The UFC 135 card in Denver on September 24th will see a change in the co-main event, as UFC President Dana White announced Monday via Twitter that Diego Sanchez has been forced out of his bout with Hall of Famer Matt Hughes due to injury.”Diego Sanchez…
The UFC 135 card in Denver on September 24th will see a change in the co-main event, as UFC President Dana White announced Monday via Twitter that Diego Sanchez has been forced out of his bout with Hall of Famer Matt Hughes due to injury.
“Diego Sanchez broke his hand. Looking for a replacement for Hughes,” tweeted White.
That replacement was found quickly, as former title challenger and current contender Josh Koscheck eagerly accepted the short notice bout against the welterweight legend.
The UFC on Fox kicks off on November 12th in Anaheim, California with a heavyweight championship bout for the ages between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Today, the countdown continues with a look back at the champion’s five biggest UFC wins.U…
UFC 83 – TKO1 Brad Morris If you had the opportunity to speak to the American Kickboxing Academy’s Javier Mendez back in 2006, you probably would have heard about Cain Velasquez two years before his UFC debut, and not just because he was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, but because he was the Next Big Thing in the sport. It was a lot to throw on the shoulders of the soft-spoken Velasquez, but when he entered the Octagon in his third pro fight to face Brad Morris, he fought like he had been here for years, stopping his foe in 2:10 before a packed house at Montreal’s Bell Centre. Big fights, big crowds? They would soon become routine for Mr. Velasquez.
Quotable – “I’m non-stop, I don’t get tired out there, my game is good all-around, and I want people to see that I’m gonna be the next big thing. That’s what I want people to keep thinking about, that they can’t wait to see me fight again.”
UFC 99 – W3 Cheick Kongo Though it’s gotten lost in the shuffle of his spectacular knockouts of Minotauro Nogueira and Brock Lesnar, the fight where Cain Velasquez grew up was against French striker Cheick Kongo. The decision read 30-27 across the board for Velasquez, but before he got to that point he had to pick himself up off the canvas after eating some hellacious shots from Kongo. But as we saw that night, when hurt, Velasquez was instinctively able to go back to what he knew best, and once he got Kongo to the mat, it was time to unload his ground strikes. On this night, you got the feeling Mendez was right – Velasquez was something special.
Quotable – “People can say what they want to say, but the book’s unwritten yet, and nothing is for sure. Anything can happen and I’ve got to keep putting in the work in the gym, keep getting better, and keep winning fights. They can say all they want to say, but if I don’t win the fights, and do it impressively, then all that talk won’t be heard anymore.”
UFC 104 – TKO2 Ben Rothwell Poor Ben Rothwell. The seasoned vet finally gets his call to the UFC, and who does he get to face first? Velasquez. And in California no less. So while the odds were stacked against “Big Ben,” Velasquez made everything that much worse with a second round TKO victory that kept his unbeaten record intact and set the stage for even bigger and better things in 2010.
Quotable – “I’m ready for anything. I’m gonna have to fight those guys (the top contenders) eventually, so I feel ready, and I’m gonna keep improving no matter what. It’s time to go.”
UFC 110 – KO1 Minotauro Nogueira Like Junior dos Santos’ respect for Mirko Cro Cop leading into their bout, Velasquez felt the same way about Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Yeah, he may not have been the same guy who won the PRIDE heavyweight title, but he was still Minotauro and still dangerous. So Velasquez did what you do the moment you see an opening against a dangerous opponent – you get him out of there. In the Acer Arena that afternoon in Sydney, you could hear the left hook that sent Nogueira down and out. That’s power.
Quotable – “I’m doing the same thing that I’ve always done with all my other fights. I never look ahead. I always look at the task at hand and I’m doing the same thing with this fight. I don’t see that after this I could fight for the title; I see him and I know I have to beat him. And what happens after that, happens.”
UFC 121 – TKO1 Brock Lesnar 2010’s Velasquez vs. Lesnar bout had all the drama and all the question marks you want from a big time heavyweight championship bout, and while Lesnar provided the drama with an all-out assault on his challenger at the opening bell, Velasquez delivered the answers to all questions about being too small to beat a giant like Lesnar, as he knocked the big man out in the seconds round to become the UFC heavyweight champion of the world.
Quotable – “We knew he was gonna come out with a lot of pressure, but we didn’t think he was gonna come out that hard. It definitely did surprise me and I got into that brawl mode after that, but I just had to tell myself to relax and get back into the fight.”
UFC 90 – TKO 1 Fabricio WerdumThe lasting image of Junior dos Santos’ first week in the UFC (well, in addition to the highlight reel knockout) may have been the clip from UFC President Dana White’s video blog where he showed off the Brazilian newco…
UFC 90 – TKO 1 Fabricio Werdum The lasting image of Junior dos Santos’ first week in the UFC (well, in addition to the highlight reel knockout) may have been the clip from UFC President Dana White’s video blog where he showed off the Brazilian newcomer hitting pads before his debut bout against former PRIDE star and then-UFC contender Fabricio Werdum. White couldn’t be more impressed with “Cigano,” and then dos Santos delivered in the Octagon with a blistering right uppercut that put his countryman down on the canvas face first. The fight took only 80 seconds, and a star was born.
Quotable – “I was raised to be humble, there is no way to change the way I am. I am in the UFC and I want to go very far, and I want to be the best.” UFC 103 – Wsub3 Mirko Cro Cop Despite what the internet may say, among pro fighters, especially those who are about to fight him, former PRIDE star Mirko Cro Cop still commands a significant amount of respect, and dos Santos counted himself among those not counting him out of any bout held inside the Octagon. That respect didn’t carry into their 2009 bout in Dallas though, and dos Santos made it three in a row in the UFC (he had taken just 54 seconds to beat Stefan Struve in his second bout at UFC 95) with a third round finish of Cro Cop that ended when he broke the Croatian’s orbital bone and forced a verbal submission. Yeah, this dos Santos kid was scary.
Quotable – “This last year was great for my career; even though I only fought twice, I was victorious in the fight that I was most worried about in all my career, which was the fight against Cro Cop. I was a big fan of his even before I started training, and I already feared him back then, just watching his fights.” UFC LIVE – TKO1 Gabriel Gonzaga Winner of three of his previous four bouts, Gabriel Gonzaga was approaching the form that got him a world title shot in 2007 when he agreed to face “Cigano” in a March 2010 fight in Colorado. And with this being an All-Brazil showdown, there was even more on the line for both fighters. But dos Santos was in frightening form once again, taking less than four minutes to finish his opponent. It was time for a move up, and he was ready for it.
Quotable – “Gonzaga is a great fighter, he is powerful and dangerous, has very good Muay Thai and excellent Jiu Jitsu. I have to be very careful in this fight, but I like to surprise my opponents, and I am training to surprise him in this fight. I am sure that with this victory I will be closer to the title, which makes me very happy.”
UFC 117 – W3 Roy Nelson Known for his ground game, Roy Nelson added “knockout puncher” to his resume after his appearance on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, taking out Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve in brutally efficient fashion. And to his credit, “Big Country” didn’t shy away from standup exchanges with dos Santos at UFC 117, but he paid for each one, as the Brazilian pounded away for three one-sided rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Quotable – “I didn’t feel any pressure from the anticipation of the fight. I was anxious to step in the Octagon as usual, because you never know what is going to happen. But I always say that when I step in the Octagon, I want to make my fans’ hearts beat hard with excitement.” UFC 131 – W3 Shane Carwin After the Nelson bout, dos Santos was introduced to an entirely new audience as a coach on season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, and new fans immediately gravitated to him thanks to his affable personality and ever present smile. The prize at the end of the six weeks of taping was going to be a UFC 131 bout with Brock Lesnar, but another bout with diverticulitis took Lesnar out of the bout. In stepped heavy-handed former interim champ Shane Carwin, but what was expected to be an explosive encounter that wouldn’t get out of the first round instead turned into a bloody and one-sided decision win for dos Santos, who left no doubt as to who the number one contender in the heavyweight division was.
Quotable – “I am here to conquer a spot among the best of the best. I know it’s a rough road, but I am not afraid and I will keep going forward.”
On September 17th’s intriguing Battle on the Bayou card in New Orleans, there are a number of matchups pitting solid contenders and prospects against each other in the type of crossroads bouts that almost always end up in memorable encounters. One su…
WHERE THEY’VE BEEN From 2009 on, it looked like Alan Belcher finally got “it”. Always a raw talent, Belcher’s early UFC career was filled with moments of brilliance followed by crippling letdowns. But after he rebounded from a slow start to submit Denis Kang, he began to fulfill his potential. A UFC 100 decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama could have gone either way while earning Fight of the Night honors, and his last two bouts – a TKO of Wilson Gouveia and a submission of Patrick Cote – both earned post-night awards as well. Then disaster struck. But more on that in a bit.
A pro since 1999, Jason MacDonald is a fighter’s fighter. He didn’t get any gifts on his way up the ranks, and he’s had more than his share of setbacks, but he kept persevering. After an eight fight stretch in 2005-06 where he lost six bouts, many fighters would have packed it in, but “The Athlete” got back on track, won four in a row, and earned a shot in the UFC as the foil for Ed Herman’s first post-Ultimate Fighter bout. MacDonald stunned Herman, submitting him in the first round, and a solid UFC career followed, one that saw him go up against the likes of Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami, and Demian Maia. A three fight Octagon losing streak led to his release in 2009, but wins in three of his next four brought him back to where he belonged in 2010. WHERE THEY’RE AT Scheduled for his first UFC main event bout against Demian Maia in September of 2010, Belcher was about to take things to the next level, but a detached retina not only scrapped the fight, but it threatened his career. Thankfully, after two surgeries, rehab, and receiving a clean bill of health, Belcher will return on September 17th. Yet the question for the 27-year old is how much – if anything – has he lost due to the layoff. Ring rust is a very real phenomenon, and while he’s always been confident in his skills, being off for over a year can make even the most confident fighter wonder if everything will come back when he needs it to on fight night.
Canada’s MacDonald had a memorable return to the Octagon at UFC 113 in May of 2010, but for all the wrong reasons, as he broke his leg in a freak fall against John Salter. After rehabbing the injury, he was brought back for UFC 129 in April of this year, and he knew what was on the line when he took on Ryan Jensen. MacDonald responded in a big way though, submitting Jensen via triangle choke in just 97 seconds. The win resurrected the 36-year old’s career, and a win over Belcher will cap off a big 2011 campaign. WHERE THEY’RE GOING With champion Anderson Silva doing a helluva job of clearing out the middleweight division, there will be no one complaining if a new name gets thrown into the title picture. With a big win on September 17th, Belcher is a likely candidate to be that name, as a victory will be his third in a row and fifth in six fights. The next step will likely be a highly-ranked contender, and then he can start looking at “The Spider.” The road to a possible title shot is a lot longer for MacDonald, but he has the talent to beat Belcher in New Orleans and then put together the type of winning streak that could turn things around in a hurry. So there’s plenty at stake in the Big Easy. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Belcher’s ground game has been improving with each fight, and Cote and Kang certainly won’t argue with that, but MacDonald’s prowess on the mat is on another level, and a repeat look at his bout with Maia will prove that. No, he didn’t win that night in 2008, but his back-and-forth battle with perhaps the best jiu-jitsu player in the UFC was something to watch for fans of groundfighting. So on the mat, MacDonald has the edge. But when you talk about the standup game, it’s the reverse. “The Athlete” can handle himself while on the feet, but Belcher has a decided edge in speed, power, and technique, so the battle lines are clearly drawn. The one key in the bout is Belcher though. If he’s on and picking up where he left off in May of 2010, he’s going to be a handful for anyone in the division; if he’s feeling rusty or going back to the days when he would run hot and cold in the Octagon, MacDonald suddenly becomes a big favorite. Whatever happens that night though, I’ve got a feeling this fight is going to be a major topic of conversation on Sunday morning.
NOTABLE WINS Belcher – Jorge Santiago, Sean Salmon, Kalib Starnes, Ed Herman, Denis Kang, Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote MacDonald – Bill Mahood, Joe Doerksen, Gideon Ray, Ed Herman, Chris Leben, Rory Singer, Jason Lambert, Vernon White, Matt Horwich, Ryan Jensen
OTHER NOTABLE OPPONENTS Belcher – Marvin Eastman, Yushin Okami, Kendall Grove, Jason Day, Yoshihiro Akiyama MacDonald – Travis Lutter, Nate Quarry, Wilson Gouveia, Demian Maia, Yushin Okami, Rich Franklin, Patrick Cote, Kalib Starnes, Shonie Carter, Marvin Eastman, Jason Brilz, Matt Horwich
If the UFC’s intention was to make an unforgettable first impression in its initial outing on Fox, the organization has certainly done its part, with UFC President Dana White announcing today that the November 12th event on the network will be a worl…
If the UFC’s intention was to make an unforgettable first impression in its initial outing on Fox, the organization has certainly done its part, with UFC President Dana White announcing today that the November 12th event on the network will be a world heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
“This is our Forrest Griffin–Stephan Bonnar, now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver, and there’s no doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything and am betting that these guys (Velasquez and dos Santos) are going to deliver,” said White, referring to the classic Ultimate Fighter season one finale bout in 2005 that kicked off the mixed martial arts explosion that has turned the sport into the fastest growing one in the world.
Six years after Griffin-Bonnar I, the UFC signed a major deal with Fox Sports Media Group in August of 2011, a seven year deal that will put the best fighters and fights from the UFC on network television, and there is no better way to kick off the relationship than with the unbeaten Velasquez and the hard-hitting dos Santos, two athletes who epitomize the new breed of mixed martial artist.
“It’s the most prestigious championship in all of sports, the heavyweight title, and there’s nothing more exciting than when you know it’s gonna be a great heavyweight fight,” said White, and Fox is just as excited for the November battle, as they’re pulling out all the stops to make this not just a fight, but an event.
“We’ll be launching the UFC on Fox with a Super Bowl style red carpet and tailgate party with every star in Hollywood and every dignitary that we need to get out there to launch this,” said Fox Sports President Eric Shanks.
The highly-anticipated clash between the two best heavyweights in the world will take place at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The five round championship bout between Velasquez-dos Santos will occupy the one hour time slot on Fox, with the rest of the card airing in a method to be determined.
Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday, September 16th.
One of the most interesting seasons in the history of The Ultimate Fighter, TUF 7 focused on the contrast in personalities between coaches Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Forrest Griffin, but beyond that, an unheralded underdog named Amir Sadollah sh…
One of the most interesting seasons in the history of The Ultimate Fighter, TUF 7 focused on the contrast in personalities between coaches Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Forrest Griffin, but beyond that, an unheralded underdog named Amir Sadollah shocked the MMA world by racing through the competition and winning the series.
Today, only six of the 17 fighters who made it to the house remain in the Octagon. Who are they, and what’s the assessment of Sadollah and his fellow competitors three years later? Read on for their UFC progress reports.
In season seven of TUF, there was a change to the usual method of having 16 fighters chosen for the house and the competition, and it made the stakes even higher, as this time, 32 fighters flew into Las Vegas for the show. Those 32 were then paired off for preliminary round fights, and the 16 left would then compete for the TUF title.
Team Rampage
*CB Dollaway UFC Record – 5-4 An early favorite on TUF7, Arizona State University wrestling standout CB Dollaway was the first overall pick on the show, and he lived up to expectations, romping over David Baggett, Nick Klein, and Cale Yarbrough. He was upset in the semis by Amir Sadollah, but when Jesse Taylor was ousted from the show, Dollaway defeated Tim Credeur to earn another crack at the man who beat him, this time in the finals. The result was the same though, and it was off to the UFC for Dollaway, who has had an up and down run thus far. And while wins over Taylor, Goran Reljic and Joe Doerksen were evened out by losses to Tom Lawlor, Mark Munoz, and Jared Hamman, Dollaway always comes to fight, which should guarantee that he’ll be sticking around for a while.
*Matthew Riddle UFC Record – 5-2 When you want to talk about learning on the job, look no further than Matt Riddle, who has fought each of his seven professional fights in the UFC Octagon. That’s impressive enough; to have won five of those bouts is even more so. 1-1 on TUF, Riddle has become a solid prospect in the 170-pound weight class, with notable wins over DaMarques Johnson and Steve Bruno. A UFC 124 loss to Sean Pierson should have earned Fight of the Night honors, and on September 17th, he returns to action to face highly-touted newcomer Lance Benoist.
Patrick Schultz UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC Scrappy New Englander Pat Schultz was submitted by Luke Zachrich in the preliminary round, but was brought back to replace Paul Bradley, who was removed from the show due to a contagious skin condition. Schultz next fight was a controversial decision loss to Cale Yarbrough, and he never fought in the Octagon. After a nearly two year break, Schultz returned to active duty in 2010, going 1-1 in two post-TUF bouts.
Dan Cramer UFC Record – 1-1 Another novice pro when he fought his way onto the TUF7 cast with a win over Jeremiah Riggs, Dan Cramer knocked out Luke Zachrich on the show before getting submitted in the quarterfinals by Tim Credeur. Cramer went on to fight twice in the UFC, defeating Matt Arroyo and losing to Riddle, both via decision. He has since gone 6-2 outside the organization, and at 25, still has plenty of upside.
Gerald Harris UFC Record – 3-1 Raw talent Gerald “Hurricane” Harris found out that he wasn’t ready for prime time yet on TUF 7, going 1-1 on the show and then being forced back to the local scene for the next two years. While there, Harris evolved his game and won six in a row, earning himself an invite to the UFC. Harris then made plenty of waves in the Octagon by winning his first three fights, with two earning Knockout of the Night honors. But after a dismal three round decision loss to Maiquel Falcao at UFC 123 last November, he was cut from the organization. He’s gone 1-1 in two post UFC bouts, most recently decisioning Anthony Ruiz in May.
Mike Dolce UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC With a 5-10 pro MMA record (2-6 since TUF7) and a single win (over Prince McLean) on the show, you would assume that Mike Dolce found other means of employment since his stint on the reality series. But that would be an incorrect assumption, as Dolce has found his niche as a nutritionist to the stars in the UFC, with his work with the likes of Quinton Jackson, Thiago Alves, Mike Pyle, and Vitor Belfort earning positive notices throughout the MMA world.
Jeremy May UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC Florida’s Jeremy May is best known for being the guy who put lime juice in Matt Brown’s tobacco, setting off one of the most memorable sequences of the season on TUF 7. The polarizing May then made Brown’s personal highlight reel when he was KOed by “The Immortal.” After the show, May’s resume has included the names Murilo Rua, Frank Lester, and David Branch, but his record currently sits at just 9-8.
Brandon Sene UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC Brandon Sene earned a spot on the show with a submission of Aaron Meisner, but was eliminated in episode five by Dante Rivera. He has only fought twice in the post-TUF years, losing both bouts, which were spaced three years apart.
*Paul Bradley UFC Record – 0-1 A two-time All-American wrestler at Iowa, Paul Bradley fought his way into the TUF7 house and was expected to make some noise in the tournament, but in episode three, a skin condition forced his removal from the show. Bradley went on to post a 12-2, 1 NC record, and earlier this year he was brought in on short notice to face Rafael Natal at UFC 133. He lost the bout via decision, but it will be interesting to see what he can do with a full camp behind him.
Team Forrest
*Tim Credeur UFC Record – 3-2 Louisiana veteran Tim Credeur made the most of his opportunity in the TUF spotlight, defeating Erik Charles, Matt Riddle, and Dan Cramer before losing a decision to Jesse Taylor in the semis. Taylor’s ouster from the show gave “Crazy Tim” a reprieve, but he would lose to CB Dollaway in his second semi chance. After the show, Credeur defeated prospects Cale Yarbrough, Nate Loughran, and Nick Catone, then engaged in a memorable war with Nate Quarry. After a long layoff, Credeur returned in June, but was knocked out by Ed Herman. He will be back in action this October. *Amir Sadollah UFC Record – 5-3 Unassuming and unknown, Amir Sadollah was an unlikely force during season seven of TUF, but with each successive fight (wins over Steve Byrnes, Gerald Harris, Matt Brown, and CB Dollaway – all past or future UFC competitors), he made believers out of everyone. After winning his rematch with Dollaway in the TUF7 final, the popular Sadollah began his Octagon journey, defeating Phil Baroni, Brad Blackburn, Peter Sobotta, and DaMarques Johnson. Losses against Johny Hendricks, Dong Hyun Kim, and Duane Ludwig have kept him from taking that next step up, but this work in progress will always be a tough out for anyone he faces.
Jesse Taylor UFC Record – 0-1 Hard-nosed wrestler Jesse Taylor earned a spot in TUF lore that he probably doesn’t want, as he was the first fighter to earn a spot in the finals but lose it due to an out of the Octagon incident. UFC President Dana White would give Taylor a shot at redemption in July of 2008, but “JT Money” was submitted by a CB Dollaway Peruvian Necktie in the first round. 13-3 since his last Octagon bout, Taylor has scored wins over Murilo Bustamante, Jason Day, Chris Camozzi, and Denis Kang.
*Matt Brown UFC Record – 5-4 With a record barely over .500, no one expected Ohio’s Matt Brown to do much of anything on TUF7, let alone stay in the UFC for the last three years, but you can’t underestimate the power of hard work, determination, and being an ornery, stubborn fighter. 2-1 on TUF, Brown has won five of nine UFC bouts, most recently snapping a three fight losing streak with a three round unanimous decision win over John Howard.
Cale Yarbrough UFC Record – 0-1 Another one of the ‘on the job’ trainees populating the TUF7 cast, Yarbrough won his first two bouts on the show before a TKO loss to CB Dollaway on the show and a similar defeat to Tim Credeur in a UFC bout in July of 2008. The 24 year old has built an 8-2 record on the local circuit, including a 2010 Strikeforce win over UFC vet Josh Schockman.
Dante Rivera UFC Record – 0-1 New Jersey standout Dante Rivera won two fights on TUF 7, defeating John Wood and Brandon Sene, but his run to the season title was ended via decision by Jesse Taylor. A bout on the season finale card against rival Matt Riddle ended in a decision defeat, marking the end of the Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeida training partner’s UFC stint. Rivera has compiled a 4-2 record in his post-TUF career, fighting exclusively in his home state.
Nick Klein UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC 3-0 when he entered the TUF house with a submission of David Mewborn, armbar specialist Nick Klein was submitted himself by eventual finalist CB Dollaway and never fought professionally again.
Luke Zachrich UFC Record – Never fought in the UFC Luke Zachrich learned his craft under the tutelage of Dan Severn and Jorge Gurgel, among others, but after a TKO loss to Dan Cramer in his second TUF7 bout, he wasn’t seen in the Octagon again. Since the show he’s fought sporadically, going 3-1.
One of the most interesting seasons in the history of