Official MMA Thread

[NCRadioMan]

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez rescheduled for UFC 109 on Feb. 6

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion and mixed martial arts legend, Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, is expected take on undefeated rising star Cain Velasquez at UFC 108, which is slated for Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 6, 2010.

Nogueira and and Velasquez were supposed to hook 'em up in the UFC 108 main event on Jan. 2, 2010; however; "Big Nog" came down with a serious case of staph infection, which forced him to withdraw from the bout.

He clearly did not want to make the same mistake twice in a high profile and very important bout -- Nogueira revealed after his lopsided technical knockout loss to Frank Mir that he had been hospitalized several days prior to fight night with a severe staph infection.


OR


A highly anticipated heavyweight matchup between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Cain Velasquez (7-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) may take place Down Under.

Despite reports circulating today that Nogueira and Velasquez will meet at UFC 109 in Las Vegas, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the organization that the UFC is actually leaning toward booking the fight for UFC 110 in Australia.

Verbal agreements are in place for the contest, though bout agreements have not yet been finalized.

Nogueira and Velasquez were expected to meet in the main event of UFC 108 on Jan. 2, but a severe case of staph infection forced "Minotauro" out of the bout.

Nogueira has since undergone treatment for the infection and recently told MMAWeekly.com that he would be ready to fight in February – and that he would love to fight in Australia.

"In February, I think I’ll be in shape," Nogueira said. "I'd love to fight in Australia. If they put me on the card, I would love to fight there."

Prior to the cancellation of the Jan. 2 bout, UFC president Dana White announced that the winner of the contest would receive a heavyweight title shot.

[NCRadioMan]

Anderson Silva's recovery slow, not fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 109

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the organization that a planned bout between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will not take place on Feb. 6.

Silva's has bone chips removed from his right elbow in October, and the joint has reportedly proved slow to heal.

Sources close to the situation informed MMAjunkie.com that "The Spider" might not be ready to fight until April, though Silva's manager, Ed Soares, wasn't immediately available for comment.

Silva and Belfort were originally slated for UFC 108 on Jan. 2, but that date was also nixed due to the elbow surgery.

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Antonio Rogerio Nogueira interested in fight with Forrest

"It would be a good fight. Forrest is an aggressive guy who fights on his feet, and I like that. He also has excellent Jiu-Jitsu and absurd wind. It would be a really good fight." -Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

After quickly dispatching highly regarded UFC light-heavyweight prospect Luiz Cain, Antonio Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira looks forward to a possible showdown with former UFC light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.

Both men were victorious at UFC 107 last Saturday -- Nogueira with a first-round knockout over Cain and Forrest with a three-round split decision over fellow former champion Tito Ortiz.

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Rumor: FEG is selling DREAM

Rumour: Don Quijote to Buy FEG’s MMA Division

Now it’s being reported that the president of Don Quijote, Yasuda, set up a meeting between FEG to enable this Sengoku vs. Dream co-promotion as an attempt to strengthen Japanese MMA. Initially, Sadaharu Tanikawa planned on letting Sengoku fail and then scooping up as many fighter contracts as possible (including Ishida). However now it looks like FEG’s MMA division may be in trouble.

FieLDS, Dynamite!!’s primary sponsor, will not renew their contract next year. Today on NHBNews Pro, it was announced that Don Quijote not only wants to replace FieLDS as Dynamite!!’s primary sponsor…but they want to purchase the entire FEG MMA division (which would include Dynamite!! and Dream). This would mean a chain of discount super-stores will own all of Japanese MMA

Payout Perspective:

There’s a lot of concern right now that MMA in Japan could be in serious trouble, so the emergence of Don Quijote is welcome news (whether they purchase FEG or just sponsor future events).

However, aside from the Japanese MMA point of view, it’s also interesting to look at this entire situation from the perspective of Strikeforce. Scott Coker signed a fighter sharing and promotional partnership with FEG’s Dream last summer; and, via this proposed Dream-Sengoku merger, the value of that partnership is likely to grow. Not only does Dream become more financially stable, but the size of the fighter sharing pool increases.

In fact, regardless of the outcome in Japan, Strikeforce is well-positioned to capitalize. Even if the merger fails, Strikeforce already has well-established ties with the most prized fighting assets in Japanese MMA. They’d likely be first in line to scoop up talents such as Shinya Aoki, Marius Zaromskis, and Melvin Manhoef, etc

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Hardy Responds to a fan on CageWarriors Forum

Hey Dan,

I'm a fan of yours, but at the same time I am really taking issue with the UFC giving you a title shot solely because they wish to expand into the European market even more. You haven't fought or beat anyone yet that would merit a title **** in my honest opinion. You beat a Mike Swick who looked like big nog when he fought Mir and then beat an over rated Marcus Davis who was exposed for what he really is last night by Saunders.

Josh Koshcheck is more deserving of the title shot or at least a number 1 contenders match with you. I think it's way too early in your career for you to be fighting a fighter the caliber of Georges St. Pierre and you should take better control of your career, get the experience, fight some more top guys, and then go for the title. Josh Koscheck just out struck an elite level striker in Anthony Johnson and also put on a wrestling clinic. When have you shown you can stop the takedowns of a high level wrestler? GSP or Koscheck would leave you on your back regardless of what you do. You may stuff a few takedowns, but eventually, you'll be on your back having to try and defend yourself against an animal like Josh Koscheck.

In closing, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the points I made above so that I may understand your thought process in regards to all of this.

Thanks Dan,

Ryan


its unfortunate that you feel this way, but im really not the person to be speaking to about this. i fight whoever the ufc put in front of me, if they told me i need another ten wins before i get a shot at the title, then that is what i would do.

do people expect me to turn down an opportunity like this, because, in their opinion, im not worthy? what do you want to do, sit the belt on a shelf to gather dust, whilst gsp grows old, waiting for a dominant force in the division to present itself? in a division like the UFC welterweight, there is rarely a clearly dominant fighter, because the talent is too deep.

i seem to have a lot of **** being talked about me at the moment, and im not sure exactly why. i get into the octagon, i put on a show and im winning fights. i have an opportunity to try and take GSP's belt, and that is exactly what i intend to do.

if i listerned to my critics, i would have never fought davis or swick, because i apparently wasnt worthy then either. they were going to run through me with ease, and as soon as the fight was done, it was their poor performance that got me the win, not my hard work.

and as far as koscheck goes, i wouldnt piss on him if he was on fire. i have never heard of a fighter that is as disliked as him, and its obvious why. i dont think he outstruck johnson, and i dont class anyone in the WW division as an 'elite level striker', but that is where our opinions differ. his inconsistency is what holds him back, i cant help that.

its always nice to hear what fans have to say about you on the forums etc, but i am starting to realise that, regardless of what i do, there will be people out there that give me no credit. its just a shame that you aren't broadcast on TV when you are at work, so everyone can debate how lacklustre you are.

nothing in my life has every been handed to me on a plate, and if this, in your opinion is exactly that, then my response is "its about f**king time". i get up each and every morning, and push myself to be better that what i was yesterday. everything i have in my life, i got through hard work.

the reason i am getting a title shot, is because i had the balls to make these opportunities available to myself, and i am not passing them up, regardless of your opinion. i hope that answers your question.

[dannysguitar]

I'm with you guys. I like Dan Hardy a little more now, problem is, GSP is gonna dismantle him...

[Comicbookfreak]

Looking forward to BJ and Diego.

[NCRadioMan]

Strikeforce signs K-1 star and MMA veteran Melvin Manhoef

K-1 wrecking machine and mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran, Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1), is once again set to put his all-around skills to the test when he debuts with the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion in the coming weeks.

MMAmania.com confirmed the signing earlier today.

While a Dec. 19 bout with Robbie Lawler is under consideration for "Evolution," nothing is official at this time and a more likely time line for his debut would be early 2010.

Manhoef looked "Marvelous" in the opening round of his DREAM 10 fight against Paulo Filho, putting the Brazilian grappling stud on queer street with his trademark barrage blitzkrieg of punches; however, Manhoef ultimately fell short after the fight hit the mat.

He's going to need to keep his ground game sharp if he plans to compete exclusively in mixed martial arts. There are a bevy of top middleweights under the Strikeforce banner with serviceable grappling skills that could negate the power punching of the hard-hitting Hollander.

Assuming he doesn't separate them from the consciousness first.

Star-divide

Prior to the Filho bout, Manhoef went toe-to-toe with "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt during the stacked New Year’s Eve Fields Dynamite!! card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Dec. 31, 2008. Despite being at a huge size advantage, as well as taking the fight on literally a few days notice, Manhoef needed just 18 seconds to dispatch of the granite-chinned heavyweight.

Aside from being the Cage Rage light heavyweight champion, "No Mercy" has a 37-8 kickboxing record with 27 knockouts. Expect fireworks in his upcoming debut.

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Strikeforce signs KJ Noons

K.J. Noons has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, Sherdog.com has learned from sources familiar with the negotiations.

The former EliteXC champion could make his lightweight debut for the promotion at Strikeforce “Evolution” on Dec. 19 in San Jose, Calif., although Noons’ return is likely for Strikeforce’s Jan. 30 event in Sunrise, Fla.

Noons was stripped of his EliteXC 160-pound title in September 2008 during a contract dispute. EliteXC and parent company Pro Elite closed its doors shortly afterward and the Hawaiian-born fighter delved back into professional boxing, going 4-1 in the last year. Noons earned a six-round decision over Julio Perez on Nov. 10 in Houston.

The 26-year-old kickboxer has keys MMA victories over former UFC contender Yves Edwards and Nick Diaz, who also remains in Strikeforce’s 170- and 185-pound ranks. Noons bested the mouthy Stockton, Calif. native with a second-round TKO on cuts in September 2007. Words between the fighters and their families ensued in the cage, but a rematch never materialized.

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Lawler vs Prangley at SF Evolution

American Kickboxing Academy standout Trevor Prangley is expected to face Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Evolution on Dec. 19 in San Jose, Calif.

Multiple MMAWeekly.com sources indicated the bout was all but signed. One source said Prangley, 37, is awaiting a bout agreement and is expected to sign as soon as Monday afternoon.

Lawler was rumored to face Melvin Manhoef, a bout long campaigned for by Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, but Manhoef is committed to fight on the Dream vs. Sengoku New Year’s Eve event against an opponent yet to be announced.

Strikeforce: Evolution is slated for the HP Pavilion and will be broadcast live on Showtime. Other featured bouts include a title unification bout between champion Josh Thomson and interim titleholder Gilbert Melendez, and a middleweight slugfest pitting former champ Cung Le against Scott Smith.

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Official: Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader - UFC 110

Earlier tonight Ryan Bader sent out an ominous tweet stating that he signed a bout agreement and it would, "definitely [be] a step up in competition!"

So who is Ryan Bader fighting? Why, it is Keith Jardine, at least according to MMA Weekly.

The report also states that Bader vs. Jardine will take place at UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia.

The undefeated Ryan Bader (10-0) was correct when he described this as a step up in competition. Jardine has victories over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera, all of which are far more impressive than Bader's wins over Eric Schafer, Carmelo Marrero and Vinny Magalhaes. Yet, this fight is still an absolute must win for Keith Jardine (15-6-1) who is coming off of back-to-back losses and is 1-3 in his past four fights and 2-4 in his past six.

At a glance, UFC 110 appears to be a fairly deep fight card, which is somewhat counter intuitive for what the UFC usually does for an overseas card. However UFC 110 will be a pay-per view event so it makes sense for Zuffa to load up on name fighters.

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Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn announced for UFN 20

A welterweight bout between TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah and Brad Blackburn is in the works for UFC Fight Night 20 on Jan. 11 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. News of the bout was first reported by The Newark Examiner.

The UFC Fight Night 20 main card had just three bouts rather than the traditional four but with the addition of Sadollah vs. Blackburn, the fourth spot is now filled for the televised portion of the card.

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UFC in Boston now a reality with MMA regulation in Mass

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick today signed a bill into law that regulates mixed martial arts in the "Bay State," paving the way for the sport's top brand, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and other promotions to host events in 2010 and beyond.

UFC President Dana White, a Boston-area native, has gushed for years about the possibility of promoting a show in "Beantown." In fact, during the UFC 101 post-fight press conference he revealed his grand plans to stage a major event in the historic and beloved Fenway Park in mid to late 2010.

UFC officials stormed Massachusetts earlier this year, attempting to convince lawmakers that MMA regulation is good for them and the state economy … to the tune of $12.3 million in just one weekend.

The dog and pony show was apparently very effective -- the bill breezed through the State Senate by a vote of 34-1. It then headed to the House Ways and Means Committee for additional consideration, where it sailed through by a vote of 144-10.

Patrick's historic signature earlier this afternoon was a mere formality.

[Blueface]

I have been getting into this stuff so much lately. Can't get enough.
What do you guys think of the Ultimate Fighter finale? I was surprised to see big Marcus go down so easily in his last fight. Hard to picture Roy Nelson as a fit, MMA fighter but the guy has experience and can obviously fight to get to the finale. Looking forward to Saturday night.

[ActionAndy]

Roy's tendency to take a few punches early in the fight has me a bit worried that Schaub might get that puncher's chance KO. However if the fight gets anywhere past the one minute mark (which I suspect it will) Nelson gets this victory any way he chooses. I don't care if he escaped from that full mount, Schaub's ground game is terrible. Remember all the fence grabbing in his other fight?

I'm giving Big Country about an 80% chance of winning this fight. Overall a very unimpressive season but decent, watchable fights last night.

[Ken]

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

[ActionAndy]

Originally Posted by Ken

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

McSweeney's a bully and a loser, when he tapped his chin Roy answered almost immediately. Loved it.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by Ken

I'm no fan of Nelson's but I'm glad he mauled that *****. It's just priceless to see some cocky bastard sticking his chin out showboating and then eat a punch.

It's good to see Marcus on the fight card as he looks to have good potential and I didn't want to see him give up on MMA. He'll be fighting Matt Mitrione of course.

Great to hear.
Did not know Marcus would be on the card.
After his match was over, I turned it off.

Glad to see McSweeney go down down. Cocky bastard indeed. He thought he was the chit because he trains with Rasheed.

[NCRadioMan]

UFC newcomer Gilbert Yvel meets Junior Dos Santos at UFC 108

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with a source close to the event that verbal agreements are in place for the Jan. 2 fight, though bout agreements have not been signed.

The bout, first reported by Tatame, takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view with the rest of the night's main card.

Yvel, who was scheduled to compete for Affliction Entertainment until the organization ceased operations as part of an agreement with the UFC in late summer, replaces Gonzaga, who was forced off the card due to staph infection.

Yvel, a 50-fight veteran who previously competed for PRIDE, is 8-1 over his past nine bouts; all of the wins came via stoppage, seven via knockout. The lone loss came to Josh Barnett at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" in January. Yvel took a beating in the fight but lasted late into the third round.

As MMAjunkie.com reported in October, the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently issued Yvel a one-fight license. The NSAC had previously denied the fighter a license in 2007 based on his 2004 attack of a referee in a bout with Atte Backman in Finland. (It's one of a few such instances Yvel is trying to put behind him.)

NSAC executive director Keith Kizer told MMAjunkie.com the one-fight license allows Yvel a chance to prove himself once again.

"If there's any serious issues with the application, [a one-fight license"> is an option the commission has as opposed to an outright denial or outright approval," Kizer said. "They can limit the license or condition in it some cases. Here they chose to limit it to one bout. Therefore, if he fights and anything out of the ordinary happens, he's have to come back before the commission as opposed to us having to issue something to him. But we're hopeful that it will go without a hitch."

Dos Santos, meanwhile, has quickly climbed up the ranks of the UFC's heavyweight division with three consecutive stoppage wins in the organization. Just 25 years old, Dos Santos earned TKO wins over Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve before forcing Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic to verbally submit to strikes at UFC 103 in September.

[ActionAndy]

After watching him bash Cro Cop, one of the most legendary strikers in the game, I have no problem believing that JDS can handle Gilbert.

Holy snikes, I just watched Overeem win the K-1 world Gran Prix from last night in devastating fashion(the 1st mma fighter ever to win it) . Overeem is built like a beast. I think he stand a good chance to beat Fedor when they meet. Overeem has looked impressive in every fight he has been in the past 2 years and I think he has the confidence to beat Fedor.

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by Steelergar

Holy snikes, I just watched Overeem win the K-1 world Gran Prix from last night in devastating fashion(the 1st mma fighter ever to win it) . Overeem is built like a beast. I think he stand a good chance to beat Fedor when they meet. Overeem has looked impressive in every fight he has been in the past 2 years and I think he has the confidence to beat Fedor.

He has the confidence alright. Roid confidence.


Kimblo came in under weight! Can't wait to see him fall....again.

[ActionAndy]

Originally Posted by Steelergar

Holy snikes, I just watched Overeem win the K-1 world Gran Prix from last night in devastating fashion(the 1st mma fighter ever to win it) . Overeem is built like a beast. I think he stand a good chance to beat Fedor when they meet. Overeem has looked impressive in every fight he has been in the past 2 years and I think he has the confidence to beat Fedor.

Didn't Badr Hari take Overeem out in the semis?

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by ActionAndy

Didn't Badr Hari take Overeem out in the semis?

Yep, he did. Sammy Schilt beat Hari to win.

[ActionAndy]

What the hell did I just watch? Have I slipped into an alternate dimension? Kimbo Slice beat Houston Alexander?

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by ActionAndy

What the hell did I just watch? Have I slipped into an alternate dimension? Kimbo Slice beat Houston Alexander?

I think Houston would have faired better to slug away. I didn't like his plan and it made for a very boring fight, imo. Kudos to Kimblo though. This time, I did see some improvment on the ground and that throw was sic! But remember, he was fighting a much smaller guy that also has no ground game.

Bones beat the chit out of Hamill. Too bad about the DQ though. I see a re-match.

Big Baby's stand-up is sooooo bad and it showed.

WAR Roy "Big Country" Nelson! I thought he would win from the start of the season. Loved the entrance music.

Overall.......meh. It was an ok show.

[Ken]

Originally Posted by ActionAndy

What the hell did I just watch? Have I slipped into an alternate dimension? Kimbo Slice beat Houston Alexander?

LOL! wans't that great. I really don't think Dana gave Kimbo much of a chance against Alexander, but it was a good matchup. Houston making boring circles kept himself awake and how he survived that slam; ouch.

Kimbo's future and success will be limited in the UFC, though I hope he makes the most of it and we get some good fights.

WAR Roy "Big Country" Nelson! I thought he would win from the start of the season.

It was hard seeing any of those guys beating him. it'll be interesting seeing how he matches up with the mid-upper tier HW's.

Originally Posted by NCRadioMan

Yep, he did. Sammy Schilt beat Hari to win.

really, I swore the annoucers were saying he won the finals of the Grand Prix. Then again I don't know much about kickboxing or which grand prix this is.