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Jul 24, 2005
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Brazil’s Elite on How to Stop Fedor - MMAUniverse.com

The day before he fought Mirko Cro Cop for the heavyweight belt, Emelianenko’s breakfast was eggs, bacon and sausages. What bothers you guys most, the fact that Pride today has a non-Brazilian king or that he is, well, chubby?

Rizzo: What really bothers me is that he’s got on his waist line that we want (laughs).

Nogueira: His genetics say he is chubby, so that’s got nothing to do with it. There are other great fighters with the same body type, such as Mark Hunt.
What we must do is to push one another and train harder. Further, the fact that he is fat makes it even more complicated when it comes to such an explosive, slippery fellow. It’s like Jeremy Horn, when the guy is fat an the skin is smooth, it gets hard to grab him.

Rizzo: More muscular fighters have more edges you can grab.

Nogueira: It was three times I fought him hitherto, right? What puzzles me is that he is smiling the whole time. As soon as he sees us he starts smiling. Amaury Bitetti says it’s because he is happy, he has the belt, what would you want him to do? Cry?

Is the secret in the water he drinks? Or the vodka perhaps?

Nogueira: He does like drinking, I remember after I defeated Mirko he came up to congratulate me with a powerful breath in the lobby of the Japanese hotel. He was all happy, at leisure and drunk, invited me to have a drink with him. I then remembered he owned the belt and thought: “What I’ll have is your neck, now it’s easy to kick your ass (laughs raucously).” Now, for real, down in Russia those guys train a lot, both him and his brother, who I used to think had an even heavy hand, more dangerous boxing. But after this fight with Cro-Cop, Fedor showed he has greatly evolved in stand-up game.

Rizzo: In that hellish cold one’s got nothing else to do: you either train or you train. I, who have never drunk in my life, would have to train like that to, just to warm myself up.

Who can defeat him, and how?

Rizzo: The secret is truly exchanging strikes, and then just let MMA flow. Because playing on the bottom is difficult, since to attack from the guard you’d have to open it, then he jumps out and stands up.

Nogueira: The key to beating him, to me, is explosion. It’s what got in my way when fighting him. I go for the spring, he takes off. I try a thrust, he hits and runs. The person who has best fought him hitherto was Arona, who is as explosive as he is. Took him down and got his back. Arona can take anyone down.

Then it’s possible for Arona and Wanderlei, even lighter, to give him a try?

Nogueira: Well, it is. Just go there try it… (General Laughter)

Can Fedor be deemed the most complete MMA fighter of all time?

(They think for some time.)

Rizzo: These days everyone is complete. He is quite complete, I don’t know. And he can play true MMA, he trades standing, he takes down, plays on top, submits, he doesn’t only play on the bottom. He is good at everything, so in order to beat him one must do everything too.

Nogueira: He’s got a good play. But if you look at it, Igor Vovchanchyn has already had a phase like this, for three years he’d beat Kerr, Sakuraba… Until he fell under Coleman and didn’t make it. Fedor hasn’t faced a wrestler full-on , someone who falls on top… Let’s see. He fought Coleman in the end of his career, as well as Randleman.
Technically he may not have such a big advantage, but physically he is the fastest heavy guy in MMA history. He tries a punch, misses it, then immediately shoots again – Cro Cop for example didn’t even see them coming.

Nogueira: He’s the fastest I’ve ever seen. Much faster than Mirko. And he’s got a great reaction.

Rizzo: That’s what I was going to say: he has a fast eye, good for counter-attacking. And in every fight he shows up with something new under his sleeve. Against Filipovic he used a great clinch-strike combo: he’d go for the uchi-mata, quickly following with a powerful hook.

Nogueira: He must practise that a lot, because it’s not easy to improvise that kind of thing. He is really with a good combination of styles, he can go from one art to the other – that’s what makes him different.

Rizzo: Exactly, he managed to mix everything, Fedor is no excellent striker, no excellent wrestler, no excellent ground player, but he is good at everything. To me Shogun won the Grand Prix because he did like him, showed the best in MMA: wenr for the striking, grabbed, took down, fell on the bottom, reversed, fell on top… And he was the underdog, which somehow helps, the responsibility is helpful.
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Jul 24, 2005
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Growing and Growing UFC owner White says his company is `going global'

By Miguel Lopez, Staff writer
Article Launched: 05/21/2008 09:09:48 PM PDT

This year is one of the best years ever for MMA fans. Look at what we already have done, and the next half of the year is going to be better," White said of the success it has had on television and in live events. "It's going to be a great year for the UFC and MMA. There are so many fights coming up this year that even have me excited."

White said he knows he has some competition from other organizations that have surfaced recently.

But as White looks in his rearview mirror, he doesn't see much of a challenge in what other MMA companies are bringing to the table.

One upcoming fight on national television from a rival organization will feature street fighter turned MMA fighter Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice.

"The amount of talent and fights we put on are second to none," White said. "Think about it, the CBS fight that they are coming up with, who gives a crap about Kimbo Slice? This guy can't fight MMA.

"You know what would happen if he fought in the UFC? I'd put him in against (lightweight champion) BJ Penn and (Slice) would get annihilated.

"The guy he is fighting, James Thompson, might get knocked out before he gets into the cage. Kimbo has no credibility at all in MMA. ... I am telling you, BJ Penn would beat him."

White agrees that the exposure MMA has been getting with television networks picking up live events and running taped shows is great, but White said the quality of the fights and fighters doesn't compare to what the UFC has to offer.

"These shows that are smaller are paying to be on network TV. I know how the business goes," White said. "What will end up happening is that people will be interested at first when the show premieres and then (the fans) will go away. They can't pull in network ratings.

"The WWE, we know how successful that's been for decades, couldn't pull in good enough numbers on network TV. You think Strikeforce, EliteXC and all those companies can do it? No way."

A topic that has risen in the past and still is raised by fans and other company brass is that of cross promotions.

Many of the smaller organizations have enough money and publicity to carry a couple of well-recognized, top-10 fighters, which for one reason or another, did not end up under the UFC banner.

And often, through the media, the smaller companies express their interest to do a co-promotion with the heavy-handed, cash-machine UFC, not just for money but to see which organization has the better talent.

White brushes off the propositions and sees it as just an opportunity for the smaller, less-exposed organizations to ride the UFC's success.

"Why would I cross promote with other companies? They have nothing," White said. "They have no fighters, no credibility. I would never cross promote. What for? We have the best fighters."

Following Saturday's pay-per-view event that will feature a lightweight title fight between Penn and challenger Sean Sherk, the UFC will pack up and head to London for UFC 85 on June 7.

Two weeks following that event, the UFC will hold another live show, The Ultimate Fighter Finale, in Las Vegas. The UFC will then host UFC 86 in Las Vegas on July 5, two weeks after the previous event.

"I am telling you, we are very busy this summer," White said.
 
Apr 26, 2002
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I'm in Louisiana. That's the closest the UFC seems to be coming without me having to pay for a telly or spending stupid money that I don't have in Vegas. Crash at my cousins house .. they do seem to be having a decent card out there next weekend that's airing on HDNet.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/pr.asp?n_id=12764

Don't know how much tickets are but it seems like a pretty cool show.
thanks for that link naner. fold.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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BY
Ed Graney's

Just once, Dana White should tell us what he really thinks:

"Tito is a (expletive) idiot. He's one of the dumbest human beings I've ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense. I put up with his (expletive) when he was a good fighter. He's not anymore.

"He's not in anybody's top 10. I have no interest whatsoever in being in the Tito Ortiz business. ... I've never wanted to see anyone get their ass kicked worse than I want to see Tito get his kicked."

Yeah. That will do.

When it comes to the fight game, hype and reality are so intermingled that it becomes impossible to determine what side of the line anyone is straddling during a profanity-laced answer on a conference call. It's as hopeless as guessing the exact moment this White-Ortiz feud began.

Not to mention as tedious.

That's the point. Ortiz might be preparing for the final fight of his contract at UFC 84 on Saturday at the MGM Grand; might be this close to ending a relationship that helped make him a mixed martial arts legend while also aiding the maturation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship becoming the world's most powerful product of its kind; might believe the oddsmakers are dense for favoring Lyoto Machida in their light heavyweight tussle; and might dream about receiving extravagant free-agent offers afterward, but he is now like all others who exist under White's authoritative thumb.

Replaceable.

Capitalism is great if you have the juice to make it work. The whole idea about a system characterized by investments and production and pricing of goods and services being determined through competition in a free market. It's good stuff.

It's also not that long a jump to dictatorship, which is what happened with the growth of UFC under the leadership of its president, who a friend of mine fittingly described Wednesday as "the white Don King who happens to be bald."

"Dana White is a complete monster, a controlling guy who wants his hands in everything," Ortiz said. "He's a bully. He has always been about the power. He wants everything focused on him. UFC is a great company. They just have a monster running it."

Two things were inevitable as UFC progressed into this giant of a brand: Its better fighters, its collective faces of the sport, weren't going to forever accept strict restrictions on their earning potential and possible opponents; and people with more money than God were going to copy the model and form their own MMA companies.

White doesn't care about either. Nor should he. Like it. Detest it. It's reality, the result of success he helped construct.

His company can keep Randy Couture tied up in court proceedings for years, or at least until the heavyweight champion is too old to fight his dream matchup against Fedor Emelianenko. White can cut fighters quicker than you blink, which he has done more and more lately. He can stage arguably the best UFC card in history Saturday and yet not schedule the one participant to today's news conference every media member wants to interview, merely because he knows Ortiz is apt to bash him and the company.

Stupid? You bet.

Short-sided? Sure.

Immature? Absolutely.

Seconds of sleep White will lose over it: zero.

It's the same with this whole network television angle. There might come a time when owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta tell White to give in a bit and relinquish some power when negotiating with a CBS, but for now, you can bet many mainstream fans who happen past the EliteXC show on May 31 will think they're watching UFC. They will assume new sensation Kimbo Slice is employed by it. The same goes for any Affliction or HDNet fights. UFC is still the windshield and all others mere bugs on it for now.

Ortiz was once a great fighter, a champion who made millions of dollars standing under the UFC umbrella, a central figure in the company's history and that of his sport.

But he also speaks of being an astute businessman. If so, he should have realized where the road would ultimately lead, that it has never been about fighters. It has always been about the brand, and the whole idea of his resume not earning the respect it deserves means nothing to the guy he calls a monster. Nor should it. Business. Replaceable parts. Like it. Detest it. It's reality.

"It's time for me to forget about Dana White, to move on after 11 years of building my legacy and helping UFC become a household name," Ortiz said. "It's time to show everyone what I am worth. Dana can just go fly around in his jet and act like a superstar. He has always considered anyone who speaks out as a threat. That's fine. I guess being a bully makes him feel better about himself."

My guess is he couldn't care less.
Great Article Heyzel. I still dont understand how Dana is willing to let go Tito Ortiz at this point when hes trying to break into the Latino market. If I was Dana Id sign a 2 year 3-4 fight deal with Ortiz cause he still brings in good PPV buys. Hes gonna put too much on Roger Huerta and the guys who he's gonna start facing are gonna be too much for him. I dont see Huerta beating a Sherk or a BJ Penn. I mean look what happened to Diego Sanchez at one point he was on top of things then boom the market crashed on him and is fighting less than he was when he started. Tito losing a fight makes a good fight either way.

Tito could fight Wanderlei, Jardine, Rampage, and Liddel again and would be great PPV numbers if he headlines with each of these fighters.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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ELITE XC PLANS FOR HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

The championship title picture in Elite XC is starting to come clear as on Thursday, Elite XC Live Events President Gary Shaw, confirmed the promotion is close to crowning their first ever heavyweight champion.

With the main event between Elite XC superstar Kimbo Slice and British heavy hitter James Thompson headlining the upcoming debut show on CBS, the heavyweight division looks to receive a lot of attention following this show.

“Right now, we’re close to doing a heavyweight title,” said Shaw during a media conference call on Thursday. “We’ll probably do the heavyweight title in 2008.”

The roster of top free agent heavyweights seems to be thinning lately as upstart promotion, Affliction, seems content to snatch up anyone over 205lbs with a viable name in the sport. The organization has already announced fights featuring top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, and Ben Rothwell.

Affliction is also rumored to be the leading candidate to land former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, but nothing official has been announced yet.

That said, Shaw believes they have a great heavyweight division and mentioned American Top Team stand-out, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, as the top fighter in the weight class.

“Kimbo’s there, James Thompson’s there, and obviously (Antonio) Junior Silva is right there at the top,” Shaw stated about potential contenders to the heavyweight title.

While Silva is still waiting for his next fight, Kimbo and Thompson will do battle on May 31 as the main event for the CBS/Elite XC Saturday Night Fights card taking place in New Jersey.

More information about the Elite XC heavyweight title will surely follow in the coming months.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer UFC Fight Night 14 bout in the works

Knockout artist Houston Alexander (8-3) will return to the Octagon against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, Eric Schafer (9-3-2), at UFC Fight Night 14 on Wednesday, September 17, according to a recent WICombatSports.com message board post from Duke Roufus.

No location or venue was mentioned for the light heavyweight tilt at this time.

Alexander will look to bounce back from back-to-back losses after bursting on to the UFC scene with back-to-back wins. His last time out at UFC Fight Night 13, James Irvin won their fight in just nine seconds with a highlight reel, fight-ending technical knockout that was set up by a sensational Superman punch.

And prior to that, Thiago Silva took down “The Nebraskan Assassin” at UFC 78: “Validation” and pounded him out en route to an impressive stoppage.

Schafer, too, is on two-fight skid inside the Octagon. However, he’s put together two consecutive wins outside the eight-sided cage to earn another chance back in the big show. In his most recent appearance inside the Octagon, “Red” was stopped by Stephan Bonnar via technical knockout (strikes) at UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” in October 2007.

Stay tuned for more updates and fight announcements regarding UFC Fight Night 14, which will reportedly serve as the lead-in to the season premier of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 with coaches Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Matt Lindland wins Republican nomination for Oregon House of Representatives

Mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran and Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling (2000), Matt Lindland, defeated Phyllis Thiemann in the preliminary political race to capture the Republic nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives in District 52.

“The Law” earned 59 percent of the vote –- a wide margin that can be attributed to the baseless smear campaign of his opposition who attempted to brand him a convicted felon (he isn’t).

He will now advance to the next stage of the process and lock horns with the democratic nominee, Suzanne VanOrman. The general election on November 4 will determine the winner.

Prior to that, however, Lindland will have to take care of some MMA business. He’s slated to fight Fabio Negao at Affliction: “Banned” from the Honda Center in Sacramento, Calif., on July 19.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Antonio Rogerio Nogueira to fight on Affliction PPV

Affliction held a press conference at the Trump Tower in New York City today to promote their debut event on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

While speaking with Affliction officials after the show, it was revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that recent acquisition Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will indeed be competing on the promotion’s inaugural card.

Nogeuira’s bout will appear on pay-per-view, but the opponent has not been announced, just as the opponent for Ben Rothwell continues to remain a mystery. Affliction officials were unwilling to address rumors that UFC heavyweight Andrei Arlovski could end up being the fighter chose to take on Rothwell. When asked by Five Ounces of Pain about whether he knew a specific opponent he needed to prepare for, Rothwell said he wasn’t certain who he’d be fighting on July 19.

According to an Affliction official, the one-hour Fox Sports Net telecast that will air prior to the start of the pay-per-view show and will be headlined by a heavyweight bout between Aleksander Emelianenko and Paul Buentello. Bouts between Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick and Justin Levens vs. Ray Lazama are currently slated to air on FSN, as well.

On a lighter note, the press conference was also attended by Donald Trump, as well as Trump’s son, Donald Jr. Trump issued a brief statement at the start of the press conference and talked about MMA in a respectful manner.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC 84 Betting Odds

B.J. Penn -265 Sean Sherk +215
Wanderlei Silva -170 Keith Jardine +140
Wilson Gouveia -155 Goran Reljic +125
Lyoto Machida -225 Tito Ortiz +185
Thiago Silva -650 Antonio Mendes +500
Ivan Salaverry -165 Rousimar Palhares +135
Rameau Sokoudjou -245 Kazuhiro Nakamura +195
Rich Clementi -205 Terry Etim +165
Yoshiyuki Yoshida -165 John Koppenhaver +135
Dong Hyun Kim -300 Jason Tan +240
Shane Carwin -175 Christian Wellisch +145
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Humble Torres Lets His Fists Do The Talking

Miguel Torres doesn’t bring any hype to a fight – just plenty of harm. He hasn’t turned his body into a billboard for tattoos. He’s not spiking his hair or dying it radical colors, though he did garner quite a bit of flack for humbly sporting a mullet and Pirate mustache (Torres was simply being himself, not trying to amuse anyone else). He is as earnest as they come, inside and outside of the ring, one of those Joe Friday types who is all about work, work and more work. His father, a crane operator at a steel company, instilled this no-nonsense ethic in Miguel at a young age. And despite growing up in a nation overflowing with look-at-me wannabes, the son has never defied his upbringing.

Torres realizes that manipulating his image, maybe even talking a little more smack, might sell more tickets and do wonders for his bottom line. But he has so far refused to budge on his workmanlike persona and old-school principles.

“I’m sure the fans like that stuff but I wasn’t raised that way,” said Torres, 27. “When me and my dad would watch boxing, we saw guys like Floyd Mayweather and Hector Camacho, those types of personalities. But my dad always taught me to keep my mouth shut, do my work and to go out there and handle business. I never had the kind of attitude where I wanted to be flashy, calling people out or talking garbage. I’ve fought guys like that, but I think it makes it worse when you talk all that garbage and I make you eat your own words. I try to keep tradition and honor in the sport.

“Also, I try to teach my students and young adults the right way. They take on my mannerisms and my personality. If I was a flashy and flamboyant guy and talked trash about everybody, all the kids that train with me now – I’m trying to change their lives – they’d be coming out the same way. They’d be cocky, talking trash, stuff like that. I’m trying to show them a different way.”

How vanilla is Torres? So vanilla that he steadfastly refuses to adopt a professional nickname. He simply fights under the name “Miguel Angel Torres,” the official name given to him at birth. He considers it a show of respect to his parents.

His approach to competition is a reflection of his values. Some fighters have alter egos come fight night. They transform before a match. Torres doesn’t have an alter ego. There
are no butterflies in the stomach or adrenaline rushes before competition. And when the fists are flying inside the cage he is as cool as they come -- so much so that if he weren’t so dominant he might be accused of lacking in determination. Of course, when your record is 33-1, only a fool would question your will to win. Underneath Torres’ emotionless exterior, there is a deep and abiding conviction. It is the cornerstone of his success.

“For me there is no such thing as getting tired or getting hurt,” he said. “I just tell myself that no one trains as hard as I do. So nothing’s going to stop me, and no one’s going to stop me.”

That unwavering faith in self has carried Torres to the WEC bantamweight championship and prompted many fans and pundits to rank him as one of the 10 best fighters in the world. Though Torres’ pro career spans nearly a decade, only recently – since he signed with the WEC, giving him a national stage -- have the masses been introduced to his masterful game and low-key vibe. One of the first things fans notice about Torres, besides his past mullets and Pirate mustache, is that icy cold, stoic demeanor of his in the heat of battle. He is what you imagine a sniper to be before he fires his rifle.
He believes that his poise under pressure is God-given.

”I’ve been like that my whole life in sports,” Torres said. “I always got made fun of when I was little because I was real skinny, really small. Whether it was a Karate competition or a soccer game, whenever I had to get serious they always said I tried to look like a tough guy, like a robot with a blank stare. My coaches always told me that great champions always have that kind of intensity, that kind of a stare. I don’t know where I got it from. I was never scared to compete and never backed down from anything. I think God blessed me to have that demeanor. It’s like a cold stare where I get so focused I go into a trance.”

Before fights, while other fighters are psyching themselves up for battle, Torres performs breathing exercises. He inhales and exhales deeply in rapid succession to elevate his heart rate and then calm it down.

“I try to visualize in my mind the person I’m fighting against and replay the situation in my mind a thousand times, ever scenario that can happen but I’m always coming out on top. By the time I go out there this fight has already been replayed so many times in my mind that (victory) is going to happen, and I’m the one that is going to make it happen.”

He’s only been wrong once. Torres remembers how, during one of his fights, he walked back to his corner at the end of Round 1 and wrestled with a seed of doubt.

He made a confession on his stool: “Dude, my legs are just spent.” His cornermen – who considered Torres a cardio machine, and had seen him spar 10 rounds or more on numerous occasions -- were flabbergasted. Five minutes into the fight and he’s already gassed? Stunned by the revelation, the cornermen were speechless.

Two rounds later, Torres – who had entered the ring for the first time since tearing an ACL and was a perfect 19-0 -- exited with his first loss. On the walk back to the dressing room he looked into the crowd and saw some of his most loyal fans crying. He’s never forgotten the ugliness of that moment. It sparked a fire inside his soul.

“For me that fight was a blessing because it put me in the right mode to train the way I train now,” Torres said. “I vowed to never have that feeling of letting people down again, to be never be out-cardioed again, to never be outworked again in a fight.”

It’s been a long time since Torres supporters have had to bust out the Kleenex following one of his matches. Since that fateful setback to Ryan Ackerman on Nov. 22, 2003, Torres has terrorized opponents, winning 14 straight and avenging his lone defeat. Thirteen of those wins have come inside the distance.

Torres’ accomplishments are made all the more impressive when you consider his training environment. He started training in a garage, then moved into his own 800-square foot gym in Indiana. It is tiny and antiquated by modern standards. There was no cage or boxing ring to train inside, just a mat. He has trained with some big-name fighters, including Kurt Pellegrino and Jeff Curran, but has never relocated for some of the bigger named MMA academies like a Team Quest, American Top Team or Greg Jackson’s school in New Mexico. However, now Torres is set to open a new 7,000-square foot gym that will be much more state-of-the-art.

Torres, who has won the vast majority of his fights by submission, predicted that his upcoming bout with Japan’s Yoshiro Maeda (22-4) will be a stand-up affair. He had originally been scheduled to fight Manny Tapia, but Tapia bowed out due to injury.

“My biggest adjustment was from fighting a guy with a standard style to preparing to fight a southpaw, which to me is a little bit easier because his biggest weapons are going to be a big kick and a big knee, so it didn’t’ really change up my style at all,” he said.

“He’s a very aggressive fighter, good stand-up. I don’t think he likes to go to the ground that much so I think I’ll get to show my standup a lot in this fight. I’m going to go out there and bang with him. I think for sure it’s going to be standing up because he’s not going to want to go to the ground with me.”

Torres is not calling out Urijah Faber, whom he is friendly with, but imagines there may be a day when Faber drops to 135 pounds. Faber has said previously that he is not a big 145-pounder and that more and more bigger guys are flocking to the weight class. Faber wrestled at 133 in college.

“I’m sure he will have to eventually,” Torres said when asked if Faber will drop to 135. “I met him on a couple of occasions and we’ve talked about it a number of times. I’d love to fight Faber. But the only question for that fight would be money. Because if we fight that would be a superfight.

“I’d like for me to get a couple more fights at 135 because I need to build my name. He’s already built his name up.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Dana White Gives Warning To Wanderlei Silva

If Silva loses, he could be gone......

Dana White recently sat down with TheFightNetwork and commented on Wanderlei Silva's status with the UFC:

"Wanderlei has lost three in a row. He's one of these unique fighters who people just love to watch fight because of his mentality on fighting. Obviously, though, [he] has to get a win. This guy has to win some fights here to stay in the UFC and stay at the top of the 205-pound division."

Silva will be fighting Keith Jardine at UFC 84 this weekend.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MIKE WHITEHEAD: "WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DUST SETTLES" "It's gonna be like one of those old cartoons; big ol' ball of dust and arms and fists and kicks coming out of the ball of dust and we'll see what happens when the dust settles," stated Mike Whitehead as he talked about his July 19th clash with Renato "Babalu" Sobral on the Affliction Banned card. Check out what else he had to say as he talks about training with Xtreme Couture in preparation for the fight and much more.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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FABIO NASCIMENTO: "I CAN BEAT HIM"
"If he's the number 2, I look forward to putting him some steps down and I'm coming some steps up," stated a confident Fabio Nascimento as he talked about his July 19th showdown with Matt Lindland on the Affliction Banned card. Check out what he had to say about Lindland, the fight and more.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Great Article Heyzel. I still dont understand how Dana is willing to let go Tito Ortiz at this point when hes trying to break into the Latino market. If I was Dana Id sign a 2 year 3-4 fight deal with Ortiz cause he still brings in good PPV buys. Hes gonna put too much on Roger Huerta and the guys who he's gonna start facing are gonna be too much for him. I dont see Huerta beating a Sherk or a BJ Penn. I mean look what happened to Diego Sanchez at one point he was on top of things then boom the market crashed on him and is fighting less than he was when he started. Tito losing a fight makes a good fight either way.

Tito could fight Wanderlei, Jardine, Rampage, and Liddel again and would be great PPV numbers if he headlines with each of these fighters.
if' dana let tito go it no big deal for the latino market tito does not speak spanish but I sse where you are coming from he still draw good ppv numbers, and on the other hand roger huerta is money he's young and have the look of and star waiting to be market right
 
Jul 24, 2005
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St. Pierre vs. Fitch to headline UFC 87, Lesnar vs. Coleman scratched

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on May 22, 2008 at 7:45 pm ET
Georges St. Pierre (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will make his first title defense since reclaiming the welterweight belt when he meets Jon Fitch (16-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 87.

The UFC today confirmed the headline bout -- and the loss of a Brock Lesnar (1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) fight. Coleman, a recently inducted UFC hall-of-famer set to come out of retirement, reportedly suffered a knee injury, and a new opponent for Lesnar will be named shortly.

UFC 87 takes place Aug. 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

St. Pierre, who reclaimed his title and avenged a previous loss to Matt Serra back in April at UFC 83, will now meet the division's top contender.

"He's a very, very tough guy," St. Pierre told UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi. "I'm going to have to train hard and be very well prepared because he may be my toughest fight yet."

Fitch, a former Purdue University wrestler, defeated Chris Wilson in March for his eighth-straight victory in the UFC. No one has matched that streak since UFC hall-of-famer Royce Gracie won eight straight fights from UFC 1 to UFC 3.
After the victory, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Fitch would be next in line for a title shot.

UFC 87 also features a pivotal lightweight bout between contender Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
 
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WEC champ Brian Stann makes first title defense Aug. 3

by Dann Stupp on May 22, 2008 at 4:23 pm ET
Recently crowned WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann (6-0) says he'll make his first title defense on Aug. 3 in a rematch with Steve Cantwell (5-1).

Stann announced the championship bout while a guest on today's edition of The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

The WEC, which features a Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver main event on June 1, hasn't yet officially announced the August event.

Stann, who defeated former title-holder Doug Marshall for the belt in March, first fought the 21-year-old Cantwell at WEC 26 in March 2007. Stann needed just 41 seconds to secure the first-round TKO.

It remains the only career loss for Cantwell, who's posted first-round stoppages in all five of his professional victories. He most recently scored a submission victory over seven-year veteran Tim McKenzie at WEC 33 in March.

Stann, a 27-year-old decorated U.S. Marine Corps captain, has quickly become one of the WEC's most marketed fighters. He appeared on Stern's show today to present a $5,000 check to the winner of the "Hottest Chick/Ugliest Scar" contest, but Stern spent nearly half an hour talking to Stann about his military service and fighting career. The WEC has advertised extensively on the Howard Stern channels over the past month and sponsored today's contest