MMA News and Tidbits

[jmt225]

UFC 112 is going to feature two title matches. In addition to Penn/Edgar, Belfort/Silva is also confirmed for that card.

Don't forget Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie is on this card as well. Definitely going to be one hell of a show.

And as far as Edgar leapfrogging Maynard for the title shot goes, despite losing to him, I think it's justified. Dana put a lot of faith in Maynard to deliver on UFN with a win and a fight worthy of a main event, and he didn't deliver. It was painfully obvious that if Penn and Maynard met, he would have gotten destroyed. Where Edgar's been dominant since losing to Maynard, including a very impressive win that put him on the map against Sean Sherk, Maynard's last two wins have been split decisions in fights he could have done better in.

Very well put. I completely agree 100%.

I think Vitor Belfort has a very good shot at taking out Anderson Silva. Belfort's new leash on life has made him return to being the type of fighter he was at his peak. He's won his last five fights in very impressive fashion, and that includes him nearly killing Smelly Matt Lindland and dominating Rich Franklin like he's never been dominated. Could Silva look past Vitor? Absolutely. This fight is going to be a lot closer than people think.

This, however, I don't agree with. While I don't believe Anderson will slaughter Vitor, I do think he'll eventually pick him apart in a 5 Round fight. There's no doubt this one is going to start out pretty boring since Anderson is a counter striker, and that's exactly what Vitor has become. But once the feeling out process is over (which could end up taking 2 rounds, unfortunately, if not longer), then I see Vitor getting impatient and becoming too aggressive, which of course will be his downfall. I could be wrong of course, but that's how I see the fight going, and a huge part of me hope it goes that way, because I desperately want to see Anderson Silva vs. Shogun for the LW Championship after that (if Shogun wins against Machida, that is).

Also, the fight between Junior Dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga that had to be pushed off the UFC 108 card is now on for the UFC's debut on Versus (UFN 21). This card gets better and better and is a definite PPV quality card.

Hopefully Versus and Direct Tv can work out their problems by that time. I'm going to be fucking pissed if I miss this show. It's by far and away the most stacked UFN in history. I wonder how Spike feels about that? lol

 

[Turd Ferguson]

The UFC is running a Fight Night 10 days after UFN 21 on Versus.

March is going to be a really fun month for UFC events. In a 10 day span, we're going to have UFN 21 (3/21) on Versus, UFC 111 (3/27), and UFN 22 (3/31). Each card is really stacked too.

UFN 21 will have:
Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera
Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Anthony Johnson vs. John Howard
Sean Sherk vs. Clay Guida
Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley
Spencer Fisher vs. Duane Ludwig

That's a PPV worthy card right there for free.

UFC 111 is of course going to be stacked as well, being a very strong card with two title fights.

UFN 22, which will be the lead-in to the new TUF season, is going to be strong as well. Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi is rumored to be the main event for this card. The co-main event however, is going to be VERY intriguing.

Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve is going to be on this card. Struve is improving so much. I'm becoming a fan of his, and taking on Roy Nelson is a huge challenge for him. Both guys have differing physiques, and it should be fun to see how the matchup plays out. I think Roy would have to win given how good of a grappler and a striker he is, as well as the experience factor. Struve proved a lot of people wrong who thought Buentello would beat him too though.

Should be a great matchup, and I'm excited about the month of March now.

 

[INDYjon22]

The month of March is going to be so off the chain. Not only is my birthday in March, but I get to watch three, assuming they all stay in tact, badass figth cards, not to mention Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland come out as well. It is going to be a good birthday .

That being said, all three cards are going to be awesome. UFN 21 seriously looks like it could be a pay per view card and we get it for free. That is really cool of the UFC to do. UFC 111 will be awesome with two title fights. I am a huge Vitor Belfort fan and am really looking forward to him fighting for the belt. Should be great. And UFN 22 should be fun as well. Struve against Nelson is a very interesting match up and will actually be fun to watch how both men approach this fight.

I am so fucking excited for March I could pee.

 

[Rizza]

UFN 21 is starting to look like a PPV, Jones vs Vera should be the Co main-event though, Dos Santos vs GG seems like a bigger fight to me, I mean Gonzaga's success is pretty equal to Vera' s success and Dos Santos has more momentum right now, and bigger victories, and probably a bigger name then Jon Jones, so I don't understand why he isn't in the main event. The card looks good though, Sherk vs Guida is cool as hell, I have always liked Sherk, and who doesn't like Guida? I mean it is almost impossible to not the like the guy, so I really don't know which I will root that match. Good to see Schuab come back, and for some reason I am really looking forward to Bang vs Fisher, I love both these guys to death, and this could very likely be a loser leaves town fight, although it is easier to make a case for why Fisher should stay, there still is a case for why he shouldn't stay either, out of 12 fights in UFC he has lost 4, 5 if he loses to Ludwig. We have all seen UFC cut people for alot less. Bang is 2-1 in UFC, 2-2 if he loses. I could see him being cut immediately, so I think it is a must win. I think I am pulling for Bang too, I usually never root against Fisher, but I have before, I have never not pulled for Ludwig, so here is to a brutal KO from Bang.

Man, I was saddened to see Struve to fight Nelson, I like Struve, and he is one of my favorites, but IMO there is no way he can beat Nelson, he isn't good enough on the feet, and Nelson is a beast on the ground, especially with that girth he's got, and Struve looks like he starves himself, never a good combo with those two meet. I haven't lost all hope, he could caught in a sub, but I think Roy might be too versed on the ground to really get a effective submission in.

 

[INDYjon22]

Sean Sherk has turned down a proposed lightweight bout against Clay Guida for UFC’s debut on Versus on March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo.

FiveOuncesofPain.com was the first to report on the scratched bout on Friday.

Monte Cox, Sherk’s manager, told Sherdog.com on Friday that the Minnesotan wrestler had been offered the bout, but couldn’t accept it due to a lingering injury. Cox would not elaborate on the injury and did not have timetable for Sherk’s return.

The 36-year-old former UFC lightweight champion has withdrawn from his last two UFC engagements. Sherk was forced to pull out of a Jan. 2 bout against Jim Miller at UFC 108 when he cut his forehead three weeks out from the event and needed multiple stitches.

Sherk also bowed out of a bout against Gleison Tibau at UFC 104 last October when he suffered a “Grade II AC separation” in his right shoulder while rolling with a training partner. Guida, who was submitted by Kenny Florian at UFC 107 last December in Memphis, Tenn., is expected to receive a new opponent.

Well this sucks. I am a huge Sean Sherk fan but he needs to get these lingering injuries looked at or retire already. He is a very good fighter and still is but the last year has been one injury after another. I know injuries are part of the sport but at his age and the number of injuries he has had, this might be a sign that it is time for him to hang up the gloves. I would be sad to see this happen but I don't want to see him get in the ring with a bunch of old injuries that have not healed and end up getting hurt really bad. Hopefully, he and his doctors can figure something out.

Anyways, this is a bummer because this card was looking amazing, and still does, but with a former champion backing out now, it does take a hit. Hopefully, we are not seeing the beginning of another stretch of multiple injuries. Also, hopefully, they find a good opponent for Clay Guida so he can remain on the card as well. Still looks fantastic though.

 

[Big Sexy]

There are a couple of rumored matches going around for UFC 113. The first is Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley in what is being considered as a number one contender match up for the Welterweight title.

The other fight being talked about is Kimbo Slice making his pay per view debut taking on Matt Mitrione. That would be another fight that Slice would have a chance at winning because Mitrione is more of a stand up guy.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

There are a couple of rumored matches going around for UFC 113. The first is Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley in what is being considered as a number one contender match up for the Welterweight title.

This should be an explosive fight that's a lot of fun to watch. Daley's been on fire for awhile now, and I think that he's very well deserving of a title shot. Kind of disappointed that Fitch still isn't in consideration, but he should absolutely be next in line if he beats Thiago Alves. If GSP weren't a fighter, Fitch would absolutely be the champ.

I really like Daley, but I'm sort of hoping Koscheck wins so GSP can pummel him into oblivion. I cannot stand Koscheck and seeing GSP destroy him would please me greatly.

The other fight being talked about is Kimbo Slice making his pay per view debut taking on Matt Mitrione. That would be another fight that Slice would have a chance at winning because Mitrione is more of a stand up guy.

Mitrione was an all-around dick on The Ultimate Fighter, right? If he's who I'm thinking of, I really hope Kiimbo destroys him. Kimbo has shown that he can beat legitimate MMA fighters, and he's ever-improving. Sure, he won't ever be a UFC Champion, or even sniff title contention, but he's absolutely a draw, and I'm looking forward to see how much he's improved since the Houston Alexander fight. Give it to Kimbo, he's serious about being a fighter.

 

[INDYjon22]

There are a couple of rumored matches going around for UFC 113. The first is Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley in what is being considered as a number one contender match up for the Welterweight title.

The other fight being talked about is Kimbo Slice making his pay per view debut taking on Matt Mitrione. That would be another fight that Slice would have a chance at winning because Mitrione is more of a stand up guy.

Both fights have loads of potential and I hope they go down.

Koscheck versus Daley actually makes a lot of sense from a contenders perspective. Daley has been bulldozing through his early UFC fights, which have been against good fighters and Koscheck is always delivering good fights, regardless of if you don't like him or not. I hope this fight happens because both guys like to talk shit and through bombs, it would be exciting as hell. In addition, I could finally see my boy Kos get a shot at the belt, I hope he knocks Daley's jaw into the third row.

The other fight excites me not as much. I like Kimbo but only when he is matched up against punchers. Mitrione is a puncher but do not mistake him for being stupid. The man has a ground game and see him totally destroying Kimbo on the ground. Mitrione is a prick and I hated him on the show but he has much more rounded skills then Kimbo. I see the fight going along the same lines of the Roy Nelson fight on the show.

 

[Rizza]

Looks like Ricardo Arona might be on his way to UFC.

http://www.mmamania.com/2010/1/18/1257344/ricardo-arona-teases-ufc-debut-in

That will be interesting to see how some of the top names in LHW division match up with a top level grappler like Arona. I see him doing well, but I think title contention might be a little too much, there are a lot of names in the LHW division. I just doubt he will get into the top 5.


Also, Kongo vs Buentello has been added to UFN 21 on versus. I am really looking forward to that, Kongo needs a big win after that massive destruction he received in the Mir fight. Even though beating Buentello wouldn't really be a big win, it would be a pretty damn good start to getting one. This is a good fight for Kongo too, they both will probably want to stand and trade leather, and keep it off the ground as much as possible. I have Kongo winning this one, he IMO is the better fighter on the feet. A few years ago that could had given the edge to Buentello on the feet but, but he has lost a step since 2006 and I think Kongo will get the KO here. Or at least I hope. I am not counting The Headhunter out at all on this one though.

http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail.Home&eid=2766

 

[jmt225]

There are a couple of rumored matches going around for UFC 113. The first is Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley in what is being considered as a number one contender match up for the Welterweight title.

I'm very, very excited for this match-up.

Koscheck better go back to his wrestling in this one, otherwise he's going to get KTFO. Daley is no joke on the feet. In fact, I'd bet he's the hardest punching Welterweight in the sport. On the ground though he's very suspect. Another weak point of his is making weight. Hopefully he's able to make it this time around.

But yeah... should be a very exciting fight since I think Kos is too arrogant with his stand-up to take it to the ground. Can't wait.

The other fight being talked about is Kimbo Slice making his pay per view debut taking on Matt Mitrione. That would be another fight that Slice would have a chance at winning because Mitrione is more of a stand up guy.

Very smart match-up by the UFC. I can easily picture Kimbo winning that one.

But, I thought for sure they were going to save Kimbo and pair him up against James Toney. Not only is that a HUGE money maker, but it's completely a win-win for the company. If Kimbo loses, then he lost to one of the greatest Heavyweights in boxing history (top 15, anyway), so no harm is done, and also the UFC would be able to use Toney again against a tougher opponent. And if Kimbo wins... well, that's self explanatory.

Looks like Ricardo Arona might be on his way to UFC.

http://www.mmamania.com/2010/1/18/1257344/ricardo-arona-teases-ufc-debut-in

That will be interesting to see how some of the top names in LHW division match up with a top level grappler like Arona. I see him doing well, but I think title contention might be a little too much, there are a lot of names in the LHW division. I just doubt he will get into the top 5.

Very excited about this.

Arona hasn't done much in quite a while, but if you assume he's in the same kind of shape he was in when he had his fights against Sakuraba and Overeem... then you have to also assume that this dude is going to be a serious threat in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. He's easily one of the greatest fighters throughout the history of PRIDE, and it's going to be exciting to finally see this guy in the UFC Octagon.

 

[INDYjon22]

Another piece to the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 2 puzzle has fallen into place, as the promotion on Wednesday announced the signing of 2000 Olympic judoka Ferrid Kheder. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 34-year-old joins undefeated Canadian Mike Ricci in an eight-man lightweight tournament, the winner of which will earn a shot at Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez. Kheder trains under Shawn Tompkins in Las Vegas and has won 11 of his last 12 fights.

“I see Ferrid as a real star that’s just waiting to explode,” Tompkins said in a release. “He’s one of those guys who’s flown under the radar so far, but, in the meantime, he’s been able to focus on learning how to incorporate all the other MMA skills into his judo. With that combination, I think he’s really going to be tough to beat.”

An M-1 Global, Sportfight and Jungle Fight veteran, Kheder, a third-degree judo black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, has rattled off three consecutive victories since his August decision loss to Daisuke Nakamura. All five of his defeats have come by decision.

“Ferrid Kheder is a world-class athlete who has already competed at the highest levels, and now he’s working with one of MMA’s top coaches to further hone his skills,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Ferrid’s career has kicked into high-gear over his last dozen fights, and he will be very tough for anyone in our 155 tournament.”

Kheder, a 13-time national judo champion in his native France, becomes the second Olympian to join the Bellator ranks. The promotion signed 2008 Olympic wrestler Ben Askren earlier this year. Thirteen of Kheder’s 16 wins have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission, including a January 2009 victory over UFC veteran Drew Fickett.

“I’m a judo guy through and through, but I’ve adapted my skills to MMA,” Kheder said. “I’ve worked hard on my ground game and my striking, and I believe I’m ready to take it to the next level. Bellator is a great promotion; they respect their athletes and put on some great shows. I’m very excited for the opportunity.”

Well considering my Bellator thread bombed, badly, I figured I would just post this in here.

Bellator has gone on a signing spree in preparation for their second season. First they signed Mike Ricci who is toted as the next GSP just at a lighter weight and the addition of a former Olympian in Ferrid Kheder, they are starting to look pretty stacked in the lighter weight classes.

Like I said in my Bellator thread, I think they could be a strong competitor in the lower weight classes, it is what they showcase, and with these signings and the lightweight tournament that they are setting up that will also include Eddie Alvarez, they could be making some waves in the MMA world within the year. I truly am excited to see what happens and to follow this tournament.

 

[jmt225]

Gegard Mousasi recently confirmed that he has signed a new 6-fight deal with DREAM, and is also negotiating a new contract with StrikeForce. He says he wants to move up to Heavyweight full-time in a year, and plans to retire at 30.

Split on this one.

On one hand, I really wanted to see the guy in the UFC, but on the other... I guess it's good for some of these Non-UFC fighters to get long-term deals, too, and makes themselves a name outside of the UFC.

But man, there just isn't much competition right now in the Light Heavyweight Division, in Strikeforce and in Japan. There's Dan Henderson, King Mo (which will be his next fight, by the way), and Babalu, but that's basically it for now. As far as him moving up to Heavyweight.... seems like a decent enough idea if he and Fedor continue their domination, but there's no guarantee that Fedor stays with Strikeforce once his contract is up, so....

 

[INDYjon22]

Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi will meet in a headlining lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 21 on March 31 at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., Spike TV announced on Wednesday.

The event will broadcast live on the cable channel at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST.

Florian, a runner-up on season one of “The Ultimate Fighter,” earned a second-round submission victory against Clay Guida at UFC 107 last December in Memphis, Tenn. The 33-year-old fighter made two unsuccessful bids for the UFC lightweight title, losing to current champion B.J. Penn at UFC 101 last August and to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 in October 2006.

Gomi, a recent acquisition for the promotion, enjoyed a fruitful career for Pride Fighting Championships in Japan, reeling off ten consecutive wins for the now-defunct promotion between 2004-2005. The former lightweight champion has gone 3-2 in his last five outings, and earned a unanimous decision over Tony Hervey at Vale Tudo Japan 2009 last October.

This is very good news. Should be a fantastic fight and a good test to see how well Takanori Gomi is going to do in the UFC. Florian is easily my pick for number two Lightweight in the UFC. We will get to see if Gomi is up to the task of fighting the very best the UFC has to offer right from the start. Depending on if he and how he wins I could see him getting a one fight then title shot kind of scenario. Should be a really fun fight.

 

[jmt225]

Yeah, heavily rooting for Gomi in that fight. I'll get more into why and what I think will go down when the Fight Night 21 thread gets made.

Anyway, here are some tidbits from Strikeforce:

- Alistair Overeem will defend the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title in May. Opponent is yet to be determined.

- Erin Toughill will be the next opponent for Cris Cyborg, targeting a late summer title fight

- Nick Diaz will go up and down in weight, fight out of his weight class but also defend the welterweight title

- Jake Shields offered fight contract but not yet signed

- Mousasi vs King Mo: will happen but not yet confirmed

1. As my buddy said at another forum, I'll believe it when I see it. The "Overeem is finally going to defend his Strikeforce title" rumor seems to pop up every three months, but nothing ever comes of it, unfortunately. If he does come through this time though, hopefully they have a good opponent set up for him, and not some can.

2. That's good. The rumor going around was that Mega Megu was going to be Cyborg's next opponent, and while Fuji is without a doubt pound 4 pound the best female fighter in the World, she should get destroyed here in a completely unfair fight, since Cyborg would outweigh her by 20 pounds, if not more.

3. No surprise there. There's just not enough competition in the Welterweight Division in Strikeforce for Diaz to fight strictly in that division.

4. Hmmmm.... maybe Shields is holding out for a UFC Contract????? I certainly wouldn't bitch about that.

5. Mousasi's going to kick his ass. Can't wait to see it.

 

[INDYjon22]

Andrei Arlovski will finally try his hands at boxing in a four-round heavyweight exhibition match against Fres Oquendo on Feb. 27 at the Fountainbleau Miami Beach Hotel and Resort in Miami.

The charity bout will benefit The Consequence Charity, which raises funds to help “reduce and prevent adolescent criminal behavior and supporting communities with proactive intervention programs with the purpose of directly impacting the lives of vulnerable youth and their families.” The fight will be a part of “The Blacks Annual Gala,” an annual event hosted Roy and Lea Black for the philanthropic Miami community.

Arlovski, a former UFC heavyweight champion who started in Sambo before falling in love with the sweet science, has flirted with a professional boxing career for the last couple of years. The 31-year-old Belarusian signed a multi-fight contract with Golden Boy Promotions in 2008, though a bout has yet to materialize because of scheduling conflicts with the fighter’s MMA career.

Arlovski, who’s earned 12 of his 15 career victories by KO or TKO, was knocked out by Brett Rogers in only 22 seconds at a Strikeforce event last June in St. Louis.

Arlovski is currently in negotiations with multiple promotions, including Strikeforce, for his MMA return.

The 36-year-old Oquendo holds the WBC Latino heavyweight and interim NABA heavyweight titles, and knocked out Bruce Seldon during his last appearance in July 2009 in Chicago. Oquendo’s record stands at 31-5, with 20 knockout victories.

I don't know how relevant this is to MMA but you guys know that I had to post it. AA, for those of you who may not know is my favorite fighter, is finally going to step into a boxing ring. This has been long rumored and is about damn time.

There is still a lot of talk about his suspect chin but I feel as though this is a good test for him. Boxing will test his striking abilities and defense. It will tell a lot about how far he has come since the Rogers massacre, if at all. I for one am super psyched to see him box but then again I mark the fuck out for whatever the man does. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the return of the Pitbull. I sure as hell hope so.

 

[jmt225]

I'm actually kind of disappointed.

I was hoping we'd get to see Arlovski fight again in Strikeforce, or even Dream, sooner rather than later.

Seriously, fuck this boxing shit; it's not going to lead to anywhere. I mean, for boxers to start getting big fights, at best they have to get something like an 18-0 record, so there's no point in doing the sport at Arlovski's age, especially when he plans on fighting MMA again. Because let's face facts... I doubt it's paying anything special, and God forbid if he actually loses to some no-name... that's just going to hurt his already battered career much, much more.

Bad, bad idea as far as I'm concerned, and if I were Strikeforce I would sign him RIGHT NOW and not let him go through with it. Too much at risk.

 

[INDYjon22]

I'm actually kind of disappointed.

I was hoping we'd get to see Arlovski fight again in Strikeforce, or even Dream, sooner rather than later.

Seriously, fuck this boxing shit; it's not going to lead to anywhere. I mean, for boxers to start getting big fights, at best they have to get something like an 18-0 record, so there's no point in doing the sport at Arlovski's age, especially when he plans on fighting MMA again. Because let's face facts... I doubt it's paying anything special, and God forbid if he actually loses to some no-name... that's just going to hurt his already battered career much, much more.

Bad, bad idea as far as I'm concerned, and if I were Strikeforce I would sign him RIGHT NOW and not let him go through with it. Too much at risk.

I can agree with most of this post. His career has gone really down hill, especially after the loss to Rogers. Strikeforce could still make some good money off of him and need to sign him before this boxing match happens, just in case he were to lose.

However, if they do not sign him, which I believe they won't, I am excited to see him box. I cannot really explain why but at the very least a pure striking bout will show a lot about where Arlovski's head and chin are at.

I would love to see him fight in Strikeforce or Dream, but I think it is highly unlikely right now. Lets say he does go through with this boxing match and wins in brutal fashion. I believe it would do wonders for his stock and possible get him back to main card fights, then again a loss would be terrible for him.

Either way I just want to see AA throwing punches at someone's face and soon.

 

[Mystifier]

Sadly since I am a new member I cant post a thread about this I figured I should post it here.

From WrestlingDna.com

-An interesting update has surfaced regarding the report of Mark "The Hammer" Coleman's release from the UFC. According to a source close to the UFC and Coleman, health was the driving force behind the UFC Hall of Famer's Octagon release.

"It's never easy for an athlete to hear it's over," a source close to the situation said. "We were looking at a potential death in the Octagon."

Clearly, the 45-year-old Coleman was not able to put up much resistance against former champion Randy Couture during their bout at UFC 109 and the concern of having a fighter's life in the balance was serious enough for the UFC to sever ties with their first heavyweight champion.

After Coleman's humiliating loss at UFC 109 this weekend, UFC president Dana White spoke about his same feelings regarding Coleman's future.

"I just think he'll have a hard time competing with the guys at the top level. Age is a factor with him," White said at the post fight press conference.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Well, that sheds a lot of light as to why he was flat-out let go from the UFC. I was kind of surprised that they'd let him go. He's still a very good hand to have around, being able to compete at a level where he'd have good fights with some of the younger guys. I also figured that Dana would want him around for one more fight, with him taking on Tito Ortiz in what would have been a pretty good payday for him and the company. Fights are always sold when there's a personal vendetta involved.

The fact that there was a potential death involved... Jesus. I really hope the UFC keeps him on in some sort of ambassador role. He's a single dad and it's been alluded to that he's not doing well financially. He's one of the pioneers of MMA, a legend, and he deserves to be taken care of by the UFC.

 

[INDYjon22]

Yeah, this really is a sad thing that is going on with Mark Coleman right now. It was very apparent that he was not up to par while fighting Couture and his release was a bit of a surprise. However, I cannot dispute the reason. The UFC needs to think about Colemans' health like they did with Liddell a year ago. Granted Liddell is coming back but they were thinking about his health and that is what needs to happen with Coleman. No one wants to see Coleman go into the Octagon and get hurt and or worse.

I agree with Guy, the UFC needs to keep Coleman in the company with some sort of ambassador role. He is a legend in the sport and should not be thrown out on the street like garbage. He was one of the men who really helped the UFC in the early days and hopefully the UFC does the right thing and takes care of him.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

In rather hilarious news, Rolles Gracie has been cut from the UFC.

In depressing news:

http://mmajunkie.com/news/17916/sho...f-ufc-112-title-fight-with-anderson-silva.mma

UFC 112's fight card isn't as "Invincible" as its event name may suggest.

Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled main-event title fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva (25-4 MMA, 10-0 UFC) at the April 10 event, which takes place at Concert Arena at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Brazil-based Web site Tatame first reported the news, which was subsequently confirmed by Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole.

The Tatame report stated Belfort hurt his shoulder in training and will not be able to recover in time for the fight. Jayme Sandall, Belfort's trainer, stated that Belfort had been unable to use his injured arm in practice.

Sonnen is medically suspended, so he won't be able to have enough time to train and be ready for this fight. Suddenly, Demian Maia seems like the most logical choice to fight Anderson Silva in Abu Dhabi. I'm bummed out about this. I wanted to see this fight so badly, as it truly featured the top two middleweights in the division. The only two top middleweights that aren't tied up or medically suspended are Demian Maia and Sexyama. If they decide to do a Light Heavyweight fight, Couture is signed to fight Rich Franklin in Vancouver, so basically the only light heavyweight set to go would be Thiago Silva.

Also, Paul Daley has been telling people on The Underground to do photoshops of his opponent in a few months, Josh Koscheck, and well...

 

[jmt225]

In depressing news:


Sonnen is medically suspended, so he won't be able to have enough time to train and be ready for this fight. Suddenly, Demian Maia seems like the most logical choice to fight Anderson Silva in Abu Dhabi. I'm bummed out about this. I wanted to see this fight so badly, as it truly featured the top two middleweights in the division. The only two top middleweights that aren't tied up or medically suspended are Demian Maia and Sexyama. If they decide to do a Light Heavyweight fight, Couture is signed to fight Rich Franklin in Vancouver, so basically the only light heavyweight set to go would be Thiago Silva.

For one, that does suck, however... maybe now we can get Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen sooner than we thought? Who says Anderson HAS to fight on the Abu Dhabi card? Just replace his main event with another great fight right now, and then have Anderson vs. Chael a month later. Simple as that, if you ask me. There's no point in feeding Anderson someone not worthy, or him having to fight at LHW.

And Rich Franklin vs. Randy Couture is going down? Sweet, but bye-bye Couture's LHW winning streak. I see Franklin totally picking him apart.

Also, Paul Daley has been telling people on The Underground to do photoshops of his opponent in a few months, Josh Koscheck, and well...

Lol... AWESOME! Can't wait to see what more comes out of this. Koscheck is such a goofy looking motherfucker that it should be pretty easy for MMA Fans (who have some of the best photoshop abilities on the web) to come up with some great shit.

 

[Rizza]

Sonnen is medically suspended, so he won't be able to have enough time to train and be ready for this fight. Suddenly, Demian Maia seems like the most logical choice to fight Anderson Silva in Abu Dhabi. I'm bummed out about this. I wanted to see this fight so badly, as it truly featured the top two middleweights in the division. The only two top middleweights that aren't tied up or medically suspended are Demian Maia and Sexyama.

I doubt that he fights on the 112 card, since Sonnen can't step in, then I guess we just wait till Vitor gets better or Sonnen is cleared. For real, I'm a big as Demian Maia fan you can find, and while a part of me would love to see him get his shot at Silva, the realistic part of me doesn't want to see Maia get destroyed when he can't get the fight to the ground. Jesus Christ, I hope they don't just give A. Silva a LHW just so he can get on the card though, I am just fine with waiting for Belfort or Sonnen(or Maia if he is ready)to step up to the plate.

Couture is signed to fight Rich Franklin in Vancouver

For real? I have heard nothing about this, but this is like a fucking dream fight to me, Couture and Franklin both fall in my top 5 favorite fighters of all time list. While Couture is higher up on the list, I will be pulling for Franklin all the way. I don't think Rich is as quite done as people made him out to be after the Belfort fight. While Randy(though looking good at 46), is pretty much on his last round of fights. Plus Rich snapping Randy's 2 fight streak will look great on him and, might put him back on the map.

I have seen a few of the Koscheck photos, they are funny as hell. For more, just google "Shoop that Koscheck" it should find you a couple.

 

[jmt225]

For real? I have heard nothing about this, but this is like a fucking dream fight to me, Couture and Franklin both fall in my top 5 favorite fighters of all time list.

I share the exact same enthusiasm.

The day before yesterday the rumor floating around was that Randy Couture was going to move back up to Heavyweight and fight Brock Lesnar again, with the winner of that getting a fight against the winner of Mir/Carwin. I wanted to fucking vomit when I heard that nonsense. But yesterday... hearing Franklin vs. Couture was going down, I couldn't be happier with the situation. It's going to be a great fight.

While Couture is higher up on the list, I will be pulling for Franklin all the way. I don't think Rich is as quite done as people made him out to be after the Belfort fight. While Randy(though looking good at 46), is pretty much on his last round of fights. Plus Rich snapping Randy's 2 fight streak will look great on him and, might put him back on the map.

I completely agree, man.

I don't like to use the term "fluke" in MMA, but the Vitor Belfort knockout on Franklin was just that: A fucking fluke, and perhaps the biggest fluke in the sport's history. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Rich Franklin redeem himself in this fight. Cannot wait.

 

[jmt225]

Surprise, surprise... Alistair Overeem is fighting some no-name for the April Strikeforce card. Shocking, huh?

Also, Bobby Lashley has said he doesn't want to fight Brett Rogers. No, check out this fine logic... he says he wants to either fight low level fighters and build himself up slowly, or jump right in and fight the best of the best, naming Overeem and Fedor. How ******ed is that? Seriously, Lashley should take the Rogers fight. As I explained already, it's win-win for him, AND Strikeforce. He's being a real bitch right now, and I don't like it.