MMA News and Tidbits

[INDYjon22]

Shit...you know Frozentrash75 texted me earlier about this all happening and it didn't really mean anything to me until I actually read it on Sherdog. First off, that sucks for Evans that his title fight is off but at the same time I don't feel that bad for him. Evans is a baby and he can wait for his shot. Second, what a huge fight for Phil Davis. I love the dude but this is a massive step up in competition and I don't know if he is ready for it yet. This fight will undoubtedly turn into a wrestling match and Davis might be able to win that, but if it stays standing then I think Evans is quicker and will KO Davis. And finally, I hope Jones heals up and returns to form. He has been on a tear since he started with the UFC and really hasn't had any stops in his career due to injury. It'll be interesting to see how he comes back from injury.

The fight itself really doesn't interest me that much and I wouldn't pay full price to see it go down. Nothing against either Evans or Davis but the fight just doesn't intrigue me. I hope Davis pulls off the win but Evans is such a veteran that I think he will be just to much for Davis to handle. The UFC is trying to catch lightning in a bottle a second time seeing as Davis has already been compared to Jones but the fact of the matter is Davis hasn't had as many UFC fights as Jones and while Jones was hot shot to a title fight he did get some great experience in his fights before the Rua fight. I think it'll just be to much to soon for Davis.

 

[Uncle Chester]

Shieet, this is pretty big news, and damn you've gotta feel for Evans. I think he would've Ko's Jones anyway but this is a good opportunity for him to show too many doubter's that he stands a competitive chance against Jones and he won't be steamrolled. But I think Davis is special and could cause an upset in a similar way to the Jones/Shogun fight, with the up and comer beating the veteran, but I think Evans will TKO and if Davis struggles with Lil Nog then I don't see him outgrappling Evans but I am defeintely looking forward to the fight. WAR SUGA RASHAD.

 

[Cookie]

This sucks. Not because Michigan J. Frog has to continue waiting to fight for the title as I, too, dislike Rashad and think it's funny that he'll have to continue to wait for this title shot he's already waited so long for but because I was really hoping to see how heated it was going to get between him and Jones given the Jackson team drama that was going down. I figured both guys would be going into it with even more of a fire lit under their ass than there already is for a championship match.

On a related note- it really, really sucks when the champs get injured and we've got to wait it out until they can defend their titles, which obviously we have to cause we can't expect them to fight injured. Especially in divisions where the talent isn't as deep as others, it can really put a damper on things.

 

[jmt225]

Just want to point out that Paul Daley vs. Evangelista Santos is slated for an upcoming Strikeforce event.

That will be one epic fucking war. It seems a lot lately that a lot of UFC fights that are promised to be a stand-up war end up being extremely disappointing (ala Anthony Johnson vs. Dan Hardy), but that will DEFINITELY not be the case here with Daley vs. Cyborg. Someone in this fight is getting knocked the fuck out in what will surely be a 2011 Fight of the Year candidate. I cannot wait to see it.

Also, Shinya Aoki will be fighting at DREAM.17 against former UFC Lightweight Willamy Freire. Definitely looking forward to seeing that one as well.

 

[Fizzy]

UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes will toe the line against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner Diego Sanchez in a blockbuster welterweight bout this fall. UFC President Dana White on Thursday revealed the matchup, though no event, date or venue was specified.

One of the sport’s most accomplished competitors, Hughes (Pictured; File photo) last appeared at UFC 123 in November, when he was victimized by B.J. Penn in a 21-second knockout at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak for the Hillsboro, Ill., native, who turns 38 in October. A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Eastern Illinois University, Hughes has secured 35 of his 45 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. His stellar resume includes wins over Penn, fellow hall of famer Royce Gracie, current UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre, one-time UFC welterweight titleholder Matt Serra, former middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo Almeida, ex-UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and Pride Fighting Championships alum Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. Moreover, Hughes’ 18 wins in the UFC rank first all-time.

Sanchez will carry a two-fight winning streak into the match. The 29-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., native last competed at UFC Live 3 in March, when he eked out a controversial split decision against Martin Kampmann at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. A Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative, Sanchez holds notable wins over two-time UFC lightweight title contender Kenny Florian, reigning Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and former Sengoku Raiden Championship middleweight kingpin Jorge Santiago. He owns a 12-4 mark inside the Octagon.

Looks like Royce isn't getting his wish of facing Hughes at Rio. Can't say i'm sad about that. Hughes would destroy his yet again, and the Rio fans would probably fucking riot. This is a very interesting fight though. They are both primarily wrestlers, but i'd give Hughes the slight advantage in the wrestling department. I'd give Sanchez striking though which is where I see the fight taking place. Should be a very good fight.

 

[INDYjon22]

When I first started watching I was a pretty big fan of Hughes, that was before I watched TUF 2 and realized how big his ego is, but the fact of the matter is he is an all time great and I do enjoy watching him fight. I actually don't think this is that bad of a fight for Hughes as long as he can use his wrestling to his advantage I really think he can grind out a decision win. However, if he is foolish and tries to stand and trade like he has done against Penn and Alves then I think there is a good chance he gets knocked out. Sanchez doesn't exactly have KO power in his hands but Hughes can't take the punishment he once could either. Anyway I am pretty excited to see how this fight plays out and am happy then Hughes/Gracie rematch is now officially off. That fight had zero appeal to me.

 

[jmt225]

Love this match-up.

Truly a fight that could go either way. Both have mediocre striking skills, but neither are scared to stand and bang. And both of course have very good wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. Impossible fight to call. I guess it really all depends on what shape Diego Sanchez shows up in. While he had the heart of a fucking lion in his last fight against Martin Kampmann, I did not like how he looked at all. The dude looked chubby and slow, to sum it all up. Against Matt Hughes, Diego is going to need to be stronger and faster than ever if he stands a chance of defending the takedown and taking Matt down himself if that's what he decides to do.

Regardless, going to be a really fun fight. Both are wrestlers, but neither ever try to settle for bullshit lay and pray decisions.

 

[Paramount]

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/29/dana-white-non-title-five-round-fights-in-ufcs-immediate-futu/

In this article from MMAFighting.com Dana White says that the UFC will begin to introduc 5 round- NON Title fights for the Main Events of certain PPVS, such as number one contender fights, and other big fights, in part to try and stop draws.

Do you think this is a good idea?

 

[a0161613]

This is one of the things that should be welcomed by everyone - it's like having extra time and penalties in soccer. I think this would solve a few problems. However, if the criteria for judging stays basically the same (like being active/dominant) then going to five rounds may not do much in the end.

 

[INDYjon22]

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/29/dana-white-non-title-five-round-fights-in-ufcs-immediate-futu/

In this article from MMAFighting.com Dana White says that the UFC will begin to introduc 5 round- NON Title fights for the Main Events of certain PPVS, such as number one contender fights, and other big fights, in part to try and stop draws.

Do you think this is a good idea?

Yeah this isn't exactly new but it is good to hear it come up again. The 5 round non title fights thing was made alright a while back but the UFC hasn't used it yet. I think it is a great idea for those fights that are big and have huge implications, for instance a number one contenders fight. Setting up the next contender is a big thing and you don't want to worry about it coming to a draw, such as in the Penn/Fitch fight a few months back. This should cut down on draws in bigger fights, but it won't completely. Most of all I am just excited to see guys who might not be able to get to a title shot fight for five rounds. Imagine seeing Griffin and Bonnar go at for 5 rounds, that would have been amazing. Good move and hopefully the UFC does introduce the non-title five rounder soon.

 

[jmt225]

Well all I can say is that it's about fucking time. The Las Vegas Athletic Commission approved 5 Round non-title fights over a year ago and the UFC should have been taken advantage of it.

BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch and Rampage vs. Machida should have both been five round fights, as should any fucking fight that headlines a pay-per-view or has any title implications whatsoever so that there can be a clear winner. Shogun vs. Machida 1 and BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edge 1 are really the only 5 Round fights in recent memory to have a controversial decision, and that's because 5 Round fights are easier to judge since in the later rounds it becomes more clear who is really in control of the fight. 3 Rounds sometimes just isn't enough time to determine who should win an MMA fight.

 

[INDYjon22]

Hours after the most difficult title defense of his career, Jose Aldo’s next bout was already the subject of speculation.

Following the 24-year-old’s “Fight of the Night”-winning performance against Mark Hominick at UFC 129, members of the press asked UFC President Dana White about the Brazilian’s future as featherweight champion. When questioned whether Aldo would find his way onto the UFC 134 card in Rio de Janeiro, White was non-committal, asserting that he might have other plans for the 145-pound king.

“I don’t know. That’s a curve ball for me right now,” said White. “I think we’re looking at Jose possibly fighting [at UFC 133] in Philly.”

With Aug. 6 now on the table as a tentative return date for the champ, the next logical question surfaced: who will Aldo face in his next title defense?

“Probably [Chad Mendes]. Kenny Florian couldn’t be ready by then,” said White. “Mendes is 10-0. It makes sense.”

White noted that he had not yet discussed the potential title bout with Aldo or manager Ed Soares.

Regarding his hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Hominick in front of a largely hostile crowd of over 55,000, Aldo said he felt that he had showed his versatility in defending his title.

“I never underestimated Mark Hominick. I knew he had heavy hands. If one of us made the wrong move, either one of us could have been knocked out,” said Aldo. “I knew I was able to go all five rounds very strong. It doesn’t really matter if there are even 80,000 people. This is what I live for. I hope if they have a bigger event someday, that I’ll be fighting on that event, too.

“All of my fights are difficult, and I respect all of my opponents. I think tonight showed I have the heart to go all five rounds and not just knock people out [quickly].”

Though the champion looked sharp early, the durable Hominick showed exactly why he was a worthy challenger, eating heavy shots while continually moving forward. The Canadian stormed back in the fifth and final frame, taking the fight to the floor and dropping blows on the champ. Although Aldo praised his opponent’s toughness, the champion asserted that the fight’s outcome was secured by the time Hominick made his move.

“Like I said, Hominick is a super tough fighter. I expected that. I landed some good punches, and I knocked him down in the fight, but I just wasn’t able to finish,” said Aldo. “I was very comfortable in the position. I knew I had won the first four rounds. I was trying to secure a guillotine, but I was unable to do that, so I just held on until the end of the round.”

Well, there has been talk on here about this fight possibly going down and now that Aldo has successfully defended his belt, Dana is talking about it as well. Like I said about Hominick, this should be the biggest test in Aldo's young career. Aldo has yet to face a truly elite wrestler and Mendes is certainly that. It will be interesting to see if Jose can stuff the takedowns and to see how he does off of his back if the fight goes there. While the fight isn't official yet it does make the most sense. The only problem I have with this is that it is being tentatively scheduled for UFC 133 when I think this should get put on the Rio card, but that's just me. Should be an interesting fight to follow if it goes official.

 

[Fizzy]

Interesting fight to say the least. It will show us just how well Aldo will do against wrestlers. It is a perfect fight to help us gauge whether or not he will have success at 155. If he can stop Mendes's takedowns with ease than we can suspect he will do at least decent. If he cannot stop the takedowns than he will not be very well off at 155. I suspect Aldo to come back much better than he was last night. I believe he had a tough weight cut after not fighting for around a year. Mendes is Aldo's biggest threat in the UFC and this should be a great fight.

 

[Fizzy]

UFC 129 Medical Suspensions

• Georges St. Pierre: Suspended 60 days for eye injury; must be cleared by an ophthalmologist before he can return.

• Mark Hominick: Suspended 60 days as a precaution; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Randy Couture: Suspended 60 days for knockout; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Jason Brilz: Suspended 60 days for knockout; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Sean Pierson: Suspended 60 days for knockout; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Charlie Valencia: Suspended 60 days for knockout; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Kyle Watson: Suspended 60 for left eye laceration and knockout; must undergo CT scan before he can return.

• Nate Diaz: Suspended 45 days for left eye laceration.

• Jake Ellenberger: Suspended 45 days for possible hand injury; must undergo an X-ray before he can return.

• Jose Aldo: Suspended 30 days for facial lacerations.

• Mark Bocek: Suspended 30 days for head laceration.

• Jake Shields: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Lyoto Machida: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Vladimir Matyushenko: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Benson Henderson: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Rory MacDonald: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Claude Patrick: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Daniel Roberts: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Ivan Menjivar: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Jason MacDonald: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Ryan Jensen: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• John Makdessi: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Pablo Garza: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

• Yves Jabouin: Suspended 14 days as a precaution.

Just a post for more casual fans who don't check out news websites. Apparently GSP's eye injury wasn't terrible, but still pretty bad. I haven't heard anything that was wrong with it so hopefully nothing serious has happened to him so we can fucking see him fight Diaz or Silva. It seems that no injuries were sustained on the evening which is always a plus. Hopefully we will see everybody back in action sooner rather than later.

 

[Cookie]

Georges St-Pierre's Eye Injury Not Serious

"The doctors were very worried it was a detached retina because they couldn't see inside his eye. They flashed the light inside his eye and normally they're supposed to be able to see inside the eye, but the eye was filled with obstructions. The doctor was saying he couldn't see inside, so he needed to go to a specialist," St-Pierre's lead trainer Firas Zahabi told MMAWeekly Radio.

"Luckily it was just blood in the eye and not the detached retina. This occurred after the swipe to the face."

Great news for GSP. He's going to make a full recovery and needs to lay off training for 10 days while he's taking medication for it. Eye injuries are always scary and it's good to know that he won't even need surgery to heal up.

 

[Cookie]

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson Confirmed for July 30 in Chicago

Sources close to both fighters tell me the Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson fight has been finalized for July 30th in Chicago on Showtime

Sources close to the promotion say the Fedor-Henderson fight will at a catchweight of 220. It will be promoted as a heavyweight bout.

Rumours are circulating as to whether this will actually be at a catch-weight or heavyweight but regardless - wow! It's a shame Fedor won't make the cut down to LHW and defend for the belt so we can get a nice five-rounder but this is an epic match up nonetheless. I hope it ends up being a good fight.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Woah! thats massive. Fedor vs Dan Henderson that really is a dream fight. Both legends in their own regard, should be an interesting matchup.

 

[Final Form Snyper.]

Fedor has stripped alot of weight. In a photo I saw of him, he was looking in the best shape I have ever seen him in. Dan Henderson is a beast no matter what though. A very accomplished fighter who is a big fight for anyone. Afew things that come to kind though... Is this a last ditch effort?

Does a loss here end the career of Fedor?

 

[Fizzy]

Former IBF super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy has signed on the dotted line to face reigning Strikeforce welterweight king Nick Diaz (Pictured; file photo) in a boxing match in 2011.

The bout, which will reportedly take place this fall, was first proposed last month by Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie. Though Gracie initially tried to book Fernando Vargas to face Diaz, a medical issue reportedly ruled Vargas out as a potential foe.

Sherdog.com received a release announcing the bout on Friday and confirmed the news with Gracie shortly thereafter.

As per his contract with Strikeforce, Diaz is allowed to participate in one boxing match in 2011. Gracie confirmed the bout is set unless UFC president Dana White offers Diaz a fight with UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre.

“Yes, [the fight is on], unless Dana offers GSP as an alternate sacrifice,” Gracie said.

Lacy, 33, comes off three losses in his last four fights. The former 168-pound IBF king suffered the first defeat of his career in 2006, when he was outpointed by Joe Calzaghe. Though “Left Hook” rebounded with three straight wins, he began his current skid in 2008, losing by unanimous decision to Jermaine Taylor. Recently, the Florida native was outpointed by Roy Jones Jr. in 2009 and Dhafir Smith last year.

Diaz has been tearing up the Strikeforce welterweight division for the last two years. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt owns a 10-fight win streak and most recently finished top contender Paul Daley with a first-round TKO in April. Prior to that victory, the 27-year-old defended his title successfully against the likes of K.J. Noons and Evangelista Santos after winning the vacant strap by knocking out Dream champion Marius Zaromskis in January 2010.

“This is a very dangerous fight for both men. Stylistically, it is very intriguing,” promoter Don Chargin said in a statement. “I expected more resistance from fight fans and media in regards to this matchup, but it’s amazing as to the hundreds of calls and e-mails I’ve received from fans on both sides wanting to see this matchup take place. I’ve received more than a few inquiries from some other very high-profile boxers that want to step up and fight Nick. It’s been a real whirlwind.”

Surprised nobody posted this yet. I for one hate this fight. Lacy has never been a good, big name boxer. His biggest claim to fame is losing to Roy Jones Junior two fights ago. He is also on a two fight losing streak. Every MMA fan wants Diaz vs GSP and Diaz seems to not want that fight. He has shown no interest in moving to the UFC or even fighting in general. I highly doubt he needs the money that a boxing fight would get him even though it's against a small name. Stupid fight in my opinion.

 

[jmt225]

I hope this is all just a ploy by Diaz's management to get him a title shot with GSP.

I mean, the fact that Cesar Gracie flat-out said in that article that the only way this fight won't take place is if Dana offers Diaz GSP says to me that this isn't for sure yet. You can't just sign a contract and then say you won't do the fight if you're offered something else. That's not how fighting contracts work, lol.

Dana said after UFC 129 that he was going to Stockton to have a sit down with Nick and Cesar to figure things out, and I was hoping that they would have been offered a fight against GSP and that it would have been announced by now. This here isn't a good sign, but it's still not hopeless because of Cesar Gracie's comments.

Hopefully Dana comes to his senses and makes the only Welterweight fight anyone wants to see, which is of course Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre.

 

[Super Hans]

Surprised nobody posted this yet. I for one hate this fight. Lacy has never been a good, big name boxer. His biggest claim to fame is losing to Roy Jones Junior two fights ago. He is also on a two fight losing streak. Every MMA fan wants Diaz vs GSP and Diaz seems to not want that fight. He has shown no interest in moving to the UFC or even fighting in general. I highly doubt he needs the money that a boxing fight would get him even though it's against a small name. Stupid fight in my opinion.

Umm Lacy was being described as the next Tyson when he was knocking everybody out before Joe Calzaghe ruined him back in 05, he was considered the best Super Middleweight in the world and a top 10 p4p fighter. He has had surgery on his left shoulder and his patented "left hook" is nowhere near as devastating as it once was pre Calzaghe. He is shot to shit now but after seeing Diaz spar with Omar Hendry(who is reportedly moving over to MMA). Diaz would get schooled by the corpse that is remaining of Jeff Lacy.

 

[jmt225]

He is shot to shit now but after seeing Diaz spar with Omar Hendry(who is reportedly moving over to MMA). Diaz would get schooled by the corpse that is remaining of Jeff Lacy.

That's a load of shit, Super Hans.

Nick Diaz has been a training partner of Andre Ward since he was 18. That's almost ten years of training with a top 5 pound for pound boxer in the sport. Nick Diaz CAN box, and he can certainly beat someone of Lacy's stature. I agree that Fizzy's statement was a bit off base, but still... Lacy is nowhere near the level he used to be, and going into the fight Diaz would have the definitive height and reach advantage over him. Diaz has one of the best fight minds in the business, and by far the best chin. Plus his speed and punching power are heavily underrated as well. He would smash the Jeff Lacy of today, guaranteed.

 

[Fizzy]

Maybe my comment was wrong. He was good after reading about him and watching some fights. He was never a big name though. Maybe to die-hard boxing fans he was a big name, but he never stuck out to non-boxing die hards. Like you said though, he is shot to shit now. I can't see him KOing Diaz as Diaz has a fucking granite chin, but it is possible he wins a decision. I don't know much about Lacy's chin so I won't comment on how Diaz can win. Hopefully this fight doesn't happen though.

 

[Super Hans]

That's a load of shit, Super Hans.

Nick Diaz has been a training partner of Andre Ward since he was 18. That's almost ten years of training with a top 5 pound for pound boxer in the sport. Nick Diaz CAN box, and he can certainly beat someone of Lacy's stature. I agree that Fizzy's statement was a bit off base, but still... Lacy is nowhere near the level he used to be, and going into the fight Diaz would have the definitive height and reach advantage over him. Diaz has one of the best fight minds in the business, and by far the best chin. Plus his speed and punching power are heavily underrated as well. He would smash the Jeff Lacy of today, guaranteed.

Have you seen the sparring video with omar henry? His stance is way to upright, no head movement, no decent guard, lousy footwork and way too slow and wide delivering punches to make any impact on a boxer.

Better stick to where he is making money and stay the hell out of boxing because he has no business there. No more so than James Toney had taking a cage fight and getting embarrassed.

 

[INDYjon22]

UFC heavyweight Antoni Hardonk has retired from active competition, the promotion announced Friday. Hardonk, 35, has stepped away from the sport in order to focus on teaching at his Dynamix gym in California.

“I opened up my gym in spring 2010 [and] started teaching and building a team, both for recreational practitioners that love the sport, and for some of the guys that I always trained with like Vladimir Matyushenko, Jared Hamman, and some other fighters that joined us,” said Hardonk. “And I got more into the role of trainer [and] coach. I still had fighting in my head because I was still young and I love competing, but I got so busy that going into 2011, I felt that I was really motivated in teaching and coaching, and I wasn’t really training myself as much.”

Hardonk holds a 4-4 Octagon record since he made his promotional debut in 2006. Known for his powerful low kicks, the Dutchman holds victories over the likes of Eddie Sanchez and Wes Sims. Hardonk began his MMA career in 2001, putting together two three-fight win streaks over his nine years as a pro. “Mr. Wonderful” suffered back-to-back losses to finish out his career, falling by TKO to fellow kickboxers Patrick Barry and Cheick Kongo in 2009.

“I love to share and help people accomplish their goals. I think it’s something I always had in me, but I put it away because I put myself first and I wanted to enjoy this lifestyle and fight and compete and test myself,” said Hardonk. “But taking that year off and focusing more on that other side and that teaching and coaching aspect of myself, I found that I get as much satisfaction from that as from fighting itself.”

This actually upsets me a little bit. I like Hardonk and had been wondering where he was at. It is nice to see that he will continue coaching because he has some deadly striking skills that he can teach to other fighters. I always enjoyed watching Hardonk fight because you knew he was going to go out there and throw some leather, which is always fun to watch. While I am going to miss him fighting, this doesn't hurt the UFC Heavyweight division all that much. It just takes away some potentially really fun fights.