grab it. It's gonna be a hell of a lot of skill in this contest but a hell of a lot of will, see who wants it the most. It's double the length of the previous Ultimate Fighters and it comes down to the mental game, who wants it more.

Vince Pichel: It sucks and we're all kind of bummed that Dom got injured and he's not fighting Faber but it happens. It's part of the game. It's just as much a part of fighting as winning as losing. It didn't slow us down or bother us that much. We're moving ahead with it.

Dana White will announce Urijah Faber's next opponent on Friday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter.

Tha's a wrap.

Donald Cerrone vs Jeremy Stephens full fight video highlights from UFC on FUEL TV 3

2012-05-16T20:00:29Z

<A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=8704d7f9-1892-4f97-98b1-1b85ff08dded&src=v5:embed:syndication:&from=shareembed-syndication" mce_href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=8704d7f9-1892-4f97-98b1-1b85ff08dded&amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Highlights: Cerrone - Stephens"&gt;Video: Highlights: Cerrone - Stephens&lt;/A&gt;

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone got himself right back into the 155-pound title hunt with an absolutely dominant display at the UFC on FUEL TV 3 event last night (March 15, 2012) at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.

Fellow division stalwart Jeremy Stephens was on the receiving end of three rounds of punishment, primarily in the stand-up, en route to a unanimous decision loss, the second straight time the judges fell out of favor with the "Lil' Heathen."

For Cerrone, the lopsided performance put him at 7-1 over his last eight fights and washed away the bitter taste of defeat after getting outstruck by Nate Diaz at UFC 141 last December. But was it enough to convince you he's still a threat to the division crown?

For a more detailed breakdown of Cerrone vs. Stephens click here and for complete UFC on FUEL TV 3 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the wall-to-wall action click here.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): 'Brazil' set for June 10 debut on FUEL TV

2012-05-16T19:31:45Z

Stateside mixed martial arts (MMA) fans can now join the party.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), the promotion's popular reality television show designed to produce new and up-and-coming stars from a pool of undiscovered talent, is currently wrapping up its "Brazil" season on Globo, featuring Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as head coaches.

While TUF fans were able to catch a weekly live stream on UFC.tv, the series will now be shown in its entirety on FUEL TV beginning June 10, 2012 at 10 p.m. ET, with English subtitles. The delay in Brazil's broadcast debut was to avoid counter-programming TUF 15: "Live" which is currently airing every Friday night on the FX Channel.

At the conclusion of the season, which premiered back on March 25, Silva and Belfort will face off for Brazilian bragging rights, as will the finalists in both the featherweight and middleweight divisions.

Even though the UFC will tie a ribbon around the "Brazil" series before it concludes on FUEL TV, it should still provide its share of thrills.

Who's tuning in?

Nick Penner vs Tom DeBlass likely for UFC on FUEL TV 4 on July 11 in San Jose

2012-05-16T19:00:35Z

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues to populate its UFC on FUEL TV 4 fight card, recently adding a light heavyweight match-up pitting Octagon sophomores Nick Penner vs. Tom DeBlass for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on July 11, 2012.

The Score brought word of the booking earlier today.

Penner (11-2) saw his eight-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Anthony Perosh at the UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" event back on March 3. It was the just the second career loss for the Canadian up-and-comer, and the first by way of technical knockout.

Also looking to get back into the win column is DeBlass (7-1). The former Ring of Combat (ROC) heavyweight champion came up empty in his Octagon debut, suffering his first professional loss against Cyrille Diabate at the UFC on Fuel TV 2: "Gustafsson vs. Silva" event just last month.

One of these two talents falls into the dreaded 0-2 hole on July 11.

UFC on FUEL TV 4 will feature a middleweight main event of Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman with the number one division contender position in the 185-pound division on the line.

A light heavyweight bout that pits Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna is also expected to take place in the "Shark Tank" on fight night, as well as a potential lightweight war between Anthony Njokuani vs. Paul Taylor.

And don't forget about Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson.

To check out the latest UFC on FUEL TV 4 fight card and rumors click here. And to check out our comprehensive UFC on FUEL TV 4 event archive click here.

Video: 'Emotional' Dustin Poirier 'let himself down' in submission loss to Korean Zombie at UFC on FUEL TV 3

2012-05-16T18:30:10Z

"He was just as tough as I expected. I expected a good fight, I'm just upset with myself. When it got to the later rounds he hit me with some good shots, I think it was the fourth round? I was never completely out of it but when I came back to realizing what was going on I could have sat out. I was in the D'Arce position, I felt it, but I just didn't defend it right and I feel like I let myself down. I'm upset about that. I had a really long training camp. I put 100 percent of myself into the training camp. I'm trying not to get emotional, I just care so much and I let myself down. I deserved to win. My wife deserved for us to win. I felt like I was in the best shape ever, I just took some bad shots and made some mistakes. I'm gonna go back to the gym and work on it and come back and get a W."

Emotional UFC on FUEL TV 3 headliner Dustin Poirier reflects on his main event loss to Chan Sung Jung last night (May 15, 2012) in the "Fight of the Night" from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. "The Diamond" was cut down in the fourth round by "The Korean Zombie," who not only split the "Fight Night" jackpot with Poirier, but also kept one all to himself with his "Submission of the Night." To see what happened in the UFC on FUEL TV 3 network televised event check out our complete results and recap here along with video highlights here.

Injury forces Sergei Kharitonov to withdraw from Tony Lopez fight on May 26 in Stockholm

2012-05-16T17:59:59Z

Easy come, easy go.

Hard-hitting heavyweight striker Sergei Kharitonov injured his neck and was forced to withdraw from his upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) fight against Tony Lopez at the "2012 Glory World Series" on May 26 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Golden Glory head coach Martijn de Jong recently confirmed the change on Twitter.

Kharitonov (18-5) was last seen disposing of Mark Miller under the United Glory banner earlier this year in Russia. It was a nice rebound win (under kickboxing rules) for the former paratrooper, who was bounced from the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix with a submission loss to Josh Barnett back in 2011.

Stepping in to take his place will be Swedish "Sledgehammer" Llir Latifi (5-2-1), who was previously booked to throw hands opposite Jeremy Horn until "Gumby" blew out his knee.

Lopez (31-8) has been on an absolute tear under the King of the Cage (KOTC) umbrella, winning seven straight fights and securing seven violent finishes in the process. Just over half of all wins for "Kryptonite" have come by submission.

The revised United Glory fight card and line-up (via Buddha Sport) after the jump:

United Glory Series 16 70kg Tournament:

Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy) vs. Fabio Pinca (France)
Max Vorovski (Estonia) vs. Sanny Dahlbeck (Sweden)
Robin van Roosmalen (Netherlands) vs. Dzhabar Askerov (Russia)
Ky Hollenback (USA) vs. Michael Corley (USA)
Yoshihiro Sato (Japan) vs. Shemsi Beqiri (Switserland)
Dennis Schneidmiller (Germany) vs. Qi Chenglong (China)
Kem Sitsongpeenong (Thailand) vs. Cosmo Alexandre (Brasil)
Albert Kraus (Netherlands) vs. Mohamed El Mir (Denmark)

Kickboxing Superfights:

Nieky Holzken vs. Alex Harris

Semmy Schilt vs. Errol Zimmerman (For United Glory HW Championship)

MMA Bouts:

Jason Jones (Netherlands) vs. Dritan Barjamaj (Austria)

Tony Lopez (USA) vs. Llir Latifi (Sweden)

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to the United Glory event as they become available.

K-1 parent company FEG declares bankruptcy

2012-05-16T17:30:15Z

Looks like Alistair Overeem got out while the gettin' was good.

Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company behind the DREAM mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion and K-1 kickboxing organization, filed for bankruptcy back on May 7, 2012 in Tokyo District Court, according to Yahoo.co.jp.

And you can't say Simon Rutz didn't warn you.

The oft-used term "K-1 level striker" may no longer carry the same meaning in today's landscape of cagefighting, as MMA fighters continue to evolve while kickboxers pound the pavement looking for a place to ply their trade.

Sherdog.com explains why, after the jump.

Due to waning popular interest and declining television ratings, K-1 and Dream programming was dropped from Japanese network television in 2011. In an attempt to rally fan support and attract corporate sponsorship, FEG announced in July 2010 a $230 million dollar partnership with Shanghai-based investment bank Puji Capital. However, allegations of non-payment by FEG-contracted fighters such as Gary Goodridge and former Dream featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes in late 2010 and early 2011 cast doubt upon the deal.

The financial woes of K-1 made the struggling promotion a potential gold mine for big bucked investors. Well, at least according to Joe Rogan it was, who tried (unsuccessfully) to get his ZUFFA bosses to add yet another doomed fight promotion to its portfolio.

K-1 Global Holdings Limited, announcing the acquisition of Mirko Filipovic and Badr Hari, has been working to rebuild the K-1 brand with a series of planned kickboxing events for 2012, including the May 27 show in Madrid, Spain, and is expected to proceed as planned.

Stay tuned.