MMA News and Tidbits

[Fizzy]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The UFC's fighters will be getting even smaller.

UFC president Dana White today confirmed that the organization is moving forward on its plan to add a 125-pound flyweight division to its existing seven weight classes.

White said it could come "like, really soon," possibly by year's end.

White and other officials have hinted at the weight class over the past few years, first with the since-folded WEC and then with the UFC. Talk of the division really heated up in 2010, when the UFC adopted the WEC's featherweight (145-pound) and bantamweight (135-pound) divisions, but fizzled until recently.

While the organization already has been talking to flyweight fighters about contracts, White said it'll take time to truly build the division and crown a champion.

"We have to get out there; we have to create the division," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) at today's pre-UFC 131 press conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "We bring the guys in, sign them and start putting on fights. You figure out who the best is, and you have a title fight."

In fact, while the executive traditionally shies away from tournaments, he said a grand-prix format could be used to determine the UFC's first-ever flyweight champion.

"Maybe," he said. "There's a lot of options we could do."

Currently, a host of Japanese organizations and the California-based Tachi Palace Fights have had a stronghold on the world's top 125-pounders. But with the UFC offering unrivaled paydays and exposure, many of those fighters certainly could be wooed to the octagon.

Additionally, some of the sport's top flyweights could come from the existing UFC roster. While they've discussed their satisfaction with fighting at bantamweight, smaller 135-pounders such as Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson could make for intriguing options for the new weight class.

Just found more huge news. Adding Flyweight is fantastic. With them, the UFC will have all major weight classes and will add depth to their already stacked PPV cards. There will be some BW's who will drop down as the article stated and it has major potential to be a very exciting division. Great move by the UFC.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I am concerned that Hughes is going to go the way of Chuck Liddell, and I can see Diego Sanchez being the next guy to bolster his resume at Matt's expense. I don't know how much Matt has left in the tank, and Diego is someone who has looked much better since jumping weight classes.

I'm thrilled for that September 24th card, especially since that coincides with the night of my 30th birthday bash, which means like 70 people in a private room at a bar watching UFC. That's a big win.

 

[Uncle Chester]

The smaller the division the better the fights. UFC adding flyweight is really fucking awesome, especially for the fans and those who are small for bantamweight. I'm stoked.

 

[Fizzy]

A rumored UFC light heavyweight title bout between champion Jon Jones and top contender Quinton Jackson is now nearly official for UFC 135.

The UFC announced Wednesday that both men have verbally agreed to square off in the main event of the Sept. 24 card at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The show is also expected to feature a welterweight scrap between Matt Hughes and Diego Sanchez, as well as a heavyweight tilt pitting Ben Rothwell against Mark Hunt.

Jones (Pictured) was last seen dominating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128, snatching the Brazilian’s UFC belt with a third-round TKO. The new champ’s first title defense was scheduled to take place Aug. 6 at UFC 133, but “Bones” was forced to withdraw from that bout due to a thumb injury.

Jones has yet to be tested in his UFC career, the 23-year-old’s only loss having come via accidental disqualification in 2009. Since that misstep, the native New Yorker has won four straight bouts, finishing Rua, Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ryan Bader.

Jackson, 32, a former UFC champ in his own right, has won four out of five starts since dropping his belt to Forrest Griffin in 2008. Following a decision loss to Rashad Evans in May 2010, Jackson has earned back-to-back nods from the judges, first narrowly outpointing Lyoto Machida in November and then routing Matt Hamill on May 28.

Damn, 135 is turning into a fantastic card. With Hughes/Sanchez, Kid/Page, and a few HW fights that should be slugfests, this adds a fantastic main event to a card that needed it. Page/Jones is the second most intriguing matchup for Jones in my opinion, and I can't wait to see it. Rampage says he wants to fight for the fans and give them a good show, and Jones has been exciting in every single fight so far. Can't wait for this fight.

 

[Big Sexy]

I haven't been overly impressed by Rampage recently. He's been winning but he hasn't finished a fight since knocking out Wanderlei Silva two and a half years ago. Jones on the other hand has finished his last 6 fights and keeps improving with every bout. I expect Jones to finish the fight no later then the third round, then hopefully we get the Rashad Evans/Jon Jones fight next.

 

[Fizzy]

To be fair, his last few opponents are very durable or hard to hit fighters. We don't know how Jones's chin is yet because he hasn't been hit. Rampage has very good defensive wrestling and while I don't believe it will help him much, it's something that cannot be overlooked. I expect Jones to win, but if Page catches him it may be all over for Jones. No doubt an intriguing matchup.

 

[jmt225]

Rampage is definitely one of the best boxers in the sport in MMA (definitely the best in the Light Heavyweight Division), and he has a ton of power in his hands... so you can't completely count him out here.

That said, nobody yet has shown that they can keep Jon Jones from taking them down, and I don't think Rampage will be the first to do it. And even if Jones decides to test his stand-up against Jackson, he'll be smart about it and keep his range and use an unorthodox style that Rampage won't know how to react to, thus only leaving him more open to the takedown if Jones start to feel like he wants to take the fight to the ground..

I'm predicting Jones to completely dominate Rampage and put him away within 3 Rounds. I still believe Rampage is a top 10 Light Heavyweight in the sport and will remain so for quite some time (as long as he takes the sport seriously, that is), but Jones is the worst possible match-up for him, IMO.

 

[Fizzy]

ccording to a report filed by The Los Angeles Times, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will return to action Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Citing Zuffa chairman Lorenzo Fertitta, the report confirmed that No. 1 contender Junior dos Santos will be the other man in the cage if and when the champion resurfaces in the Octagon this fall.

Sherdog.com contacted the Velasquez camp on Thursday evening and was told the champion expected to return to the cage in either November or December, which lines up with The Times' report.

Velasquez has not seen action since capturing the heavyweight title via first-round TKO over massive belt holder Brock Lesnar in October. The undefeated champion made his UFC debut in 2008 and has dominated his Octagon peers, only going the distance once as a pro.

Following his win over Lesnar, the American Kickboxing Academy standout underwent surgery to repair a torn right rotator cuff sustained during the bout and has been in recovery for several months.

Known for his precision punching and knockout power, Dos Santos has won eight-straight bouts. The Brazilian holds notable wins over Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Filipovic and Roy Nelson.

The 26-year-old most recently battered Shane Carwin at UFC 131 to earn his status as No. 1 contender, nearly finishing the American in the first round with strikes. Carwin staved off the finish, however, hanging tough to endure two more rounds of punishment en route to a unanimous decision in favor of the Brazilian.

Well we now know the most likely date that we get to see one of the best Heavyweight fights of all time. Dos Santos vs Cain has the making to be a fucking war between two young stars and while I think Cain will win, it will be a fantastic fight. I hope they have a huge card around it. This will be the third card within a month of my birthday, so i'll have to choose one to order. One is expected to be Aldo/Florian, the next GSP/Diaz, and finally this one. Going to be incredibly difficult to pick which one!

 

[Fizzy]

“The Ultimate Fighter” season one finalist Stephan Bonnar will no longer compete at UFC Live 5.

An undisclosed injury has forced “The American Psycho” to withdraw from his scheduled clash with Karlos Vemola. Vemola, who utilizes a bull-rush based wrestling style was poised to face his first true marquee opponent, but he’ll now be forced to settle for UFC neophyte Ronny Markes.

Markes however looks to pose plenty of danger himself.

With a professional record of 11-1, Ronny has finished nine of his opponents by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He’s also had the advantage of facing upper echelon competition in his young career, including a unanimous decision victory over the once promising Paulo Filho.

UFC Live 5 takes place at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 14th. The event is headlined by a welterweight duel pitting Chris Lytle versus Dan Hardy.

Just found this today, and it sucks. His fight had promise to be a fucking war as is any Bonnar fight. It also makes me wonder just how close Bonnar may be to retiring. The guy will always have a job with the UFC which Dana has stated many times, but he's not getting any younger and has been in countless wars. Makes me wander...

 

[Fizzy]

The main event for UFC Fight Night in New Orleans on September 17 has been verbally agreed to as Jake Shields takes on Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger.

Shields recently took welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre the distance and ended his record streak of consecutive rounds won. The hard-hitting Ellenberger is one of the top prospects in the welterweight division having won eight of his last nine fights.

"Ellenberger is on a mission to get his first shot at a world title, and Shields is determined to get another crack at it," said UFC President Dana White. The televised bout is scheduled for three rounds.

Koch and Brookins to Battle on the Bayou updated June 10
An exciting featherweight bout is heading to New Orleans, with young guns Erik Koch and Jonathan Brookins taking to the Octagon on September 17th.

“Verbal agreements are in place for a featherweight showdown between Erik Koch and Jonathan Brookins, September 17 at UFC Fight Night in New Orleans," said UFC President Dana White. "Koch is one of the division's fastest rising stars and this will be Brookins’ first fight since winning The Ultimate Fighter, season 12.”

Battle on the Bayou Gets Its First Two Bouts
The UFC will hold its first event in the Big Easy since 2000 with Battle on the Bayou, and Dana White today confirmed that verbal agreements are in for two fights on that card.

Alan "The Talent" Belcher will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon in a middleweight showdown with Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald. MacDonald is coming off a submission win over Ryan Jensen at UFC 129; Belcher was riding a two fight win streak when he had to take a year off to recover from eye surgery.

In another middleweight matchup, Dongi "The Ox" Yang and Court "The Crusher" McGee will also go to war in NOLA. The 10-1 Yang recently scored an impressive TKO victory over Rob Kimmons, while 13-1 TUF 11 winner McGee is coming off an exciting submission victory.

Interesting because I thought they'd match up BJ vs Shields. Anyway, Shields needs to take this to the ground to win, and it'll be interesting to see if he can do that. This is a great fight that could really help Ellenberger's career if he were to win. Looking forward to it.

 

[INDYjon22]

Should be an intriguing match up. Both guys are amazing wrestlers but I have to give Ellenberger the edge in the stand up. If this fight stays standing then Ellenberger should be able to pick up the biggest win in his young career. However, Shields is a crafty fighter and I figure he will be smart enough to take this fight to the ground where he should be able to grind his way to victory. Personally, I am very interested to see how this fight goes.

 

[Fizzy]

Brett Rogers got arrested and is facing several charges. Says it was a domestic disturbance call and he got arrested. I can't post the article because I'm on my phone, but this is a major setback in his career. I want to like the guy so badly, but this makes it tough. He talked about turning his career around and now this happens. Shame...

 

[Window Licker 101]

Few new matchups: Charles Oliveira vs Donald Cerrone for UFC on Versus 5 (Paul Taylor got injured)
JZ Calvacante vs Lyle Beerbohm for Strikeforce: Fedor/Henderson
and FINALLY the long awaited return of Chael Sonnen:

Of all the targets at which Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has aimed, the toughest one may be ahead.

Not long after a bout with Lyoto Machida was nixed, sources today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the onetime middleweight contender will stay in his division and is targeted for a meeting with Brian Stann (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 136, which takes place Oct. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston.

Verbal agreements are in place for the bout, though contracts haven't been signed.

Sonnen previously has taken aim at Machida on Twitter, which has led to intense rumors about a fall fight between the two. That matchup, however, was shot down this morning, as MMAjunkie.com reported.

Sonnen was freed to fight exactly one week ago after serving a suspension handed down this past May by the California State Athletic Commission. The commission issued an indefinite suspension after determining that the fighter had given inconsistent statements about his testosterone-replacement therapy this past December in an appeal of a one-year suspension that was issued in the wake of his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva (which was later halved to six months). The commission also cited his conviction earlier this year on one felony charge of money laundering when handing down the suspension.

It is unknown whether Sonnen will apply for a therapeutic-use exemption with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which will oversee the Oct. 8 event.

Stann, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive TKO victory over former World Victory Road/Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Prior to that, he stopped Chris Leben with strikes at UFC 125. The fast-rising contender and former WEC champ has now won five of his past six fights, and the lone defeat came to top contender Phil Davis before Stann's move down from light heavyweight.

Don't expect much trash talk from Sonnen. Stann is one of few fighters Chael respects. He tweeted last night:

I ask Brazil for a fight, and Machida answers.I ask for a REAL fight, and a Marine steps up.I see you hiding Lyoto, and I won't forget this

And to end this post, not really any news but this guy believes he knows the reason as to why Fedor lost to Silva. This is either someone trollin' or unitentially hilarious. Watch and enjoy.

[youtube]YMJYVM0DeJU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

I'd give him a standing ovation but my cardio sucks

 

[JWGunslinger]

Could the UFC have given us a fight that would hurt me more? I Stann and Sonnen are my favorite MW's and now I have to see one of them lose
If I had to pick a winner I would say Stann by TKO but it pains me to say it. It's going to be a hell of an epic fight though, I expect Chael to kick some ass before getting clipped.

 

[INDYjon22]

It's a little late but no one else mentioned it and seeing how I am the number one fan of Andrei Arlovski on this board I feel compelled to bring it up. AA has signed on to main event the first Proelite card in about 3 years, the company that once owned EliteXC. His opponent has yet to be named but some rumors include another fight with Tim Sylvia, or fights with Todd Duffee or Gabriel Gonzaga. I love AA and would very much enjoy seeing him fight again, but I am worried he is going to route that Sylvia has gone. Taking fights against cans and then getting beat. Obviously the guys rumored to fight are not exactly cans, but I also don't like AA's odds. His best chance would be against Duffee who has big power but a very spotty chin. I guess we will find out in about a month since the show is in a month or so.

Usually I would post the article, but I didn't feel like searching for it on Sherdog. Sorry guys.

 

[Window Licker 101]

Fucking hilarious interview with Chael Sonnen by Ariel Helwani. The shortest 20 minutes of my life. Just couldn't get enough. Sonnen talks about TRT/Marquardt, Wanderlei Silva, PRIDE being fake, The Nogueira Brothers treating a bus like a horse and of course his usual verbal assault on brazil and it's fighters.

[youtube]4qsLN67FLVY&feature=feedu[/youtube]

Best line of the interview: "In my home town, on the streets of West Linn, Oregon, IF YOU LAY ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR LEGS WRAPPED AROUND A MAN'S HEAD FOR 8 SECONDS, THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A WINNER! THAT MAKES... *adjusts his seating position*... Not a winner."

 

[RAUl Mf. L0wk0]

Originally posted by MMANEWS

UFC on Versus 6 will now feature a heavyweight contest that pits the tallest UFC fighter against the shortest as Stefan Struve and Pat Barry have signed too face each other on the card.

UFC on Versus 6 takes places on October 1st from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC and will be headlined with a UFC Bantamweight title defense as Dominick Cruz faces challenger Demitrious Johnson.

The Struve vs. Barry fight hasn't been confirmed for the main card or undercard but will likely air as part of the main card telecast.

Anyone interested in Barry vs. Struve? Both really need a win, after there both of there last bouts ended in a vicious fashion? Barry's got good kickboxing and The Skyscraper is ok on the feet and to me has an underrated ground game. UFC on Versus 6 already looks like a great card.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

Both Berry and Stefan are good fighters in their own circles. They aren't world title material, but they put on enjoyable fights. Berry is going to have to find some room to get his wrestling in on the Skyscraper to take him down. That reach will kill him. He's giving up something like 10-11 inches in reach. That's a power punch with a jab waiting behind it if Stefan times it right.

Berry kind of in my mind needs this more. I like Stefan, but lets get real he isn't at the top of the bin in the heavyweight world. Berry's fight with Beltran was allright, nothing special. I can't call yay or ney in his fight with Cro-Cop. But I know he got hammerd by Mr. Monkey arms himself Kongo. I don't think this fight will go much better for him.

 

[Fizzy]

If Roy Nelson can get inside that range easily as he did, Pat Barry sure as shit can. Struve with a reach advantage means absolute dick because he cannot use it. He simply does not know how to keep his opponents on the outside. If the fight stays on the feet, Barry should easily overcome that useless reach Struve has and destroy him. If Barry follows him to the ground after hurting him, he's in a world of trouble. Keep it standing Pat because I really like you as both a fighter and a person and I want you to get a win.

 

[JWGunslinger]

I feel like every time we see Barry fight he is the favorite, he is wining, he gets over confident and then he loses. Examples: Tim Hague, Cro Cop, Kongo. I see this going just like Berry's fight with Mirko, they'll stand for a while where Pat will be winning and will probably drop him, they'll go to the ground and Struve will get the sub.

 

[Window Licker 101]

Zuffa just cut the majority of Golden Glory fighters including Marloes Coenen, Jon Olav Einemo and Valetijin Overeem.

Zuffa LLC officials have purged former Strikeforce champ Marloes Coenen, Strikeforce's Valentijn Overeem and the UFC's Jon Olav Einemo from its stable of fighters.

That's the word from Martijn de Jong, the fighters' head coach at Golden Glory, who today tweeted the news.

The trio of fighters joins fellow Golden Glory fighter and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who was released this past week.

Zuffa officials haven't publicly announced the newest releases. And though Coenen, Valentijn Overeem and Einemo all are coming off losses, their releases appear tied to Alistair Overeem's.

Alistair Overeem, of course, was slated to fight at the semifinals of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix, which takes place Sept. 10 in September. Overeem, though, said he was told the event would take place in October, and he ultimately pulled out of the September show due to a toe injury. Overeem, though, had a single fight remaining on his deal, and behind the scenes, sources told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that talks about the fighter's future in the organization weren't productive.

The subsequent announcement of his participation in an upcoming United Glory World Series event probably didn't help matters.

Ultimately, official severed ties with Overeem (35-11 MMA, 3-0 SF), the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 kickboxing champion who's also undefeated over his past 11 pro MMA fights.

Coenen (19-5 MMA, 3-2 SF), meanwhile, recently lost her Strikeforce women's bantamweight title to Miesha Tate at this past weekend's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Henderson" event. Coenen had won the title from Sarah Kaufman and then made her first successful title defense with a victory over Liz Carmouche in March. She has become one of the most recognizable fighters in women's MMA during a critical time for female fighters.

Valentijn Overeem (31-29 MMA, 1-1 SF), the older brother to Alistair Overeem, is a former PRIDE fighter who went 1-1 in Strikeforce. He made a successful promotional debut in February with a submission victory over Ray Sefo in a heavyweight-grand-prix reserve bout. But in June, he suffered a submission loss (due to punches) to Chad Griggs.

Einemo (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), meanwhile, recently returned from a five-year layoff and suffered a TKO loss to Dave Herman at UFC 131.

From the way I see it, this is bull shit. I can understand Valentijn being cut especially after his disgusting performance against Chad Griggs but former Women's Bantamweight Champion Marloes Coenen cut after one loss? She is a well spoken ambassador of women's MMA and that only hurts the sport as a whole. As for Einemo, he looked impressive agaisnt Dave Herman and I don't understand why ZUFFA would cut him two months after his bout for no reason especially as the UFC heavyweight division is so paper thin. Really confusing times right now.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Check out the MMA GSD for August, we're talking about it there right now. It definitely sucks though, even though Einemo and Coenan did it to themselves being with Golden Glory I hate to see two great fighters get the boot.

 

[INDYjon22]

Check out the MMA GSD for August, we're talking about it there right now. It definitely sucks though, even though Einemo and Coenan did it to themselves being with Golden Glory I hate to see two great fighters get the boot.

What do you mean they did it to themselves for being with Golden Glory? I have never heard anything bad about GG. Maybe I just haven't been looking hard enough but it's bullshit regardless of the camp. This is exactly like when Dana cut all the AKA guys because they didn't want to give their likeness rights away for the Undisputed video game, so hopefully Coenen will get rehired in the coming days. Regardless though, the Coenen cut is stupid. She is a tremendous ambassador for womens MMA. She is well spoken, beautiful, and a well rounded fighter who doesn't get into trouble. Dana done fucked the pooch on this one.

Also, on the topic of fighters being cut, Fedor is done with Strikeforce. Dana confirmed that SF cut Fedor after his third loss. I don't like the release of Fedor but maybe it is for the best. Here is the article.

Fedor Emelianenko’s time as a Strikeforce heavyweight is apparently over.

UFC President Dana White on Thursday confirmed rumors that the former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight king will be cut from Strikeforce following his third consecutive defeat in the promotion. White verified the news to several media outlets following the UFC 133 press conference in Philadelphia.

Once considered by many to be the sport’s top heavyweight, Emelianenko has fallen on hard times of late. Following a 28-fight unbeaten streak, “The Last Emperor” posted just a 1-3 record inside the Strikeforce cage.

In June 2010, he suffered his first defeat in nine years, tapping to a Fabricio Werdum triangle armbar. The Russian was next battered and beaten by the massive Antonio Silva in February, eliminating him from Strikeforce’s ongoing heavyweight grand prix. Finally, just days ago, Emelianenko was knocked out by current 205-pound Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson at the end of a wild first round that saw both men staggered by power punches.

Emelianenko joins Golden Glory competitors Valentijn Overeem, John Olav Einemo, Marloes Coenen and former Strikeforce heavyweight titleholder Alistair Overeem on the list of Zuffa’s latest exiles. The 34-year-old Emelianenko holds notable wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

I know there are others on the forum that are bigger Fedor fans than me. But trust me when I say this, I love Fedor. I'm allmost a strictly heavyweight fighter watcher, I've said this before. But Fedor was someone who I loved to watch, and I still do. But I don't know what's next for the dude. Sure he's one of the best ever, but I just can't fault SF for cutting him. He lost 3 straight fights over creditable opponets.

He can fight untill he's 50 off his name alone, he will allways have people looking to take him in to fight. He's fucking Fedor, it's just sad to see him in this loss slump.

 

[JWGunslinger]

What do you mean they did it to themselves for being with Golden Glory?

This is a quote Heisenburg put up in the MMA GSD,
"the reason all the GG fighters have been released is, Golden Glory want payment direct to them not direct to the fighter, and they wont countenance any other system. They also have some mad clauses in the Strikeforce contracts requiring Strikeforce to pay for flights and hotel rooms for 'managers' - no other manager, Soares, Cox, Alonso, anyone, gets this. Zuffa is having none of it.

Kharitonov will be on his way as well unless he wins the GP; Zuffa simply arent prepared to pay money directly to GG. Among other things, it creates grey areas that might leave them open to legal action by the fighters if something goes wrong with payments.

Prior to the Strikeforce buyout, there hasnt been a golden glory fighter in the UFC since Sem Schilt; that isnt a coincidence.

Unless GG agrees to allow payment direct to fighters - highly unlikely - then there wont be any GG fighters in UFC or SF "

And on Coenan getting cut I couldn't agree more, she did not deserve to get cut