MMA News Thread

[RM211]

UFC suspends Nate Diaz for 90 days, fines him $20,000 for derogatory tweet

A day after handing Nate Diaz an indefinite suspension pending an investigation, the UFC has come up with its terms for the recent lightweight title challenger.

Diaz (16-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) has been suspended for 90 days and fined $20,000 by the UFC for violating the company's fighter code of conduct. The UFC, in a statement released Friday, said the $20,000 fine will be donated to charity.

"The language used in his tweet was regrettable, offensive and inconsistent with the values and culture of the organization, and is not tolerated," the statement read.

Diaz on Thursday took to his Twitter account in response to the news that Pat Healy had tested positive for marijuana and been suspended – and that the $130,000 in bonus money he got after his UFC 159 win over Jim Miller this past month would be lost.

But the crux of Diaz's offense was when he called UFC bantamweight Bryan Caraway a derogatory term of homosexuals. With Healy losing his $65,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus from UFC 159, Caraway, the only other fighter with a submission on that card, received it instead.

"I feel bad for pat Healy that they took a innocent mans money and I think the guy who took the money is the biggest F-g in the world," Diaz wrote on Twitter. Though the tweet remained up for a while, it since has been removed from Diaz's timeline.

Not long after Diaz's tweet on Thursday, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) the fighter would be fined and suspended – or possibly released from the promotion. Later Thursday night, UFC officials issued a statement that said the company had suspended Diaz pending an investigation, and then

“We are very disappointed by Nate Diaz’s comments, which are in no way reflective of our organization," the Thursday statement read. "Nate is currently suspended pending internal investigation, and we will provide further comment once the matter has been decided.”

And that matter now will be the 90-day suspension, effective immediately, and the $20,000 fine. That should make Diaz eligible to fight again on Aug. 15, two days prior to its first event on the new FOX Sports 1 cable network.

Diaz this past month at UFC on FOX 7 was knocked out for the first time in his career when Josh Thomson upset him in San Jose, Calif. That loss came on the heels of a lightweight title fight setback to champion Benson Henderson at UFC on FOX 5 in December.

Diaz's suspension is just the latest for a UFC fighter involving potential offensive language on social media or in the media in general. In 2011, the UFC released bantamweight Miguel Torres for tweeting a joke making light of rape, though it later reinstated the fighter after he apologized. And earlier this year, the UFC suspended and fined heavyweight Matt Mitrione for comments he made about transgender fighter Fallon Fox. White didn't reveal the amount of the fine, and Mitrione's suspension lasted about three weeks.

 

[kdoe187]

Thanks

 

[RM211]

Through the Past Darkly: Belfort's future, alligator warning, little warriors

With Vitor Belfort's latest win, the UFC has a problem on its hands.

On paper, there's no way to avoid calling him the No. 1 contender. He just got done knocking out the last reigning Strikeforce middleweight champ at UFC on FX 8 with a kick that looked like something out of "Bloodsport." Before that he starched perennial contender Michael Bisping with a boring ol' no-spinning-stuff-required head kick. Since returning to the UFC in 2009, only two fighters have beaten him: Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

Anyone else with those credentials would have already been planted at the front of the line to face the winner of Silva's UFC middleweight title defense against Chris Weidman this summer. But Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC) brings with him some difficult baggage, and you have to think the UFC knows it.

As UFC color commentator Joe Rogan pointed out on Twitter this past Saturday night, Belfort's most recent win creates an "interesting problem." Here we have a fighter who's run up a winning streak in Brazil, where the brand new commission apparently sees no problem with allowing a known former steroid user to use synthetic testosterone (which is itself a steroid) to counteract hypogonadism (which is itself one of the known side effects of steroid use). The state athletic commissions here in the U.S. may not be perfect, but most of them are sharp enough to see the inherent problem with allowing pro fighters to use TRT therapeutic-use exemptions like they're methadone prescriptions.

That leaves the UFC with a few different options: 1) Give Belfort a title shot in Brazil or some other location not known for its stringent oversight of MMA events (but, c'mon, probably Brazil), 2) Encourage him to apply for an exemption in Nevada, hoping that the more transparent approval process might legitimize his testosterone use, 3) Use the promise of a title shot to coerce him into getting off the juice and fight au naturel, or 4) Don't give him a shot at all.

Option 1 is probably the easiest to implement, but also the riskiest. The UFC is the fight promotion that loves to boast about how it saved MMA by "running toward regulation," let's not forget. How would it look it if has to outsource a title fight just to enable the drug use of one of its fighters? And what if Belfort wins? What, we're going to keep the UFC middleweight champ in Brazil the way you'd lock a crazy relative in the attic?

Options 2 and 3 look better, but one requires the NSAC to admit that it doesn't care how you ended up with low testosterone, and the other requires Belfort to admit that he doesn't really need TRT after all.

Option 4 might seem like some form of karmic justice, but it's actually pretty unfair to Belfort since the UFC essentially would be punishing him for something it was totally fine with at one point, then changed its mind on when it become a public relations headache.

The point is, there are really no good options here. Not for the UFC, and not for Belfort. Is he the No. 1 contender? Based purely on wins and losses, absolutely. Can the UFC tiptoe around the testosterone issue all the way to a Belfort title fight, without tripping over its own feet somewhere along the way? I doubt it.

But, fine, enough about testosterone. For now. What else happened in Jaragua do Sul this past Saturday?

Attention UFC middleweights: Beware of alligators

Most of us probably expected Ronaldo Souza (18-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) to beat Chris Camozzi (19-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC), but I'm not sure if even the most ardent "Jacare" supporters expected him to look quite that dominant from start to finish. His striking continues to improve, but he doesn't pursue it at the expense of his ground game. That sounds simple enough, but look at how many wrestlers and submission artists have struggled with that delicate balance over the years. They put so much time into improving their standup that they can't wait to show it off. Then they forget all about their fantastic ground games as they pin their hopes on a striking game that's anywhere from decent to very good.

Not "Jacare." He now seems totally comfortable on his feet, but he's still very aware that it's his ground game that's truly terrifying for opponents. You can bet there are some UFC middleweights who watched his performance on Saturday night and then put on the gi before hitting the mats on Sunday morning. If he keeps this up, there's no reason to think he won't be fighting for a UFC title soon.

The difference between a robbery and debatably bad decision

As the third round drew to a close, I thought Evan Dunham (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) had it. He was more aggressive than Rafael dos Anjos (19-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC), had clearly won the takedown battle, and, as Fightmetric stats later showed, just barely got the better of the overall striking game. It was close, but I expected Dunham to get his hand raised. Then he didn't, and of course the Internet exploded with the familiar din of fight fans shouting, "Robbery!!!"

I don't want to go all don't-leave-it-in-the-hands-of-the-judges here, because I really hate that cliche. In a three-round bout, fighters will leave it in the hands of the judges sometimes. That's just going to happen, and judges should be competent enough to keep that possibility from becoming a threat. Instead of telling fighters to avoid the judges at all costs, what we should really encourage them to do is make the judges' job as easy as possible. Because if it's close – if your best argument for why you deserve the decision is based on something as subtle as the fact that you took more forward steps than the other guy did – you're courting disappointment. Judges don't do subtlety. Especially if you're fighting a Brazilian in Brazil, you've got to paint your masterpiece in bold, bright colors. Anything less, and you end up with a long flight home and plenty of time to wonder what would have happened if you'd just done a little bit more.

One tough commodities trader, telling it like it is on UFC fighter pay

John Cholish is done with MMA now, or so he would have us believe. It was just a hobby for him, and one that actually cost him more money than it made him at times, he said, so he's hanging up the gloves and heading back to Wall Street. He did get one last shot in on his way out the door, however, and this one was aimed squarely at the UFC's pay structure.

"I'm fortunate enough that I have a job that provides for me really well," Cholish told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) after his submission loss to Gleison Tibau. "I give a lot of these guys credit that fight at this level. I think they could be compensated much better based on the income that the UFC takes in. Fortunately, I can just walk away and I'm OK with it. By no means do I mean it disrespectfully toward any other fighters because I think they do a great job. But hopefully Zuffa and the UFC will start paying them a little better."

There are a lot of lower-tier fighters in the UFC nodding their heads at that statement, even if they're scared to say it so publicly without a job in finance to fall back on. It's rough business, this cage-fighting stuff, and not just in the physical sense. Keep winning without letting it get boring, and you'll be paid handsomely. Do merely well enough to stick around in the world's top MMA organization, and you may still be struggling to make ends meet after a couple of years of trying. Maybe that's what we should expect from a sport that's as selfish as pro fighting. If you're the 10th best pitcher in Major League Baseball, you're a millionaire. If you're the tenth best welterweight in the UFC, you might spend the best years of your career dreaming of the day when you earn as much as someone making the MLB league minimum.

Want to see the flyweights? Hope you've got a Facebook account

John Lineker (21-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Jussier Formiga (15-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) – both of whom are top 10 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA flyweight rankings – notched big wins on Saturday night. But unless you're up on your social media game, you might have missed it. These were the only two flyweight bouts on the UFC on FX 8 card, and both were relegated to the Facebook prelims.

Meanwhile, unranked middleweights Rafael Natal (16-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) and Joao Zeferino (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) kicked off the broadcast with a ho-hum display of the 50/50 guard that drew boos from the crowd and nearly made UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa lose his mind on Twitter. (Seriously, no one hates 50/50 guard more than Chiesa. And I mean no one.)

This brings us back to the chicken and egg problem of the flyweight division. Is it hard for UFC's littlest warriors to gain traction with the fans because we don't see enough of them on the main card? Or are they not getting on the main card because they have no traction with the fans? I don't know, but it seems to me that if you're going to have the division in the first place, you might as well try to get off the online stream and onto TV when you have the chance. Facebook is a great place to stalk ex-girlfriends, but not so great for a fighter trying to build a fan base.

 

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USA TODAY: Nelson vs. Miocic added to UFC 161, six-fight main card possible

With the loss of UFC 161's planned headliner between Renan Barao (30-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Eddie Wineland (20-8-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Ultimate Fighting Championship officials looked to add some firepower to the event's lineup. Roy Nelson (19-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Stipe Miocic (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) answered the call.

USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with UFC President Dana White that Nelson and Miocic have agreed to meet on the main card of the event, which takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Rashad Evans (17-3-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (29-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) now headlines the card.

The planned main event was scratched when Barao suffered torn ligaments in his foot. UFC officials are currently seeking another opponent for Wineland, and if one is secured, the event will feature six fights on the evening's pay-per-view card instead of the traditional five contests.

Nelson, the No. 8-ranked heavyweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com Rankings, enters the fight with an impressive three-fight win streak that includes three first-round knockouts over Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione and Dave Herman. The win streak is Nelson's longest since 2008 and has "Big Country" knocking on the door of title contention.

Meanwhile, Miocic recently cracked the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com Rankings' top-15 list. The 30-year-old Ohio native opened his career with nine straight wins, including three UFC victories. He fought most recently in the main event of this past September's "UFC on FUEL TV 5: Struve vs. Miocic" event, where he suffered a TKO loss to Stefan Struve.

Miocic had been expected to face Australian heavyweight Soa Palelei (18-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who is now left without an opponent. Palelei will now serve as a backup opponent should any injuries disrupt UFC 161's heavyweight bouts of Nelson vs. Miocic or Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan.

 

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USA TODAY: Former UFC champ Barnett returns to promotion with multi-fight deal

Heavyweight Josh Barnett (32-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor once more.

USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) today confirmed with promotion officials that former UFC heavyweight champion Barnett has signed a new multi-fight deal with the promotion and is expected to make his return to the octagon later this year. An official announcement is expected soon.

Barnett is currently ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA rankings and was considered the world's most-talented free-agent heavyweight. His return date and opponent have yet to be determined.

Barnett has been fighting professionally since 1997 and made his promotional debut in 2000 with a TKO victory over Gan McGee at UFC 28. He would suffer a knockout loss to Pedro Rizzo in his next appearance before rattling off victories over Semmy Schilt, Bobby Hoffman and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. The win over Couture scored Barnett the UFC's heavyweight title, though he was later stripped of the belt in 2002 after failing the evening's post-fight drug test.

Barnett spent much of the next six years fighting in Japan, where in 2006 he made it to the finals of that year's PRIDE open weight grand prix before losing to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

In 2008, Barnett returned to the U.S., where he earned victories over Gilbert Yvel in Rizzo under the Affliction banner before that promotion folded up shop. He would later sign with Strikeforce, where he advanced to the promotion's heavyweight grand prix final before falling short against undefeated contender Daniel Cormier. Barnett bounced back with a January win over Nandor Guelmino in Strikeforce's final event.

Earlier this year, Barnett and the UFC appeared close to signing a deal, but the talks stagnated and talks briefly dissolved. However, the two parties have now reached an agreement, and "The Warmaster" is now set for an octagon return.

 

[RM211]

Possible rematch with Nick Diaz? Ex-UFC champ Carlos Condit weighs in

Carlos Condit has heard fans call for a rematch with Nick Diaz, and if Diaz comes out of retirement, he's game.

The former UFC interim welterweight champion told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMA Radio, UFC Radio - MMAjunkie Radio*–*MMAjunkie.com) that he first plans to shore up weaknesses in his wrestling game over the summer. After that, he'd like a fight in Las Vegas.

"I want to be in good fights with a lot of hype and a lot of buzz, and a rematch with Diaz and myself would interest a lot of folks," Condit said.

Condit (28-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) fought to a highly controversial decision at UFC 143, with Condit emerging with a unanimous decision to claim the interim title put up for grabs when undisputed champ Georges St-Pierre was benched with a torn ACL.

Eight months later, Condit met St-Pierre in a title-unification match at UFC 154 and lost via decision. A return fight saw him lose another judges' call when Johny Hendricks outpointed him at UFC 158 earlier this year.

Against St-Pierre, he gave up takedown after takedown. Hendricks' early-fight surge lost steam in later rounds as Condit pressed the pace, but again, wrestling ultimately swayed the scorecards as his back repeatedly hit the canvas.

Given the shape of his past two fights, Condit is targeting some time off to improve.

"I had a couple of fights, back to back," he said. "So honestly, I'm probably just taking the summer doing some traveling and some training – obviously, a big aspect of my game I need to work on. My last two fights were basically lost due to the wrestling. So I'm really focusing on that before I get out there again."

With that said, he welcomes the opportunity to again fight Diaz, who briefly retired after his loss to Condit. Fans criticized his gameplan, saying he spent more time running than engaging with Diaz. Plus, Diaz is a major star despite coming up short in two UFC title opportunities.

Of course, Diaz's career plans remain a question mark after he retired (again) following a loss to St-Pierre in the headliner of UFC 158.

Could Condit convince him to get back in the cage?

"The fight was a close fight," Condit said. "It was a decision. So I think we could put on a good show. It goes without saying that there was a lot of controversy after the fight. Just putting that to rest would be another reason I would like to fight."

Condit clarified that he doesn't have a scheduled opponent despite his desire to return in late summer or early fall. His goal, however, remains to capture St-Pierre's title.

"I guess we're just going to have to see how the welterweight picture shakes up here in the next couple of events, and maybe then we'll have a better idea," he said. "I definitely think I have another title run in me. I'm looking at making the next year or two some of my best fights. I'm trying to cement my legacy, and we'll see where I am after that."

 

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Bellator signs England's Martin Stapleton, Rob Sinclair and Paul Sass

After a recent scouting trip to the United Kingdom, three top English fighters are heading to Bellator.

The organization today announced it has signed Martin Stapleton, Rob Sinclair and Paul Sass to long-term contracts, though terms of the deals weren't disclosed. Debut dates also haven't been announced, though tournament entries are possible.

According to the head of the company, this is likely a play to get Bellator on U.K. television.

"Our talent development team does the best job in MMA by bringing hugely talented fighters to Bellator from around the globe," Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney stated. "The No. 1 question I get from fans is, 'When will a U.K. television deal be completed with Bellator?' With these three signings, along with a roster already featuring the likes of Paul 'Semtex' Daley, Ronnie Mann and Michael Page, we are setting the table for making Bellator an every week televised occurrence in the U.K."

Stapleton (12-1), a recent Cage Contender fighter, is riding an eight-fight win streak that included a decision victory over notable Tommy Maguire in December. The lightweight and former Royal Marine Commando Unit member actually defeated two opponents earlier in the evening to win an eight-man single-night tournament.

Sinclair (12-2), a lightweight, is on a five-fight win streak, with four of the victories coming with the BAMMA promotion. The part-time fighter and full-time engineer owns nine knockouts in 12 career wins.

Sass (13-2), meanwhile, is perhaps the most recognizable of the group. The former UFC fighter opened his career with 13 straight wins (12 via submission, including nine via triangle choke) before losses to Matt Wiman and Danny Castillo, which resulted in his UFC release earlier this year.

 

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Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne set as UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 non-headliner

Alistair Overeem's return to the octagon has been shifted from UFC 164 to the promotion's debut event on FOX Sports 1.

Mutiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) that Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is set to meet fellow standout heavyweight Travis Browne (14-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1, which takes place Aug. 17 at TD Garden in Boston.

Although the fight will be part of the night's main card and a major attraction, it won't even be the main event, UFC President Dana White subsequently told MMAjunkie.com. That assures at least one other significant bout will be added to the card.

Overeem originally was targeted to appear at UFC 164, which takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Recently, the ex-Strikeforce champ tweeted, "Training hard and looking forward to aug 31!"

Overeem previously was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos this weekend at UFC 160, but he was forced to withdraw from the event with an injury.

In his most recent performance at UFC 156, he suffered a knockout loss to underdog Antonio Silva, who is set to meet champ Cain Velasquez in UFC 160's headliner this weekend. That followed another setback when he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone prior to a scheduled fight with dos Santos at UFC 146, which effectively barred him from competition for nine months.

Browne most recently fought at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, where he earned a first-round knockout win over onetime heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga. Afterward, Gonzaga appealed the bout's official result, claiming the fight should be changed to a no-contest due to illegal strikes thrown by Browne. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied his request.

The win put Browne back in the winner's column after a first-round TKO loss to Silva at UFC on FX 6, which came after he tore his hamstring early in the fight.

Overeem currently is ranked No. 4 and Browne No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings.

 

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One-time MMA fighter shot and killed by Boston Marathon bombing investigator

A one-time pro MMA fighter was shot and killed Wednesday by an FBI special agent looking into his ties with accused Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Ibragim Todashev, 27, was being interviewed about the April 15 bombing in an Orlando, Fla., condo when a "violent confrontation" broke out, according to federal law enforcement sources. Todashev was shot and killed while the unnamed agent sustained "non-life-threatening injuries," according to the report.

The FBI contacted Todashev as part of an investigation that spanned several states and a region of Russia near Chechnya, where he and Tsarnaev were born.

Both the Times and Orlando Sentinel said the pair knew each other because they were both MMA fighters, though reps for the Wai Kru gym in Boston where Tsarnaev trained repeatedly have said the suspected bomber was a boxer who only occasionally sparred at the facility.

Tsarnaev was shot by police three days after the bombing during a citywide manhunt. His younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was taken into custody one day later and charged in the attack, which killed three people and wounded 260.

Following a run as an amateur fighter, Todashev fought in one professional MMA bout, which took place in July 2012 at "Real Fighting Championships 27: Showtime." He submitted his opponent in the first round with a guillotine choke.

According to the Sentinel, Todashev was "primarily" being questioned on Wednesday about his possible involvement with Tsarnaev in a triple-homicide in Waltham, Mass., on Sept. 11, 2011. In the killing, three men's throats were cut and their bodies sprinkled with marijuana.

A friend of Todashev said the two were MMA fighters and trained in Boston. He also said Todashev had spoken to Tsarnaev shortly before the bombing.

The shooting is currently under review by the FBI.

 

[RM211]

Luke Rockhold addresses bizarre UFC on FX 8 fight-fix conspiracy speculation

It's a sad state of affairs when a fighter even has to address such silliness, but following speculation that he took a dive at this past weekend's UFC on FX 8 event, Luke Rockhold felt the need.

The thought process goes like this: Just before Vitor Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC) caught him with a stunning spinning kick in the first round of their May 18 main event, Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) "nodded" in his opponent's direction.

That, according to a small contingent of MMA fans, is proof the fix was in and that Rockhold agreed to take a dive – in the most violent fashion imaginable.

"Hearing some talk about my fight with Belfort being a fix," Rockhold tweeted. "No amount of money would make me even consider taking a fall. I got caught I lost."

The former Strikeforce champion met Belfort at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Midway through the night's FX-televised main event, Belfort landed the crushing kick. But the "nod" is barely a nod at all and instead looks like typical head movement. Watch the Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold video for yourself and check it out.

 

[InfamousICON]

UFC Fighter Reza Madadi Arrested For Burglary

Y! SPORTS

Swedish UFC lightweight Reza Madadi has been arrested following a smash and grab that he was allegedly involved in at a handbag boutique, Bottega Veneta, in Stockholm.

On Friday morning, Expressen.se alleges that Madadi and his accomplices were banging against the door of the shop for five minutes before obtaining entry. Once inside a staff member said they cleared the store of expensive handbags estimated to be around the value of 1 million kronor ($150,000 USD).

The police set upon tracking down the get-away vehicle and were successful.

“We have two in custody. One of them is suspected of aggravated theft, and the other for abetting larceny,” prosecutor Olof Calmvik said.

It's not the first time that Madadi has been in trouble with the law. He was charged for various offenses in the early 2000s, before being suspected of involvement in a cash coupe in 2009, but was acquitted of the latter charge.

“My client denied the charges against him. I cannot say much more until we see how this evolved,” Madadi's lawyer Ivan Fialdini said.

Madadi last fought in April against Michael Johnson in Stockholm, where he won via submission in round three. It was the 32-year-old's second win in three UFC fights since joining the company in 2012. He was due to fight Michael Chiesa at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27, but the fight was called off two weeks ago after Madadi encountered visa issues.

UFC officials were unavailable for comment at the time of publishing.

 

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Ten-fight deal in place, UFC champ Anderson Silva says he only asked for four

When UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) steps in to the cage at UFC 162, it will be the first appearance of a massive 10-fight deal. Will Silva actually fight 10 more times? The champ said he doesn't know, especially since he only asked for a four-fight contract.

"Maybe there's a contradiction lost in translation," Silva told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) through an interpreter. "I wanted to do four more fights, and they said eight, so I said, 'Whatever. Let's do eight, 10. Let's do however many fights you want.' They got on that ride and offered me 10 fights, and that's what I signed."

Silva's claim stands in a bit of contrast to UFC President Dana White's recollection of the pair's latest contract talks. According to White, it was Silva who directly requested the lengthy deal despite recently turning 38 years old.

The UFC boss and the best fighter in company history have seemed to find themselves on different wavelengths in recent months, as witnessed by a series of missed media obligations in May and subsequent claim from the champ that he was completely unaware of the appointments.

Of course, White has often referred to Silva as "an artist," who likes to send messages in the media in an apparent attempt to entertain himself during the sessions he reportedly doesn't enjoy.

That said, fans don't pay to watch Silva give interviews or negotiate contracts. They pay to watch him destroy opponents, which is done in all but a handful of his 16 UFC appearances. Next up is Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who takes on the champ in the headlining bout of UFC 162, which takes place July 6 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

While Silva holds a significant experience edge, the decade-younger Weidman presents a difficult stylistic matchup. Still, Silva is a significant wagering favorite and is expected to win yet again.

If he does, what's left? A rematch with Vitor Belfort perhaps? Superfights with Georges St-Pierre and/or Jon Jones? In short, what are the chances we actually see "The Spider" fight 10 more times?

"It all depends," Silva said. "Ten fights is about six years, so we'll see what happens in the meantime. I hope that I'm still inspired and that I still have the will power and the desire to go out there and fight. But I'm happy.

"I'm well-treated by Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and everyone in the UFC, and I hope to continue having this desire to fight and go in there and train. But it's a matter of time. We have to go in there and see what's going to happen in the next few years."

 

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Martin Kampmann vs. Carlos Condit II headlines UFC on FOX Sports 1 2

Martin Kampmann (20-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) welcomed Carlos Condit (28-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) into the octagon four years ago with a split-decision loss, and now Condit will have a chance to earn his revenge.

FOXSports.com today reported that the welterweights are set to rematch in a headlining bout at UFC on FOX Sports 1 2, which takes place Aug. 28. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (formerly Canseco Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis.

The event's main-card airs live on FOX Sports 1. Broadcast plans for the preliminary card have yet to be announced.

Condit and Kampmann first met at UFC Fight Night 18 in April 2009. Condit was making his octagon debut after a stint as the welterweight champ of the WEC, which shuttered its 170-pound division before closing up shop in 2010. After three closely contested rounds, Kampmann earned the nod on two judges scorecards by scores of 29-28 while one judge scored the fight 29-28 for Condit.

Condit, who is ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA welterweight rankings, is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his UFC career. He won the interim championship against Nick Diaz at UFC 143 and went on to challenge undisputed champ Georges St-Pierre, who unanimously outpointed him at UFC 154. He then took on top contender Johny Hendricks at UFC 158 and lost another unanimous decision.

In a previous interview, Condit took aim at a rematch with Diaz, which he said would silence critics of his UFC 143 win. But he said he first wanted to shore up weaknesses in his wrestling game to which he attributed his high-profile setbacks.

Diaz, though, remains retired and has no plans to fight, his rep Jonathan Tweedale today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com).

Kampmann, who is ranked No. 9, aims to get back in the winner's circle after a quick knockout loss to Hendricks at this past November's UFC 154, which ended a second bid for a welterweight title shot. Prior to the loss, he won three straight, including a KO win over top contender Jake Ellenberger.

 

[RM211]

Josh Barnett vs. Frank Mir added to UFC 164 in Milwaukee

Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett's first octagon appearance in more than 11 years will take place at UFC 164, where he meets Frank Mir (16-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC).

UFC officials today announced the booking.

UFC 164 takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The main card will air on pay-per-view.

As MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) first reported, Barnett (32-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) recently re-signed with the UFC after a decade-long stint fighting in various international promotions.

Barnett has fought professionally since 1997 and made his UFC debut in 2000 with a TKO victory over Gan McGee at UFC 28. He suffered a knockout loss to Pedro Rizzo in his next appearance before rattling off victories over Semmy Schilt, Bobby Hoffman and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. The win over Couture scored Barnett the UFC's heavyweight title, though he was later stripped of the belt in 2002 after failing a post-fight drug test.

Barnett spent much of the next six years fighting in Japan, where in 2006 he made it to the finals of that year's PRIDE open weight grand prix before losing to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

In 2008, Barnett returned to the U.S., where he earned victories over Gilbert Yvel and Rizzo under the Affliction banner before the promotion folded up shop. He later signed with Strikeforce, where he advanced to the promotion's heavyweight grand prix final before falling short to Daniel Cormier. Barnett bounced back with a January win over Nandor Guelmino in Strikeforce's final event.

Meanwhile, former UFC champ Mir enters the bout while looking to break a two-fight losing streak after dropping a decision to Cormier in April and suffering a TKO loss to Junior dos Santos in 2012. It's been a difficult stretch for Mir, who also was forced to pull out of a planned Strikeforce appearance after suffering a training injury.

Mir's most recent win came in a December 2011 victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. After breaking the MMA legend's arm in the fight, Mir was awarded the evening's "Submission of the Night" bonus and was ultimately awarded the "Submission of the Year" award at the 2012 Fighters Only World MMA Awards.

 

[RM211]

Travis Browne expects fireworks at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1, could make big move

Three years into his UFC career, heavyweight Travis Browne (14-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has been in a few big fights. None have been quite as big as his upcoming showdown with Alistair Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

"He's definitely a veteran," Browne told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com). "He's been around a long time, and all the controversial stuff aside, he's a dangerous man. At this level, we all are.

"He definitely has a skillset that you need to be aware of and respect, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to go in there, we're going to set up the gameplan to beat him, and we're going to follow through on our gameplan."

Browne and Overeem meet on the main card of UFC on FOX Sports 1 1, which takes place Aug. 17 at Boston's TD Garden. The evening's main card airs on FOX Sports 1, launching the new all-sports channel. Overeem fights for the first time since a disappointing February loss to Antonio Silva, but he still holds the No. 4 slot in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com heavyweight rankings.

Meanwhile, the No. 12-ranked Browne looks to build on the strength of an impressive stoppage win over Gabriel Gonzaga at April's The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. With a combined 25 career knockouts between them, fireworks seem a near guarantee.

Of course, Silva was able to down Overeem through a crafty gameplan that saw him play possum for 10 minutes before attacking a tired "Demolition Man" in the final frame. Browne said he was still in the initial gameplanning stages of his camp but doesn't anticipate a similar approach.

"That's usually not my style," Browne admitted. "I like to just kind of go out there and just get right to it. I haven't been known to be the biggest strategist, I guess you could say. We're just going to go out there and do what we do.

"I haven't even talked to Coach (Greg) Jackson about a gameplan yet, so I really don't even have a gameplan set up yet. We're just going to go out there, and it's going to be another vintage Travis Browne fight."

Thus far in his career, "vintage Travis Browne" has meant impressive aggression. There was an odd draw against Cheick Kongo and a disastrous tactical error in his own bout with Silva, but his win over Gonzaga showed exactly what he's capable of accomplishing. A win over Overeem would serve as a signature result and catapult him to to top of the division.

"I'm fighting a top-5 guy, so after that it's kind of, 'Where do you go from here?'" Browne said. "Do you wait your turn to fight for the title? Do you fight again and try to move even that much closer? At this point, a lot of those guys in the top-4, all of them could be fighting for the title. But once I'm there, you're ready. You're there."

And the heavyweight division could indeed undergo a massive shuffle in the next several months. Current champ Cain Velasquez is expected to finish his trilogy with No. 2-ranked Junior dos Santos later this year, but next week's No. 5 Fabricio Werdum vs. No. 11 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira contest, UFC 161's No. 7 Roy Nelson vs. No. 15 Stipe Miocic and a UFC 164 bout of No. 6 Josh Barnett vs. No. 10 Frank Mir will all have a significant impact on the landscape of the weight class.

Browne said he won't be trying to tell UFC brass what do with him should he down Overeem in impressive fashion, but he does believe his time may very well be coming.

"I've never been one to raise my hand and say, 'Hey, guys, it might be my turn,': Browne said. "For me, I want to let the UFC speak for me. I want them to be confident and put me in a place where they know that it's the right place for me.

"I'm not one to sit here and ask and beg and plead for something that they don't want. It's not my company. I work for them, and I look forward to putting on shows."

 

[InfamousICON]

Chael Sonnen Steps In For Lil Nog On Short Notice For UFC 161

Y! SPORTS

COMMENTARY | The dreaded injury bug recently struck again, forcing Antonio "Little Nog" Rogerio Nogueira to pull out of his scheduled UFC 161 bout against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Fortunately for UFC matchmakers, finding a suitable replacement wasn't particularly difficult, as the "American Gangster," Chael Sonnen, quickly volunteered to take one for the team on short notice.

"@ShogunRua I HEAR BRAZILIAN CHICKEN IS OFF THE MENU," Sonnen tweeted. "AMERICAN GANGSTER IS STILL AVAILABLE IF YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR WAITRESS OVER."

Apparently, Sonnen's taunt worked, as he'll now face Shogun at UFC 161. Globo's Ivan Rupp broke the news, but it's yet to be confirmed by UFC officials.

If Rupp's report turns out to be accurate, Sonnen vs. Rua is now the co-main event of the UFC 161 fight card which is set for June 15, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. The event will be headlined by former champions Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans.

After losing consecutive bouts to Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, Sonnen was originally targeting Wanderlei Silva as his next opponent. However, an agreement was never finalized between the two. Turns out to be a good thing since Sonnen will now get to fight Rua, who is currently ranked eighth in the light-heavyweight division on the UFC's official rankings. A win against Wanderlei wouldn't have done much for Sonnen in terms of moving him closer to another title shot.

Usually, replacement bouts aren't as intriguing as the original matchup, but Sonnen vs. Rua is clearly a better matchup than what was originally planned. There's already the Sonnen vs. all of Brazil angle, and both fighters matchup well skill wise.

I expect an entertaining, competitive matchup when these two meet inside the Octagon, and Sonnen certainly deserves a lot of credit for consistently sticking with his 'I'll fight anyone, anywhere' code.

 

[InfamousICON]

Josh Thomson Head Kicked Nate Diaz So Hard He Still Has Dent and Fluid In Shin

Apparently Josh Thomson has a permanent dent and fluid in his shin from his Nate Diaz headkick

Now I guess you have the information that if you finish a Diaz via strikes, you will be altered forever. Think about it: after Jeremy Jackson TKOd Nick Diaz in 2003, he went 3-2 and then got a 25 to life sentence in the slammer. After KJ Noons caused a cut that called for a doctor's stoppage in Elite XC, KJ went on to go 5-5 and get a distracting haircut. Now, Josh Thomson is the latest to suffer the 'Diaz Curse.' Nick the Tooth took a picture of Josh Thomson's leg that supposedly has fluid and a permanent dent in it all from the ferocious blow that put Nate Diaz down at UFC on FOX 7.

Josh has made it known that his shin has bothered him since that fight, and now it seems like Nate hurt him more than he hurt Nate. Amazing.

 

[RM211]

UFC reportedly considering a major show at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2013

We've heard about the UFC's plans for stadium shows. But a speedway show? It's not as farfetched as you might think.

The organization is considering a show at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, potentially as soon as September, the Las Vegas Review-Journal today reported.

The report cited UFC President Dana White and Las Vegas Motor Speedway President Chris Powell, who are both in support of the idea. Both were inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend, when they discussed the idea.

"I like it," White told the newspaper. "It would be cool as hell, and we have a few fights coming up that could pull it off."

The UFC executive gave no other details about the event or a possible headliner. However, if the Las Vegas-promotion pulls it off, it could be another record-setting event for the world's largest MMA promotion.

The speedway, which currently hosts a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race each March, can accommodate 142,000 spectators. However, according to Powell, they could also erect a temporary bowl in the infield, which could either replace or supplement the existing seating. Either way, video boards would be needed to assure everyone can see the actual fights in the sprawling complex.

UFC 129, which took place in April 2011 at Toronto's Rogers Centre, set the UFC's attendance (55,724) and live gate ($12.1 million) records, and it remains the organization's only stadium show to date. However, White and other officials have long discussed the possibility of a second one, possibly at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, with a champion-vs.-champion superfight serving as a headliner. White has long teased the idea of the show and superfight (which likely would include some combination of welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, middleweight champ Anderson Silva and light-heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones&#61582 taking place before year's end.

Such a fight would likely be needed to fill Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which opened in 1971. Of course, with the outdoor venue, officials also risk the possibility of inclement weather, though September traditionally is one of Las Vegas' driest months with just a quarter-inch of rainfall.

 

[RM211]

Visa issues reportedly scrap Sonnen-Rua at UFC 161, Jimmo-Pokrajac head to main

Chael Sonnen tried to get himself into a fight, but it looks like his effort will go wasted.

Despite reports on Monday that Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) would fill in for an injured Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 161 later this month against Mauricio Rua (21-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC), that fight won't happen. Instead, UFC 161 will move forward with 11 fights, and "Shogun" will wait to fight another day – perhaps still against Sonnen.

The UFC made the announcement late Monday night that Rua had been removed from the card. But Globo, which first reported that Sonnen and Rua would meet, reported that visa issues created a problem for Sonnen to get into Canada – and that the two are expected to meet on Aug. 17 at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 in Boston. The UFC has yet to announce the fight is in the works.

But as far as UFC 161 is concerned, with Rua's slot falling off the main card, UFC officials confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) that a preliminary card light heavyweight fight between Ryan Jimmo (17-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Igor Pokrajac (25-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC) will be promoted to the pay-per-view.

UFC 161 takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

After Nogueira fell off the card on Sunday with a back injury, "Shogun" was in need of an opponent. Sonnen tried to ask for the fight on Twitter, and a Monday report from Globo surfaced that his tweet had done the trick.

But instead, Sonnen won't be making a late-notice trip to Canada, and Rua will wait for another card. Whether that proves to be Sonnen later this summer, of course, remains to be seen.

UFC 161 was set to be headlined by a interim bantamweight title fight between Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland. But an injury to Barao forced him out of the headliner, which bumped the co-main event between Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans into the top position.

Now with Rua out of the co-main event spot, a heavyweight bout between Roy Nelson (19-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Stipe Miocic (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) climbs a spot on the card.

With the change to the card, UFC 161 is again finalized:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

•Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
•Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson
•Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton
•Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan
•Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET

•Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley
•James Krause vs. Sam Stout
•Sean Pierson vs. Kenny Robertson
•Roland Delorme vs. Edwin Figueroa

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 7 p.m. ET)

Mitch Clarke vs. John Maguire
•Yves Jabouin vs. Dustin Pague

 

[RM211]

Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida targeted for UFC 163 in Rio (updated)

Light heavyweight Phil Davis (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) could get a chance to cut back in line for No. 1 contender if he gets past his next challenge.

Sources close to the fight on Monday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com) the 28-year-old fighter is set to meet ex-champ Lyoto Machida (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) at UFC 163, which takes place Aug. 3 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian website Portal do Vale Tudo first reported the fight on Monday.

The fight delays an anticipated title shot for Machida, who most recently defeated Dan Henderson via decision at UFC 157.

After turning down a fight with Jon Jones at UFC 152 due to a lack of preparation time, "The Dragon" has found himself on the backburner for a rematch with the champ, who rendered him unconscious via guillotine at UFC 140.

Machida has since set his sights on staying active rather than campaigning for the belt. Recently, he was targeted by Alexander Gustafsson, but Jones recently quashed that idea by requesting a bout with Gustafsson.

Since losing the belt in a rematch with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113, Machida is 3-2 against top-fight competition. He won the No. 1 contender position with a KO of Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4, only to lose it upon turning Jones down and later win it back with a decision over Henderson.

Machida won the title at UFC 98 with a knockout of Rashad Evans.

Davis takes a steep step up in competition following a recent decision over Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 159. The former NCAA champ brushed with title contention early this past year when he fought Evans at UFC on FOX 2. But Evans dominated him over five rounds, and he was forced to go back to the drawing board. A pair of bouts with Wagner Prado ended in a no-contest (via accidental eyepoke) and a submission win before he met Magalhaes.

With the reported addition to the card, UFC 163 now includes:

•Champ Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis - for featherweight title
•Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida
•Josh Koscheck vs. Demian Maia
•Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson
•Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh
•Cezar Ferreira vs. Clint Hester
•Neil Magny vs. Sergio Moraes