Author: Andrew Saunders

Josh Barnett: ‘I Am Not Signed to the UFC’

The MMA world has made a big deal over Josh Barnett’s status as a free agent.On Thursday morning, UFC.com added the profile of Josh Barnett, which made the world believe that “The Warmaster” had been signed to the organization.However, on Friday, Barne…

The MMA world has made a big deal over Josh Barnett’s status as a free agent.

On Thursday morning, UFC.com added the profile of Josh Barnett, which made the world believe that “The Warmaster” had been signed to the organization.

However, on Friday, Barnett turned to his Twitter account to address the rumors:

Fans of the heavyweight believe that his undeniable skills are on par with UFC fighters and that he should be in the biggest organization on the planet. Detractors feel that a trio of failed drug tests in the past should disqualify him from employment, regardless of his skill.

Shortly after his win at the final Strikeforce event on Saturday, Barnett talked about the value of his time and subtly hinted that the UFC would need to pony up some dough if they wanted his exclusive services.

In an interview with MMAJunkie.com, Barnett stated: “It would take the right kind of deal to get me to be locked into some place entirely and exclusively,”

Hopefully, Barnett and the UFC can come to terms. There is no point in letting his skills go to waste in independent organizations. If we can allow guys like Chael Sonnen and Chris Leben to come back after failed drug tests, Barnett should be afforded the same right. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Eddie Alvarez Offered UFC 159 Co-Main Event; Court Hearing on Jan 25

Nearly three weeks into 2013, you are all familiar with the ongoing legal battle between Eddie Alvarez and Bellator Fighting Championships. However, if you have somehow missed the chatter surrounding one of the highest ranked lightweights not in the UF…

Nearly three weeks into 2013, you are all familiar with the ongoing legal battle between Eddie Alvarez and Bellator Fighting Championships. However, if you have somehow missed the chatter surrounding one of the highest ranked lightweights not in the UFC, here are the cliff notes:

  • Alvarez completed the final fight on his Bellator contract in November
  • Bellator has a 90-day matching clause in their contract
  • The UFC made Alvarez a sizable offer, which he wants to accept
  • Bellator sent over an offer, which they feel matches the UFC’s
  • Alvarez claims that the offer does not match
  • Bellator is suing Alvarez
  • Alvarez is also suing Bellator

Now that we are caught up, some new light has been shed on the situation, thanks to Kevin Iole (via Yahoo! Sports). 

Alvarez will stand before federal Judge Jose L. Linares on Jan. 25 seeking an injunction that would allow him to fight on the UFC 159 card. According to the contract offered by the UFC, Alvarez needs to give them a formal answer by Jan. 27 in order to properly promote his appearance.

The fight would serve as the co-main event on a hotly anticipated PPV that is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen. With Alvarez being offered a bonus based on PPV buyrates, being featured on a card of this magnitude would garner him a major payday.

It offered to give Alvarez $1 per buy between 200,000 and 400,000 buys. That would go up to $2 per buy between 400,000 and 600,000 and $2.50 for each buy over 600,000.

If Jones vs. Sonnen draws somewhere in the ballpark of 700,000 buys, Alvarez would be entitled to a bonus of $850,000 on top of his $70,000 show money and $70,000 win bonus.

With the bonus scale offered by the UFC, it is clear to see why Bellator‘s offer cannot possibly be a match. Bellator airs their events on SPIKE, so there are no PPV proceeds that Alvarez could earn. 

With the injunction one week away, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Alvarez, who has been stuck in limbo for the last month. 

If the judge agrees with Alvarez, he will compete on the April 27 card. Which lightweight should he face? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Free Fights: TUF Preview Gives Fans Every Finale Fight in First 15 Seasons

The month of January 2013 is likely going to go down as the most free MMA in television history. Showtime offered a free preview weekend for the final Strikeforce event. Bellator will give us two incredible cards on SPIKE this month, and the UFC has ev…

The month of January 2013 is likely going to go down as the most free MMA in television history. Showtime offered a free preview weekend for the final Strikeforce event. Bellator will give us two incredible cards on SPIKE this month, and the UFC has events airing on FX and Fox.

In addition to the live events, the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off on Tuesday, Jan. 22. With coaches Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, this is the most anticipated season of the show since Kimbo Slice brought some mainstream attention to Season 10.

In preparation for next week’s debut, the official Ultimate Fighter YouTube page is offering the first 15 seasons full of tournament finals for free. 

Scroll through this slideshow to see the full fight videos for each finale, including appearances from some of the biggest names in the sport, like Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Michael Bisping.

Begin Slideshow

Bisping and Belfort Get Physical at UFC on FX 7 Press Conference

Although tensions between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort seemed fairly tame leading up to Saturday’s UFC on FX 7, they flared up at Thursday’s press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The two men threw verbal barbs in each other’s direction for most of…

Although tensions between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort seemed fairly tame leading up to Saturday’s UFC on FX 7, they flared up at Thursday’s press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The two men threw verbal barbs in each other’s direction for most of the 45-minute pre-fight press conference, but in the obligatory staredown, things quickly heated up.

As the pugilists squared off, Belfort boldly put his right hand directly against Bisping’s chin. The Brit didn’t care for the picture that was being painted, so he shoved “The Phenom’s” arm to the side. 

Clearly, Belfort didn’t care about Bisping’s feelings in regards to hand placement, as he returned his fist to the spot of agitation. “The Count” was clearly angered and pushed it away once again.

When the UFC’s Marshall Zelaznik stepped in to separate the two, Bisping loudly declared “I’ll f***ing see you Saturday.” 

The former light heavyweight champion seemed unmoved by the threat, as he repeatedly exclaimed “I’m ready!”

The UFC posted a video of the incident on its official YouTube channel earlier today, and you can watch it above.

Since the press conference, Bisping has turned to Twitter to let out some steam and mock his overheated foe.

Shortly after, “The Count” returned for another jab.

Finally, he returned for one more.

Additionally, ESPN posted an audio clip interviewing Bisping about the incident. The fired-up Bisping let loose once again. This time, he lost about 20 years of maturity by making comments about whether or not “The Phenom” has male genitalia. It goes to show you exactly how heated the middleweight contender truly is.

“Does he have a penis? He is a penis,” Bisping said. “Just because he is a penis doesn’t mean he has a penis.”

With things heating up only two days before the UFC’s return to Brazil, there could be enough tension to garner some decent ratings on an otherwise underwhelming card.

UFC on FX 7 takes place on Saturday night, with the main card airing at 9 p.m. EST on FX.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel 7: Dustin Poirier Replaces Injured Dennis Siver; Faces Cub Swanson

The injury bug refuses to slow down. It’s most recent victim was an important battle for contendership within the featherweight division. MMAJunkie.com revealed on Thursday that Dennis Siver has been forced out of a scheduled bout against Cub Swan…

The injury bug refuses to slow down. It’s most recent victim was an important battle for contendership within the featherweight division. 

MMAJunkie.com revealed on Thursday that Dennis Siver has been forced out of a scheduled bout against Cub Swanson at UFC on Fuel 7. His replacement is none other than Dustin “Diamond” Poirier.

This fight was a hotly-anticipated battle of strikers, as both Siver and Swanson prefer to turn their bouts into slugfests. 

After a loss to Donald Cerrone shut down the momentum of four consecutive wins, Siver dropped down to featherweight, where he currently holds a flawless 2-0 record.  

Although Swanson struggled to maintain any momentum while fighting for the WEC, he now holds a three-fight winning streak inside the Octagon. Each victory in his trio of success came against a notable, as he outstruck George Roop, Ross Pearson and Charles Oliveira.

Poirier is fresh off of a submission victory over Jonathan Brookins in December, which improves his UFC record to 5-1. The sole blemish came in a Fight of the Year winner against Chan Sung Jung last May.

This fight will likely avoid the scorecards, as Swanson and Poirier have only gone to decision a combined five times in 38 professional fights.

UFC on Fuel 7 comes to you live from Wembley Arena in London, England on Saturday, February 16. The event is currently headlined by a UFC interim bantamweight title fight between Renan Barao and Michael McDonald.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

5 UFC Middleweights That Are Hoping Michael Bisping Loses to Vitor Belfort

Saturday, January 19, Michael Bisping steps into a hostile Brazilian territory as he challenges former champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC on FX 7. It’s the most important fight of his career, as UFC president Dana White has guaranteed the …

Saturday, January 19, Michael Bisping steps into a hostile Brazilian territory as he challenges former champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC on FX 7. It’s the most important fight of his career, as UFC president Dana White has guaranteed the Ultimate Fighter winner a championship opportunity if he is successful.

With an ever-evasive title shot hanging in the balance, there is no doubt that all of Great Britain will be standing solidly behind “The Count” when he enters the cage on Saturday night. However, that isn’t to say that he doesn’t have detractors.

As competition increases in the middleweight division, the level of animosity among fighters who are clawing their way to the top grows exponentially. For that reason, among others, there are several fighters who are hoping to see Bisping crash and burn at UFC on FX 7.

Here is a list of five UFC middleweights who are hoping that Vitor Belfort defeats Michael Bisping. 

Begin Slideshow