MMA Interplay

UFC welterweight Thiago Alves wants payback — first for Fitch, then St. Pierre

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:02:50 +0000

Quoteworthy:

“I’m thrilled and already prepared. I’ve been waiting for this fight for four years and now I got the chance for the revenge. I like revenges. It’s time to payback. I think I was too young when we fought. I wasn’t new in the sport but was in UFC. This American system of losing weight, everything else… Nowadays, I’m a totally different fighter. I learned a lot and I am more experienced and a much better fighter when it comes to standing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu… It couldn’t be a better time. I’m coming off a loss and I want to go back to the winners list. Beating Fitch, I will fight for the belt again. I want to take him on, and go after the belt, no matter who holds it. I think Saint Pierre is going to win but you never know. If it’s Dan Hardy, I’ll take the belt from him and get the revange with St. Pierre next.”

Brazilian striking sensation Thiago Alves has been hard at work over at American Top Team in an effort to return to his number one contendership status in the UFC’s welterweight division. In order to do that, Alves must avenge the loss he suffered to Jon Fitch four years ago when the two meet at UFC 111 on March 27 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. So what do we think? Will Alves get the revenge he so desperately craves against Jon Fitch and Georges St. Pierre? Or is Fitch the guy who is gonna be propelled back on the path to another shot at welterweight gold?

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMA Mania

Spike TV replays UFC 108 PPV event tonight

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:02:40 +0000

A replay of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first event of 2010, “UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva,” re-airs tonight on Spike TV at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The event initially aired on pay-per-view and took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Featured bouts from the event, which had been decimated by injuries in the months leading up to fight night, included Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva, Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett, and Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

Despite altitude, UFC on Versus 1’s Shannon Gugerty never balked at Clay Guida fight

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:35:59 +0000

It’s a daunting proposition to fight UFC lightweight Clay Guida at sea level, but to fight him at a mile high? You’ve got to have guts.

Shannon Gugerty was depressed after a second-round submission loss to Terry Etim this past November at UFC 105 and needed a new challenge, quickly.

“I just wanted to get back into the gym as soon as possible and get another fight,” said Gugerty, who now meets the high-energy lightweight this weekend at UFC on Versus 1.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

Ray Mercer vs. Ron Sparks set for April 16 King of the Cage event in Michigan

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:23:48 +0000

Olympic gold medalist and former world champion boxer Ray Mercer will put on the four-ounce gloves once again on April 16 and face
undefeated super heavyweight Ron Sparks at a recently announced King of the Cage event at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

The matchup was announced on the most recent edition of HDNet’s “Inside MMA,” and the same network will air the event’s main card.

Mercer is best known to MMA fans as the man who knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at a June 2009 Adrenaline MMA event, while Sparks has fought exclusively on the local circuits since his 2006 debut.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

UFC Quick Quote: Frankie Edgar is used to fighting outside — though it usually goes down at the Jersey Shore

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:11:01 +0000

“It’s great to be recognized by the UFC as the No. 1 contender. I put a lot of work into this. It’s midnight right now and I left my house at 5:30 in the morning and I won’t be home until after midnight. I work hard and I think I deserve it… By the time nighttime rolls in Abu Dhabi (the card begins at 9 p.m.) it should be a comfortable temperature… Being in the desert, it might be a little drier than I’m used to. But I’m going to go out there 10 days beforehand to adjust… I’ve fought outdoors before, just mostly in Seaside.”

The challenger to UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn’s crown at UFC 112, Frankie Edgar, talked to APP.com about his number one contendership status and the potential obstacles that fighting outside in Abu Dhabi can present. While some people believe that Edgar isn’t quite deserving of a title fight at this point, “The Answer” trusts in his abilities and feels as though the shot is rightfully his. And though UFC 112 is set to take place outdoors on April 10 in Abu Dhabi for the first time in the promotion’s history, Frankie says the adjustment won’t take much getting used to as he has already thrown down under the moonlight before… though most of the action has taken place in Seaside Heights. So will fighting outdoors be a problem for either guy in the lightweight title bout? And if so, who has the advantage in previous outdoor fighting experience — B.J. Penn in his tropical paradise of Hawaii, or Frankie Edgar getting dirty at “The Shore?”

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMA Mania

UFC 111’s Mir says Carwin more dangerous than Lesnar, OK if Velasquez gets first crack

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:41:09 +0000

After splitting a pair of bouts with UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, former title holder Frank Mir has made little effort to hide his current motivation.

As such, some have labeled Mir a “stalker” because of his singular focus on a rubber match with the champ.

Nevertheless, Mir carries on in search of facing Lesnar once again. But standing in his way at UFC 111 is undefeated challenger Shane Carwin, who Mir says may actually be a tougher opponent.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

Hardy predicts UFC 111 finish, but he’ll let St-Pierre decide which round

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:02:38 +0000

UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy won’t bring too many surprises to the cage when he faces champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC
111 on March 27.

The British slugger’s striking attack has earned him a perfect mark in the UFC, so why change things now?

In fact, Hardy said the only surprise will be finding out what round he knocks out his Canadian foe, and “The Outlaw” is just fine with letting St-Pierre choose his own fate.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

UFC on Versus 1’s Paul Buentello talks ‘huge move’ to Grudge Training Center

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:31:06 +0000

Heading into his UFC 107 contest with Stefan Struve, much of the talk surrounding Paul Buentello’s training camp – or rather, his lack of one.

Forced out of his normal routine at California’s American Kickboxing Academy, Buentello scrambled to find a suitable training home.

But as his UFC on Versus 1 bout with Cheick Kongo approaches, little word has escaped about where “The Headhunter” was getting ready. Buentello recently said there’s a reason for that.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

Bellator calls Monday press conference, expected to announce signing of Roger Huerta

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:09:26 +0000

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Roger Huerta (20-3-1 MMA, 0-0 Bellator) is set to test his mettle in Bellator Fighting Championships’ season two eight-man lightweight tournament.

Sources close to the situation confirmed to MMAjunkie.com that the popular lightweight received his formal release from the UFC this week, which opened the door to finalize a deal with the upstart promotion.

Bellator has called a video press conference for Monday at 3 p.m. ET that will stream live at Bellator.com.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

Strikeforce boss sees DREAM co-promotion as key component of future operations

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:53:30 +0000

In the early years of the new millennium, with the UFC struggling for U.S. acceptance and PRIDE in its Japanese heyday, the companies toyed around with the idea of co-promotion through fighter sharing.

The UFC has since changed courses on that thought, and you’re unlikely to see a fighter under Zuffa contract ever appearing in another promotion.

But Strikeforce has recently partnered up with DREAM to exchange fighters across the Pacific Ocean, and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently told MMAjunkie.com that he envisions a flourishing relationship moving forward.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie

White refutes reports, announces Couture vs. Franklin on Twitter

Tim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:15:04 +0000

Rumors ran rampant around Twitter and different MMA sites today that the planned bout between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz was off, and that Liddell would instead face Rich Franklin.

Those rumors were all refuted by one simple tweet from UFC president Dana White.

Ortiz and Liddell are coaches of the upcoming eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The bout will be the third between them, with Liddell winning the first two bouts. Though some sites reported that Tito Ortiz had left the taping of TUF, White said via Twitter that, “Nothing happened to Tito. Tito and I are cool.”

The fight for Franklin will be his first since getting TKOed by Vitor Belfort in September, while Couture is coming off of two wins: a tight decision over Brandon Vera and a rear naked choke of fellow Hall-of-Famer Mark Coleman. White did not say when the bout between Couture and Franklin would happen.

UFC News Credit: Yahoo Sports

Dana White: Randy Couture (not Chuck Liddell) vs Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver

Tim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:53:58 +0000

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (25-5) will not face Chuck Liddell (21-7) at UFC 115 on June 12 in Vancouver despite numerous reports that surfaced earlier today.

On the contrary, “Ace” will headline the show opposite former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, in a 205-pound showdown, according to UFC President Dana White.

In addition, White assured fans that“nothing happened to Tito” and the he and the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” are still “cool,” indicating that he is still set to battle nemesis Chuck Liddell as planned at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11.

More on this breaking news as soon as possible.

In addition to Couture vs. Franklin, UFC 115 is expected to feature a heavyweight mash-up between Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry while welterweights Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago make their case for 170-pound contendership.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMA Mania

Report: Rich Franklin replaces Tito Ortiz against Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver

Tim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:46:29 +0000

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin (25-5) has reportedly agreed to return to the light heavyweight division to face Chuck Liddell (21-7) at UFC 115 in Vancouver after Tito Ortiz was forced to withdraw from the June 12 event for undisclosed reasons.

MMAWeekly confirmed the change in opponents based on an initial report by Fighter’s Only earlier today.

Speculation had been mounting regarding the inclusion of Ortiz for the upcoming Canadian event after “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” and wife Jenna Jameson continued to post discouraging tweets via their official Twitter accounts.

It’s unclear at this time whether or not Ortiz was able to complete his duties as coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 but “Ace” is expected to take his place opposite “The Iceman” in June.

Franklin has been on the sidelines ever since a first round technical knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at last November’s UFC 103 event in Dallas. Despite a narrow victory over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99, the former school teacher went 1-2 in his 2009 fight campaign after losing a close split decision to Dan Henderson to start the year.

While his star may have faded ever since he was obliterated by current division kingpin Anderson Silva in 2006 (and again in 2007), Franklin is still a top level competitor with good hands and an underrated ground game (Ace has never been submitted).

He should prove to be a much stiffer test for the icy one if they indeed square off this June.

Liddell hasn’t competed since a technical knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 97: “Redemption” from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, back in April 2009. In fact, since his last stoppage over Ortiz, he’s only had one victory in five attempts, a gritty unanimous decision win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79 in Dec. 2007.

Company president Dana White tried to convince his good friend and big time money-making machine to hang up the gloves, saying he had made a ton of cash and had nothing left to prove. Liddell — who will be 40 years old by the time his Vancouver fight rolls around — was adamant that he’s still got some fight left in him.

The two-time TUF coach just wanted a little time to “give his brain a rest” — and tear up the dance floor on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Now it’s back to business for the former light heavyweight champion — but he should consider himself on borrowed time if he’s unable to put forth an impressive performance on June 12.

In addition to Liddell vs. Franklin, UFC 115 is expected to feature a heavyweight mash-up between Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry while welterweights Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago make their case for 170-pound contendership.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMA Mania

Who is watching Pacman tonight? HBO says almost none of you

Tim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:08:21 +0000

There’s still a bizarre dynamic between boxing and mixed martial arts. For some reason many boxing head honchos still view MMA as the enemy. Some like Bob Arum even lash out at the growing fanbase by saying the fighters “roll around like homosexuals” and the followers are “skinheads.”

I’ve never gotten it. I never will. There are plenty of fans who like and watch both boxing and MMA. This weekend’s bout, with Manny Pacquiao fighting Joshua Clottey is a prime example. For some reason, HBO pay-per-view chief Mark Taffett continues to claim MMA fans don’t like boxing.

“We’ve done a lot of research at HBO talking to our pay-per-view distributor, we haven’t found more than five percent overlap between the audiences,” said Taffet speaking to folks at USA Today.

Can that really be gauged accurately? How do you account for all the bars around the country that buy both boxing and MMA PPV’s? Wouldn’t that qualify as 100 percent overlap unless you have a profile on every attendee? It just seems odd for boxing to seemingly try and turn off MMA fans on a weekend that it has to itself with its most entertaining superstar on display.

“They’re two businesses that co-exist. Two sports that are thriving. Our sport, whether it’s on HBO or PPV, has been growing significantly over the last three or four years. There’s surprisingly little overlap of the consumer base.”

Is that true? As an MMA blog reader, do you have any interest in watching Pacman versus Clottey tonight?

UFC president Dana White seems to think there’s a big crossover audience. He’s part of it. He tweeted this week, to his 1,012,527 followers, that he was giving away tickets to the boxing match.

Arum and Top Rank extended the olive branch earlier this week. It’s a smart move. Why wouldn’t you want a guy with over one million followers on Twitter to hear about your fight? Maybe Taffett will jump on board next.

UFC News Credit: Yahoo Sports

Josh Barnett vs. Siala ‘Mighty Mo’ Siligia signed for DREAM.13 in Japan

Tim — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:34:22 +0000

A rumored heavyweight matchup between Josh Barnett (24-5 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) and Siala “Mighty Mo” Siliga (3-1 MMA, 0-0 DREAM) is signed for DREAM.13.

Siligia’s manager, Steve Rusich of Triple Crown Fighter, on Saturday confirmed the bout’s status to MMAjunkie.com.

DREAM.13 takes place March 22 at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan and features a featherweight championship bout between titleholder Bibiano Fernandes and top-ranked veteran Joachim Hansen.

UFC News Credit and Full Story: MMAjunkie