The pay-per-view lineup for UFC 156 is now official for Super Bowl weekend with a five fight main card. The card will also feature both FX and Facebook preliminary cards, however the UFC has yet to establish a lineup for both cards. UFC 156 will take place February 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/32067/ufc-156-ppv-lineup-set/
Rich No Love Clementi Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper
Zelg Benkei Galesic Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan
This is the end. Not of MMA, but for Strikeforce, the promotion that got on network television and welcome female fighters well before the UFC. With their last event on Saturday night, the time is right to look back. These aren't necessarily the most exciting or well-contested fights. These are the ones that will stick out in MMA's collective memory when we think about Strikeforce.
5. Scott Smith's comeback win over Cung Le: OK, so maybe this fight isn't wasn't incredibly important in Strikeforce's title picture. But it was a fight that will always make me think of how Strikeforce's sometimes weird matchmaking resulted in some improbable fight results. In December of 2009, Le owned Smith for two and a half rounds, but then Smith came back to throw the perfect punch and then win by knockout.
4. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos wrecks Gina Carano: Strikeforce paved the way for female fighters, and their biggest move was making this bout the main event of their August 2009 card. Carano was MMA's most popular female fighter, while Santos was the most feared. Santos easily won the bout, but the more important result was that fight fans proved that they just want to see good fights, regardless of gender.
3. The brawl in Nashville: With a card on CBS in April of 2010, Strikeforce had the chance to leave an impression on MMA fans. Mission accomplished, though it wasn't exactly the impression Strikeforce was hoping for. After Jake Shields outlast Dan Henderson to win the Strikeforce middleweight championship, Shields was surrounded by his friends, family and teammates in the cage during his postfight interview. Jason "Mayhem" Miller jumped into the cage to ask Shields for a rematch, and a melee broke out. CBS commentator Gus Johnson let slip the famous line, "Sometimes these things happen in MMA," even though they really don't, and the sport was stuck with a black eye.
2. Ronda Rousey's legend is born: While Carano-Cyborg paved the way, Rousey's bout with Miesha Tate brought women's MMA to a whole new level of popularity. The build-up to their March 2012 bout was as fun as the fight itself. Tate lasted longer than any of Rousey's previous opponents before finally submitting to an armbar near the end of the first round. Rousey won the Strikeforce bantamweight belt, opening the door for her to eventually become the first woman to sign with the UFC.
1. Fedor loses: Fedor Emelianenko was generally regarded as the best fighter to not be in the UFC, if not the best fighter in the world, period. His one loss was in a doctor's stoppage in 2000. But on June 26, 2010, his winning streak came to an end. Fabricio Werdum, a heavyweight with incredible jiu-jitsu skills, maneuvered Emelianenko into a triangle armbar, and it was over. Emelianenko submitted, and went on to lose to Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson.
What moments from Strikeforce's run stick out the most for you? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/strikeforce-most-memorable-moments-160414534--mma.html
Watch a profile of Strikeforce fighter Daniel Cormier, the Olympian who fought his way to the top of mixed martial arts. Don't miss Cormier vs. Dion Staring on Sat. Jan 12th at 10PM ET/PT as a part of the SHOWTIME Free Preview Weekend.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/32053/daniel-cormier-i-am-a-fighter-video-2/
Melvin Guillard and Jamie Varner staked a late claim to the UFC 155 Fight of the Night bonus with a bout that ended in a split decision. Varner won it on the judges' cards, 30-27, 27-30, 29-28.
Varner gained an edge early in the bout by tagging Guillard in the first round. Guillard showed good kicks, but couldn't escape Varner's takedowns for much of the bout. But the most frightening moment of the bout came late in the third round.
[Complete UFC 155 recap: Cain Velasquez mauls Junior dos Santos]
The two were scrambling on the ground for position when Guillard took Varner's back. Varner stood up, and with Guillard's head pointed to the ground, Varner slammed his opponent to the ground. Amazingly, Guillard was not knocked out or injured from the move. The fight ended seconds after, and the two embraced.
?This was a very emotional fight for both of us," Varner said after the bout. "After what happened a few weeks ago at the "TUF Finale" event, we were both ready to compete. I knew we would eventually get in the Octagon and squash our beef and I definitely feel that we did. I?m happy about my performance, I feel that I was able to dominate the fight wherever we ended up and I?m glad I got the win.?
Varner and Guillard were originally scheduled to fight during "The Ultimate Fighter" finale on Dec. 15, but illness kept Varner from the cage. Guillard was understandably upset about the delay, leading to trash talk.
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John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/135665/strikeforce-marquardt-vs-saffiedine-live-weigh-in-results/
The UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson held on to his belt with a dominating performance over Nate Diaz at the Key Arena in Seattle on Saturday night. Henderson took the five-round bout 50-43, 50-45, 50-45. Henderson landed 133 significant strikes throughout the bout.
Henderson set the tone early when he got a takedown and stood over Diaz before landing shots. Throughout the round, Henderson peppered Diaz with leg kicks. It caused damage early and throughout the bout.
Diaz showed signs of life in the third round with leg lock and heel hook submission attempts. Both �times Henderson was able to get out. Late in the round, he dropped Diaz, who continued to try for leg submissions.
At the end of the fourth round, Henderson jumped around and showed how fresh he was while Diaz had to get his eyes checked by the fight doctor. Henderson had a big takedown in the fifth, and continued to control Diaz throughout the round.
When the fight was over, Henderson reportedly walked over towards the media on press row and shouted to them:
"I don't talk, it's in here. Do you guys get it?"
This was Henderson's second title defense. He is undefeated since joining the UFC and has a record of 17-2. His last two bouts were razor-close decisions, but with this fight, Henderson has a signature performance to show he is deserving of the UFC's shiny, gold belt.
Going into this fight, Diaz had three wins at lightweight. Two were by submission, but his submission skills didn't work on Henderson. Diaz falls to an overall record of 16-8.
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MMA fans in Montreal will have a chance to see a few of their own in action come March 16 when the Octagon rolls into town for UFC 158. The event, already featuring the likes of Patrick Cote and Georges St-Pierre, received another local product this week when the UFC announced bantamweight Yves Jabouin had [...]
The post Yves Jabouin-Johnny Eduardo slated for action at UFC 158 appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2013/01/08/yves-jabouin-johnny-eduardo-slated-for-action-at-ufc-158/
The UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson held on to his belt with a dominating performance over Nate Diaz at the Key Arena in Seattle on Saturday night. Henderson took the five-round bout 50-43, 50-45, 50-45. Henderson landed 133 significant strikes throughout the bout.
Henderson set the tone early when he got a takedown and stood over Diaz before landing shots. Throughout the round, Henderson peppered Diaz with leg kicks. It caused damage early and throughout the bout.
Diaz showed signs of life in the third round with leg lock and heel hook submission attempts. Both �times Henderson was able to get out. Late in the round, he dropped Diaz, who continued to try for leg submissions.
At the end of the fourth round, Henderson jumped around and showed how fresh he was while Diaz had to get his eyes checked by the fight doctor. Henderson had a big takedown in the fifth, and continued to control Diaz throughout the round.
When the fight was over, Henderson reportedly walked over towards the media on press row and shouted to them:
"I don't talk, it's in here. Do you guys get it?"
This was Henderson's second title defense. He is undefeated since joining the UFC and has a record of 17-2. His last two bouts were razor-close decisions, but with this fight, Henderson has a signature performance to show he is deserving of the UFC's shiny, gold belt.
Going into this fight, Diaz had three wins at lightweight. Two were by submission, but his submission skills didn't work on Henderson. Diaz falls to an overall record of 16-8.
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Heavyweight Todd Duffee returned to the Octagon at UFC 155 after more than 30 months outside of the UFC and picked up a first-round win over Phil De Fries. Previously, in one of the more public firings by UFC President Dana White, Duffe was cut from the promotion after a knockout loss to Mike Russow…
The post Todd Duffee: “Its a big relief being back in the UFC.” appeared first on Fighters.com.
No Strikeforce fighter has suffered more as a result of the dispute between Showtime and UFC president Dana White than Gilbert Melendez.
Many knowledgeable mixed martial arts experts believe the Strikeforce lightweight champion might be the best 155-pound fighter in the world. But since Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce from Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment in March 2011, has fought just three times and hasn't gotten anywhere near a mega-event.
That is about to change with the demise of Strikeforce after its Jan. 12 show in Oklahoma City. That card will mark the final Strikeforce event as part of an agreement announced earlier this month between Zuffa and Showtime, which televises Strikeforce events.
UFC president Dana White said fighters under contract to Strikeforce would be folded into the UFC. Melendez is injured and unable to defend his title in Oklahoma City next month, so his next fight will be in the UFC.
White told reporters Thursday following the pre-fight press conference for UFC 155 that Melendez's first bout in the UFC would likely be a title shot.
"We'll see, but we'll probably bring him in and give him a title shot," White said.
As usual, White covered a slew of topics in his post-news conference scrum with reporters. Among the other gems:
? White said the UFC would put an event in Puerto Rico before 2014. The UFC last held an event in Puerto Rico in Bayamon on Feb. 16, 1996.
? He confirmed that he has begun casting for a Mexican version of "The Ultimate Fighter" and said the company is still in talk with networks there about a television deal.
The problem, he said, is not introducing the fans to the sport. Mexicans are notorious boxing fans and White said the UFC's market research has shown that there is plenty of interest among them in mixed martial arts. The issue is reaching what he believes is the proper television deal, which he admitted has been harder than expected to accomplish.
"We're dealing with some of these countries where five families run all of Mexico," White said. " ... Once we get the right deal, I know it will be big [among the Mexican fans]."
? White said the UFC's partnership with Fox and its related networks has been "unbelievable." He said Fox officials kept their promise to him and moved the U.S. version of "The Ultimate Fighter" to Tuesday nights on FX beginning with the debut of Season 17 on Jan. 22.
That season will feature light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen as the coaches.
The UFCs 18-34-year-old male demographic wasn't home to watch Seasons 15 and 16 and the ratings sank dramatically from its pre-FX days on Spike.
"I've said this to you guys a million times, but FX loved us on Friday nights," White said. "But they're good partners and they promised me [they'd change nights if it didn't work out]. They said, 'Let's try to build this on Friday to a point where you're happy with the [ratings]. If it doesn't work out, we'll move you to another night.' And they kept their word."
By going on Tuesday, the UFC will avoid competing directly with Bellator's reality series, which will be held on Thursdays on Spike starting Jan. 17.
? White said 2012 was a good year for the company despite its unbelievable rash of injuries. He said pay-per-view numbers were lower than in 2011, but said the drop wasn't alarming and was not unexpected given the major issues with injuries the company experienced.
ONE FC has announced the launch of a�Malaysian National Featherweight Championship Tournament. The grand prix will be filled by the top 145 lb. prospects that Malaysia has to offer as Raymond Tiew, Melvin Yeoh, AJ Lias Mansor, and Jian Kai Chee have been pegged to compete for the right to be called �the Malaysian National [...]
Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves
The UFC made it clear bantamweight star Ronda Rousey was an important asset last month by handing her a headlining slot at UFC 157 despite having never fought inside the Octagon before. Furthering their support of the unbeaten champion, the organization has also decided to feature Rousey?s clash with Liz Carmouche on UFC Primetime. Past…
The post UFC Primetime Covering Ronda Rousey?s Rumble with Liz Carmouche appeared first on Fighters.com.
No Strikeforce fighter has suffered more as a result of the dispute between Showtime and UFC president Dana White than Gilbert Melendez.
Many knowledgeable mixed martial arts experts believe the Strikeforce lightweight champion might be the best 155-pound fighter in the world. But since Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce from Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment in March 2011, has fought just three times and hasn't gotten anywhere near a mega-event.
That is about to change with the demise of Strikeforce after its Jan. 12 show in Oklahoma City. That card will mark the final Strikeforce event as part of an agreement announced earlier this month between Zuffa and Showtime, which televises Strikeforce events.
UFC president Dana White said fighters under contract to Strikeforce would be folded into the UFC. Melendez is injured and unable to defend his title in Oklahoma City next month, so his next fight will be in the UFC.
White told reporters Thursday following the pre-fight press conference for UFC 155 that Melendez's first bout in the UFC would likely be a title shot.
"We'll see, but we'll probably bring him in and give him a title shot," White said.
As usual, White covered a slew of topics in his post-news conference scrum with reporters. Among the other gems:
? White said the UFC would put an event in Puerto Rico before 2014. The UFC last held an event in Puerto Rico in Bayamon on Feb. 16, 1996.
? He confirmed that he has begun casting for a Mexican version of "The Ultimate Fighter" and said the company is still in talk with networks there about a television deal.
The problem, he said, is not introducing the fans to the sport. Mexicans are notorious boxing fans and White said the UFC's market research has shown that there is plenty of interest among them in mixed martial arts. The issue is reaching what he believes is the proper television deal, which he admitted has been harder than expected to accomplish.
"We're dealing with some of these countries where five families run all of Mexico," White said. " ... Once we get the right deal, I know it will be big [among the Mexican fans]."
? White said the UFC's partnership with Fox and its related networks has been "unbelievable." He said Fox officials kept their promise to him and moved the U.S. version of "The Ultimate Fighter" to Tuesday nights on FX beginning with the debut of Season 17 on Jan. 22.
That season will feature light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen as the coaches.
The UFCs 18-34-year-old male demographic wasn't home to watch Seasons 15 and 16 and the ratings sank dramatically from its pre-FX days on Spike.
"I've said this to you guys a million times, but FX loved us on Friday nights," White said. "But they're good partners and they promised me [they'd change nights if it didn't work out]. They said, 'Let's try to build this on Friday to a point where you're happy with the [ratings]. If it doesn't work out, we'll move you to another night.' And they kept their word."
By going on Tuesday, the UFC will avoid competing directly with Bellator's reality series, which will be held on Thursdays on Spike starting Jan. 17.
? White said 2012 was a good year for the company despite its unbelievable rash of injuries. He said pay-per-view numbers were lower than in 2011, but said the drop wasn't alarming and was not unexpected given the major issues with injuries the company experienced.
Heading into UFC on Fox 5, the UFC appeared to have put together their best card yet to appear on the network. But with such high expectations, there's no way it could deliver, right? Wrong. From the Fight of the Night, that aired on Facebook, to the main event, the UFC showed the best of the promotion. But who really stood out?
No. 1 star -- Matt Brown: It is really, really fun to watch Matt Brown fight, so it makes sense the UFC would put his bout with Mike Swick at the start of their Fox broadcast. Brown rewarded that faith by knocking out Swick hah
No. 2 star -- Abel Trujillo: In his first UFC fight, Trujillo dealt with a last-minute opponent change after Tim Means slipped in the sauna. Trujillo then dealt Marcus LeVesseur a beating that ended with a second-round TKO.
No. 3 star -- Daron Cruickshank: In his first post-TUF fight, Cruickshank impressed. In the first round, he hit Henry Martinez so hard that you were bound to wonder if Martinez's chin was literally made of stone. In the second round, we found out it wasn't. Cruickshank landed a perfectly timed headkick to knock Martinez out.
Do you agree? Should Scott Jorgensen or Yves Edwards made the list? Someone else entirely? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
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Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko
Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/cfa/four-titles-on-the-line-at-cfa-09-night-of-champions-60587/
The second the UFC announced that Jon Anik was commentating with Joe Rogan at UFC 155 instead of Mike Goldberg, rumors began swirling as to what motivated the change. One of the heavily reported story was that Goldberg was battling issues surrounding addiction to Adderall, and since UFC officials still won?t comment as to why…
The post Mike Goldberg: “Those rumors out there are not true.” appeared first on Fighters.com.
It would seem that Dana White was not exaggerating when he said the Eddie Alvarez situation was “going to get ugly.” It’s no secret that Alvarez was frustrated by the news that Bellator had matched the UFC’s offer, but according to the former champion, he has further reason to be upset as he is now [...]
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/32033/eddie-alvarez-being-sued-by-bellator/
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/standup-technique/108349-annoying-injury.html
Bellator 90 will feature the Season 7 Featherweight Final between Rad Martinez and Shahbulat Shamhalaev. The bout will take place February 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Maverik Center. Bellator announced the move via press release.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/31987/bellator-90-lands-rad-martinez-vs-shahbulat-shamhalaev/
Yves Edwards topped off the preliminary card of the UFC on Fox 5 in Seattle on Saturday night with a bang. He gave Jeremy Stephens his third straight loss -- and first loss by knockout -- with a perfectly placed right hook. Edwards followed with elbows on the ground, and it didn't take long. Edwards won by knockout at 1:55 in the first.
Raphael Assuncao and Ramsey Nijem both walked away with decision wins. Nijem took a bloody decision 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision from Joe Procter, while Assuncao won 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 over Mike Easton.
Daron Cruickshank made an early bid for the UFC's "Knockout of the Night" bonus. After battering Henry Martinez for the first round, Cruickshank landed a perfect kick to the head. Martinez fell to the ground to give Cruickshank a second-round knockout.
Marcus LeVesseur stepped in as a very late replacement against Abel Trujillo. LeVesseur's wrestling couldn't stop the Trujillo's relentless striking. In his UFC debut, Trujillo won with a second round technical knockout.
Dennis Siver showed again that the featherweight division is his rightful home. He dominated Nam Phan from beginning to end, landing knees and kicks with few answers from Phan. It was so dominant that the judges scored it 30-24, 30-25, 30-26 in Siver's favor.
Scott Jorgensen was not happy that his fight with John Albert was the only fight on the undercard, and he lobbied Dana White for weeks to get it moved. It turned out the performance did show on FX, mostly because of Jorgensen's exciting finish. After a round of back-and-forth grappling, Jorgensen slapped on a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of the round. Albert tapped at 4:59, just barely before the horn sounded to signal the end of the round.
Junior dos Santos and Tim Boetsch both walked away from UFC 155 with losses. They also walked away with seriously, seriously beat-up faces, as shown in this picture from the hospital.
UFC president Dana White originally suggested that dos Santos suffered a broken jaw from his five-round, title loss to Cain Velasquez, but tests reportedly came back negative. Boetsch had a huge cut during his loss to Costa Philippou, which is pretty easy to find in the above picture.
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