MMA News and Tidbits

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I've thought about this further and you're definitely high, Fizzy. Forrest's only losses at LHW in the past year or so were to Rashad (in a title fight) and to Anderson (who is, arguably, the pound for pound best). On what planet, mind you Shogun LOST, does this fight not makes sense? Shogun, himself, asked for the fight! Why should Forrest consider himself lucky to get a fight that A.) he won the first time & B.) the loser of that fight asked for a second shot?

 

[jmt225]

I've thought about this further and you're definitely high, Fizzy. Forrest's only losses at LHW in the past year or so were to Rashad (in a title fight) and to Anderson (who is, arguably, the pound for pound best). On what planet, mind you Shogun LOST, does this fight not makes sense? Shogun, himself, asked for the fight! Why should Forrest consider himself lucky to get a fight that A.) he won the first time & B.) the loser of that fight asked for a second shot?

He barely beat Tito Ortiz in a fight that could have easily gone to Tito, though, which hurts his case.

The fight makes sense to me. Shogun wants Forrest so he can have a chance to avenge his previous loss. And Forrest should want another fight with Shogun because A) if he beats Shogun, it will prove his first win against him wasn't a fluke like most fans believe, and B) beating the last person to hold the title puts him that much closer to a title shot himself. Shogun would be a HUGE win for Forrest, no doubt about it. It doesn't matter if Forrest beat him already or not... another win over Shogun would do wonders for his credibility.

It also makes sense for the UFC, since Shogun/Forrest 1 was a Fight of the Year candidate, if not the best fight in the company in all of 2007.

There's no way anyone could spin it... Shogun vs. Forrest 2 makes the most sense for both fighters, and it should be that fight that most fans want to see for those 2 next.

 

[Fizzy]

Let me say I agree that Forrest vs Shogun is the most logical fight. Joe said Shogun didn't deserve Forrest, and I was saying that it was the other way around. It makes perfect sense for them to fight, but to say Shogun doesn't deserve Forrest? I think it's the other way around. Forrest has fought three times since 2009, and lost one mind you to the P4P best in the world. He fought Tito, and you could argue lost that one as well. I was just saying that just because Forrest has a two fight winning streak doesn't mean he is higher up than Shogun. In no way was I arguing that this fight shouldn't happen.

 

[joejoe]

While I agree that ShoGun/Forrest 2 would be a fun fight for the fans.. I'm looking at it from the UFC money making standpoint. If Rampage beats Hammil I really think they'll set up Rampage/Forrest 2 which would be a big money making fight for the UFC. Yes ShoGun/Forrest would be a big fight but not as big buy rate wise as Forrest/Rampage.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Forrest is coming off two wins in a row and Shogun is coming off a pretty bad loss... I don't think the UFC will set this matchup up. Much more likely we see a Shogun/Beltfort or possibly Shogun/Lil Nog (Depending on what happens tomorrow)

Other than the fact that Vitor is now pretty much a permanent fixture at Middleweight, he too is coming off a bad loss. So how would it make sense to put him versus Griffin, but not Shogun? Besides that, the former champion in any weight class usually gets a top contender in their next fight, to put them right back into title contention.

_______________________________________________________________


Anyone else watch Titan FC 17?

I caught some fights on the card.

Alonzo Martinez vs. Aaron Derrow was a real fun fight. Martinez came out looking like Mayhem Miller with some wacky hair dye job. Back and fourth action throughout the whole fight. Martinez won by majority decision, easily the fight of the night.

Phil Baroni vs. Nick Nolte was also a pretty good fight. Baroni stated leading up to the fight that if he loses he will probably hang them up. Well at times it looked like he was in danger of losing the fight, getting rocked a few times and almost subbed. He kept going and turned it around to win by UD.

Abe Wagner vs. Aaron Rosa, well the little hype Wagner had for destroying Sylvia is now over. Wagner started out strong, but Rosa quickly took control of the fight, taking Wagner down and beating him up with some GnP. Round 2 starts, Rosa catches Wagner with a big punch that puts him down, Rosa jumps on his back and secures a RNC to win the fight.

Now to Bobby Lashley vs. John Ott. The size difference between these two is crazy, I guess thats what happens when a Middleweight takes on a Heavyweight on short notice. Lashley wasted no time slamming Ott to the ground and pounding his face in for the whole 1st round. Ott takes it all in, as the bell rings he gets right up like it didn't faze him at all. Round two starts and you can see Lashley is already looking gassed, moving a hell of a lot slower. Basically the same thing except Lashley was in side control and north south throughout the round, put the same outcome Ott was getting beat by Lashley's pillow hands. As round three starts Lashley is EXTREMELY gassed, it looks like he can barley stand, I actually thought that he might collapse. Ott starts out throwing some combos on Lashley landing them, making Lashley backpedal. Luckily Lashley was able to get a hold of him and get it to the ground for the remainder of the fight.

Lashley won, but nothing to brag about. This guy will definitely get his ass beat if he fights anyone near the top 20 in the Heavyweight division. He just doesn't have the stamina to go a full fight, his stand up is rather piss poor it's self. If I'm Lashley, I'm embarrassed that I couldn't finish that fight. I know Lashley was never nothing special, put that was just pathetic. Herchel Walker would whoop his ass. Major props to John Ott though. By the end of the fight the whole crowd and the commentators Frank Trigg and Mike Schiavello were all rooting for Ott.

 

[joejoe]

Other than the fact that Vitor is now pretty much a permanent fixture at Middleweight, he too is coming off a bad loss. So how would it make sense to put him versus Griffin, but not Shogun? Besides that, the former champion in any weight class usually gets a top contender in their next fight, to put them right back into title contention.

_______________________________________________________________


Anyone else watch Titan FC 17?

I caught some fights on the card.

Alonzo Martinez vs. Aaron Derrow was a real fun fight. Martinez came out looking like Mayhem Miller with some wacky hair dye job. Back and fourth action throughout the whole fight. Martinez won by majority decision, easily the fight of the night.

Phil Baroni vs. Nick Nolte was also a pretty good fight. Baroni stated leading up to the fight that if he loses he will probably hang them up. Well at times it looked like he was in danger of losing the fight, getting rocked a few times and almost subbed. He kept going and turned it around to win by UD.

Abe Wagner vs. Aaron Rosa, well the little hype Wagner had for destroying Sylvia is now over. Wagner started out strong, but Rosa quickly took control of the fight, taking Wagner down and beating him up with some GnP. Round 2 starts, Rosa catches Wagner with a big punch that puts him down, Rosa jumps on his back and secures a RNC to win the fight.

Now to Bobby Lashley vs. John Ott. The size difference between these two is crazy, I guess thats what happens when a Middleweight takes on a Heavyweight on short notice. Lashley wasted no time slamming Ott to the ground and pounding his face in for the whole 1st round. Ott takes it all in, as the bell rings he gets right up like it didn't faze him at all. Round two starts and you can see Lashley is already looking gassed, moving a hell of a lot slower. Basically the same thing except Lashley was in side control and north south throughout the round, put the same outcome Ott was getting beat by Lashley's pillow hands. As round three starts Lashley is EXTREMELY gassed, it looks like he can barley stand, I actually thought that he might collapse. Ott starts out throwing some combos on Lashley landing them, making Lashley backpedal. Luckily Lashley was able to get a hold of him and get it to the ground for the remainder of the fight.

Lashley won, but nothing to brag about. This guy will definitely get his ass beat if he fights anyone near the top 20 in the Heavyweight division. He just doesn't have the stamina to go a full fight, his stand up is rather piss poor it's self. If I'm Lashley, I'm embarrassed that I couldn't finish that fight. I know Lashley was never nothing special, put that was just pathetic. Herchel Walker would whoop his ass. Major props to John Ott though. By the end of the fight the whole crowd and the commentators Frank Trigg and Mike Schiavello were all rooting for Ott.

I said it would be Shogun/Beltfort not Forrest/Beltfort. Yes Vitor moved to middleweight but I wouldn't doubt him moving back up to LHW. I'm not saying it's going to happen but it is a possibility.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I said it would be Shogun/Beltfort not Forrest/Beltfort. Yes Vitor moved to middleweight but I wouldn't doubt him moving back up to LHW. I'm not saying it's going to happen but it is a possibility.

It's highly unlikely. Vitor is 33 years old and has been fighting since he was 19 years old. He has a lot of miles on his body and bouncing back and forth between weight classes is less than optimal for him at this juncture. We all know he COULD fight at LHW, but I think Vitor is at MW for the rest of his career.

He barely beat Tito Ortiz in a fight that could have easily gone to Tito, though, which hurts his case.

Be that as it may, I think Tito is just one of those match-ups for Forrest. Just like Forrest was a bad match-up for Rampage. Certain fighters are just destined to go to war with each other.

 

[Fizzy]

Four years, three months and nine days after their first meeting, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will lock horns again.

The UFC announced via Twitter on Saturday that Faber will challenge for Cruz’s bantamweight title on July 2 at UFC 132, expected to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

The rematch had been the topic of much discussion since Faber, former featherweight kingpin of World Extreme Cagefighting, made the drop to 135 pounds last spring. At WEC 26 in March 2007, the “California Kid” successfully defended his belt against Cruz, who submitted to a first-round guillotine choke in his WEC debut.

Faber has notched back-to-back wins at bantamweight, having made the drop after a brutal five-round decision loss at the hands of current UFC 145-pound champ Jose Aldo last April. The 31-year-old Team Alpha Male leader made his bantamweight debut in style, choking unconscious tough Japanese import Takeya Mizugaki in November. In his March 19 UFC debut, Faber took a hard-earned decision over onetime WEC bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland.

Cruz, 25, has not tasted defeat since his loss to Faber, the lone blemish on his 17-1 record. Currently on the mend from long-delayed hand surgery, Cruz will make his Octagon debut and first defense of his new hardware against his old nemesis. The “Dominator” was last seen living up to his moniker by dismantling challenger Scott Jorgensen over 25 minutes at the last-ever WEC event in December.

Well we all figured this would happen. Should be a fantastic fight, and i'm curious to see if Faber can handle Cruz's speed. Cruz obviously wants to redeem this loss, and Faber is looking for a title in his second weight class. Can't wait for this.

 

[Fizzy]

The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday filed a complaint regarding UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva’s drug screen from UFC 125, alleging that Silva’s provided urine sample was “inconsistent with human urine.”

The commission further alleges in the complaint that the American Top Team product submitted an “adulterated and/or substituted specimen for testing in the urinalysis.”

Silva recorded a lopsided unanimous decision win over Brandon Vera at the Jan. 1 event, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Following the event, according to the NSAC, Silva’s “A” sample was flagged as containing a banned substance. The commission then tested Silva's “B” sample and found the results to be inconclusive. Upon further scrutiny, the NSAC found that Silva’s test was allegedly tampered with, and the commission submitted the sample to Salt Lake City’s Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which found the same result.

NSAC director Keith Kizer informed Sherdog.com on Tuesday that Silva has not been suspended, as the fighter has 20 days to file an answer to the commission’s complaint. However, a preliminary hearing will be held on April 7 to discuss a temporary suspension. SI.com writer Josh Gross reported on Twitter that Kizer will ask the commission to overturn Silva’s win.

Silva’s fight with Vera marked the Brazilian’s first bout since his January 2010 loss to Rashad Evans.

I don't really understand what this means, but i'm thinking that they are saying it wasn't Silva's piss. I'm unsure so if somebody could elaborate further that would be great. What I got out of this was that the urine sample was tampered with, but they don't know who did it.

 

[X]

Yeah it just sounds like they don't believe it was actually Silva's urine. Could be someone else's piss, animal piss, who knows.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

More to the Thiago Silva case,

In a statement delivered to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Silva admits he cheated for his UFC 125 matchup with Brandon Vera, and he'll accept whatever punishment the Nevada State Athletic Commission recommends. After that, the Brazilian said he'll come back a changed man.

"We make decisions every day of our lives," Silva stated. "Some are good, and some are bad. When you make a bad decision, you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up or lie about it, or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened. Or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I'm choosing the second option.

"I used a urine adulterant when giving a sample following my fight with Brandon Vera. I did so in an attempt to alter the results of the test and knowingly broke the rules of the Nevada (State) Athletic Commission. This was a terrible decision on my part for which I will be punished. I am prepared to accept this punishment, learn from it and move on. I apologize to the commission, the UFC, Brandon Vera and the MMA fans."

According to the NSAC, urinalysis of Silva's post-UFC 125 sample produced an "invalid result" that was "inconsistent with human urine." After Silva's initial "A" test was flagged, the "B" sample then was tested by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and determined the same thing.

Silva said he doesn't want to make an excuse for his behavior, but he did hope to offer an explanation for his decisions to take performance-enhancing substances and subsequent attempt to mask the results of the drug screen. A pre-existing injury threatened to force him out of the January fight with Vera, and the slugger didn't want to withdraw from the matchup.

"I do want to explain the circumstances behind my actions," Silva said. "Please do not interpret this as an attempt to justify my actions. I know they were wrong, and I know I made bad decisions, and I know I deserve to be punished. That is why I began my statement with an admission and an apology before going into these details. This is not an excuse, only an explanation.

"I had been tested on five prior occasions while fighting for the UFC before the Brandon Vera fight. Four of the tests were urine only, and one included a blood sample, as well in New Jersey the day before the fight. I passed each of those tests. I suffered a severe back injury shortly before the (January 2010) Rashad Evans fight. It was the biggest fight of my career, and there was no way I was going to pull out of it. I fought and lost and was out of action for a year rehabilitating the injury and getting ready to fight again.

"I reinjured my back 45 days before the fight with Brandon Vera. After not fighting for a year, I made the decision to not pull out of the fight. I also decided that the only way I could continue with the fight was to take injections in my back and spine that contained substances prohibited by the Nevada (State) Athletic Commission. I also made the decision to use a product to hide the presence of these substances in a urine test."

Silva's case will be heard before the NSAC on April 7. The fighter said he acted without the knowledge of his teammates and management at American Top Team and will accept the commission's orders – likely a one-year suspension, fine and a change of the bout's result to a no-contest – and look to move forward.

"These decisions were mine and mine alone," Silva said. "I did not share this information with anyone prior to the fight for fear that I would not be allowed to fight. I obviously made a terrible decision. I have since learned that it may have even been possible to fight had I been open and honest and disclosed the injury and treatment prior to the fight. I also realize that not being allowed to fight as a result of the treatment would have been a better result than the mess into which I have now gotten myself.

"Again, I take full responsibility for making the decision to break the rules and try to cheat the system. I will accept the punishment I receive and will learn from this. I plan to come back as a better person and professional as a result."

So now that he was proven to have cheated, he now comes clean. I kinda lose all respect for him after this. It's like he was waiting to see if he'll get away with it before he admitted his wrong doing. With the bitch slapping and beating on Vera's back, along with the cheating it just makes him look like a complete asshole now. I will accept his apology, and hope after a year long suspension(I'm assuming that's what he'll receive) he comes back to get his ass whooped by someone, hopefully have the Rampage fight go down, like it was supposed to, so Rampage can knock him out, Machida style.

I also find it stupid that he blames his pre-existing injury for cheating because he didn't want to back out of the fight. Instead of dropping the fight, he decided it was smarter to dope, and risk even greater injury to himself. That's not to smart at all.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Jon Fitch is out of his rematch with BJ Penn at 132 after sustaining an injury.

http://mmaweekly.com/jon-fitch-out-of-ufc-132-bout-against-b-j-penn-due-to-injury

 

[jmt225]

I'll refrain from saying what I really want to say out of respect to my man IndyJon since Fitch is his favorite fighter.

It'll be interesting to see what the UFC does with Penn now, though. I would imagine Josh Koscheck is the best available option since A) he's Fitch's teammate, and B) Kos doesn't have a fight lined up and July 2nd is more than far enough away for him to have a proper training camp. Plus, BJ Penn vs. Josh Koscheck is just an interesting fucking fight, and one I think most fans would love to see. I know I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Penn beat the shit out of that 'tard.

 

[Fizzy]

How about Condit, JMT? That would be a fantastic fight. Of course I wouldn't object to the Kos fight as I want to see BJ beat the fuck out of that fucker. I wasn't really interested in the Fitch rematch, and this opens a whole slew of new fights for BJ.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

I don't think they will end up finding a replacement fighter. I think Penn will wait for Fitch. It makes the most sense. They're coming off a draw and this was supposed to be the number 1 contender match. How do you just award that to Koscheck since he's coming off a loss and a fractured orbital, or Condit who is coming off a win over a fighter who has dropped 3 in a row?

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Yeah I am with ITGG, Penn will wait this out to fight Jon Fitch it was the contenders match and did end in a draw. Seems logical but man this fight has nothing going for it, what can they possibly provide that will make it better than their last fight. We all know what type of fighter Jon Fitch is, his style is effective but man is it a snooze fest. I was their live at UFC 127 and really the crowd began to die out slightly towards the end. But thats just me. Koscheck would be a fun fight but no way does he deserve a contender ship fight. Condit would be an interesting choice.

 

[Fizzy]

UFC veteran Keith Jardine will fill in for the injured Mike Kyle to face Dream light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi at April 9’s Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Daley.”

News of Kyle’s broken right hand came to light earlier in the week, and Showtime broadcaster Mauro Ranallo announced the new pairing during the network’s broadcast of Strikeforce Challengers 15 Friday night.

Jardine (17-9-1) has won two of three since being released by the UFC following four straight defeats, and last saw action in a first-round technical knockout of Aron Lofton at Fresquez Productions “Double Threat” on March 4.

Mousasi, 30-3-1, has won 17 of 18 bouts, only dropping a decision to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in the four-year run.

Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Daley” will go down at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., and will be headlined by a welterweight title bout pitting champion Nick Diaz against No. 1 contender Paul Daley. Showtime will air the card live on the East Coast at 10 p.m. ET. West Coast viewers can watch the bill at 10 p.m. PT.

Yea I posted this in the thread in the GSD section, but I know some don't read that so I figured i'd post it here as well. This right here is probably the least intriguing match-up I have ever seen. Jardine has always been a weird fighter. He beat Chuck when Chuck began his rapid decline, lost to Wanderlei, beat Vera, than proceeded to lose five straight. He has beaten some good fighters, but that was years ago. Todays Keith Jardine is pretty mediocre. I like the guy, but he is simply way out of his league here. Jardine in his prime would have been out of his league against Gegard. Gegard will only lose to wrestlers because his TDD is lacking, and his BJJ isn't good enough to sub the wrestlers of the world today. That said anybody who is willing to stand with him is in trouble. Gegard is quite possibly the best striker at LHW. He is a K-1 level striker with power in his hands. The exact way to beat Keith Jardine. Jardine has always relied on his unorthodox striking to pose problems for his opponents. You think a guy with the striking Gegard posses will be to perplexed to KO him? Poor Keith Jardine is all I have to say...

 

[Window Licker 101]

Finally The Axe Murderer has come back...TO THE OCTAGON!

They wanted it, and now they have it.

Following a long campaign on Twitter and in the media, middleweights Chris Leben (21-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) have hooked up a meeting at UFC 132.

UFC officials announced the fight earlier today.

UFC 132 takes place July 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and features a long-awaited rematch between UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, and the only man to ever beat him, former WEC champ Urijah Faber.

"Two fan favorites will go to war as Chris 'The Crippler' Leben has verbally agreed to face Wanderlei 'The Axe Murderer' Silva in Las Vegas July 2nd," UFC president Dana White stated in the official announcement.

Leben is the opponent Silva has settled on after turning down a fight with Brian Stann at the summer event and after public call-outs of Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort. The former PRIDE champion is returning from an extended layoff after a severe knee injury he suffered while training for a bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116 this past July.

Silva most recently fought at UFC 110, where he eked out a split decision victory over Michael Bisping.

Leben, meanwhile, is back in action after being upset by Stann at UFC 125 this past January. That set him back from his previous fight in which he stepped in for the injured Silva and surged forward in career momentum with a submission victory over Akiyama, which came two weeks after a TKO victory over Aaron Simpson at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale.

This fight to me still doesn't make sense. Why would Wanderlei want a fight with a guy who got (T)KO'd in his last match up? The whole thing with looking like the bad guy against Stann was complete BS to me really. You should be able to take any fight given to you by Dana and Joe Silva. You can't pick and choose just because you wanna be the face. I would prefer to see Belfort/Silva II down in UFC:Rio. Oh well hopefully one of these do men get knocked out and send the fans home happy.

 

[jmt225]

This fight to me still doesn't make sense. Why would Wanderlei want a fight with a guy who got (T)KO'd in his last match up?

It makes absolute PERFECT sense. Wandy is coming off a year and a half long lay-off from SERIOUS injuries and wants his first fight to be one that caters to his style. You cannot blame the man for that.

The whole thing with looking like the bad guy against Stann was complete BS to me really. You should be able to take any fight given to you by Dana and Joe Silva.

I do not like what you're insinuating here, man. Wandy is one of the most genuine, real fighters in the entire game. The guy doesn't bullshit around. If he says something... it's because he means it. There are actors (Jackie Chan) and pro wrestlers (Bret Hart) who never wanted to play the "bad guy" because they wanted to be positive role models... that's how Wandy is. If Wanderlei is going to fight a guy like Brian Stann and jeopardize his image with the American audience, then it's going to have to be for a title shot, not a comeback fight.

Also, Wandy ducks NO ONE. This is the same guy who fought Mark Hunt and Cro Cop twice when they were both two of the scariest Heavyweights around. The guy isn't scared to fight ANYONE on this planet Earth.

You can't pick and choose just because you wanna be the face. I would prefer to see Belfort/Silva II down in UFC:Rio. Oh well hopefully one of these do men get knocked out and send the fans home happy.

Well if Wandy makes quick work of Leben, then we possibly could still end up seeing that.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Finally The Axe Murderer has come back...TO THE OCTAGON!



This fight to me still doesn't make sense. Why would Wanderlei want a fight with a guy who got (T)KO'd in his last match up? The whole thing with looking like the bad guy against Stann was complete BS to me really. You should be able to take any fight given to you by Dana and Joe Silva. You can't pick and choose just because you wanna be the face. I would prefer to see Belfort/Silva II down in UFC:Rio. Oh well hopefully one of these do men get knocked out and send the fans home happy.

JMT already touched on it, but I'm going to agree with him. Wandy never tried to look like the bad guy against Stann.

He flat out said he didn't want to fight an American Hero like Stann unless there were major implications because he knew he wouldn't have the fan's support against a war veteran like Stann.

To say he was playing the bad guy is ignorant and uninformed. There are multiple interviews with Wanderlei of him praising Stann and his sacrifices. He flat out said that the only reason he doesn't want this fight is because there's nothing major on the line and he won't fight someone with that much support and honor behind them without something in it for him, too.

He'd have no support.

 

[Window Licker 101]

Ok I apologise if I upset you two. I reread what I wrote and I came off sounding agressive and ignorant. I will try rephrase.

Yes, Wanderlei as The Rock would say, brings it everytime he fights. Name a bad Wanderlei fight win or lose. The guys been in wars. However, it may be that I'm a big Belfort fan and wanted to see this go down but I was disappointed with the announcement that was to be fighting Leben. Leben was just crushed by Stann in their fight at UFC 125 and for Wanderlei to take this fight it is as if he was stepping down the MW ladder instead of shooting up. I felt match ups with Stann and Belfort , hell maybe even welcoming Chael back to the octagon would be more logically than handing him Leben. Now that I have reviewed you both make good points that the fact he has been off for so long and both want this fight then sure why not.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Ok I apologise if I upset you two. I reread what I wrote and I came off sounding agressive and ignorant. I will try rephrase.

Yes, Wanderlei as The Rock would say, brings it everytime he fights. Name a bad Wanderlei fight win or lose. The guys been in wars. However, it may be that I'm a big Belfort fan and wanted to see this go down but I was disappointed with the announcement that was to be fighting Leben. Leben was just crushed by Stann in their fight at UFC 125 and for Wanderlei to take this fight it is as if he was stepping down the MW ladder instead of shooting up. I felt match ups with Stann and Belfort , hell maybe even welcoming Chael back to the octagon would be more logically than handing him Leben. Now that I have reviewed you both make good points that the fact he has been off for so long and both want this fight then sure why not.

No need to apologize, you just needed to pick your phrasing a little better. I understand where you're coming from in terms of advancement. However, you should consider that Belfort is coming off a loss. Also, to add to that, Belfort is coming off a loss in his ONLY fight at MW. So, I'm not too sure that a fight with Belfort would have advanced Wanderlei as much as Stann or Sonnen. Belfort's only other fight since returning to the UFC was a catchweight bout with Rich Franklin. Technically, Vitor is 3-4 in his last 7 UFC fights dating back to UFC 37.5. He's 1-3 in his last 4 and 0-2 in his last two shots at a title.

Just some things to think about.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Wanderlei Silva finally, I was disappointed he didn't want to fight Stann as i thought i'd have to wait even longer to see my man return to the octagon. Although Wanderlei has had only one fight at Middleweight against Bisping he looked damn good. I really think it suits him better, because let's face it at light heavyweight he wasn't getting anywhere. But really this is just an awesome fight I expect nothing less than an all out war. Wandy has had to make a comeback from some serious injuries, so he definetly has something to prove. As for Window Licker, Wanderlei ducks nobody ever period.

 

[Fizzy]

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira revealed in his column for Brazilian site Jornal Extra (a subdivision of Globo.com) that he has information regarding the middleweight champion Anderson Silva headlining UFC Rio on August 27th.

Nogueira reaffirmed his earlier prediction for Tatame that Anderson would be facing long-time contender candidate Yushin Okami.

“The mystery about the UFC Rio card that takes place on Aug 27th starts to be unfolded. I have information in which my friend and current biggest phenomenon Anderson Silva will make the main fight of the event versus Japan’s Yushin Okami,” he wrote.

“They already fought in 2006 but that bout didn’t have a conventional end because Anderson was disqualified by throwing an illegal hit. This time he steps in as the favorite since he knocked down all the chief opponents at 185 lbs.”

Nogueira also says the current climate sees Anderson moving up to the 205lb division due to the lack of adversaries at his current weight class.

“The speculations for UFC Rio card are just beginning. Today there are thirty Brazilian fighters with contract signed and all of them without exception dream on fighting in Brazil. I am not different. I’ve been doing rehab from two surgeries I did on the hips but I already restarted my trainings to look for a spot on UFC Rio card.”

Eduardo Cruz

FO Staff Brasil

This better fucking go down. Right now, while GSP would probably be the biggest fight available, there are much more intriguing match-ups then that. I am probably the biggest Silva supporter on the board(after the Maia fight I think I was the only one) and I want to see him fight as much as humanly possible considering his age. We may never see another guy like him for a looong time. At 205 he can really test himself, and we will get to see the Anderson Silva that we all love.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

A heavyweight bout between undefeated Matt Mitrione (4-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Christian Morecraft (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been added to UFC on Versus 4.

UFC officials today announced that verbal agreements are in place for the fight.

UFC on Versus 4 takes place June 26 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. It marks the UFC's debut in Steel City.

I'm not sure I like this match up. Mitrione has been on a roll since TUF, time to test him with someone a little higher up. It still should be a decent fight though. Morecraft is coming off a decent fight, by subbing McCorkle with the standing Guillotine. I really wanted Morecraft to get Hunt next, oh well just another stepping stone for Mitrione.