UFC to start agreement/2012 with 24 hours of content on FuelTV

To start of the New Year, and to introduce it's fans to the UFC, Fuel TV will be airing 24 straights hour of UFC programming, including a fair amount of new content.

January 1st, 2012 marks the official start of the agreement between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and FOX networks, which will feature live events and programming on three networks owned by the company: FOX, FX, and FuelTV. The popular reality show the Ultimate Fighter will now air on FX.

The 24-hour marathon programming will begin at midnight and some new content includes the Best Knockouts of 2011, a documentary about the bad blood between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, and roundtable discussion with several former UFC champions.

by Chris Palmquist

Johny Hendricks vs Jon Fitch fight review and analysis

With Georges St. Pierre sidelined with a horrible knee injury and an interim title being fought for, it was Jon Fitch's moment to shine last night (December 30, 2011) on the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem main card against Johny Hendricks.

There were no more excuses if Fitch could put on a dominant performance, but after 10 months away from the cage and after dealing with shoulder surgery, Fitch came out a bit slow.

And he paid for it.

Instead of potentially earning a shot at the interim title in 2012, Fitch found himself staring at the ceiling and looking to grapple with referee Steve Mazzagatti.

So how did Johny Hendricks pull out one of 2011's biggest upsets? And where do both men go from here?



There isn't much to dissect in a 12 second fight, but Jon Fitch made a huge mistake. After closing the distance and throwing a few strikes, he backed away straight with his lands low. This made his face a huge target for Hendricks' fist and he made sure to make Fitch pay.

Hendricks stepped forward and crushed Fitch with a beautiful lead left hook which sent him reeling to the canvas. As Fitch began to stand up, another huge diving left hook again temporarily put his lights out and the referee had seen enough, diving between both men to put a halt to the action. After nine straight fights having gone to a decision in the UFC, it was all over in just 12 seconds.

For Jon Fitch, this was an absolute disaster. You can't fault him for not shooting for a takedown inside the first 10 seconds but backing away straight with his hands low was not the type of move a seasoned professional like him should ever be making and it cost him dearly. With his already unpopular status with both the UFC brass and the fans, he's set himself back light years in the welterweight division unless he can somehow turn himself into a finishing machine before his next fight.

In all honesty, there aren't many options for him as a next opponent because he's faced most of the top 10 already and it's unlikely the UFC wants to throw him in against any top welterweight prospects. Perhaps they could throw him against Brian Ebersole in the UFC. Call me crazy, but I think it would actually make sense for him to jump ship to Strikeforce. He could instantly be in the mix for the vacant welterweight title there and would no longer have any conflicts of interests with his AKA teammates.

For Johny Hendricks, to say this was the biggest victory of his career is an understatement. He slayed a giant, a man who had previously only been defeated by Georges St. Pierre in the UFC and it had taken 25 full minutes to do so. "Big Rig" trucked Fitch, and just like Jake Ellenberger's recent quick stoppage of Jake Shields, this should instantly vault him into the welterweight contender discussion. He displayed tremendous power in his left hand and fans are definitely hoping to see him again soon.

I think the best plan of attack would be to have him face Josh Koscheck if "Kos" defeats Mike Pierce at UFC 143. Other options include the winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez or, depending on the outcome of both of those two fights, they could even give him a shot at the winner of the interim title between Nate Diaz and Carlos Condit. It should be an interesting couple months for Hendricks as this all gets sorted out.

So what did you think, Maniacs?

Were you as surprised as most when Hendricks blasted Fitch so quickly? Or did you smell an upset brewing due to the long layoff and the shoulder injury?

MMAMANIA

Junior dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem odds

According to noted oddsmaker Nick Kalikas of BetOnFighting.com, it's none other than UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. "Cigano" opens as a -240 favorite headed into his first title defense against Alistair Overeem, which is scheduled for sometime in 2012, possibly the summer.

"The Reem" comes in as the underdog at +190.

Anyone jumping on this line with wallets wide open? Or do you expect a dramatic shift as we get closer and closer to fight night?

Overeem has been crushing the competition for years now, compiling 11 wins in 12 fights (one no contest) since 2007. He made a successful debut with the UFC last night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) by stopping Brock Lesnar in the first round by way of technical knockout using his vaunted K-1 level striking.

Apparently the oddsmakers think the heavyweight champ's boxing is better.



Dos Santos, no different than Overeem, has been absolutely destroying his competition. In fact, just like "Demolition Man," he hasn't lost a fight since 2007, the lone defeat of his career.

However, unlike "The Reem," the Brazilian bomber has been running through top competition inside the Octagon. He's 8-0 under the UFC banner with five knockouts, including his 64-second destruction of Cain Velasquez that earned him the heavyweight strap.

It's no wonder he's favored. But will the deadly Dutchman prove once and for all that he's the best striker in the world, at heavyweight at least?

We're still a ways away from fight time, Maniacs, but who do you like for your money and who ya' got straight up?

To see the "Dos Santos vs. Overeem" odds and betting lines plus all the action for upcoming UFC and Strikeforce events click here.

MMAMANIA

Nate Diaz sets CompuStrike striking record for three round MMA fight in win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141

Nate Diaz put on quite possibly the best performance of his career last night (Dec. 30, 2011) at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem, defeating Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision after three rounds thanks to relentless, laser-like striking.

How precise? Accurate enough to set a CompuStrike record for a three round mixed martial arts (MMA) fight.

Diaz landed an astounding 82 percent of his strikes, connecting on 258 out of 314 punches. After plenty of pre-fight trash talk from both competitors, the fight, unsurprisingly, never hit the ground for the entire 15 minutes. On the contrary, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie -- who displayed improved boxing in his submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 135 -- took his striking to a whole new level in his dominant UFC 141 win over "Cowboy."

He can likely thank striking coach Richard Perez, who is responsible for sharpening Nate's, along with the rest of the Cesar Gracie fight team's boxing skills, which also includes Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields. Often criticized for not possessing knockout power, the Diaz brothers have proved once again that their "peppering" style of striking is more than enough to get the job done.

By contrast, Cerrone -- who is one of the better strikers in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight division and who possesses a kickboxing record of 28-0-1 -- only landed 33 percent of his strikes as he landed only 66 out of 200 attempted strikes.

Alistair Overeem Talks After Sending Brock Lesnar into Retirement

Wife of celeb chef Tony Bourdain taps out man

Doug Quint, owner of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop in the East Village had a grappling match in his shop vs Ottavia Bourdain, wife of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. The event was in celebration of Festivus, and to raise money for New York Cares.

Bourdain is admittedly obsessed with MMA, and studies BJJ at Muay Thai at Renzo Gracie's in Manhattan. She insisted her husband get UFC 132 tickets "close enough for blood spray" as he put it, and then threatening divorce if he bet on Cruz over Faber. When Faber lost, she consoled herself with a large meal.

mixedmartialarts.com

Vote on Kauai Martial Artist of the year award

Sorry, I got nothing to give this year unless I get someone to sponsor an award.

Vote on who you think should be the martial artist of the year based on their performance in competition, and what they do to help promote martial arts on Kauai.

If you feel that someone else should be on the ballot please leave a comment here and give a reason why.

Don't turn this into a popularity contest, don't cheat and try and vote twice.

I added Tyson and Nalu because Tyson has been active in MMA gainst some pretty good competition. Nalu has won some of the toughest divisions in Jiu-Jitsu. Jake and Luke are perennial candidates for the award because they put it on the line in competitions.
Shane deserves consideration for his performances in Jiu Jitsu tournaments where he won the Absolute No GI on Kauai.

Best Knockout Ever in MMA - Tornado Kick

Hawaii's Travis Browne to fight Chad Griggs

Former Strikeforce standout Chad Griggs will make his Octagon debut at UFC 145 in March against undefeated Travis Browne in Montreal. UFC officials on Saturday announced that the promotion had verbal agreements from both parties.

MMAWeekly.com reported Griggs’ signing with the UFC earlier this week, but now he has the first opponent in the Octagon.

Griggs (11-1) originally came to Strikeforce as an opponent for highly touted prospect Bobby Lashley. Most expected that he was brought in as a sacrificial lamb for Lashley. He turned out to be anything but, taking out Lashley after two rounds, then returning with finishes of both Gian Villante and Valentijn Overeem.

He’s got no easy draw in his Octagon debut against Browne, however. The Hawaiian has been on his own impressive streak, having never lost a fight in 13 starts. He is 3-0-1 in the UFC, his only stumble a draw with Cheick Kongo. He enters the bout with Griggs coming off of a win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135 in Denver.

MMAWEEKLY

'Mayhem' Miller on Performance Against Michael Bisping: 'Dana White Was Right'

By Ariel Helwani
Jason "Mayhem" Miller has opened up for the first time since his loss to Michael Bisping at the The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.

In a blog post on his Web site entitled "Push Positive," Miller agreed with UFC president Dana White's critical assessment of his performance against Bisping and vowed to focus on the positives that came out of the loss.

"Dana White was right," Miller wrote. "He made some disparaging comments about my performance, and I agree with him. I displayed the worst of everything that night in the octagon. I was tense in round one and I locked up after that. I didn't perform to my potential, and I take full responsibility for it. That wasn't a UFC caliber performance, and I'm not happy about it- I won't, however, write a worthless diatribe on myself, because that is not constructive. I elect instead to take this misstep and make something positive out of it."

Miller's blog post is an honest and refreshing read. I suggest taking some time out to read it.

The UFC has yet to announce when the 30-year-old Miller, who's currently in Holland training with Team Golden Glory, will fight again.

K.J. Noons Thinking About His Future, but Not Considering Quitting

By Michael David Smith

There was some talk before K.J. Noons fought Billy Evangelista on Saturday night that he might be contemplating quitting MMA. But with his victory over Evangelista in hand, Noons said people misunderstood his comments about retiring.

Noons said on The MMA Hour that he is thinking about retirement -- but only in the sense that he has to be smart enough to know that he won't make enough money in MMA to live on for the rest of his life, and that future planning is important. That doesn't mean he's currently considering quitting MMA.

"I love my job, fighting. But there is a life after fighting. I'm still young, I still want to fight, don't get me wrong on that," Noons said. "There's a life after fighting. It just made me think when I got married -- it's hard to make a living on fighting, and some guys in their young 30s, their knees are busted up, they have all these surgeries, they've got bulging discs, they've had all these injuries and they can't even do normal stuff in their mid-30s. That's all I was thinking of, I need to build something because I can't retire off MMA purses, at least not the purses I make."

Cain Velasquez knows he "blew it" against Junior dos Santos

Originally posted by Joey Santosus

Cain knows he blew it, that he stopped before (dos Santos), but he's confident that he’ll have the chance to fight for the championship again. Possibly in two or three fights from now. He first has to prove he deserves that chance, so he'll have to defeat his two next opponents, or at least one in a convincing way so that Zuffa says, 'Ok, you deserve another shot.' When Zuffa offer us that fight, we'll work on it." - For more from Javier Mendez, visit Tatame.com


Cain Velasquez blew it - and he knows it.

That's according to the famed American Kickboxing Academy trainer, Javier Mendez, who says that the recently dethroned champ acknowledges the miscalculation that led to his 64-second knockout loss to Junior dos Santos.

Despite returning from an extended, injury-induced layoff, Velasquez's background as a two-time All-American wrestler made him a favorite amongst many to defeat the Brazilian battering machine. Instead, however, the AKA fighter found himself on the business end of a heavy right-hand after electing to exchange punches with dos Santos in the opening round. Though Velasquez makes no excuses for the loss, Mendez says the former title holder is confident that, with a couple of wins, he'll get another crack at reclaiming the gold. But, what do you think LowKick'ers? With the influx of Heavyweight talent coming over from Strikeforce, is Velasquez still the second best in the division? And if so, with the over-under set at two, how many wins will it take for him to get another title shot?

Carlos Condit Opens as Favorite Over Nick Diaz at UFC 143

By Mike Chiappetta
Dec 22nd 2011 6:30PM
As if Nick Diaz needs a reason to motivate himself for his upcoming UFC 143 main event matchup with Carlos Condit -- a bout that will determine a UFC interim welterweight champion -- Diaz can turn to the oddsmakers for some fuel.

Diaz has voiced a displeasure at a perceived lack of respect for his achievements, and despite winning 11 fights in a row and vacating the Strikeforce welterweight belt to fight in the UFC, that apparently wasn't quite enough for linesmakers, who installed Condit as the favorite at UFC 143.

Karo Parisyan fighting at 16 years old

Police investigating death of Chicago man after sparring matches at Vancouver home

Investigators are looking into the death of a Chicago man who died after a two-day series of sparring matches with a Vancouver man he met in an online chat room.

Salvador Flamenco, 38, came to Vancouver on Dec. 15 after arranging the fights with the unidentified Vancouver resident through a website, www.allfighters.com, said Sgt. Scott Creager of the Vancouver Police Department. The pair decided to spar at the Vancouver man's home.

The two men fought that day and the next, but after the second day of boxing, Flamenco started complaining of dizziness and nausea, Creager said. The symptoms became more severe and by the time paramedics arrived, Flamenco had begun losing consciousness.

"He rapidly deteriorated," Creager said.

Flamenco was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.

After an autopsy, the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office said Flamenco died of blunt-force injuries and ruled the death a homicide, prompting an investigation by police.

Washington state law defines homicide as "the killing of a human being by the act, procurement, or omission of another."

Detectives have interviewed the Vancouver man involved, who is "being very cooperative," Creager said.

-- Kate Mather

Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem Weigh In on Pre-Fight Woes...Sort Of

MMAfighting



For both participants in the UFC 141 main event, life outside the cage has been even more hectic than the limited time spent inside it of late. Maybe that's why neither is terribly thrilled about the prospect of talking about it at length.

With former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar getting back into action for the first time since having twelve inches of his colon removed, and Alistair Overeem in the midst of a battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission over licensing issues -- all while also trying to see to his ailing mother back home in the Netherlands -- the year-end pay-per-view could have easily been dubbed UFC 141: Outside Distractions.

But with the two men set to square off in Las Vegas on December 30, at least they can relate to one another's struggles on some level. Take, for instance, Lesnar's response to Overeem's drug-testing woes on Monday's UFC 141 media call.

Though the former champion said he's remained blissfully ignorant of most of Overeem's issues with the NSAC, thanks in part to his isolated training camp and general disdain of the internet, Lesnar said he knows what it's like to have people peppering him with questions about drug tests and suspicious muscle mass.


More Coverage: UFC 141 Fight Card | UFC 141 Results

"I've been dealing with the same accusations my whole life," Lesnar said, calling it "part of the lifestyle...I've been used to it for many years now."

Overeem, too, seems to have become numb to the questions and whispers about his weight gain and almost cartoonish physique, even if he's known to be a little more congenial about those questions than Lesnar.

"Everybody has a right to ask whatever they want, and I have a right to respond or to ignore," said Overeem. "The thing is, I'm very busy with my career. It's not only just training, it's a lot of other stuff on top of it, which is assembling the team, PR, doing all these interviews, so I'm very occupied with that. I simply don't have the time to get into all these allegations. Usually they're done over [the] internet, people I don't even know and have never even met."

Both men also seem to have to their own unique no-go lists when it comes to pre-fight questions from media. For Lesnar, it's the repetitive questions about his health, his surgery, and his comeback from diverticulitis that he only has so much patience for these days. He played along for a little while on Monday's call, admitting that there was "nothing easy" about his recent struggles, but when asked to expand on those issues he quickly found his breaking point.

"I've answered a million questions about my health here," he snapped at one reporter. "That's the best you can come up with today? I feel great. I feel very, very good."

Overeem, on the other hand, continued to guard any and all information about his life inside the gym as if it were a matter of national security. The Dutch heavyweight instantly shut down any question about who he was training with or how he'd adjusted to moving his camp from Vegas to Holland in order to be closer to his mother, who is still recovering from cancer treatments.

It got to the point where UFC PR man Dave Sholler essentially asked reporters to stop wasting their own time by asking Lesnar about his health or Overeem about his preparation. Too bad those still seem like the most interesting topics less than two weeks out from the fight.

But if you're keeping score of outside distractions in the lead-up to this bout, it would seem to be Overeem who's far ahead. Lesnar's health issues might be more serious than some wrangling with the NSAC, but he's also had more time to deal with them. Overeem's had to move his training camp, deal with the emotional drain of a sick mother, and jump from one doctor's office to the next just to get the commission a drug test that it will accept.

Through it all he's kept a remarkably calm public appearance, maybe because he's used to the chaos after such a tumultuous career in both Japan and North America.

"I've been through a lot in my career," he said. "I have like, I don't know, I think like 65 or 70 fights, so you learn how to deal with distractions, setbacks. I mean, I'm a three-time champion, and I've been through a lot. It's all about adaptation. I'm pretty good at that, I think."

Lesnar also touched on the challenge of "trying to live a somewhat normal life" while also competing as a world-famous UFC heavyweight, but in the end there might be only one thing they agree on, and it's that neither is expecting to have to put in 25 minutes of work on fight night.

"I don't see it really going past the second round," said Overeem. "First or second round, maximum."

Lesnar concurred, saying, "I feel the same. This is a heavyweight fight that, you know, we're both going in to finish this fight. I don't foresee it going five rounds."

Whether that's more of a prediction or a hope, we'll have to wait and see.

Herb Dean hoped Nogueira would submit before break

Referee Herb Dean knew Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was in serious trouble.

Frank Mir had locked up a deep kimura during their bout Saturday at UFC 140, but Nogueira would not submit. Mir kept cranking, and Nogueira’s arm began to climb up his own back.

“In my mind, I was hoping that he would tap,” Dean told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “It’s Time!” show with Bruce Buffer. “Like, ‘Please, please make this easy for me. That looks like it’s on.’ I definitely [had a] heightened awareness at that time. I was really focused on that arm. But that’s how Antonio became who he is -- he didn’t get there by giving up. That guy’s done things that everyone thought was impossible time and time again because he never gives up.”

Technically Nogueira did tap, but that was after his humerus had already snapped.

“I stopped it because I saw the arm break,” Dean said. “The tap came after. I don’t stop it when I believe it’s locked on or even if I believe the guy’s in jeopardy because I don’t know what that person can take. I don’t know what their limits are, but if I see an injury that is too dangerous for the fight to continue, that’s when I’m going to stop the fight. Or if I see the fighter tap.”

It can be a tough situation for a referee when a fighter’s caught in a submission like Nogueira was. Dean explained that with professionals, it’s not his job to intervene when he thinks something could break. In amateur fights, though, the game is a little different.

“In amateurs we talk about stopping it before, and I’m not even sure how I feel about that exactly,” he said. “In amateurs we do stop them a little bit before we believe it’s totally locked out. At the end of the day, I don’t know when it’s going to break. I don’t know what that guy can take. So for a professional fight, that’s part of being a professional fighter is knowing how to look after yourself and knowing what you can and can’t take and knowing when it’s time to tap.”

Sometimes fighters submit too late, though. Dean has seen his share of injuries, and not everyone handles it like Nogueira did. He was in the cage once with a fighter who kept screaming in agony after having his arm dislocated, but Nogueira did the opposite.

“He was very calm,” Dean said. “He’s an exceptional person. Even during that, with coordinating with the physicians and him getting out of there, at some point he started taking an active role. ‘OK, Herb, I want you to help me up.’ He was pretty calm through it.”

Sherdog

Does Fedor deserve a pass into the UFC?

Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko is one of the greatest fighters of the mixed martial arts era and for that he deserves an MMA pass into the UFC. Even if it's for one night only, he deserves that much.

In some quarters, there's a general consensus that Fedor (32-4-1NC) has by far seen better days; he's failed to evolve with the sport; he can't compete with the upper-echelon heavyweights, especially those residing in the UFC and so on and so forth.

At 35 years old, he's still young in a sport that has seen some of his contemporaries continue to contend at the highest level—Anderson "The Spider" Silva (36), Dan "H-Bomb" Henderson (41) and Randy "The Natural" Couture (even though retired, he won the UFC heavyweight title at 43) to name a few.

To be forthright, Fedor in essence has fallen short with regards to his advancement with the soon-to-be prototype MMA fighter.

It can only be surmised that his fall from grace has been largely down to complacency on his part and the cliché, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Also, notwithstanding his sitting atop the heavyweight stratosphere for 10 years and with hardly a blemish in sight, that age-old combat adage of "You're only as good as your last fight" nevertheless applies to Fedor.

To suggest, however, that his recent losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and "Hendo" now constitute his ineligibility into the UFC's Octagon or that his credibility as a fighter be brought into question is asinine at best.

There have been and still are lesser fighters who continue to showcase their dwindling skills and/or their one-dimensionality in the UFC.

Case in point, Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. He has four losses on the trot and if not for his British pay-per-view appeal, he would've most definitely been bounced from the organization.

Truth be told, Fedor's skill set mightn't be the necessary requisite for throwing down with the elite of the UFC's heavyweight assemblage, but one thing to take on board is that his inclusion in the Zuffa-based firm will generate a generous amount of pay-per-view sales, not to mention the live gate and attendance figures.

And let's not forget his fanbase—20,000-plus turned out for his most recent outing against Jeff "The Snowman" Monson (Russia mightn't be America, but it's still a healthy turnout).

And that, per se, should be enough to entice Dana White and Co. to acquire his services—a maximum of three fights at best should suffice.

Or better yet, sign him to a pay-as-you-win contract—the once baddest dude on the planet is not in the driving seat anymore, and I'm sure he'll be willing to make concessions.

With that said, the company should have carte blanche to do away with his services if he flounders beyond expectation.

Their attempts at signing him have in the past proven unsuccessful, due in no small part to his association with M1-Global and his manager Vadim Finkelstein.

Be that as it may, Fedor has to shoulder some of the blame as well, because the last time I looked, he was over 21 years of age and thus is and was in position to make his own play.



That, however, is history—it's the here and now that counts.

Whether Fedor wins or loses in the Octagon, I believe the UFC will be in a win-win situation. If that's not enough to persuade the Fedor pessimists, how about the reasons for his naysayers and fans alike tuning in or watching live?

It's that simple—to watch him rise once again or witness another disastrous fall.

To close this argument in favour of Fedor's worthiness of an MMA pass into the UFC, inconsequential though it might sound, the measure of his greatness can be summed up by the reaction of those who can empathize with what it entails to contest in the realm of mixed martial arts.

The reactions of "Vai Cavalo," "Bigfoot" and Hendo following their upending of The Last Emperor were synonymous with the idiom, "A picture is worth a thousand words."


By Nedu Obi

Carano: Guys I date usually want to test my strength

bloodyelbow.com

Should Zuffa send BJ Penn to Strikeforce?

(Interesting article by Mike Chiappetta but I doubt BJ would agree to fight in Strikeforce, even against El Nino).

If Dana White won't bring Gilbert Melendez to the UFC, he should bring the UFC to Melendez. Or at least, someone for him to fight. After beating Jorge Masvidal at last night's Strikeforce event in San Diego, what more is there for him to do? Who else is there for him to beat? What matchup are fans clamoring to see? The answers are nothing, no one and none.

Melendez is a top five fighter with nothing left to prove in the division as it stands right now. He's beaten Masvidal, Shinya Aoki and Josh Thomson, three of the best lightweights outside of the UFC, but there's no signed fighter in the division who has truly earned the right to face one of the best. Sure there are fighters like KJ Noons and Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante with some name value, but both of those guys have won exactly one fight in a row.

Solution: Bring someone over from the UFC to fight him. It doesn't have to be the champion. Bring one of the many quality guys over to challenge him. I have just the guy. He's a big name, he can bring attention to the promotion, and he offers the instant credibility that only a former UFC champion can provide. Bring over BJ Penn to fight Melendez.

Right now, Penn is on a break from fighting. He's home in Hilo, Hawaii spending time with his family after his hard-fought loss to Nick Diaz in October. But Penn does plan to fight again, and he even said that he'd be willing to rematch Diaz.

That's not going to happen, as Diaz has moved on to preparing for a big interim UFC welterweight title fight with Carlos Condit. So we need to find something that excites Penn, something that motivates him. Regardless of the skeptics who still refuse to believe that Melendez is for real, Penn knows the truth, that Melendez is for real and has a set of skills that would provide a challenge. Because of that, a bout with Melendez might interest him. As an added bonus, Melendez comes from the same Team Cesar Gracie as Diaz, making the marketing of the fight simple. BJ Penn comes looking for revenge against Diaz's teammate.

Penn loves fighting for belts, and as long as Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champ, Penn is stuck. He isn't going to get another shot against Edgar after losing to him twice. The same holds true for his chances of getting a welterweight title fight. He's already lost to Georges St-Pierre twice and Diaz once, so his chances of earning his way back for another title bout anytime soon are slim. So where does that leave him? He's in a legend-at-large role, looking for interesting matchups wherever they might appear. And is there really anything in the UFC that is so much more interesting than Penn-Melendez?

Let's face it, Penn would be one of the biggest stars ever to fight in the Strikeforce hexagon, with only Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko able to rival his popularity. He's a former two-division champ in the UFC, every MMA fan knows him, and his presence would certainly bring attention to the promotion. Just as importantly, it would illustrate that Zuffa is serious about Strikeforce.

Just last week, White promised that Strikeforce wouldn't be a B-league, or a feeder system for the UFC. They would go after top talent, he said. They would find a way to make Strikeforce's best fighters happy, he said. That would mean leaving Melendez where he is, and bringing talent to him. This match would prove that White meant what he said.

The biggest hurdle in this plan would be making it worth Penn's while. Because Strikeforce is on Showtime and not pay-per-view, the pay scale is different, and White would have to dig into his his pocket to make him whole.

That investment would be worth it for Zuffa, to show that they are truly committed to Strikeforce as its own promotion. It's one thing for White to say it on a conference call, it's another entirely for him to send over a UFC legend. That's a statement. That's a promise kept.

BJ Penn would be just the fighter to satisfy White's promise, fan interest and Melendez's ambitions. Melendez doesn't just need a legitimate challenge, he deserves one.

Nogueira gets 16 screws, titanium plate

In his December 10th bout with Frank Mirk, Antonio Nogueira sufferd a broken humerus bone after refusing to submit to a kimura. The injury was one of the worst seen in the octagon, but days after Nogueira had stated he would be able to forego surgery, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The UFC heavyweight went under the knife this weekend in Vail, Colorado:

Big Nog, who received a 60-day medical suspension last Tuesday, had 16 screws inserted into his arm when he underwent surgery on Saturday.

"Mr. Nogueira suffered a complex fracture to his humerus," Dr. Tom R. Hackett wrote on the Nogueira brothers' blog (Nogueirabrothers.com.br). "The fracture began in the middle of the bone and extended to the elbow region. Unfortunately, the radial nerve [one of the main nerves lending a feeling of power to the hands] was damaged. The nerve is located in the area of the fracture, and the bone compressed it. Before the operation, he had very little strength in his hand and no strength whatsoever in his thumb.

"The operation involved an incision behind the arm. The nerve was removed from the location of the fracture and treated. The fracture was fixed with a plate and 16 screws, and now, less than 12 hours post-op, his hand functions are returning and the bone is mending.

"If all goes well, he'll be back to full training in the coming months and should be 100% to fight in six months or less. We foresee him making a complete and full recovery."

source: nogueirabrothers.com.br

Best Knockout ever in MMA

Ray vs Jorge rematch

jorge masvidal vs ray

Strikeforce Main Event Breakdown: Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal

By Mike Chiappetta

During a recent interview with the press, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez voiced his displeasure with some of the people who discounted his next challenger, Jorge Masvidal.

"A lot of people have been talking nonsense; that Jorge, like he's no good. That you're going to run by him," Melendez said. "And that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don't really follow the game that much. If you don't fight in the UFC, they think you're no good."

Like most fighters, Melendez is much more attuned to the subtleties of an opponents' fight style and skills than most observers, and he understands he's truly in for a fight in Saturday night's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal main event. And he probably understands he's in a no-win situation as well.

If he does emerge victorious, that's exactly what he was supposed to do, and if he loses, detractors will say his consensus No. 2 lightweight ranking was never quite deserved.

Masvidal (22-6) is a crafty fighter with a style Melendez hasn't really experienced in the cage. He keys his offense off a long jab that lengthens his reach and moves his opponent backward, an important strategy that plays into his preference for counter-fighting. Overall, though, he's a very complete fighter.

Despite having no real base in wrestling, he's proven his excellence in that department through the most recent part of his career. For example, his last fight was against KJ Noons, who loves to strike and uses his wrestling to keep the fight upright where he thinks he has an advantage. That has largely been a successful strategy for him. According to FightMetric, Noons has successfully defended 71 percent of takedown tries against him, but Masvidal took him down on seven of nine attempts en route to a dominant win.

So that's one thing for Melendez (19-2) to be concerned about. The other is Masvidal's striking. As mentioned, Noons has a reputation as a striker but Masvidal had a field day against him on the feet, knocking him down once and out-landing him 73-38 in signature strikes. That's a fairly common outcome for Masvidal, who has one pro boxing fight under his belt and prides himself on his offensive skills and defensive movement.

Masvidal lands about 50 percent of his strikes while his opponents land less than 30, according to FightMetric. In addition to his jab as a favored weapon, he is one of few fighters who takes advantage of criminally underused body punching, occasionally firing off left hook liver shots. His easy motion and comfort level in his standup often lull his opponents into a false confidence, and then he can use his speed to strike or shoot in for the takedown. But other times, he himself might slow things down, too. That's good in some matchups, but it's not the best idea for this one.

Melendez's style is much more well known than Masvidal's. Melendez has refined his boxing over the last few years, adding power along the way (four of his last six wins are by KO or TKO). Coupled with an effective wrestling game and ability to create a grinding match, he often forces opponents into a fight that favors his skills. Melendez is also one of those fighters who can take his foe's best weapon away and turn the bout into his favor that way.

But really, Melendez's most important single trait is his conditioning, a quality that allows him to push the fight in any direction he wants with little fear of running out of gas. Particularly in five-round bouts, many fighters will pace themselves early, aware that they might need reserve fuel in case they still find themselves fighting 20 minutes or so later. Melendez doesn't have to think about that.

He's also trained for five-round title fights multiple times. This will be his seventh straight time preparing for the 25-minute distance, while Masvidal is doing it for the first time.

From a pure skill level, Masvidal is certainly capable of the upset, but it's hard to overlook some of his past uneven performances. In a fight against Paul Daley that took place in Sept. 2010, for example, the win was there for the taking in round three after the two split the first two rounds, and Masvidal never showed a sense of urgency to seal the deal, allowing Daley to steal it on the scorecards. Given Melendez's aggression, any kind of passivity may be Melendez's undoing.

Masvidal has to be more offensive than usual and push forward, but that's not really not his style, and it's not likely he'll change that overnight. If he sits backs and waits to counter, Melendez's more straightforward style will make a bigger impact with the judges. Masvidal has the chin and boxing skills to bring this fight into the late rounds, but Melendez's stamina will be the edge to get him to the finish line first. Expect this one to be closer than the wide odds indicate, but Melendez holds on to the belt with a decision win.

Don't forget Strikeforce Melendez vs. Masvidal tonight

8:30 tonight on Showtime for those who have it.

Gilbert Melendez, who sits atop the Strikeforce heap as its lightweight champion, will attempt to extend his current winning streak to six in a title defense against Jorge Masvidal at Saturday night’s Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

He and Masvidal, along with the rest of the fight card, must first weigh in Friday afternoon to make the nine-bout roster official.

Other bouts highlighting the main card include Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos making her return to the cage after more than a year off. She will put her belt on the line against Hiroko Yamanaka, one of the top female featherweights out of Japan. Gegard Mousasi makes his first Strikeforce appearance since spring to try and halt a streaking Ovince St. Preux, while former title contender K.J. Noons faces rising talent Billy Evangelista.

The Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal weigh-ins take place Friday at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Main Bouts (on Showtime):
-Gilbert Melendez (155) vs. Jorge Masvidal (155)
-Cris “Cyborg” Santos (145) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka (145)
-Gegard Mousasi (206) vs. Ovince St-Preux (206)
-K.J. Noons (156) vs. Billy Evangelista (156)

Preliminary Bouts (non-televised):
-Justin Wilcox (156) vs. Caros Fodor (156)
-Jerron Peoples (180.5) vs. Roger Bowling (170)*
-Devin Cole (248) vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones (265)
-Fernando Gonzalez (186) vs. Eddie Mendez (186)
-Herman Terrado (170.5) vs. Chris Brown (170)

*Catchweight bout
MMAWEEKLY

K.J. Noons Just Fighting His Way Back Into Contention

Jorge Masvidal Has No Use for Title, Saying Win Over Gilbert Melendez Means More

For most fighters, winning a major championship is an ultimate career goal. Few, however, will ever get the chance to compete for one, let alone have a shiny, gold belt strapped around their waist.

Jorge Masvidal gets that chance on Saturday, yet for him, that material possession comes secondary to the personal satisfaction that would come from defeating current Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Gilbert Melendez.

"He's the No. 1 or No. 2 in most peoples' opinion," he told MMA Fighting during a recent teleconference. "That's what really matters to me. The belt, I could really care less for it."

Melendez is currently ranked second, behind only UFC champ Frankie Edgar in most lightweight rankings, and the prospect of knocking off his highest-ranked opponent means more to Masvidal than anything else.

The 27-year-old has won both of his Strikeforce fights since re-signing with the company in 2011 (he had also gone 2-0 in a previous run in 2007-08).

While Masvidal has yet to crack a top 10 on his own, he has been considered a talented but sometimes inconsistent fighter with the ability to do so. In recent years, he has led a bit of a nomadic existence, fighting in promotions including Bellator, Bodog Fight, Sengoku and Shark Fights before settling back in Strikeforce's hexagon. Essentially, he's chased the best available fights, which is no different than his current focus.

"To me it doesn't really matter what people say about him or anything," he said of Melendez's reputation. "I just want to fight him. I know he's a solid fighter and that's all that matters to me. And that's it, really. To me it's just another fight. Train hard and that's it. Train long because it's five rounds. That's the only difference. And that's it. Go in and do my job."

For his part, Melendez said that just because Masvidal has gone under the radar of some, he shouldn't be counted among that group. In fact, it's a fight that he has been anticipating for some time, and he expects Masvidal to be just as game as he says is.

"You get motivated when you're the underdog or you get motivated when there's a lot of hype," he said. "A lot of people have been talking nonsense; that Jorge, like he's no good. That you're going to run by him. And that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don't really follow the game that much. If you don't fight in the UFC, they think you're no good."

Melendez goes into Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal as a sizable favorite, but many observers believe that when Masvidal is at his best, he's a legitimate threat to anyone. And that means he's a legitimate threat to win a belt, even if it's one he says he doesn't particularly care about.

"When I say 'just another fight,' it's not like I'm dissing my opponent skill-wise or anything," he said. "I'm just saying that it doesn't mean anything that it's a title and it's a main event on Showtime or nothing like that. It's just at the end of the day no matter what's at stake, it's just a fight. It's not like Gil has a gun and I'm going in there empty-handed. It's just another fight. That's exactly what I mean."

Mike Chiappetta

Strikeforce, Showtime Announce Extension to TV Deal

Executives from Strikeforce and Showtime have announced a new contract that will keep the two sides partnered up in the television broadcasting business for at least the next year. Their original deal had been set to expire in early 2012. The new pact will see Showtime broadcast up to eight Strikeforce shows per year. Undercard fights will also air live on Showtime Extreme.

The announcement ends lengthy speculation about the future of the relationship, which seemed unsalvageable as recently as October.

In a joint teleconference including the two sides, UFC president Dana White, who has had an active role in negotiations since mid-October, said the tide turned after a regime change at Showtime.

Asked if a deal could have been struck without the regime change, White said probably not.

More Coverage: Strikeforce to Eliminate Heavyweight Division in 2012

"I dont know," he said. "Obviously, it didn't go well [previously]. It probably wouldn't have. Listen, let's cut the b-------. Me and [former Showtime sports boss] Ken Herschman aren't fans of each other. He's not a fan of mine, I'm not a fan of his. He's not there anymore. I flew out there, I liked these guys, and we did a deal, period, end of story."

Stephen Espinoza, who now runs the division as executive vice president & general manager of Showtime sports, would not divulge the length of the agreement between the sides, but promised to continue the long relationship between the brands in presenting Strikeforce as a first-tier product.

White echoed that, saying that Strikeforce would look to sign top available talent, and that fans shouldn't expect it to be run as a "B-league" or feeder system for the UFC, as some had feared.

"Let's be real clear: Strikeforce is not a secondary brand," Espinoza said. "Luke Rockhold is not a secondary fighter, Cris Cyborg is not a secondary fighter, GIna [Carano] is not a secondary fighter, Gilbert [Melendez] is not a secondary fighter. This is a top-tier organization. It was a top-tier organization as a brand when Scott [Coker] was running it independently of Zuffa, and it will continue to be now that they're in partnership with Zuffa."

Among the few changes announced is the eventual abandoning of the heavyweight division. World Grand Prix finalists Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett will meet in the final -- which is likely to take place before the end of the first quarter of 2012, according to Coker -- and then the winner will fight one more time in Strikeforce before the weight class is discontinued.

The reason? Lack of depth, according to White, who said the promotion will focus on all of its other existing divisions. He also reaffirmed that Strikeforce will continue to promote both the women's 135- and 145-pound classes.

For the first time, Showtime will also have a stake in the event preliminaries, as undercard fights will be aired live on Showtime Extreme.

The first event on 2012's Showtime-Strikeforce calendar will be on January 7, with an event from The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and featuring Rockhold defending his newly won middleweight title against Keith Jardine. The event presentation will look similar to past offerings, with White promising a few tweaks. The announcing team is likely to stay intact, Espinoza added.

The extra events will bring Zuffa's 2012 total to over 40 live shows, making White's schedule a nightmare. "People don't even think it's going to be humanly possible, but I disagree," he said of the travel that will be required of him. But that doesn't mean he's not excited for the potential of Strikeforce, and he plans to offer the UFC's sister promotion as much of himself as is possible in the coming months.

"This is what I love to do," White said. "This is the s--- that gets me out of bed in the morning. The Showtime guys and Scott Coker, everyone will laugh but it's business as usual for these guys. They've had this relationship for a long time. I'm getting involved in this thing and I'm excited about it. I'm going to get behind it 100 percent. Like I said, we're going to get in, we're going to do some fun stuff, make some tweaks and see how big we can make this thing."

Mike Chiappetta

MMA - the best and the sickest submission ever

The Champ Visits SportsCenter

Brittney Palmer Gets March 2012 Cover of Playboy

Brittney Palmer returned to Octagon girl duties over the weekend at UFC 140, and she’ll soon join Arianny Celeste and Rachelle Leah in another honor shared by UFC Octagon girls.

Palmer will grace the cover of the March issue of Playboy magazine, hitting the stands in early 2012.

The former WEC ring girl took a brief hiatus from her duties around the Octagon to concentrate on going to art school in California.

There was quite an outpouring from fans who missed seeing her at events, and so UFC President Dana White brought her back, starting with last weekend’s UFC 140 event in Toronto.

“It’s so flattering. At the end of the day, I’m an Octagon girl, I hold the card and that’s what I thought. Then everyone kind of reached out and didn’t want me to go, and it was such a big reaction, it’s flattering,” Palmer told MMAWeekly prior to UFC 140.

Nogueira Avoids Surgery for Broken Arm

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira suffered a broken arm at UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida in Toronto on Saturday night after waiting until the last possible second – a second too late – to tapout to a Frank Mir Kimura (shoulder lock).

The UFC tweeted out the x-ray of Nogueira’s arm, clearly showing a break of the humerus.

The initial prognosis in Toronto was a trip to Los Angeles for surgery. But it now appears that surgery won’t be necessary.

“Doctor’s report: surgery not necessary for Big Nog,” the UFC tweeted on Monday after Nogueira visited Dr. John Itamura.

Dr. Itamura believes a less invasive course of action will work for Nogueira.

“He’ll have adjustable plastic brace using an ultrasound device 2x/day for 20 mins,” read the UFC’s message on Twitter.

Apparently, according to the doctor, Nogueira could return to the Octagon “in no more than nine months.”

At 35 years of age, having fought through some punishing battles throughout his career, whether or not Nogueira returns to the Octagon at all remains to be seen. At least, UFC president Dana White seems to question Nogueira continuing his fight career.

“You got to look at a guys career, not just how it’s ending. Big Nog has been through wars. I was at the Pride fight when he fought Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop was just blasting him with kicks to the body and shots to the head, and then he ends up pulling off that submission win in the second round. But he’s had a career where he’s been through some wars,” said White following the UFC 140 post-fight press conference when asked if it was time for Nogueira to consider retirement.

Nogueira is 4-3 since moving to the UFC in 2007, two of his losses coming by way of knockout, the other being Mir’s arm-breaking submission.

“Big Nog is a nice guy and a guy whom I respect.

I know he’s gonna get pissed off at me, but again, it doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I’m the one that makes those decisions,” White continued, clearly indicating that he thought Nogueira has to take a long hard look at whether he should continue or not.

“So, I’m gonna have to sit down and talk to him. I don’t want to see him get hurt or anybody.”

MMAWeekly Radio Tuesday: Greg Jackson and KJ Noons | MMAWeekly.com

MMAWeekly Radio Tuesday: Greg Jackson and KJ Noons | MMAWeekly.com: "MMAWeekly Radio Tuesday: Greg Jackson and KJ Noons"

'via Blog this'

Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva Named TUF Brazil Coaches

A rivalry will finally be settled during the first ever Ultimate Fighter: Brazil as Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort square off as coaches.

UFC president Dana White made the announcement on Tuesday at a press conference in Brazil.

Silva and Belfort are no strangers to each other. The legendary Brazilians first faced off at UFC 17.5, also known as Ultimate Brazil.

Belfort blitzed Silva with punches in the early going of the fight, finishing off his fellow Brazilian in just 44 seconds in 1998.

Now, more than a decade later, the two will meet face to face again in their home country of Brazil as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter.

The format for the show will run similar to the early seasons of TUF in the United States, with the fighters living and training in the house for six weeks before squaring off in a finale.

“The premiere is going to be March 25. It’s going to be every Sunday night on Globo. The finale will be in June, but we don’t know where that’s going to be yet,” said White.

This will mark the first season of The Ultimate Fighter to not take place in the United States. The UFC has long planned to expand internationally, and now they have roots in Brazil starting with this newest edition of TUF.

White, along with several UFC officials, traveled to Brazil for the open tryouts on Monday. Cast selection will be announced at a later date.

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil will also air in some fashion in the United States, and as of last week the rumors were for it to show on Fuel TV, although nothing has been announced yet.

UFC 140 results: Lyoto Machida had a gameplan and Jon Jones was falling for it

Then Jon Jones was just falling ... right on top of Lyoto Machida with a violent elbow.

One that happened to split "The Dragon" in two and bring about the beginning of the end, which was unfortunate considering how well the opening round played out in their UFC 140 headliner last Saturday night (Dec. 10, 2011) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Machida explains to Tatame.com the "disturbing" moment that changed the outcome of their fight:

"We set a game plan that, from where I’m standing, until a certain moment, was working, but he landed that elbow and I got dizzy, I couldn’t see things straight anymore and it disturbed me because I couldn’t see. And on that moment I thought, 'I gotta do my best here and now.' I felt him lose a little on the first round, but I was focused on not making it a big deal, because each round was a different one and I had to win them all. I did my game and he was falling for it. He took me down, launching an elbow on me, and that surprised me a little, because I thought he would take me down but I would have a little time to think it straight. It was very fast and I had my head close to the fence, he hit me with an elbow, I couldn’t see and I tried to stand up and he hit me even more. I stood up and the judge interrupted, but we started fighting again and I didn’t have enough time to recover from that."

Following the conclusion of the first round, two cageside judges had it scored in favor of the champion; however, an argument can be made the challenger took the opening frame or at the very least, had it dead even.

From the MMAmania.com play-by-play:



Round one: Jones comes out crawling again then stands up traditional style. Leg kick from Jones. Side kick to the thigh from Jones. Spinning back kick from Jones misses. Leg kick from Machida. Hard leg kick from Jones. Good leg kick from Jones then he blocks a right from Machida. Kick to the thigh from Jones. Powerful leg kick from Jones and Machida counter with a right that barely misses. Jones is the faster man. Left from Machida lands. Good body kick and left from Machida. High kick from Jones misses. Good counter right from Machida. Machida again lands a stiff left that backs up Jones! Body kick from Machida he is finding holes now and he stunned Jones with that left. Good high kick from Jones glances the head of Machida. That is the bell and a close round but I think Machida landing the more significant blows in that round. 10-9 Machida.

While no one wants to break out the party hats every time a fighter (possibly) takes a close round on points, it's significant simply because we've yet to see anyone stay competitive against Jones since his unparalleled run through the UFC light heavyweight division.

Did Machida lay the foundation for breaking "Bones?" Or did he simply take advantage of a patient champion who made the necessary adjustments in the second stanza?

Fedor Emelianenko vs Satoshi Ishii announced for New Year's Eve fight in DREAM

Fedor Emelianenko is about to do something he hasn't done in nearly seven years.

"The Last Emperor," who slammed the brakes on a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Monson last month in Moscow, Russia, will compete for the fourth time this calendar year by taking on Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on DREAM's upcoming New Year's Eve fight card on Dec. 31, 2011, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

M-1 officials today confirmed the long-rumored booking, which we first reported back on Nov. 20.

"M-1 Global in cooperation with Dream is very pleased to announce the bout which will bring the world's attention to Japan on December 31. Fedor has been in great shape, and is ready for what we think will be a hard and competitive fight."

Can Fedor finish his 2011 fight campaign at an even 2-2? Or will Ishii finish the Russian's storied career where it began, in "The Land of the Rising Sun?"

Here is the current FieLDS 'Genki Desu Ka!!' fight card and line-up:



DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix:

135 lbs.: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo Marques
135 lbs.: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio Banuelos
135 lbs.: Winner of Fernandes-Marques vs. Winner of Imanari-Banuelos

Main Card:

265 lbs.: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Satoshi Ishii
155 lbs.: Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka
170 lbs.: Hayato Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
145 lbs.: Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi Inoue
155 lbs.: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
115 lbs.: Karla Benitez vs. Megumi Fujii
265 lbs.: Brett Rogers vs. Tim Sylvia
MMAMANIA

Frank Mir feels bad Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira requires medical attention, but not for submitting him at UFC 140

Frank Mir is one of the most dangerous submission fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, with nine out of his 16 professional wins coming via tap, nap or snap.

Even though the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt takes prides in his stand up abilities, at UFC 140 on Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this past weekend (Dec.10, 2011,) Mir reminded the MMA world just how efficient he can be once the fight hits the floor.

After getting caught with a perfectly placed right hand to the back of his ear, Mir went into survival mode by trying to shoot in on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Once the fight hit the ground, Nogueir -- who is widely considered to be the best heavyweight submission artist on the planet -- attempted a guillotine.

And that's when the tide turned.

Mir was able to escape and, in the process, trap "Minotauro" in the kimura seen around the world. With a strong inclination that Noguiera -- the proud and accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt -- wouldn't tap, Mir had no choice but to add a little bit more torque to secure the win.

Mir got the win, but only after Nogueira's arm snapped like a twig and Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.

After the bout, at the UFC 140 press conference, Mir wouldn't go too much into detail about the incident; however, speaking to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Mir explained that he was just trying to earn the win. And even though it's a shame Noguiera has to get his arm repaired, he does not feel bad for what happened:



"I just locked it up and I wanted to make sure he didn't get out. I'm locking up a submission, and in my mind I want to keep applying force and don't lose it. By the time he tapped the injury had already occurred. I understand the mentality; you're trying to wait for the last second but once I pulled the arm back he could have tapped. But this is Nogueira, a great ground fighter, he's been in that move in practice and gotten out, so he hesitated I'm sure. I'm not going to let go of a hold until the referee tells me to break the hold. I would never do anything dirty or purposely hurt you. I just want to win the fight, the fact that you have to get medical treatment afterwards that sucks. He's another martial artist I hope he can go back to the gym Monday like everyone else.I feel bad that he has to go get it repaired, but I don't feel bad it happened. It would be like a quarterback apologizing for scoring a touchdown. If me and Nogueira ever rolled again, I could easily be the one on the receiving end of the kimura."

This isn't the first time that Mir has caused serious bodily harm to another opponent using his highly decorated submission skills. At UFC 48 in 2004, Mir became the UFC heavyweight champion by submitting Tim Sylvia with an armbar that also broke the champion's forearm just 50 seconds into the fight.

With his impressive win over Noguiera, Mir has now won three straight and is knocking on the door of a title shot. He, of course, has to play the waiting game to see the outcome of the monster number one contender eliminator fight between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, which is scheduled for UFC 141 on Dec. 30, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Unless Cain Velasquez and the promotion is up for his recent challenge.

UFC 140: Preview & Predictions

JON JONES vs. LYOTO MACHIDA

Jon Jones could wrap the single greatest year in UFC history tonight, but he’s facing one of the more intriguing tests he’ll ever face as light heavyweight champion. Lyoto Machida represents a style unlike any Jones has faced thus far.

In reality, he’s very much like Jon Jones. Both fighters are predicated on playing defense and avoiding punishment, and both fighters are exceedingly good at creating distance and using range to strike opponents who swing and miss more often than not. Back before he started losing fights on a regularly basis, Machida very rarely looked human, and that’s something Jones can identify with these days.

Jones is a heavy favorite in this fight, as he should be. Machida can win, much the same way that anybody can really win an MMA fight. But Machida was less the definer of a new era than a placeholder for what the Jones era will become, and he’s not going to finish Jones’ or his reign as champion any time soon.

FRANK MIR vs. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA

Frank Mir’s pretty bitter about the way the bigger Nogueira dismissed his dominating win three years ago. He has every right to be. Staph infection or no, Nogueira looked decidedly unlike the champion who, along with Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop, defined an entire generation of heavyweight fighters in Japan.

Mir has a chip on his shoulder. He feels disrespected, and rightly so. But that has nothing to do with 2011 or the second meeting between the pair. The fact remains that Nogueira, while not “shot” in the traditional sense, certainly is not the fighter he used to be. Not even close. Don’t pay attention to his win over Brendan Schaub, because that was an outlier brought on by Schaub’s careless overlooking of the Brazilian. It was disrespect, plain and simple, and Schaub paid a very dear price for it.

Mir is too big, too strong and too good. He’s not going to fall into the trap of disrespecting Nogueira, no matter how often he pretends to do so otherwise in public settings. There will be no zombie comebacks for Nogueira in this fight.

TITO ORTIZ vs. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA

Tito Ortiz thinks he might retire soon. He’s had a nice career, after all, and he’s getting a little tired of putting in the kind of work that goes into being a slightly-less-than-medicore light heavyweight in the year 2011. You can’t blame him. He’s had a nice run.

This won’t be the fight that retires him, however. The venerable Ortiz will indeed live to fight another day, but it’s not because he’s great shakes as a fighter these days, but rather because Nogueira just isn’t that good. He’s never been all that good, and those of you who believe he was one of the best light heavyweights in the world are deluding yourself and buying into the haze from a bygone era.

Ortiz will beat Nogueira, and he’ll do it the same way the tiniest Nog’s other opponents did: by taking him to the ground and keeping him there. It won’t be exciting and it won’t be all that fun to watch, but it will be a victory for the newly-dubbed People’s Champ.

BRIAN EBERSOLE vs. CLAUDE PATRICK

Ebersole’s gradual ascendance from “wacky humor guy” to “possible welterweight contender/aging veteran” starts with this bout.

He’s one of the smartest guys in the business, and obviously one of the funniest. Witness his epic appearances on MiddleEasy.com for proof on both accounts, but take my word on this: Ebersole is no joke. The fight with Rory MacDonald would have been a tough one, but Claude Patrick is no Rory MacDonald and Ebersole should have a field day here.

Expect a slow, grinding fight, with Ebersole pretty much having his way on top and controlling the fight. It won’t be pretty, but it doesn’t have to be.

MARK HOMINICK vs. CHAN SUNG JUNG

This is a mismatch, pure and simple. Jung takes a ton of punishment and the fight seems designed to get him to take as much punishment as possible, to see how many punches he can absorb before falling over into a coma.

Hominick is too accurate and too technical for Jung to overcome. This one could be ugly.

Jeremy Botter

Kendall Grove vs. Ikuhisa Minowa Headlines Next ProElite Fight Card

ProElite on Friday announced that its next event will take place on Jan. 21 at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. UFC veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove will face Pride veteran Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa in the main event with the semifinal round of the ProElite Heavyweight Grand Prix also featured on the card.

ProElite: Da Spyder vs. The Punk will be televised live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET.

Grove (13-9) enters the fight coming off of a 59-second guillotine submission win over Joe Riggs at ProElite’s last Hawaiian card on Aug. 27. Minowa (51-32-8) is on a four-fight winning streak. Despite a career that spans 15 years, the fight with Grove marks Minowa’s North American debut.

The Honolulu fight card also features the first semifinal match of the Heavyweight Grand Prix, and showcases the very tough Ryan Martinez (6-1) taking on headhunter Cody Griffin (5-2).

The opposite bracket features the heavy hitting Jake Heun (2-1) against the biggest physical competitor in the tournament at 6-foot-5, Richard Odoms (6-0).

MMAWeekly.com Staff

UFC 140 complete odds: Jones, Hominick huge favorites

Jon Jones -444
Lyoto Machida +425

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +225
Frank Mir -240

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -200
Tito Ortiz +185

Brian Ebersole -115
Claude Patrick +115

Chan Sung Jung +390
Mark Hominick -435

Igor Pokrajac +233
Krzysztof Soszynski -250

Mark Bocek -149
Nik Lentz +148

John Cholish -320
Mitch Clarke +325

Walel Watson +160
Yves Jabouin -172

Costantinos Philippou +210
Jared Hamman-216

Dennis Hallman +147
John Makdessi-152

Jake Hecht +207
Rich Attonito -220

bestfightodds.com

UFC 140 preview and predictions for ION Television 'Prelims' on Dec. 10

Kauai Oceanic air times:
2:00-3:00PM Preliminaries Channel 27
4:00-7:00PM UFC 140 Channel 701

Take off to the "Great White North" for UFC 140: "Jones vs. Machida."

Dana White and co. are making their way to the Air Canada Centre tomorrow night (Dec. 10, 2011) in Toronto with Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, former champ Lyoto Machida, and oodles of fantastic fights in tow.

In addition to the titular fighters, former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira will look to parlay his momentum into revenge over the first man to ever stop him: Frank Mir.

His brother, "Little Nog," will also be in action, taking on Tito Ortiz in an intriguing throwback fight.

And that's not even mentioning the excellent prelims coming your way.

Earlier this week, we examined three bouts set to be shown on the UFC's Facebook page. Join us after the jump for a closer look at the four bouts making up the ION Television portion of the broadcast.



205 lbs.: Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (26-11-1) vs. Igor "The Duke" Pokrajac (23-8)

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 veteran and unintentional nemesis of closed-captioners everywhere, Krzysztof Soszynski, has made a name for himself as one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC, with 23 of his wins coming inside the distance. "K-Sos" had one of the more entertaining 2010s in the UFC, splitting a pair of fantastic fights with Stephan Bonnar and defeating vaunted Croatian striker Goran Reljic. The Polish bruiser has won two straight, and with his dedication to providing outstanding fights, will definitely be one to watch this Sautrday.

Pokrajac has not had the smoothest ride during his time in the UFC. The well-rounded Croatian has gone 2-3 under the ZUFFA banner, defeating James Irvin and Todd Brown while falling to Stephan Bonnar, James Te-Huna, and the resurgent Vladimir Matyushenko. The man they call "The Duke," while consistently entertaining, could very well be on thin ice, and he’ll need a dramatic victory over "K-Sos" if he doesn’t want to go the way of fellow Croats Mirko Filipovic and Goran Reljic.

I’ve seen several of Pokrajac’s fights and, for the life of me, I still can’t find anything he’s really good at. He’s decent across the board, but he doesn’t seem to have the skill in any one particular area to overcome Soszynski. "K-Sos" is a limited fighter in his own right and is, by his own admission, nowhere near technical, but he’s still got heavy hands and one of the most wicked kimuras in the game. Further, only managing to beat Todd Brown, who really shouldn’t have been in the UFC in the first place, and a broken James Irvin doesn’t speak volumes about Igor’s skills. It always pains me to pick against a Croat, but I just don’t see an avenue of victory here. This one should be good while it lasts, but Soszynski will land something solid before too long and pick up his first legitimate (T)KO since flattening Gusmao back in ’09.

Prediction: Soszynski via second-round TKO

185 lbs.: Jared "The Messenger" Hamman (13-3) vs. Constantinos Philippou (8-2, 1 NC)

Heavy-handed striker Jared Hamman looked to be just another also-ran at light-heavyweight, going 1-2 in admittedly-entertaining bouts. Everything changed, however, when he dropped down to middleweight and was paired up with C.B. Dollaway in a bout most (including me) expected him to be dominated in. Impressively, Hamman survived an ugly first round to absolutely batter Dollaway in the second, securing a TKO win and a second wind for his career. With 12 finishes to his credit, Hamman has proven an extremely entertaining fighter and will look to prove he belongs with the best of the division against the Matt Serra-trained Philippou.

Fighting out of Serra-Longo alongside top prospect Chris Weidman, Philippou, who was defeated in the elimination round of TUF 11, immediately entered into the UFC’s good graces by replacing Dan Miller (who himself was replacing Yoshihiro Akiyama) against Nick Catone at UFC 128 in a 195-pound catchweight bout. While Philippou found himself unable to overcome his foe’s wrestling prowess, his sophomore effort was far superior, as he managed to outstrike and outgrapple veteran Jorge Rivera en route to a unanimous decision. Certainly unwilling to be overshadowed by his red-hot teammate, Philippou will be out to establish himself as a legitimate middleweight contender at the Air Canada Centre.

While I’ve still got concerns about Hamman’s ability to stay on his feet against wrestlers with cardio, he’s shown enough for me to pick him over Philippou. His strikes are clean and he’s definitely got some pop behind them, and while Philippou did some good work against Rivera, the latter came back strong in the late rounds. Hamman is completely capable of lasting long enough to where, even if Philippou manages to bring him down in the early going, he’ll be able to take control of the fight. Look for Constantinos to find some success in the takedown game early, but eventually wilt from Hamman’s punching power and drop the latter two rounds.

Prediction: Hamman via unanimous decision

155 lbs.: John "The Bull" Makdessi (9-0) vs. Dennis "Superman" Hallman (50-14-2, 1 NC)

GSP training partner and kickboxer extraordinaire, John Makdessi, first turned heads in his UFC debut, showing an impressive arsenal of kicks and pulling out a dominant decision. He entered into "must watch" territory at UFC 129 when, after soundly controlling the match, he wiped out Kyle Watson with a beautiful spinning backfist. Makdessi was supposed to face English striker Paul Taylor on the UFC’s penultimate Versus card, but injury forced him to delay his return until now. Makdessi will look to cement his place as one of the finest prospects in the division in his home country this Saturday against his well-travelled foe.

Things were going so great for Dennis Hallman until his poor fashion sense reared its ugly head. Hallman, legendary for submitting Matt Hughes twice in a combined time of thirty-seven seconds, rode into UFC 133 having won 7.99 of his previous eight bouts, having been five seconds away from winning a decision over John Howard. He also rode into UFC 133 with some shorts that were to regular shorts what thongs are to sweatpants. Brian Ebersole took this fashion affront personally and, after spinning his way out of back control, blasted "Superman" with elbows for a first-round stoppage, earning the UFC’s first ever "Getting Those Shorts off of TV" bonus in UFC history. There is a whole lot of that fight we want to forget, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that Hallman will need something special to override our memories of that incident.

The thing that consistently bugs me about Makdessi is that he’s far too passive; he’s got a very impressive arsenal of kicks and some real power behind them, but even when it’s clear that he has a major advantage standing, he just doesn’t commit as much as he should. In addition, he’s fairly undersized for 155.

Good for him, then, that Hallman isn’t the man to expose those liabilities.

This reeks of a desperation cut for Hallman, who hasn’t been at 155 in ten years. He’s still a dangerous opponent, but I expect Makdessi’s takedown defense to hold up and make this as standup affair, where "The Bull" has a major advantage. Finishing a washed-up Karo Parisyan isn’t enough to convince me that he has the tools to beat his younger foe, and Hallman should find himself kept at bay on the feet before eating one too many left hooks sometime in the late going and adding another trophy to Makdessi’s wall.

Prediction: Makdessi via third-round TKO

135 lbs.: Yves "Tiger" Jabouin (16-7) vs. Walel "The Gazelle" Watson (9-2)

Yves Jabouin is one of those people who just always finds himself on the highlight reel in one way or another. The Tristar-based striker, in his second WEC battle, put on one of the finest fights of 2010, slugging it out spectacularly with Mark Hominick for two rounds before succumbing to the Canadian’s vicious body attack. After beating Brandon Visher at WEC 52, he made his UFC debut against Pablo Garza, and despite controlling the early going with vicious leg kicks, was caught in a flying triangle, setting the stage for one of the most entertaining events in UFC history. After upsetting Loveland in his bantamweight debut, Jabouin is out to score his first knockout since 2008 against his lanky opponent.

The appropriately-nicknamed Walel Watson, who stands at a ridiculous 5’11" also made his mark in his UFC debut, clipping fellow newcomer Joseph Sandoval with a beauty of a head kick before finishing the fight with punches. Watson, primarily a submissions specialist, has never been out of the second round, and has secured six of his nine victories in the first round. Boasting a three-inch height advantage, he’ll be eager to prove his win was anything but a fluke by getting his wiry limbs around Jabouin’s neck.

Early stoppage or no, Watson looked pretty damn slick against Sandoval.

Unfortunately for him, however, that bout was a bit of an anomaly, as he has historically proven awkward on his feet and with a tendency to back straight up after getting hit. That, in addition the thinness of his legs and the massive leg kicks Jabouin was inflicting on the similarly-built Pablo Garza, have me rather worried for "The Gazelle." While Watson has demonstrated solid submissions skills, Jabouin looked very impressive stuffing the takedowns of Ian Loveland, who is a good wrestler in his own right. As such, I doubt Watson will get the chance to put those skills to use, and despite his height and reach advantage, I expect Yves to have his way with him standing. Neither Garza nor Hominick, both of similar stature to Walel, could keep Yves off of them, and considering Watson’s lesser striking skills, things just aren’t looking good for him. "Tiger" eats up "The Gazelle" in geographically-inaccurate fashion.

Prediction: Jabouin via first-round knockout

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Carlos Condit: First Nick Diaz Then GSP

by Damon Martin



First he wasn’t in a title fight, and then a bizarre incident occurred and he got a title shot. Then the champion got injured and he was asked to wait, but ultimately got bumped out of the title shot.

Now with champion Georges St-Pierre sidelined for the next 10 months after tearing his ACL in training, Carlso Condit will fight for the UFC interim welterweight title against Nick Diaz at UFC 143.

It’s certainly been an up and down past few months for the former WEC champion, but Condit continues to roll with the punches and now he gets another new opponent with a belt on the line.

“Another change of opponents, it’s been kind of a crazy ride the last couple of months, but you just kind of got to roll with it,” Condit said on Tuesday.

“The good thing is I’ve been training, I’ve been focusing on what I need to be doing to win the fight no matter who they put in front of me.”

Over the past several months Condit has gone from B.J. Penn, to Georges St-Pierre, to Josh Koscheck and now finally Nick Diaz.

Ultimately, Condit is happy with the choice of fighters because facing Nick Diaz is something that’s been on his radar for quite some time.

“I’m really excited, I’ve been wanting to step inside the Octgon with Nick Diaz for a really long time. Great fighter, great skill set, and I really think we’re going to put on a good show for the fans,” Condit stated.

Unless something else crazy happens, which at this point Carlos Condit has to be accustomed to, the New Mexico native will face Nick Diaz for the 170lb UFC title in February.

Condit hopes to snatch that title first, and then wait for St-Pierre’s knee to heal so he can take that belt as well.

“I will be the UFC interim champion and then when Georges (St-Pierre) gets better, I will be the undisputed UFC champion,” Condit said with confidence.

Condit will first try to go through Nick Diaz on Super Bowl weekend to claim the UFC interim welterweight title to add to his collection.

Is the UFC Running Down the NFL and NBA?

by Jeff Cain



UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the sport of mixed martial arts has risen from the roots of a fringe sport into the mainstream spotlight in recent years, but is it running down other mainstream sports in America?

UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones thinks so.

“It’s become much more of a mainstream thing,” Jones said recently on a UFC 140 media conference call. “We’re really starting to catch up to the NBA and to the NFL.”

The sport landing on the Fox network is a tremendous step forward in recognition and acceptance. Jones understands where the sport is, where it’s been, and where it could be going. New markets are being reached and new advertising dollars are pouring in.

“We’re right there,” said Jones. “We’re looking up fast and I think when these major companies come looking at us, I want them to know that you can trust investing into UFC because we’re quality guys. Just as much of athletes and professionals as any other club sport.”

With the Fox deal, mixed martial arts finds itself having to re-educate the public about the sport, its athletes and its rules. It’s about packaging the sport the right way to the millions of more eyes that are tuning in now that may have misconceptions.

“I think mainstream America has a lot of learning to do about us. Being in the position that I am, I just want mainstream America to know that we’re solid guys, that we’re class acts, capable of being mainstream individuals,” said Jones.

“These people, they won’t know how much training and how much education goes into each bout,” he added. “I kind of do small things like media training and always try to make sure that I have a suit on and just try to portray us for the positive light.

“Let mainstream people get to know that we’re college educated guys and that we are intelligent athletes and not just guys who show up and beat each other up in the cage,” said the 205-pound champion.

Strikeforce Reborn! New Showtime Deal On Tap

MMAWeekly.com Staff


It appears the ringing of the death knell for Strikeforce has been a little bit premature.

UFC president Dana White on Thursday, following the UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida press conference, confirmed that Strikeforce is not going away.

“That deal should be wrapped up any day now and then I’ll make the decisions on who goes where and what’s gonna happen,” White said during the press conference, alluding to a pending deal for Strikeforce to remain on Showtime. “We should no, hopefully, by Monday.”

He later said that the deal is mostly complete, but they do need to finalize the details of the agreement with Showtime.

As for what that means for the future of Strikeforce, White was more elusive, saying only that Strikeforce would survive and be operated as a separate promotion from the UFC. He indicated that there could be some format changes in how the promotion operates, but that those details weren’t yet ready for public consumption.

White’s assurances of the future of Strikeforce comes on the same day that the promotion announced a Jan. 7 event pitting middleweight champion Luke Rockhold against UFC veteran Keith Jardine in the main event at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine will air live on Showtime and also features popular Strikeforce fighters Robbie Lawler and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in separate bouts.

Hilo fighter charged with manslaughter following barfight

By JOHN BURNETT

Tribune-Herald staff writer

A 21-year-old amateur mixed martial arts fighter has been charged with manslaughter for the death of a 44-year-old man after a fight outside a Hilo sports bar.

Bail for Waylen Keone Carenio of Hilo has been set at $50,000, according to Lt. Greg Esteban of the police Criminal Investigations Section.

Carenio is being held in the police cellblock pending his initial court appearance this afternoon in Hilo District Court.

The victim was identified by police as 44-year-old Roy Joseph Williams Jr. of Mountain View. Williams was found unconscious in the roadway shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday outside Karma Hawaii sports bar on Makaala Street in the Kanoelehua Industrial Area.

Witnesses told police that Williams had been in a fight with another man, later identified as Carenio, and that Williams had fallen and struck his head on the pavement.

Esteban said an autopsy performed Tuesday indicated the cause of death was "intracranial injury due to blunt force trauma to the head." Asked if the trauma was caused by Williams' head hitting the pavement, Esteban replied: "That's consistent with that."

Karma Hawaii owner Summer Mochida told the Tribune-Herald Monday that the fight didn't happen on the bar's grounds. Esteban said there is "no information to support" that the altercation started inside the drinking establishment.

Carenio turned himself in Monday morning at the Waimea police station. He was initially booked on suspicion of first-degree assault, according to a police log, but the investigation turned to suspicion of second-degree murder later in the day.

The charge of manslaughter, a felony which carries a possible 20-year prison term, was lodged at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday.

"It has to do with state of mind," Esteban said, noting the charge was filed after conferring with prosecutors. The manslaughter charge indicates that authorities believe the killing was reckless rather than intentional.

According to court records, Carenio was on probation for domestic abuse when the incident occurred. On Feb. 16, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Family Court Judge Lloyd Van De Car to 30 days in jail, with all but two days stayed, and two years probation.

Carenio has fought on Just Scrap, X-1 and Destiny MMA fight cards. He also has competed as an amateur surfer and, according to a page devoted to him on Hilo Surfboard Company's website, he won the Pohoiki Paka event in 2008. The page stated his goal was "to become the first Surf/MMA competitor from Hawaii consistently winning in both sports."

According to court records, Williams was arrested by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in December 2005 for possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine. On Sept. 25, 2006, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

World's 8th richest man sponsoring Nog brothers

Tatame

One of the richest man on the planet, Eike Batista, Brazilian entrepreneur and president of the EBX Group, announced today he’ll sponsor the twin brothers Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira and Rogerio ‘Minotouro’ Nogueira in their upcoming fights at UFC 140, against Frank Mir and Tito Ortiz.

Ranked 8th on Forbes’ list, Batista explained the choice on a press release, in his website.

“We increased our support on the national sport with the sponsorship of the brothers Rodrigo Minotauro and Rogerio Minotouro, MMA fighters, who’ll do their last fight of the year at UFC 140, when they’ll fight the heavyweight Frank Mir and light-heavyweight Tito Ortiz”, said the note.

On the side note, he also revealed his company will create a volleyball team, RJX, and support F1 driver Bruno Senna, among other athletes.

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Frankie Edgar Wants Quick Win at UFC Japan

UFC lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar hasn’t had a quick win since becoming the champion by defeating B.J. Penn at UFC 112 in April of 2010, but he hopes to change that in his UFC: Japan (UFC 144) main event bout with Benson Henderson.

“I’d like it to be a quick fight, but that doesn’t seem how it goes for me,” Edgar said at a press conference promoting the event on Monday.

In his four UFC title fights, Edgar has gone the distance three times.

He defeated Penn twice by unanimous decision. He then came back after nearly being finished in the first round in a rematch with Gray Maynard at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day 2011 to retain the title by salvaging a draw. Edgar retained the belt, but still hadn’t defeated Maynard. Maynard handed the champion the lone loss on his resume back in April of 2008.

The two would go to battle a third time at UFC 136 on Oct. 8. Eerily similar to their UFC 125 bout, Maynard battered Edgar in the first round and was on the verge of winning, but Edgar survived, again, and rallied back to finish his nemesis late in the fourth round by knockout.

“I’m not trying to make a habit of it, taking the punishment I’ve been taking in the last couple of fights,” he said. “It’s like a cat has nine lives and I don’t know how many lives I have to get out of that first round if that happens again.

“Usually my fights are exciting. Past two fights I took some damage and been able to come back, so it makes it exciting for the fans. I know it will be a good one (with Henderson). He’s a good fighter. I’ll do everything I can do in there to win,” added Edgar.

While training and preparing every day to avoid taking punishment and having to comeback in fights after flirting with the fine line that separates whether a referee stops the fight or not, Edgar looks back on his last two fights with a slight grin.

“It does make for exciting TV, and it’s definitely building my legend,” said the lightweight champion. “As long as I come out the victor, I’ll get beat up for four or five rounds. As long as I come out the winner, I’ll do it every time.”

Jeff Cain

Scott Coker ‘Optimistic’ About Strikeforce’s Future

Just about everyone has been wondering what the future holds for Strikeforce after 2011, and it appears things are bright on that horizon.

While no deal has been finalized, all signs have indicated that Strikeforce and Showtime would reach an agreement to see the promotion stay on the network beyond the current deal, thus extending the life of the promotion purchased by Zuffa earlier in 2011.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker couldn’t release any details during a media conference call on Tuesday, but sounded like things were headed in the direction of a new deal.

“There’s nothing to announce, but I’m optimistic at this point,” Coker said on Tuesday.

A timeline hasn’t been discussed in regards to when a new deal could be announced, but sources have indicated that the current Strikeforce deal with Showtime runs through the first few months of 2012.

“That’s something that we’ll just have to wait and see, but I think things are going well, and I think we’ll have something to announce shortly. Right now, I have nothing official to announce,” said Coker

One interesting point to note is the conversation about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, which is still pending the finale between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier.

According to Coker, plans are still for the fight to take place in the first part of 2012, with most signs pointing towards the end of March. If that date holds steady, it would likely mean Strikeforce has struck a new deal with Showtime to keep the promotion and the network working together.

“I still predict that it will happen in the late part of the first quarter. We’d like to get this fight done before the end of the first quarter,” Coker said.

“(March is) kind of the month we’re shooting for. We’re monitoring Daniel Cormier’s recovery. Daniel’s going back to the doctor I think sometime within a week. See how the hand’s feeling.”

by Damon Martin