Author: By E. Spencer Kyte

When you know what he’s been through, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Alex White was able to walk into his UFC debut on two weeks’ notice and push his record to a perfect 10-0 with an 88-second knockout win over veteran Estevan Payan.On the surface, the 25-year-old resembled any number of regional hopefuls with unblemished records and “Become UFC champion” at the top of their list of personal and professional goals. Stepping into the cage two weekends ago in Orlando, he became the third fighter nicknamed “The Spartan” to compete under the UFC banner that week, joining TUF Nations middle … Read the Full Article Here

With the final April fight card in the books, it’s time to look ahead to the best action set to hit the Octagon in May, and with four fight cards – including the first doubleheader in UFC history to close out the month – there are plenty of bouts to pick from.Rather than putting these 10 bouts into some kind of subjective order that delineates how high they rank on the “must-see meter,” I figured the best way to pass along the top fights of the month is in the order they will appear. This way, you know which dates to circle on your calendar and can plan your social lives accordingly.You all do … Read the Full Article Here

Despite his best efforts, Joseph Benavidez is back in a familiar place, a state of contender purgatory affectionately known as “The Rich Franklin Zone.”Named after the former UFC middleweight champion, “The Rich Franklin Zone” is reserved for top fighters that have faced and lost to the reigning champion in their respective division on multiple occasions, as “Ace” did to Anderson Silva at the start of the Brazilian’s dominant championship reign.When you’ve already got a pair of losses to the person lording over the division, it’s hard to make a compelling case for a third kick at the can. Fran … Read the Full Article Here

Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn” title=”Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn” style=”width: 300px;” src=”http://media.ufc.tv//118/118_press_conference_photo_gallery/11_UFC118_Press_Conference_Edgar_v_Penn.jpg” align=”left”>When the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday night, the two teams of middleweight and light heavyweight hopefuls will be led by a pair of former champions and familiar foes.BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar are set to rekindle their rivalry – first as opposing coaches, and then when they step into the Octagon for a third time, headlining this season’s … Read the Full Article Here

You couldn’t fault Jordan Mein if he were going a little stir crazy.Over the course of his nearly eight-year career, the 24-year-old Lethbridge, Alberta native has never gone more than seven months between fights.By the time he steps back into the Octagon later this month in Orlando, 364 days will have passed since his last bout, a second-round technical knockout loss to surging veteran Matt Brown that earned Fight of the Night honors despite it lasting only six minutes.It was his second UFC appearance in five weeks, having earned a first-round victory over Dan Miller in his organizational deb … Read the Full Article Here

Three years ago inside a darkened movie theater in Toronto, Dustin Poirier watched, slouched in his chair, as his career on the regional MMA circuit played out on the big screen.The breakout star of the critically acclaimed documentary Fightville, which opened the 2011 Hot Docs Festival two days prior to 55,000 people packing the Rogers Centre for UFC 129, the humble Louisiana native was still adjusting to being in the spotlight.While the film tracked his rise through the ranks in his home state, culminating with his knockout win over Derek Gauthier in Montreal and a note that the then-unbeate … Read the Full Article Here