MMA News and Tidbits

[Fizzy]

Testing positive once you should be punished. I never said the UFC didn't. Barnett tested positive three times. THREE FUCKING TIMES. Totally different than one time. For fucks sake he tested positive after his fucking championship fight in the biggest promotion in the world. Like seriously once should be punished. Twice you should be cut. Three times you shouldn't be given a fucking license to fight in our country. Blatant disrespect for the rules, and he has shown he doesn't give two fucks about cleaning up. Yes Daley adds a name to the division. A name which when everyone hears they think a sucker puncher. He just missed weight his last fight, and they still sign him. Say what you want about how Strikeforce is doing fine. Their last two signings both have terrible rap sheets, and have shown no improvement in behavior since their separate incidents.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

I never said the UFC didn't.

I know you didn't, I was just saying that the UFC has had fighters fail tests, and sign fighters that have failed also.

Barnett tested positive three times. THREE FUCKING TIMES. Totally different than one time. For fucks sake he tested positive after his fucking championship fight in the biggest promotion in the world. Like seriously once should be punished. Twice you should be cut. Three times you shouldn't be given a fucking license to fight in our country.

You know I agree with you here, except that it shouldn't just be a ban in just the U.S. it should be for all over the world. It really does show disrespect towards the rules like you said, but it's not a rule so we have to just deal with it, trust me it sucks be what can you do?

Yes Daley adds a name to the division. A name which when everyone hears they think a sucker puncher. He just missed weight his last fight, and they still sign him.

Alright we all know what he did, we will hear about it every time he fights. Everyone knows he's a douche bag for what he did, and for his latest comments after his fight with Masvidal. Sucker Puncher or not he still is a top 10 Welterweight in the world, Strikeforce would've been stupid not to sign him. I'm just hoping now that they have him Diaz and Noons beat the shit out of him.

Say what you want about how Strikeforce is doing fine. Their last two signings both have terrible rap sheets, and have shown no improvement in behavior since their separate incidents.

You're right, Strikeforce is taking chances on two fighters with a bad name for themselves. If Strikeforce is really that desperate they would've easily signed Kimbo Slice once the UFC cut him, since he draws. If it doesn't work out with either fighter they have the option to just release them. Now if only they would sign Todd Duffee to a contract as well.

 

[INDYjon22]

Notorious British striker Paul Daley has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, the promotion announced on Thursday.

Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13 on Sept. 11 in Amarillo, Texas, Daley joins a welterweight stable that includes champion Nick Diaz, K.J. Noons, Andre Galvao and Tarec Saffiedine.

A staple of the U.K. circuit from 2003-2006, Daley gained notice in the UFC welterweight division in 2009 with back-to-back knockout wins over Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazelett. The run earned the 27-year-old fighter a fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 in May for the No. 1 contender’s spot and a coaching role on Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 12.”

Koscheck outwrestled Daley to a unanimous decision nod. The Nottingham, England, native lost control of his emotions afterward and punched Koscheck after the final bell. As a result, UFC President Dana White promptly released Daley from his contract.

In July, Daley notched a third-round submission win over Daniel Acacio at Impact Fighting Championship 2 in Sydney, Australia.

Daley appeared once before for Strikeforce in a co-promoted event with EliteXC in 2007, earning a second-round TKO against fellow striker Duane Ludwig.

Well, it was only a matter of time. Not a terrible addition to the Strikeforce, but Strikeforce is starting to seem like the place of the misfit dolls. In other words it is the MMA version of TNA. However, Dalye definitely will bring some depth to the Welterweight and possibly Middleweight divisions. Good for you Strikeforce.

 

[INDYjon22]

According to major Croatian news portal Index.hr, Saturday’s UFC 119 headliner between Frank Mir and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic could be in serious jeopardy. However, sources close to the bout say the report is without merit and that the bout will take place as planned.

"Cro cop is fine. Rumor is not true," UFC President Dana White posted to his Twitter account on Friday.

Croatia’s largest and one of its most accredited news sites states that the native kickboxer, who turned 36 a week ago, sustained a severe eye injury during his final sparring session on Friday. “Cro Cop” has been preparing for the Mir bout with regular training partners Igor Kolakusic, Ivan Hippolyte and Dean Lister in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Index.hr report also states that Filipovic had already consulted several eye specialists in his home country but was unable to obtain their clearance to fight. The popular knockout artist is scheduled to depart for Indianapolis this Sunday before squaring off against Mir on Sept. 25 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.

Nokaut.com, an MMA news site with strong ties to Filipovic, called the report false, and said it has training footage of the Croatian's final training session with no hint of an injury having transpired.

“Cro Cop” had only replaced fellow Pride Fighting Championships superstar Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as Mir’s opponent a month ago.

So this is could be some bad news, potentially. Of course, they are denying it, but that doesn't mean Cro Cop isn't hurt which in turn could seriously effect UFC 119. Any injury at this stage in training could really be bad for Cro Cop come fight day and in turn could lead to a very anti-climatic fight. That would be a real shame seeing as this is the first event in Indiana and this main event is a big one. They are just calling it a rumor, however, and saying it isn't true. Hopefully that is the case and the fight goes off without a hitch. But, this is something that should be monitored come fight night to see how Mirko fights.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

I'm sure we'll find more out early next week once he gets to the States. If it is true Cro Cop would probably say something, if not it would be awfully dumb to try and fight if you have any eye injury being at a great disadvantage with a jacked up eye. It would be such major blow if he can't fight next week, and the UFC would be in a scramble to find a replacement on a week's notice. Mirko's health is more important, I'm sure Dana sees it that way.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE On Cro Cop's injury

ROSEMEAD, Calif. – UFC 119 headliner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, in fact, did suffer an eye injury, but he's been cleared to fight, and next week's main-event bout with Frank Mir is good to go.

That's the word from UFC president Dana White, who today spoke to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about the injury.

On Friday White shot down Croatian news reports that an eye injury might force the heavyweight fighter out of the Sept. 25 headliner and called them "untrue." However, Filipovoc did suffer an injury – at the most inopportune time.

"His last day of sparring – the last 10 minutes of the last day of sparring – he got poked in the eye," said White, who was in Rosemead, Calif., for the latest UFC Gym opening. "But he's seen an opthamologist; he's seen everybody."

And White assured that Filipovic, who's actually an injury replacement for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, has been cleared to fight.

"Cro Cop, he's already on the plane now or has already landed in Indianapolis," White said on Saturday afternoon. "He's fine. He's fighting."

UFC 119 takes place at Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse, and the night's main card airs on pay-per-view.

Good to see everything is all set then. Would've sucked to see him out of the fight or suffer a serious injury, with him saying every fight might be his last, if it was a serious injury he might of retired.

 

[INDYjon22]

“The Ultimate Fighter 8” winner Efrain Escudero has been released from the UFC following his third-round submission defeat to Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 in Austin, Texas, according to multiple outlets.

The news was also posted on Escudero’s Twitter account on Monday.

“Hello true fan I was released by the Ufc today speaking to strikeforce and bellator. Taking a week off and make my way back!” it read.

Escudero had amassed a 2-2 record following his unanimous decision victory over Phillipe Nover at “The Ultimate Fighter 8” Finale in December 2008, with victories against recent Fight Night 22 winner Cole Miller and Dan Lauzon. The 24-year-old Mexican-born lightweight had been recruited onto the series as an undefeated 10-0 fighter.

Besides season four victor Travis Lutter, who had previously fought for the promotion before the series, Escudero is the only other ‘TUF’ winner to get cut from the promotion to date.

Wow. I am a little shocked by this release. The UFC usually gives their TUF winners more chances to redeem themselves, but I guess they had little faith in Efrain. I don't dislike Escudero and I think he has some potential, that is probably why I am so shocked that they didn't give him another shot. I mean is wasn't like he was on a winning streak, but come on. Mac Danzig, Kendall Grove, and Amir Sadollah haven't really done anything of great significance as of late and they still have jobs. I think this makes Escudero only the second TUF winner to ever be released, the other being Travis Lutter. I wonder what led the UFC to making this cut.

 

[jmt225]

What a head-scratching move from the UFC.

I mean, look... I'm not Efrain's biggest fan, but I do see the upside to him. The guy is 24-years-old, won THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, and has fantastic wrestling, very heavy hands, and decent BJJ. With some more experience, he has a lot of potential to grow into a Top 10 Lightweight. Why give up on him so easily? You look at his two losses... they were against two undefeated guys and two of the biggest prospects in the Lightweight Division. And it's not like he got dominated in those fights, either.

Sorry, but this is a bone-headed move by the UFC. What other TUF winner have they cut? Shit, I can't think of any.. why cut Efrain and not Mac Danzig, who at one point loss 3 straight? This makes no sense whatsoever. Efrain got fucked over big time.

But oh well.. it only makes SF and Bellator that much more stronger if either one signs him.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Honestly Efrain wasn't bad against Oliviera, who is even younger than him i believe. But to be the second guy from TUF to be cut by the UFC, doesn't look good on your wikipedia page. That is two asshole cuts made by the UFC.
First Todd Duffee and now Efrain Escudero, a bit harsh dont ya think.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

It has been announced officially that Yushin Okami vs Vitor Belfort will be for the contendership of the Middleweight Title, after Chael's failed drug test. Well just what we expected, it isn't the greatest matchup for Anderson Silva, but i think Vitor vs Anderson will be interesting. But i dont see Vitor winning he's been out for too long.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

What a head-scratching move from the UFC.

I mean, look... I'm not Efrain's biggest fan, but I do see the upside to him. The guy is 24-years-old, won THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, and has fantastic wrestling, very heavy hands, and decent BJJ. With some more experience, he has a lot of potential to grow into a Top 10 Lightweight. Why give up on him so easily? You look at his two losses... they were against two undefeated guys and two of the biggest prospects in the Lightweight Division. And it's not like he got dominated in those fights, either.

Sorry, but this is a bone-headed move by the UFC. What other TUF winner have they cut? Shit, I can't think of any.. why cut Efrain and not Mac Danzig, who at one point loss 3 straight? This makes no sense whatsoever. Efrain got fucked over big time.

But oh well.. it only makes SF and Bellator that much more stronger if either one signs him.

Lutter was the other TUF winner who got cut and like Escudero, came in overweight in his last fight that he lost.

We all know how Dana feels about guys who come in overweight for a fight. He's given Alves all sorts of shit over it recently. It seemed like Escudero could have cut those last four pounds but decided not to. Still though, he put in a really good performance in the loss to Oliveira, and I thought it was the most exciting fight he had fought in the UFC. I don't get why you would let a top prospect walk, I'm sure much like the Duffee story (who is apparently a major Diva who nobody likes, even his manager) there is much more to the release and we'll have to see what happens.

 

[jmt225]

Yeah, Vitor's going to get destroyed against Okami. Yushin will take the guy down, control him, and eventually put him away with some GNP or just grind his way to a decision. Plus, on the feet, Okami is much improved and very technical. He won't play into Vitor's game. Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if Vitor missed weight. He couldn't make 195 against Rich Franklin, and unless he's dieted well during this year long layoff, then I believe he's going to have a lot of trouble making 185.

But yeah... Yushin Okami vs. Anderson Silva 2 is a long time coming. I very much enjoyed the first fight up to the DQ, and I think Okami would give Anderson the toughest fight available in the Middleweight Division not named Chael Sonnen.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

The releases keep coming in the UFC

After a six-fight stint in the world's top promotion and just a year removed from an impressive three-fight win streak in the organization, Tomasz Drwal (17-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) now finds himself a free agent.

UFC officials cut ties with him after this past week's UFC Fight Night 22 loss to Dave Branch, the fighter's camp today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Drwal is now looking to get another fight "as quickly as possible," a representative said.

Drwal, a Polish fighter, signed with the UFC in 2007 after posting a solid 14-1 mark in variety of European organizations.

The 28-year-old got a tough assignment in his UFC debut in perennial contender Thiago Silva and fell victim to a second-round TKO. However, he then rebounded for knockout wins over Ivan Serati and Mike Ciesnolevicz, and after a drop from light heavyweight to middleweight, extended his win streak to three with a submission win over Drew Mcfedries.

But earlier this year, Drawl suffered a heel-hook submission loss to Rousimar Palhares (who was suspended 90 days for failing to quickly release the hold) at UFC 111 and then the unanimous-decision loss to Branch at the Sept. 15 UFC Fight Night 22 event.

Drwal will continue splitting his training between his gym in Poland and the Throwdown Elite Training Center in San Diego.

This is another surprise as Drawl like Escudero didn't fall to the three in a row and out as with most releases until recently. Escudero's is more surprising since he was a TUF winner. I guess no job in the UFC is safe unless your a top guy. I'm not beating my head over the Drawl cut, he is a decent fighter, but didn't seem to be a top contender so that might justifiable for UFC to cut him. He can now just beef up someone's Middleweight division like Strikeforce, Bellator, or even Shark Fights.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

A long-rumored matchup between Dan Henderson (25-8 MMA, 0-1 SF) and Renato "Babalu" Sobral (36-8 MMA, 2-1 SF) will headline a currently unannounced Strikeforce event slated for Dec. 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The fight is set for the light-heavyweight division and will air live on Showtime, according to multiple sources close to the event, who told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the promotion formally will announce the event early next week.

Additionally, Herschel Walker (1-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) is expected to fight in the event's co-headliner against an opponent to be determined.

A heavyweight matchup between Fedor Emelianenko (31-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) and Antonio Silva (14-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) is unlikely to take place at the Dec. 4 event, but it may be targeted for an event in January that's yet to receive a date and location, sources said.

Henderson undoubtedly is looking to rebound from a disappointing promotional debut in which he met then-middleweight champion Jake Shields on the CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville" card. The former PRIDE welterweight and middleweight came within an inch of a first-round knockout before Shields took the fight down and dominated him en route to a unanimous-decision win. (Shields then vacated the middleweight title to sign with the UFC, where Henderson hung his hat before he jumped ship to join up with Strikeforce.)

Prior to the setback, Henderson enjoyed a three-fight win streak inside the octagon capped by a highlight-reel knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in July 2009.

Those triumphs eased the sting of two losses he incurred in the wake of his migration from the shuttered PRIDE to the UFC; at UFC 75, he lost a unanimous decision to then-champion Quinton Jackson in a bid to unify the 205-pound UFC and PRIDE titles, and a subsequent bid for the middleweight belt was thwarted when champ Anderson Silva submitted him at UFC 82.

Sobral impressed in his most recent performance when he met Robbie Lawler at June's "Strikeforce: Los Angeles" event and out-struck the heavy-handed veteran en route to a unanimous decision. It was a key reversal for the Brazilian, who was forced to give up his Strikeforce light-heavyweight title when Gegard Mousasi knocked him out in 60 seconds flat at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" in August 2009.

Walker, a former star NFL running back, recently returned to San Jose, Calif.'s American Kickboxing Academy, the gym which prepared him for his professional MMA debut in January at "Strikeforce: Miami." The 48-year-old newcomer and lifelong martial artist made good on his training and stopped the unheralded Greg Nagy by second-round TKO. Walker's MMA debut drew considerable media attention for Strikeforce, and it also scored its biggest Showtime ratings of 2010.

Currently, the UFC also has an event planned for Dec. 4: The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale in Las Vegas. The event airs on Spike TV and concludes the current season of the UFC's long-running reality series.

Good to finally be able see Hendo have a match again. Had to assume that eventually Strikeforce would go with this fight. Should make for a entertaining fight probably going the distance. Tough fight to call, Babalu looked good against Lawler. I wonder if this means that Hendo will now just challenge for the Light Heavyweight title, or is it just a fight at LHW then going back to Middleweight? I just wonder what can they will have for Herschel Walker this time? Just go ahead and make the freakshow match him versus Batista! Dumb move for them to try and go head to head with UFC, especially against a TUF finale, if it was a Fight Night I could see it, but TUF Finales draw some good numbers.

 

[jmt225]

Good fight.

At Light Heavyweight, Dan Henderson should be pretty much unbeatable outside of the UFC. The only reason he lost to Shields was because of Shields' speed and athleticism; however, he won't have to worry about that at Light Heavyweight. Nobody will be able to take him down, and nobody will be able to knock him out or submit him.

Hendo should end up knocking Babalu's ass out. Babalu's a great fighter, but he's terrible against big punchers. He won't be able to take Hendo down, and all it'll take from Hendo to put Babalu out is one shot. He should get it within no time, and then be on his way to the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

It was announced that Tyson Griffin will meet Nik Lentz at UFC 123 in November. This will be Tyson's chance to redeem himself for his last two performances. Griffin needs this win bad or his UFC career might just be over. Sucks because Griffin was starting to climb the Lightweight ranks again until those last two fights. I see him struggling in this fight since Lentz is a wrestler, and just dominate him on the ground, much like Evan Dunham did in their fight. Or Lentz will just grapple him to death.

 

[Fizzy]

Fedor Emelianenko won’t fight again for Strikeforce in 2010, said his M-1 Global management on Thursday, as the two entities will continue negotiations into the fall to try and hash out an extension to their existing co-promotional agreement.

Strikeforce and M-1 Global are on the third and final event of their contract, a deal which includes the services of Emelianenko, formerly the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in the world until his June 26 defeat, as the headliner.

Both promotions had hoped to come to a new agreement in time to have Emelianenko participate in a Dec. 4 event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, said the earliest Emelianenko could compete again under this arrangement would be at a yet-to-be-announced Jan. 29 event.

Kogan also confirmed to Sherdog.com on Thursday that the Russian-based promotion was in New York this week to meet with Strikeforce and broadcast partner Showtime. In addition to a contract extension for both M-1 Global and Emelianenko, discussions were started regarding a potential deal to air the foreign promotion’s homegrown M-1 Challenge event on the U.S. pay-cable network.

The M-1 Global rep said negotiations on all fronts were ongoing and “promising.”

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was not available on Thursday to comment on this week’s meetings. Coker previously told Sherdog.com that should the two promotions not be able come to terms on a contract extension or new agreement, Strikeforce has “first rights to negotiate” should M-1 Global and Emelianenko seek out another offer elsewhere.

Emelianenko, 33, saw his unparalleled 27-fight, decade-long victory streak come to an end with a stunning 69-second submission defeat at the hands of Fabricio Werdum on June 26 in San Jose, Calif.

The former Pride heavyweight champion has bested five former UFC champions during his tenure.

Another contract negotiation?!?!?!?! It's becoming absolutely ridiculous now. Fedor fought ONCE in 2010. Fucking once... I want to watch this man fight. We don't know how many fights he has left in his career, and the fucking management is taking Fedor away from us. I don't think there is one fan of MMA who doesn't want to watch Fedor fight, and unfortunately we all can't. It's utter bullshit, and it really pisses me off. Fucking put Fedor against a absolute can I don't care anymore just put him in the cage so we can watch him fight. Fucks sake...

Anyway in other more happy news the new UFC ring girl is an absolute bombshell.

She is no Arianny, but she is sure gorgeous.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Stefan Struve has signed a new 4 fight deal with the UFC. I'm glad we get to see him again, he always buts on an entertaining fight. He looks awkward with his height and skinny frame, but is a decent fighter. We've seen what happens when he fights top tier opponents as JDS and Nelson rocked him. But the kid is still pretty tough, just in his last fight he was hurt pretty bad by Moorecraft, came out in the second round and floored Moorecraft in just 22 seconds. I'd like to see him take on someone like Brendan Schaub next, or newcomer Sean McCorkle.

 

[Fizzy]

It's possible. I'd say right now it's a toss-up. If something came up that was interesting, he would fight irrespective of whether he got a meaningful Hollywood role. But there's other stuff for him to do that's MMA-related. I think many would be surprised at some of the things we are working on. So he doesn't have to be actively fighting in the ring to remain active. Is it possible he may not fight again? Yeah, it's possible. I'd say it's a toss-up."

"I'm not sure that Randy is focused upon whether or not he has another run at the title. If they said, 'Will you fight Shogun [Rua] for the title?' I think he would, but the title itself is not as important as the fight he's offered."

"We're sorting through things right now."

:/... I hope he fights one more time so much. I can't imagine MMA without a Randy fight every now and then. I look forward to those more than anything. He has two more fights on his contract so hopefully he fights those two. Even then I won't want to see him go. It just sucks that someone like Randy will retire soon. I just hope it's not now..

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Well it looks like I'm getting my wish from when I reported that Stefan Struve re-signed with the UFC, I said I wanted to see him fight Sean McCorkle next, well that well happen at UFC 124. This fight should be good, if McCorkle wants to take it to the ground he will have trouble because we know Struve is good there, I expect it to stay standing for a while before either guy try's for a takedown.

Also Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin is gonna happen at UFC 127. So far thats three big match ups announced for the Super Bowl weekend event, as Jones/Bader and Silva/Belfort are announced as well. I was hoping that Couture was gonna fight Franklin next, ever since that was supposed to happen earlier in the year but was scratched because Franklin stepped in to fight Liddell, I wanted to see that fight.

 

[Via Armbar]

I always like to see Struve fight. He's a good mix of side show appeal and actual ability. You never know whether his reach and height will help him or hurt him. McCorkle...well there isn't much to say about him. This will be his biggest fight yet (yes at this point Struve is considered a bigger fight than Hunt) and we will really get to see what he's got.

Rich Franklin versus Griffin doesn't interest me honestly. I like both fighters but for whatever there is no appeal in this one for me. There wasn't any appeal in a Couture/Franklin fight either. I think as there are far more interesting matchups for all three men at this point. I'd like to see any three of them against Machida, especially Randy. I'd also rather see Couture/Griffin. I'm aware they train together but both have stated that they wouldn't mind fighting each other if that is what was wanted from them. That February card is looking pretty stacked already though.

It's looking like Carwin should be returning in January and the rumored opponent is Roy Nelson. I like Big Country and have no real opinion on Carwin other than he is a complete beast. JDS may have more technical striking but he cannot match power with Carwin and Shane will do what JDS tried to do with Nelson...knock him out in the first.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Just read on another forum that there's a good chance Roy Nelson won't be able to fight Carwin at UFC 125.

If that's the case, Junior Dos Santos will step in.

It makes a lot of sense. JDS still hasn't fought a wrestler yet. It's very arguable that Carwin should have won the title at UFC 116. Plus, it would only help that card, which as of right now, is being main evented by Edgar vs. Maynard. That's as big a co-main event that you're going to get, all things considered right now.

I think it would be an incredibly entertaining matchup. Two heavy handed strikers, where a KO could happen at any second. JDS has proven he can go 15 minutes. Carwin, as we all know, gassed out after the first round, but of course the question is if JDS can withstand an onslaught of punches by Carwin.

If JDS wins, then you get an entertaining Lesnar vs. JDS fight, especially with it being one where JDS has increased name recognition if he can dispose of Carwin. If Carwin wins, you get a huge rematch between Lesnar and Carwin.

I can only hope JDS is getting handsomely paid to be putting his title shot on the line if this goes down.

 

[Fizzy]

Georges St. Pierre still has some work ahead of him at welterweight.

The 170-pound champ has run roughshod through the division over the last three years, working over the best the weight class has to offer. If he gets by Josh Koscheck at UFC 124, it will mark his fifth successful defense of the title. But regardless of who wins that fight, UFC President Dana White has his sights set on a championship matchup involving one the of UFC's newest talents.

“Jake Shields is at the top of the list if he gets by Martin Kampmann [at UFC 121],” said White during Tuesday's UFC 124 press conference.

UFC 124 will be headlined by the aforementioned title fight between between St. Pierre and Koscheck, going down at the Bell Center in Montreal on Dec. 11. Both fighters, along with White and UFC Canada President Tom Wright were at the press conference this afternoon and fielded questions from the media.

St. Pierre shocked the former NCAA All-American in their first fight at UFC 74 in 2007 by out-wrestling Koscheck from bell to bell, putting the former national champion on his back several times.

“He's got a great wrestling pedigree. He's one of the best wrestlers in MMA, but it's not a wrestling match. It's an MMA fight; it's a different thing,” said the champion. “I always fight against my opponent's weakness. If I'm champion, it's not because I'm the strongest, the fastest or the best wrestler. It's because I bring the fight to where he's the weakest.”

St. Pierre has expressed his distaste for his last performance at UFC 111, in which he earned a dominant but uneventful unanimous decision over Dan Hardy. In this defense, St. Pierre is looking to end the fight.

“I care about winning, but also about how I win. I'm not happy with my last fight [against Dan Hardy at UFC 111]. I wasn't able to seal the deal. I know now what I did wrong, and I'm the kind of guy who never makes same mistake twice. I will finish the fight. He'll tap, or if he doesn't, his limb will break. I'm going into this fight to win by knockout or submission. I want to take him out and finish the fight.”

The French-Canadian was also asked about the mind games being employed by the challenger and whether they will affect his attitude heading into the fight.

“Yeah, [he's gotten under my skin], but that's a good thing. I've performed my best against the guys who have been arrogant. [Look at my fights against] Serra the second time, Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn. I feel more pressure, like I'm right on edge of falling, and I can't step back. That's when I'm at my best, and so it's perfect for me,” said St. Pierre.

“GSP” also claimed that the bad blood between the two is nothing personal, at least not on his end.

“I like the mind games. Fighting is not personal for me. I'm going to promote the fight. I'm going to do my best, and after the fight I'll shake his hand. But that doesn't mean I like to be in the same room with him. He's arrogant, and I'm going to fight him. But in a year, there won't be any animosity for me,” said St. Pierre. “If you put two roosters in same cage, they're gonna fight each other. You can't have two alpha males. There can only be one champion.”

His opponent says that if he's irritated the champion, it's been incidental, and that it's all part of promoting a big fight.

“That's not my goal [to anger St. Pierre], although I probably did,” said Koscheck. “I'm here to win fights. I'll fight anybody, anytime, anyplace. He's got all the pressure. He's the champ. There's no pressure on me. I'm coming in with clean slate, and I'm gonna train hard. The thing about it is that I don't need motivation. I love to fight. I don't need motivation to fight.”

Like the champion, the challenger is aware of his past mistakes and isn't looking to repeat them.

“I'm a better fighter than I was the first time we fought. That first fight, I thought he was a karate guy, so I worked on my standup, because I didn't think he could take me down. But George is a fast learner,” said the former All-American. “This definitely is not a wrestling match. I believe I could beat him pretty easily in a wrestling match. But you have to become a complete fighter. You have to work on your takedown defense, your ground game, your striking game.”

Koscheck, who coaches opposite the champion on “The Ultimate Fighter” season 12, has made several disparaging remarks toward the champion, claiming that it would be especially painful to lose to a “French guy.”

“I'm not a racist by any means. It's called expression. It's me putting on a performance and putting butts in seats. I have fun with it. I'm here to make money and to have fun and to win fights,” said the American Kickboxing Academy product. “When it's [no longer fun], and I can't express myself, then it's time to get a new career. [The Bell Center] is going to be packed. It's probably going to be the loudest crowd in the history of the UFC. My goal is to piss 20,000 people off, hop on a plane with the belt and get out of here as fast as I can.

Also mentioned at the conference was the UFC's future in Canada.

“Canada is the second biggest market for UFC. I'd come here every weekend if could,” said White. UFC Canada President Tom Wright added: “MMA was just sanctioned in Ontario, so we'll probably do an event sometime mid next year. It will probably be sandwiched between events in Vancouver and Montreal.”

Ha Fitch gets passed by again. I have no doubt in my mind that Shields will win at 121, and then we get to see GSP face his biggest challenge available for him. Nobody wants to see Fitch/GSP II. I really fail to see how Fitch has improved in anyway, and doubt he has the skills to even put GSP in any danger. I can say quite the opposite of Shields. Shields has the wrestling, and BJJ to make this a dangerous fight. Hopefully we get to see it.

 

[jmt225]

The thing is, when we all watch Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann next Saturday, we will be treated to, you know, an actually entertaining fight. When was the last time we witnessed such a thing from Jon Fitch? Oh, that's right... against GSP when he got his face beat in for 25 minutes straight. Fitch had his chance, and he doesn't deserve another one (at least not yet). Even if Kampmann some how beats Shields, I'd rather see Kampmann get a shot at the title next over Fitch.

And as far as JDS vs. Shane Carwin... what Guy said, especially the part that JDS better get paid a nice sum of money to risk his title shot. Personally though, I think I would rather see Mir vs. Carwin 2.

 

[INDYjon22]

Ha Fitch gets passed by again. I have no doubt in my mind that Shields will win at 121, and then we get to see GSP face his biggest challenge available for him. Nobody wants to see Fitch/GSP II. I really fail to see how Fitch has improved in anyway, and doubt he has the skills to even put GSP in any danger. I can say quite the opposite of Shields. Shields has the wrestling, and BJJ to make this a dangerous fight. Hopefully we get to see it.

I want to see Fitch/GSP II......then again I am a big Fitch fan. That is enough of a reason for me. Anyways, I find it funny that everyone, including Dana, appear to be counting Kampmann out. The guy is a very solid fighter. Not many people thought he would beat Paulo Thiago, yet he did. Now, I am not saying he will defeat Jake Shields, in fact I think Shields should take the fight with little problems. I just think it is ill advised to look past Kampmann as a legit opponent. I also have no issues with Shields jumping Fitch for the next title shot. As much as I want to see Fitch get another title fight, I also want to see fresh fights first and foremost.

 

[Fizzy]

I want to see Fitch/GSP II......then again I am a big Fitch fan. That is enough of a reason for me. Anyways, I find it funny that everyone, including Dana, appear to be counting Kampmann out. The guy is a very solid fighter. Not many people thought he would beat Paulo Thiago, yet he did. Now, I am not saying he will defeat Jake Shields, in fact I think Shields should take the fight with little problems. I just think it is ill advised to look past Kampmann as a legit opponent. I also have no issues with Shields jumping Fitch for the next title shot. As much as I want to see Fitch get another title fight, I also want to see fresh fights first and foremost.

Why do you want to see the fight? So you can say one of your favorite fighters got his face bashed in twice, but he still fought for the title? Like nothing would be different from the first fight. I'm a big Bisping fan, but I don't want to see him fight Anderson because it'd just be a one sided thrashing. It's a little different for Fitch because he does win a lot, but it would be a one sided fight yet again.