Official MMA Thread

[wavescrashing]

You'd think that they'd make the decision a little more believable if there was some type of economic "pull" on this fight. Another bad call was the early stoppage on the Velasquez/Rothwell bout.

[zitro_joe]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I read that he didn't make weight. By a lot. 5lbs.

He did! I saw the weigh in video and he looked like he was about to pass out due to the cut. He needs to be 185 - plain and simple. He had to fork over 20% of his purse to his opponent. I honestly think there should be stiffer penalties when someone misses weight by that much. There was a total of 3 fighters that were over weight for tonight's fights.

Originally Posted by zitro_joe

He did! I saw the weigh in video and he looked like he was about to pass out due to the cut. He needs to be 185 - plain and simple. He had to fork over 20% of his purse to his opponent. I honestly think there should be stiffer penalties when someone misses weight by that much. There was a total of 3 fighters that were over weight for tonight's fights.

Yep. And Johnson missed out on a $60k bonus for KOofN. Apparently he was ineligible because of not making weight.

heres a link to fight metric breakdown of rua/ shogun fight. http://fightmetric.com/fights/Machida-Shogun.html

[Bear]

Originally Posted by wavescrashing

You'd think that they'd make the decision a little more believable if there was some type of economic "pull" on this fight. Another bad call was the early stoppage on the Velasquez/Rothwell bout.

That's classic Steve Mazzagatti for you...

[forgop]

Shogun without a doubt got robbed. As far as the "early" stoppage of Rothwell, I agree with it. He was getting killed and would have suffered a major whooping as he wasn't defending himself.

[BORIStheBLADE]

Seriously!!!!!

Sorry, but Machida did NOT win that fight unanimous decision. Thats the biggest BS crap I have ever see.


One side note... Dana White looks like hes been dipping into cookie jar a lot..

[Bear]

Originally Posted by forgop

Shogun without a doubt got robbed. As far as the "early" stoppage of Rothwell, I agree with it. He was getting killed and would have suffered a major whooping as he wasn't defending himself.

Sorry Bro, but i disagree. Sure Rothwell was "absorbing' punches WITH HIS FACE ( )but he was still with it enough to get his left leg under him and he was wall-crawling his way up.
IDK if he had it in him to make it back and win (certainly not by decision but with last nights judges who knows). Thing is in MMA a lucky punch can bring you right back in the game.
I still think Mazzagatti needs to be taken off the rotation for a few ppv events to teach him a lesson or be replaced all together.

[chippewastud79]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I read that he didn't make weight. By a lot. 5lbs.

He said he had a knee injury that kept him from cutting. I'm still not sure he shouldn't just move up anyway.

Scotty Ferrall is always asking Dana how his taking steroids is going for him (talkin smack) . He probably is taking steroids and not working out.

Just watched a couple of the DREAM fights. Mazzagatti could learn something if he watched them too. In the Sakuraba fight he was taking a pounding while try to work a submission which would have been stopped 3 times over in the UFC. He eventualy got a leg submission and put it on hard got the win and Lil Cro Crop looked like he suffered an injury. Sakuraba would have never had that chance on the otherside. Eddie Alvarez looked impressive again and I think he stands a good chance to beat Aoki on New Years Eve.

[NCRadioMan]

Lesnar Sick Withdraws from Nov.21 Card

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has withdrawn from his upcoming title defense against Shane Carwin due to illness, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.

Lesner said he's "never been this sick in his life," White said, according to Yahoo. "He said it's been going on for a long time and he just hasn't been able to shake it."

Lesnar was scheduled to face Carwin Nov. 21 in Las Vegas at UFC 106. White told Yahoo!, however, that Lesnar has been sick for more than three and a half weeks and has been unable to train.

Carwin posted on his Twitter account that he was "very disappointed." Sherdog.com has been unable to reach Carwin.

Later, he wrote "...Looks like it is posponed till Jan. 2. I had the H1N1 flu virus myself and I understand how devastaing it can be."

White told Yahoo! he doesn't think Lesner has H1N1.

UFC 108 is scheduled for that date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"It's disappointing hearing about your career and life through the media," Carwin wrote in another message.

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Ortiz vs. Griffin Bout Will Headline UFC 106

After today's big announcement that Brock Lesnar would have to withdraw from his UFC 106 title defense against Shane Carwin, the UFC announced that the main event slot will now be the light heavyweight bout between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.

The Ortiz-Griffin bout is a rematch of their UFC 59 bout in April of 2006, a bout that Ortiz won via split decision.

The bout will be Griffin's first since suffering a first-round knockout loss at UFC 101 in August to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Ortiz is coming off of a major loss as well, as he last fought in May of 2008, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, in a bout that many thought would be Ortiz's swan song in the UFC.

The UFC announced that Lesnar had been out of training camp for nearly a month due to his illness, and they are hoping to have his fight with Carwin re-scheduled for early 2010.

UFC 106 take place on November 21st inside the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[ActionAndy]

Well the card for 106 sorta looks like a snooze, to be honest. I favor Griffin in that match, though I can't really come up with a brilliant analysis to support that statement. I just feel like Ortiz is done being a threat.

[zitro_joe]

Originally Posted by ActionAndy

Well the card for 106 sorta looks like a snooze, to be honest. I favor Griffin in that match, though I can't really come up with a brilliant analysis to support that statement. I just feel like Ortiz is done being a threat.

Dont judge too quick! UFC 95 looked like it was going to as action packed as a Sunday golf match. However, it turned out to be one of the best cards I have ever seen. The fights were great.

Then, there was UFC 76, which was inapropiatly name "Knockout" 6 of 9 fights went to decision, 1 went 4:45 into the third round.

[kgoings]

A bit late, I did think when they announce 'unanimous decision' that it was going to be Rua, but I wasn't super surprised it went the other way. All I saw Shogun do was kick Machada in the leg all night long. He wasn't 'fighting to win' he was 'fighting not to lose'. His corner kept telling him he was winning so he didn't push it. I though it should have been a draw, neither fighter took many chances and kinda just sparred the entire 25 minutes. I agree with what the announcers were saying all night long, you gotta BEAT the champ to take the belt and I dont think Shogun did anything to BEAT the champ...but the champ didn't do anything either.

And on the early stoppage of Velasquez/Rothwell, Rothwell was getting up, but during the flurry when it got stopped, Rothwell kinda paused getting up and then continued getting up after the fight was called. I think that pause is what prompted the stoppage. It was like he wasn't doing anything, but I figure he was shifting his weight or something that I couldn't see. It was gonna be over real quick anyway.

[yachties23]

Without GSP, Lesnar defending their titles, and Silva basically unbeatable at 185, there are almost no good title fights out there. Its kinda disappointing.

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by yachties23

Without GSP, Lesnar defending their titles, and Silva basically unbeatable at 185, there are almost no good title fights out there. Its kinda disappointing.

I think UFC 107 and 108 will have some great fights.

Isn't Vitor fighting Silva at 185. He's no slouch.

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by Steelergar

Isn't Vitor fighting Silva at 185. He's no slouch.

Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort not happening at UFC 108

While the recovery from a recent elbow surgery is going just fine for UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, Jan. 2 will simply be too soon for him to return to action.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today spoke with Silva's manager, Ed Soares, who issued the update on "The Spider."

"The latest is he's not fighting Jan. 2," Soares said. "That's not going to happen. He won't be ready."

Silva recently had bone spurs removed from his right elbow, and the rehabilitation necessary following the procedure means Silva won't be ready to defend his title in a proposed UFC 108 matchup with Vitor Belfort.

As for when Silva will be ready to fight again, Soares said nothing is yet certain.

"We have to wait and see," Soares said. "Anderson went back to Brazil, and he's continuing his physical therapy there. But there's no set date yet."

But Soares insisted the progress was ahead-of-schedule, and Silva fans have no cause for concern.

"Anderson's recovery is going really, really well," Soares said. "He's coming back, and his recovery is doing really good. His physical therapy is going really well. He's getting better range of motion. He'll be back 100 percent for sure."

While he's not sure exactly when Silva will again step into the octagon, Soares assumes Belfort will still be the opponent on the opposite side of cage.

"I think it's going to be Vitor when Anderson comes back," Soares said. "That's what I'm assuming."

And though Soares has openly questioned the UFC's decision to grant Belfort a middleweight title shot despite the fact that he has yet to fight in the organization at 185 pounds, Silva's manager said he and his fighter are now looking forward to the test.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be a great fight," Soares said. "Like I said before, I don't think [Belfort"> deserves a title shot, but that's over with now. It is what it is.

"Whoever the UFC puts in front of us, we'll fight. We've never picked our opponents."
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Urijah Faber returns; fights Raphael Assuncao at WEC 46

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber is in talks to make his long-awaited return against rising contender Raphael Assuncao at WEC 46 in January. News of the bout was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

Faber (22-3) has spent the past couple of months letting his fractured right hand heal. He suffered the injury in the first round of his main event bout against WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in June at WEC 41. Faber ended up suffering a unanimous decision loss to Brown. However, he showed lots of heart and determination by fighting the full five rounds through his injuries.
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Thiago Alves forced to withdraw from UFC 107 bout with Jon Fitch

After UFC welterweight Jon Fitch's original opponent, Ricardo Almeida, was forced to withdraw from a UFC 106 contest due to injury, the American Kickboxing Academy product agreed to instead meet Thiago Alves at UFC 107.

But Fitch again finds himself without an opponent, as AOL FanHouse is reporting that Alves has now been forced to withdraw as well.

AOL FanHouse's report cites a torn posterior cruciate ligament as the culprit, though MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has thus far been unable to verify the assessment.

Alves had been scheduled to face Paulo Thiago on the "UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez" card but was pulled from that bout in favor of the highly anticipated rematch with Fitch.

It's currently unknown who, if anyone, the UFC will look to match Fitch up with now. Thiago is also currently awaiting a new opponent. While a simple solution would be to pair the two welterweights together, Fitch defeated Thiago soundly in July, making a rematch this soon seem highly unlikely.

[NCRadioMan]

Houston Alexander vs. "Kimbo Slice" set for catchweight bout

The pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together.

A long-rumored contest between UFC sluggers Houston Alexander (9-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (3-1 MMA, 0-0 WEC) will take place at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas.

That explains why Alexander is applying for a license to fight with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but what about the weight difference between "The Assassin" at 205 pounds and Slice as a heavyweight? The Times of Northwest Indiana has the answer.

Citing sources close to Alexander's camp, Matt Erickson is reporting not only confirmation that the bout will take place in Las Vegas rather than the previously rumored UFC 107 event in Memphis, Tenn., but also that the pair will meet at a catchweight of 215 pounds.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since verified the location of the bout but has been unable to get official word of the catchweight agreement.

Slice fought at 230 pounds when he met Roy Nelson on the third episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights." Following the loss, Slice told AOL FanHouse he'd be willing to try his hand at a light heavyweight contest, though he apparently hasn't made it all the way down to 205 pounds just yet.

Alexander seeks his first UFC win since September 2007. After earning devastating knockout victories over Alessio Sakara and Keith Jardine in his first two trips to the octagon, the Nebraska native has suffered three-straight UFC defeats. Alexander was allowed to take a fight outside of the UFC in September, earning a TKO win over Sherman Pendergarst under the Adrenaline MMA banner.

Slice, who recently joined American Top Team, seeks victory in his first UFC appearance. Despite being eliminated on "TUF 10" in a TKO loss to Nelson, the former streetfighting legend has shown the ability to garner huge ratings during his stint on the show and previous fights under the EliteXC banner.

The bout seems a lock for the evening's Spike TV-broadcast main card.

Featuring two heavy handed punchers who have shown little interest in ground attacks, the Alexander vs. Slice bout is the odds-on favorite for "Knockout of the Night," though either fighter could conceivably claim the prize.

Nice of the UFC to place Kimblo against a lt. heavy. If Kimblo makes 215 I will be very surprised.

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Twitter Q&A: Feder Emelianenko on Toughest Foes, Strikeforce

Dozens of mixed martial arts fans sent me questions on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith for the sport's top fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, and now Fedor has answered.

Taking some time out of his preparation for his Strikeforce/M-1 Global fight against Brett Rogers on November 7, Fedor answered FanHouse readers' questions about how he prepares for his fights, who his toughest opponents are and why he's sticking with Strikeforce and M-1 Global instead of signing with the UFC.

The questions and answers for Fedor are below.

Has he changed his training to prepare for his first fight in a cage? And if so how?
No, the training is the same every day. We made some incremental adjustments for the cage.

Is your training the same every day or do you sometimes focus more on certain aspects of the game?
In general the training is the same but the week is divided in training sessions during which we focus on one aspect of the game: wrestling, striking, et cetera.

Fedor seems to challenge opponent's strengths (ground Nogueira & Coleman-standing up Arlovski & Crocop). Is this intentional?
When you know the opponent's strength you put an emphasis on it when preparing for the upcoming bout. My ground skills were good before the bout against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira because I have the judo and sambo background. For the fight against Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, we went to the Netherlands, where I trained the stand-up with the best strikers.

Fedor, Strikeforce has a few decent heavyweights, but after a few main events, what does the future hold for you in Strikeforce?
We'll see. At the moment I'm content with what M-1 and Strikeforce has to offer. My contract is for three fights so we'll see after that. I take one fight at a time.

After Brett Rogers who else would be a good opponent for you?
There are several top fighters in Strikeforce and M-1 now, and keep in mind that a year is a long period. A new top opponent might emerge. At the moment there is Brett Rogers, Fabricio Werdum. Of course there is Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion. Antonio Silva will fight Werdum on Nov. 7 during the same Strikeforce / M-1 Global event I fight. There are free agents like Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski. There is enough challenge for me out there.

You've said Cro Cop gave you the toughest fight of your career. Why do you think he's struggled in the UFC?
I think it has to do with motivation. He had won the Pride Grand Prix in 2006 and maybe he needed to have a rest after such a big accomplishment. I don't know but I hope he will be alright.

I'd like to know if he's ever thought about (and if he's attempted) making a cut to 205?
No, I've never attempted it and I don't see the point of making such a cut in my case.

The question I have for fedor is the question EVERYBODY has for fedor - why didn't you make the deal happen with UFC?
The conditions offered by the UFC were not good enough. There were many points both parties were OK with, but at the same time, there were some sticking points that were not resolved. I'm 100% satisfied with what Strikeforce could offer me and my company M-1 Global. We talked to them and I like their style, behavior and the way they treat people with respect.

When will Americans be able to see Aleksander, your brother, fight in the US?
I think Aleksander himself should answer this question. He is on his own right now -- managing his own career now -- so I can't say definitely about that.

Fedor, what do you think is the ideal # of fights per year at this stage in your career?
About three fights a year.

I'd like to know who are his favorite fighters and if he's still thinking about an UFC debut in the future?
I like watching Gegard Mousasi fight. He fights smart.

Ask him if he's a fan of other sports, and whether he has met, or would like to meet, other Russian professional athletes?
When I have some free time, I like watching sports. Last year, I was honored to bear the Olympic torch with many other prominent Russian athletes. Also when I come to Moscow or St. Petersburg I meet professional athletes occasionally.

How much longer does Fedor plan on fighting?
I can't predict the future. All I can say now is that I enjoy doing it today.

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Hand Surgery Postpones Machida/Rua Rematch Indefinitely

The "immediate rematch" between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua just got a lot less immediate. Following the controversial outcome of their title fight at UFC 104, Dana White wanted to set up a re-do as soon as possible, hoping for UFC 108 on January 2nd. Unfortunately, Yahoo! is reporting that Machida needs surgery on one of his hands, and won't be ready to return in two months. As of now, it's unclear when Machida vs. Rua II will actually happen.