MMA News and Tidbits

[Frozentrash75]

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.

Yeah that is pretty stupid i mean i like Lashley but with that statement he is making about as much sense as a four year old. Just fight Rogers you douche nozzle seriously i mean you aren't entitled to fight a Fedor i mean i would watch it but you aren't getting Fedor so just fight Rogers it's still a bigger name and not a scrub. If your not going to take the fights you are given then go back to TNA and fight fucking Scott Steiner.

 

[INDYjon22]

Yeah that is pretty stupid i mean i like Lashley but with that statement he is making about as much sense as a four year old. Just fight Rogers you douche nozzle seriously i mean you aren't entitled to fight a Fedor i mean i would watch it but you aren't getting Fedor so just fight Rogers it's still a bigger name and not a scrub. If your not going to take the fights you are given then go back to TNA and fight fucking Scott Steiner.

Well I will not adhere to this Scott Steiner bashing but I agree. Lashley sounds like a clown saying he doesn't want to fight Rogers. Correct me if I am wrong but Rogers did just go to the second round with Fedor if I remember right. That alone makes him better then Lashley until they fight and Lashley proves the world otherwise. Lashley needs to sack up or step off.

 

[Rizza]

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

Damn it, As much as I love Overeem, this is getting ridiculous, he needs to stop fight ducking man, didn't he duck a fight with AA for Dynamite 2009? For real, I hate fucking fight duckers, the only thing that keeping me such a big Overeem fan is the way he is just destroying when he fights. The dude could legitimately take out everyone in Strikeforces HW division besides Fedor, bar none. Since it is some no name I assume it isn't for the title. You got a source man? I would love to read more about this, I tried google but to no avail.

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.

Jesus Christ, Lashley is out of his fucking mind, he either wants to A.) fight people no one gives a shit about, and gains nothing from it (Jason Guida, Sapp, Sims), or he wants to B.) fight the debatable greatest of all time in Fedor, or the champ in Overeem. Why doesn't he take a fight that he is not completely expected to win, or one he is expected to get dominated. At this point, he will gain nothing from beating cans, and he will gain nothing by getting exposed by the top names. He should take the fight with Rogers and prove that he is deserving to be mentioned with the top guys. IMO though, I wouldn't have him fight Rogers yet, I would rather see him fight Shane Del Rosario as originally planned, or better yet fight Bigfoot Silva, and If he wins one of those, then make a fight with Rogers, because honestly I think that fight could be a whole lot bigger then it would be if it happened now.

 

[jmt225]

In rather hilarious news, the Ohio State Athletic Commission turned down a bout proposal for Wes Sims vs. Tim Sylvia. The Commission ruled the bout "non-competitive." Sylvia's new opponent is Brandon Lee Hinkle, a professional boxer who lasted 4 rounds against Chris Tuscherer.

You know, it's really sad how far Sylvia has sunk these past two years. I mean, think about it... it was just TWO years ago he was headlining UFC 81, and took Big Nog to 3 competitive rounds before getting subbed. And it was only a year and a half ago where he headlined Affliction and fought the #1 Ranked Heavyweight in the World, and today... he's not even worth a fight against a bum like Wes Sims. Has anyone ever sunk so low so fast? Jesus...

 

[INDYjon22]

In rather hilarious news, the Ohio State Athletic Commission turned down a bout proposal for Wes Sims vs. Tim Sylvia. The Commission ruled the bout "non-competitive." Sylvia's new opponent is Brandon Lee Hinkle, a professional boxer who lasted 4 rounds against Chris Tuscherer.

You know, it's really sad how far Sylvia has sunk these past two years. I mean, think about it... it was just TWO years ago he was headlining UFC 81, and took Big Nog to 3 competitive rounds before getting subbed. And it was only a year and a half ago where he headlined Affliction and fought the #1 Ranked Heavyweight in the World, and today... he's not even worth a fight against a bum like Wes Sims. Has anyone ever sunk so low so fast? Jesus...

Well I am not a Tim Sylvia fan but it is eye opening to see how fast someone can fall from glory. But, once a pro mised martial artist gets knocked out by Ray Mercer in an MMA fight, this sort of thing is bound to happen. I think they should schedule him against Wes Sims because quiet frankly he stands a much better chance of winning. He has already been knocked out once in his own sport by a boxer, and now he is going to fight another. I'll just let the smiley depict my feelings about this.

 

[INDYjon22]

UFC President Dana White had the opportunity to play impromptu matchmaker following Wanderlei Silva’s middleweight debut victory against Michael Bisping at UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia.

At the post-fight press conference, White said Yoshihiro Akiyama has repeatedly requested a bout with Silva, who was a former Pride 205-pound champion and massive star in Japan, where Akiyama hails from.

“Akiyama wants to fight Wanderlei very bad,” said White. “It’s a big fight that he wants. We offered him another fight and he said he wants Wanderlei.”

White said he’d wait for the battling Brazilian to heal before discussing the bout, but Silva left little to contemplate, stating later that he’d also like to face the ethnic Korean in his next bout.

Silva’s Sunday victory over Bisping stalled the fighter’s slide in the UFC since returning to the promotion in December 2007. Silva is 2-3 in his second UFC run, which includes defeats to Chuck Liddell, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rich Franklin. The 34-year-old Las Vegas resident is 3-5 overall for the promotion.

The 34-year-old Akiyama earned a split decision against Alan Belcher in his Octagon debut at UFC 100 last July. A former K-1 HERO’s light heavyweight champion, Akiyama holds key victories over Melvin Manhoef and Denis Kang.

A bout between Silva and Akiyama would generate massive interest from Japan, where both fighters have had fruitful careers.

This fight needs to happen. End of story. It would be an absolute war and the UFC would make some big money off of it. It has been talked about before around here and hopefully Dana and Joe Silva will get this fight done. Wandy looked terrific last night in his victory over Bisping and even though we have yet to see Akyama back in the ring he looked really good in his win over Alan "The Overrated Talent" Belcher. I really hope this fight goes down because it could solidify another legitimate challenger for the Middleweight title as well.

 

[jmt225]

Just a couple of random tidbits:

- Strikeforce's April CBS show has now been moved to Showtime, and the May card will happen on CBS. The April card will feature two title bouts in Jake Shields (champion) vs. Dan Henderson for the Middleweight Championship, and Gergard Mousasi vs. Gegard Mousasi (champion) vs. Muhammad Lawal for the Light Heavyweight Championship. Fedor vs. Werdum will headline the CBS show, though no other fights have been announced for that show. I find it interesting that CBS is putting all its stock into Fedor. All the Fedor haters can now shut the fuck up about the man not being a draw, because if CBS is willing to cancel two title fights just because Fedor needed an extra month, that shows just how much faith they have in his drawing ability.

- Rumors have been flying around that EliteXC is making a return... those are not true. ProElite is coming back in some capacity, but EliteXC is dead and will remain so.

- Tim Sylvia could perhaps be heading to Japan soon, and fighting some "high quality" opponents. Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett are the fighters Sylvia is claiming to want. If he gets a fight against either one of them, then may Sylvia RIP.

 

[jmt225]

CroCop's next opponent has been announced for UFC 115: Pat Barry.

Very, very good match-up, though I'm kind of torn. CroCop is my fucking guy, but I've had high hopes for Pat Barry for quite a while now. For one, he's from New Orleans and went to LSU, so there's that stupid hometown thing, but also I think he's pretty damn good. He's a kickboxer, with a 5-1 MMA record (2-1 in the UFC), and has just shown a ton of potential so far in his short career.

Regardless of being torn, this fight should be GREAT. Both of these guys LOVE the headkicks, so hopefully we'll get a brutal one in this fight. Moreover, you have a guy looking for something to prove (CroCop looked like the stalker of old in his last fight, so let's see if he becomes that in a fight against a legit professional kickboxer, rather than a BJJ artist) going up against a young hot-shot looking to make something out of himself in the UFC. Very much looking forward to this.

 

[INDYjon22]

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski signed a multi-fight, 16-month contract with Strikeforce on Monday, according to sources close to the negotiations.

Arlovski is likely to face one-time EliteXC champion Antonio Silva on May 15 in St. Louis, Mo., in his sophomore effort with the promotion, Sherdog.com has learned. Arlovski appeared on 10 days’ notice for Strikeforce last June as part of a co-promotional effort with Affliction Entertainment. Brett Rogers shocked the 31-year-old Belarusian out of the gate with a 22-second knockout victory.

Arlovski hasn’t competed in MMA since, but boxed a four-round exhibition against former heavyweight contender Fres Oquendo last Saturday in Miami for “The Consequences Charity.”

Arlovski plans to spend a part of his training camp for his next opponent at Greg Jackson’s MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M. Arlovski visited the camp and its sister facility, Grudge Training Center, in Denver, last November. The schools are homebase to Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, Shane Carwin and others.

Arlovski, who trains boxing under Mike Garcia and Team Pitbull in Chicago, was victorious in his debut for Affliction in July 2008, as he knocked out Ben Rothwell in impressive third-round fashion. The former Sambo champion bolstered his stock with a second-round knockout over former IFL champion Roy Nelson the following October when he was loaned out to EliteXC for a bout that aired on CBS.

The victory, Arlovski’s fifth in a row, set up a showdown with No. 1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, who knocked Arlovski out with a blistering right overhand as he rushed in with a dicey flying knee late in the first frame.

Arlovski, went 11-4 in the UFC between 2000-2008. He earned key victories against Vladimir Matyushenko, Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello, Marcio Cruz, and Fabricio Werdum. His only losses in the Octagon came to Pedro Rizzo, Ricco Rodriguez and Sylvia (twice).

Strikeforce’s next event will air live April 17 on CBS, as middleweight champion Jake Shields defends his title against top-5 ranked challenger Dan Henderson.

Naturally I am fucking ecstatic about this news. I am so glad he finally inked a contract with a major company and am even more excited bout it being Strikeforce. Some of you may say he is on the downslide of his career, which he may be, but he is a great addition to their Heavyweight division. Even if he plays a gatekeeper role he will be great in it. He will easily be the measuring stick for real challengers and fakes. Besides I think his recent move to Greg Jackson may be just what the doctor ordered for his career. I am so fucking pumped to see him fight.

 

[kingdirrtysouth1]

Champ Alistair Overeem confirms May 15 Strikeforce fight with Brett Rogers
by Steven Marrocco on Mar 01, 2010 at 7:05 pm ET
Alistair Overeem (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) wants American fans to get ready. There are no more obstacles in the way of his American MMA career; Strikeforce is the priority for 2010.

In an exclusive interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said he is likely to meet Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) in a non-title fight on an as-yet-unannounced card set for May 15 in St. Louis, Mo.

Although Strikeforce has not placed an event permit request to the Missouri State Athletic Commission, all signs point to a second trip to the 22,000-seat Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The promotion made its first visit there this past June for "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler."

Overeem announced the Rogers fight earlier today on his Twitter account but clarified that the matchup is not confirmed. He also added that a rumored appearance at DREAM.13 against Neil Grove or Josh Barnett is also unconfirmed.

"I'll know this week," he said.

Keeping up with the Dutch fighter's schedule has proven a difficult task for American fans. Overeem was slated to face Rogers at "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler" in 2009 before he injured his hand in an Amsterdam nightclub brawl and suffered severe complications, which he said shelved him for a follow-up appearance two months later against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."

Just 11 days after the proposed Werdum fight, Overeem entered the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix and made two appearances for the kickboxing promotion before he lost to Badr Hari in the tournament's semifinals. Along the way, he picked up two MMA wins (via submission over Tony Sylvester and James Thompson) before he defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in his most recent appearance at the Dec. 31 "Dynamite!! 2009" event in Japan.

Overeem has not defended his title since November 2007, when he won the vacant belt by defeating Paul Buentello at "Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives."

Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, said his fighter made far more money competing for K-1 and assured American fans he will return in April or May. Boon, though, would not confirm the Rogers bout.

Meanwhile, Overeem said he hopes to fight in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix but that Strikeforce obligations come first.

"If I can do K-1 after these fights or in between, that's OK, but if not, then I will go for Strikeforce," he said. "It's been too long. Last year was a good year in K-1, but this year, I want to fight in MMA."

The chance of a long-rumored fight with Fedor Emelianenko appears to be a long shot. Emelianenko will not appear on Strikeforce's second CBS-televised event, which is set for April 17 in Nashville, Tenn., and he is currently in a contract dispute with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion. He is rumored to be fighting on the May 15 card against an unnamed opponent.

While Overeem counts the top-ranked Russian among his targets stateside, there is too much red tape between them.

"Fedor doesn't want to fight," Overeem said. "His manager doesn't want to fight. That's basically the message I'm getting out of all of this. The management said, 'Yeah, we want to fight Alistair, but first, Alistair must fight somebody else.' Basically, you need two parties to agree on a fight. Otherwise it's not going to happen.

"And now, I don't know what is going to happen because I think [Fedor] might want to leave Strikeforce. I'm not really occupied with the situation; I'm just focused on myself and my training."

Overeem was more than happy, though, to take on Rogers, who has called him out on several occasions and demanded he defend his title or give up the belt.

"He's an excellent opponent," Overeem said. "I'm looking forward to [smacking] his face and his loud mouth. I'm really happy that Strikeforce came with this fight so now we can settle things once and for all."

Rogers manager, Mike Reilly, declined to comment on a potential fight between Rogers and Overeem.

"I don't think it's going to be for the title because [Brett] lost to Fedor," Overeem said. "He’s coming off a loss, so I don't think they're going to put it for the title, but it's up to the promotion."

Rogers fights for the first time since his November loss to Emelianenko at Strikeforce's first CBS-televised event. The TKO defeat snapped his 10-fight win streak (all of the wins came via stoppage due to strikes), which included Strikeforce victories over Abongo Humphrey and Andrei Arlovski.

After a long absence, Overeem intends to prove his critics wrong and make his mark once again in the U.S.

"If people take the time to look what the situation is, there's no secrets; there's no strange stuff going on," he said. "I can look you in the face and answer your questions. Then they'll see that things turn out the way they turn out.

"There are no obstacles for me."

This guy is full of shit & his title is worthless! He should have been stripped a long time ago! I hope Rogers beats the shit out of him! Cung Le finally got back into the cage, there's no reason why he can't do the same! I'll be convinced this fight is going down in May AFTER somebody's hand is raised!

 

[jmt225]

Andrei Arlovski - Definitely great news. Happy to see him give that boxing shit up and get back in MMA. Looks like his first fight is going to be against Big Silva... easy win for Arlovski, IMO. On the feet he's loads better, and on the ground he's good enough to keep Big Silva from dominating him there. As long as he can keep that fucking chin tucked in, he should be fine.

Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers - Very, very excited for this fight. Alistair FINALLY makes his return to the USA! Yes, he's full of shit south, but man it's going to be great to watch him fight again, especially against a worthy contender like Brett Rogers.

And lastly, to add to the Strikeforce news, they announced that Gilbert Melendez will defend his Strikeforce Lightweight Title against Shinya Aoki on the CBS show in April. That's going to be AWESOME. Absolutely cannot wait.

 

[jmt225]

Some numbers came out today... not looking too good for the UFC.

UFC 110 had between 215,000-240,000 buys, which is just awful. It finished behind both UFC 108 and UFC 109 in buyrates (and those cards were terrible).

While, WEC 47 drew a 0.46 rating, which was down by 42% from WEC 46.

YIKES! With all the injuries and what not recently, I think that was turning quite a few people off from the sport. But, the bright side is that the UFC has some huge cards coming up later this month, which should more than make up for this atrocity.

GSP headlined cards always draw well, while the next Fight Night on Spike and the UFC's Live show on Versus are both stacked for free cards. TUF 11 also starts the night of the Fight Night show.

So, hopefully this has just been a bad couple of months for the UFC and not an indication of how things are going to start looking in the future.

 

[Via Armbar]

Love what you said about Fedor and his drawing ability jmt. People that think Fedor can't draw are fucking idiots. He drew impressive numbers with his last fight and I gaurentee it will increase with his fight against Werdum. Tiger Woods isn't ripped and has the personality of a dish rag, yet he's one of the most famous atheletes in the world. I know mma and golf are completely different, but people like characters. Fedor is definitely a character, and the general masses will learn to love the last emperor. He's a really likeable guy, not to mention to best fighter to ever live.

I've always liked Arlovski. I don't think he's on the tail end of his career like many would say, I think he just isn't evolving fast enough with the sport. He still has arguably the best boxing at heavyweight. The rest of his game just hasn't progressed to the level it needs to in order to maintain his contendership. He's still going to be a great fighter to watch and a challenge to everyone, but unless he can balance his overall game, their may not be a next level for him.

 

[jmt225]

Some very strange/interesting rumors came out today regarding Tito Ortiz and the TUF 11 show. Warning though... these could possibly include spoilers.

Anyway, right now rumors are flying that Tito Ortiz quit the show before it ended, and that because of this... his future in the UFC is uncertain at this point. Moreover, it is said that Rich Franklin came in, and finished coaching Tito's team for the rest of the season, and also that UFC 115 will be headlined with Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell, instead of Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell.

Again, these are just rumors, but if they're true... then holy fuck. First of all, this would be the first time a coach has ever left The Ultimate Fighter before the season ended, so that'll be interesting to witness, to say the least.

Secondly, Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin is a very neat fight. You have two guys who used to dominate their divisions, both having trouble picking up victories lately, going one-on-one. It would feel like a 'Loser Leaves Town' type of match. And personally, I see Rich Franklin kicking Liddell's ass.

Tito Ortiz.. man, could he burn any more bridges, if this is true? Like, what the fuck is going on with him? It might to be something serious, but the fact that he's kept his mouth shut about everything also keeps me from buying this as being a serious ordeal. Maybe he got injured, or maybe the UFC wanted to do something different with him, than having him fight Liddell again.

And lastly, if Franklin vs. Liddell is happening at UFC 115, then Rich Franklin vs. Randy Couture is off for June, which of course then leaves open Couture to fight James Toney, like he has requested.

Very, very interesting stuff. I'll definitely keep track of it all. Can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

 

[INDYjon22]

Some very strange/interesting rumors came out today regarding Tito Ortiz and the TUF 11 show. Warning though... these could possibly include spoilers.

Anyway, right now rumors are flying that Tito Ortiz quit the show before it ended, and that because of this... his future in the UFC is uncertain at this point. Moreover, it is said that Rich Franklin came in, and finished coaching Tito's team for the rest of the season, and also that UFC 115 will be headlined with Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell, instead of Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell.

Again, these are just rumors, but if they're true... then holy fuck. First of all, this would be the first time a coach has ever left The Ultimate Fighter before the season ended, so that'll be interesting to witness, to say the least.

Secondly, Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin is a very neat fight. You have two guys who used to dominate their divisions, both having trouble picking up victories lately, going one-on-one. It would feel like a 'Loser Leaves Town' type of match. And personally, I see Rich Franklin kicking Liddell's ass.

Tito Ortiz.. man, could he burn any more bridges, if this is true? Like, what the fuck is going on with him? It might to be something serious, but the fact that he's kept his mouth shut about everything also keeps me from buying this as being a serious ordeal. Maybe he got injured, or maybe the UFC wanted to do something different with him, than having him fight Liddell again.

And lastly, if Franklin vs. Liddell is happening at UFC 115, then Rich Franklin vs. Randy Couture is off for June, which of course then leaves open Couture to fight James Toney, like he has requested.

Very, very interesting stuff. I'll definitely keep track of it all. Can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

Something interesting to note also is that sometime in the last week, I forget exactly, it was hinted at that Tito and Jenna Jameson may be splitting up as a couple. Now I don't know if this could be a reason for him possibly leaving the show or not but it is something to note. Tito has a lot of shit going in his life right now, which is unfortunate, but if it is true that he just quiet the show then that is some seriously unprofessional shit. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Dana canned his ass over something like this. However, I guess we will have to watch the show to figure out what exactly happened. I for one am excited.

As for Franklin versus Chuck, what can be said? I love both of these guys since they were dominate and in their primes when I began watching. It would be a legend versus legend fight much like the Big Nog/Couture fight, at least in my eyes. I see the fight being the final fight for Chuck if he loses but I don't think Franklin is going anywhere, unless he retires. I would be shocked to see the UFC cut him. This fight should be fun to watch. I expect Franklin to win by KO and return to his gate keeping role in the UFC.

 

[jmt225]

Well, Dana White denies it all. He tweeted that none of its true.

However, Sherdog still has it on their mainpage that Liddell/Franklin is happening.

Of course you want to believe the actual owner of the UFC, but Sherdog would not be reporting this if they didn't firmly believed it to be accurate. And Sherdog has a great history record when it comes to reporting MMA news (they were the first to break it when Barnett failed his drug test). Also, Dana could be trying to keep it quiet for some reason or another.

It's all quite strange. Hopefully we get some answers in the upcoming days.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Didn't see this mentioned yet, but Roger Huerta signed with Bellator, and will take part in the big Lightweight Tournament they're putting on. He's undoubtedly the heavy favorite now to win it. Huerta is still young and loaded with potential, and I think that he's on another level as far as the rest of the competitors in the tournament go. It's a good situation for both Huerta and Bellator. Bellator gets a big name they can hang their hat on with Huerta. They can basically build their promotion around him now. Also, if everything works out and Huerta wins the tournament, they'll have Huerta vs. Eddie Alvarez for the Lightweight Title, which is a huge superfight.

It's good for Huerta as well. He can rebuild his reputation, which has taken a major hit in the last couple years. He's gone from being a major lightweight prospect to being just another guy. He also wants to focus on acting still as well. With Bellator operating in "seasons" and not year-round, he can go ahead and train hard for this "season", and then spend the rest of his time doing whatever he wants outside of the sport. In the meantime, he has to fight - a lot - if he intends to win this tournament. At the very least, some of the grumblings about him being lazy will go away.

I think this is great for MMA fans as well. A lot of hardcore fans feel like the best lightweights really fight outside of the UFC and that Eddie Alvarez should be mentioned in the same dimension of someone like BJ Penn. And even though Alvarez is a real good fighter, the only real "names" that he's fought are Joachim Hansen and Shinya Aoki. Huerta is a legitimate second-tier UFC lightweight. If this fight goes down, and he wins, it will actually really do wonders for the UFC because it will show how strong their lightweight class really is.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

According to Dana, Rampage signed a six fight deal with the UFC.

"Rampage and I are friends again now. I was mad at him because of what he's done, and he was mad at me because I was mad at him [smile]. No, we just renewed Rampage's contract... It's a 6 fight contract."

I used to be a huge Rampage fan, but I kind of started to dislike him back when he couldn't work with the UFC to make the Rashad fight go on as planned, and then he came out and started talking all sorts of shit about the UFC and Dana, and how he felt like he was never going to fight again. Then came his awful coaching job on TUF when he didn't actually coach his guys. Then he came out and started talking shit about not getting a shot at the title, when it was widely known that he was hurt and wouldn't be able to fight at UFC 98 against Rashad. Then he was offered a title shot at Machida, and he said he wanted Rashad instead.

I'm glad this news has come out though. I don't like Rashad Evans. I think he's cocky and arrogant, and I wanted Rampage to punch his head off after that altercation they had. I was afraid that for the Rashad fight, it would really be his last UFC fight and he'd be unmotivated. Now, with him getting a six fight deal, chances are the winner of the Rashad and Rampage fight will get the next title shot. I think with Rampage motivated and wanting to stay in the UFC for the long haul, he'll be motivated to beat Rashad now, and that fight is going to be a lot of fun.

 

[jmt225]

I think this is great news.

Rampage looks extremely out of shape right now, and I was worried that he wasn't going to take the last two fights on his contract seriously. However, signing a 6-fight contract tells me that he's truly ready to get back into the mix in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division, and will give it his all against Rashad Evans. So that's great, great news, and I'm now really looking forward to their fight.

And I'm also with Guy that throughout TUF 10 I became less of a fan of Rampage, when beforehand he was one of my favorite personalities in MMA. On the show he came off as obnoxious rather than funny/charming like he usually does. But, honestly... if he comes back, kicks some ass, and becomes the Rampage will all know and love, then I'm pretty sure everyone, including myself, will let bygones be bygones. So, I am hoping for the best for Rampage.

 

[jmt225]

Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, along with Brock Lesnar's return, are set for UFC 116 in July.

Seriously, who will not be ordering that show? I know I am!

Wandy vs. Sexyama is going to be AWESOME. It's a fight I've wanted to see for a long, long time now. Not sure though who exactly I'm rooting for, or who I think will win it; at least, not yet, anyway.

And of course... Brock fucking Lesnar making his return is going to be HUGE. His opponent I think will be determined with this Saturday's card. If either Mir and Carwin win in decisive, devastating fashion... then you know that person will receive the shot at Lesnar in July. However, if it's a really shitty fight and basically everyone loses including the fans, then I see Cain Velasquez getting his opportunity at Lesnar. Certainly cannot wait to find out.

 

[INDYjon22]

Reports are coming out that Thiago Alves is out for the UFC card this weekend. From all reports I have heard he had an irregular CAT scan and had to withdraw. This leaves Jon Fitch without an opponent, though he still wants to fight. Fitch is always up for a fight and it would be a shame for him to come all this way and not get to fight at all, even if it would be against a scrub. Hopefully the UFC can find a suitable replacement for Saturday. Also, I fucking knew Thiago Alves was going to pull out before this fight happened. I didn't know how but I knew he would. Hopefully this irregular CAT scan turns out to be nothing and he can resume his fight career.

 

[jmt225]

According to interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin, who is fresh off a first round knock out destruction of Frank Mir at UFC 111 this past weekend, he was very close to not stepping into the cage at all:

"The week leading into this fight was hectic. I was unable to get cleared based on the medical records I submitted so I spent a good part of one of the media days in the Dr.'s office. I was able to pass the MRI/MRA that was initially in question but the doctors located a new problem. Apparently there was concern that one of the vessels in my brain looked as if it was connected on one end but not the other. The Dr. told me it could be that or it could be a vessel that was widening or ballooning but they could not really tell and needed a better test. It sounded serious and I wanted to fight so I agreed to the test, which involved CT Angiography (CTA). They had to set up an IV and inject a contrast material in me (containing iodine) and named off some possible side effects, this was all fine, but not when you are less than a couple of days out from a fight. The dye made me pretty sick for about the next 24 hours. I was thankful they were being so thorough, but it could not have come at a worse time."

Man, I hope he turns out to be okay. It'll really be a shame to see his career end like this, when he's on the verge of getting the biggest opportunity of his life.

It's just odd though that something like this happened to TWO fighters before UFC 111. I mean, they must've used doctors for the lead up to this event that they never had before, to get two situations like this, to two of the UFC's biggest fighters. But, it is for the best. Like I said... I just hope it's not too serious.

Nevertheless, if Shane is unable to fight again, whether if it's by July or never, then Brock Lesnar will still need an opponent for the UFC 116 show, and I don't think there's any other option at this point than Cain Velasquez. So, it'll be interesting to see what becomes of this.

 

[jmt225]

There is a rumor floating around now that suggest that Randy Couture will fight Chuck Liddell for the 4th time in the co-main event at UFC 116.

I absolutely could not be more against this. For One, a forth fight of any kind is overkill, especially with the way the last two panned out. And for two, Couture has won his last two fights at LHW, Liddell has lost his last two... why the fuck does Liddell deserve a shot at someone the caliber of Couture right now?

Seriously, it's getting to the point where I'm like fuck Chuck Liddell. If you can't match him up against mediocre fighters where he currently belongs, then don't book him period. Make him retire, because all this is doing is wasting fights for people who need big victories, and sadly... defeating Chuck Liddell today is NOT big deal. It's a big deal maybe for someone on a losing streak, but not for someone on a roll.

This makes absolutely no sense, and I badly hope there's not any truth to this rumor at all.

 

[Mufasa]

Couture's last two victories weren't really impressive to me. He hugged Brandon until time expired and beat 2010 Coleman. The Coleman fight was just about name value of both fighters. I don't see how either fight really improved his standing. I won't see Couture as being on a hot streak until he finishes someone relevant in an impressive fashion.

I don't hate the idea of Chuck and Randy at going at it again, but I wouldn't want it to be the fight headlining the show, which sadly it would be.

 

[INDYjon22]

Following his second straight loss with the organization, six-fight UFC veteran Paul Buentello has reportedly been released from his UFC contract.

Buentello is in the twilight of a long and illustrious 13-year career, however, he still would provide a solid pick-up for a mid-tier or established promotion. But don't expect Buentello to land with Strikeforce again, as Strikeforce President Scott Coker took a parting shot at the veteran heavyweight in an e-mail confirming Buentello's release in September.

"We offered Paul a six-figure contract to fight Fedor, but he turned it down," said Coker. "His decision is understandable considering Fedor's level of skill but, at the same time, Paul didn't really fit into our plans. He's been a solid journeyman fighter and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."

Buentello has often been labeled a gatekeeper and could serve a measuring point for up-and-comers as well as be matched up with fellow veterans in the sport. Buentello's crowd pleasing fighting style of wanting to stand and bang with his opponent is a promoter's dream.

Since returning to the UFC following a 5-1 stint for notable promotions Affliction and Strikeforce from October 2006 to January 2009, Buentello went 0-2 in the UFC in what was his second tour with the promotion.

Buentello suffered a majority decision loss in his return Octagon bout against Stefan Struve at UFC 107 in December. He was most recently defeated by Cheick Kongo via third round submission at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21.

Buentello exits the UFC with an even 3-3 record, putting together a near perfect 3-1 mark in a previous stint with the promotion from February of 2005 to February of 2006. He scored Octagon wins over the late Justin Eilers and Gilbert Aldana, as well as Kevin Jordan over that span with his only other UFC loss came from Andrei Arlovski in a UFC heavyweight title bout at UFC 55.

"The Headhunter" has competed for other notable promotions throughout his career such as International Fighting Championship, Rumble on the Rock, Extreme Challenge and King of the Cage.

He has put together a 27-12 MMA record since making his pro debut in April 2007, scoring stoppages in all but one of his 27 wins including 17 by TKO or KO. Buentello holds other notable career wins David "Tank" Abbott, Kirill Sidelnikov, Mike Kyle, Bobby Hoffman and Gary Goodridge.

Well this is no real surprise. I have always been a Paul Buentello fan but the guy is a shell of his former self. Watching him get beat on by Cheick Kongo was kind of hard to watch at times and I think Paul needs to start thinking about hanging up the gloves. He has been a great journeyman and a fun fighter to watch over the years but those days are long gone now. I still think he can have some good fights on the smaller circuits but there is no way he will be fighting any truly big fights unless Strikeforce decides to sign him as a jobber to someone like Lashley. Fair the well Mr. Buentello, your knock out lose to Andrei Arlovski is still one of my favorites.