Author: Andrew Saunders

Dan Henderson: Fight Against Chael Sonnen Is ‘Quite Possible’

Apparently, Team Quest does not have the same disinclination regarding teammate versus teammate fights as some of the other more prominent fight camps in MMA.In an interview with Brazilian news outlet Tatame, Team Quest’s Dan Henderson talked about the…

Apparently, Team Quest does not have the same disinclination regarding teammate versus teammate fights as some of the other more prominent fight camps in MMA.

In an interview with Brazilian news outlet Tatame, Team Quest’s Dan Henderson talked about the possibility of fighting his training partner, Chael Sonnen.

We’re friends, but above all we fight now in the same category and therefore have the same goal. We both compete for the same belt.

Our friendship is more than a title and we are professional enough to let the rivalry be just inside the Octagon. It would be a different situation, but our profession in this type of situation is quite possible to happen.

Henderson was forced out of a title fight in September due to an injury, and he will now meet Lyoto Machida at UFC 157. It’s a likely title eliminator, as Machida was offered the opportunity to fill in for Henderson at the ill-fated UFC 151 pay-per-view.

Sonnen is currently training for a title shot against Jon Jones. The fight takes place after the two conclude filming the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Ironically, when Hendo pulled out of the fight with Jones, Sonnen was the only man in the UFC who was campaigning to step in against the champion on short notice. Despite Jones turning the fight down, it was Sonnen—not Henderson—who was booked for the next title defense.

Hendo took exception to the booking and unleashed his frustration on Twitter.

Henderson was the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion upon re-entering the UFC. Considering that he debuted with a Fight of the Year victory over Shogun Rua, he is the most deserving title contender in the division. 

Perhaps he is hoping that Sonnen dethrones the mighty Jones. After all, he would still get his title fight and the opportunity to teach his teammate a lesson in one fell swoop.

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UFC: Who Anderson Silva’s Next Three Title Fights Should Be Against

If Dana White has his way, Anderson Silva will defend the belt three more times. After that, he can move on to a superfight against the champion of an adjacent weight class.As the most decorated mixed martial artist in UFC history, The Spider has held …

If Dana White has his way, Anderson Silva will defend the belt three more times. After that, he can move on to a superfight against the champion of an adjacent weight class.

As the most decorated mixed martial artist in UFC history, The Spider has held on to his belt for more than six years and has defended it a record 10 times. Along the way, he has shattered several other records, including most consecutive wins and most knockout-of-the-night awards.

For those reasons, you can’t simply throw any challenger in front of him. You have to strategically pick opponents who deserve a crack at the title and have a reasonable chance of scoring the upset.

With the recent fumbles of potential contenders Tim Boetsch and Alan Belcher, the division appears much smaller today than it did only a few weeks ago. So who should get the chance to challenge Silva for the UFC middleweight championship?

Here is a look at the final three men who should challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC championship before he takes on a superfight.

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12 MMA Fighters on the Hot Seat in the Month of January

January 2013 might go down in history as one of the busiest months in MMA history. The UFC has two events, Bellator has three and Strikeforce hosts the final event in their seven-year history. That doesn’t even include fight cards coming from Invicta F…

January 2013 might go down in history as one of the busiest months in MMA history. The UFC has two events, Bellator has three and Strikeforce hosts the final event in their seven-year history. That doesn’t even include fight cards coming from Invicta Fighting Championships and World Series of Fighting.

With all of the action coming your way in January, it might be hard to keep up with everything. That’s where Bleacher Report comes in.

Several top names are competing this month, and there is a lot that they can gain. However, many fighters have much more that they can lose in January.

Here is a look at 12 MMA fighters who are on the hot seat in January.

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Strikeforce Final Card to Take Place During Free Preview Weekend from Showtime

On January 12, the Strikeforce crew will set up the six-sided cage one final time before the promotion closes its doors for good. Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine is a stacked card that features some of the biggest names on the roster, and the eve…

On January 12, the Strikeforce crew will set up the six-sided cage one final time before the promotion closes its doors for good. Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine is a stacked card that features some of the biggest names on the roster, and the event will now take place on free TV.

The Showtime network has long been the home of Strikeforce, but the subscription-based premium network is only available to those willing to pay an additional fee on their monthly cable or satellite provider. With 22 million subscribers, the most recent card, Rousey vs. Kaufman, peaked with 676,000 viewers.

However, by running a free preview weekend from January 11 through January 13, the final Strikeforce card will be available free of charge in more than 80 millions homes across the United States.

Headlined by a welterweight championship fight between UFC veteran Nate Marquardt and 13-3 Tarec Saffiedine, the card also features high-profile talent such as Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett and Gegard Mousasi. In addition, an inter-promotional matchup between UFC middleweight Ed Herman and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza kicks off the main card.

While this free preview weekend is a major gift for MMA fans, it is designed to coincide with the season premieres of hit Showtime programs Shameless, House of Lies and Californication.

But who are we to look a gift horse in the mouth? Regardless of why we are getting the final Strikeforce card for free, as MMA fans, it’s time to be thankful.

Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine takes place on January 12 and the main card will air live on Strikeforce beginning at 10 p.m. EST. Four preliminary fights will be aired on Showtime Extreme immediately prior and will feature the likes of Roger Gracie, Tim Kennedy, KJ Noons and Pat Healy.

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UFC: Jim Miller Looking to Avenge Losses; Calls out Gray Maynard

Closing out 2012 with a blood-filled war against Joe Lauzon, longtime UFC veteran Jim Miller is ready to climb the ladder once again. And in the eyes of the New Jersey native, the next step comes in the form of two-time UFC title challenger Gray Maynar…

Closing out 2012 with a blood-filled war against Joe Lauzon, longtime UFC veteran Jim Miller is ready to climb the ladder once again. And in the eyes of the New Jersey native, the next step comes in the form of two-time UFC title challenger Gray Maynard.

Miller called out Maynard on Friday’s edition of MMAJunkie radio, where he was a call-in guest.

“I guarantee you nobody else is asking to fight Gray,” Miller said.

Not only was Maynard the original UFC 155 opponent of Joe Lauzon, but he previously faced Miller back at UFC 96. “The Bully” earned a clean sweep on the judges’ scorecards, which resulted in the only loss for Miller in his first 10 UFC contests.

Both Miller and Maynard have had a mixed bag of success in their most recent contests, with each man winning two of his last four contests.

Miller was riding the momentum of seven straight wins when he was steamrolled by now-champion Benson Henderson at UFC on Versus 5. He rebounded with a win over Melvin Guillard last January before being overwhelmed by Nate Diaz back in May.  His Fight of the Year victory over Lauzon allowed him to end 2012 on a high note.

Maynard was successful in his most recent bout, a split-decision against Clay Guida over the summer. That win followed a pair of unsuccessful attempts to wrestle the UFC lightweight championship away from Frankie Edgar in 2011.

This is a good fight for Gray to take, as he is looking to get back into the title picture sooner rather than later. However, with Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez entering the UFC in the near future, Maynard will need an impressive win against a top name if he is going to do that. If he can dominate Miller the second time around, a third shot at UFC gold is nearly a certainty.

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Chris Weidman Fires Back at Bisping; Calls UK Star ‘Funnier in His Old Age’

The rivalry between middleweights Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman is heating up nice within the last 24 hours. In a self-penned article that was published by Yahoo Sports, Bisping claims that the injured Weidman retired back in June. It’s a part…

The rivalry between middleweights Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman is heating up nice within the last 24 hours. 

In a self-penned article that was published by Yahoo Sports, Bisping claims that the injured Weidman retired back in June. It’s a particularly odd claim when you consider that Weidman knocked out Mark Munoz in July, however, it doesn’t appear that Bisping is actually trying to convince people that the Serra/Longo fighter has hung up his gloves.

On Friday morning, Weidman must have come across the article and had himself a laugh.

The old age comment appears to be a jab at the fact that Bisping is entering his seventh year inside the Octagon, yet still has been unable to earn a title shot. For those of you playing the home version of this game, Weidman entered title talks only 16 months into his UFC career after the Munoz beatdown.

The two contenders currently compete in a division that has redefined trash talk in MMA, mostly thanks to Chael Sonnen’s epic war of words with Anderson Silva. With the obvious perks of slamming your opponents, why shouldn’t other contenders get in on the fun.

 

Weidman fired the first shot in the war in late July. Just weeks after slaughtering Mark Munoz in his first main event, “Sick Note” sat down with Fighters Only Magazine.

It didn’t take long for “The Count” to return fire by calling Weidman a wiesel. However, the gloves really came off in a November interview with MMAmania.com. Bisping called out Weidman and entirely dismissed his standup.

Stay tuned to this heated rivalry, because a fight is inevitable between the two. If Bisping gets passed Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7 on January 19, he has been promised a title shot. However, with champion Anderson Silva reportedly disinterested in fighting until late 2013, it’s very possible that Weidman’s summer return could be a title eliminator against “The Count.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com