Author: Damon Martin

Chad Mendes Meets Clay Guida at UFC 164 in Milwaukee

If at first you don’t succeed, the UFC will try to book the fight again. Featherweights Chad Mendes and Clay Guida will finally meet this August as part of the upcoming UFC 164 card from Milwaukee after their original bout at UFC on Fox 7 had to be scr…

If at first you don’t succeed, the UFC will try to book the fight again.

Featherweights Chad Mendes and Clay Guida will finally meet this August as part of the upcoming UFC 164 card from Milwaukee after their original bout at UFC on Fox 7 had to be scrapped.

Guida suffered a training injury at the time, and it forced him to the sidelines where he sat waiting until this week when the UFC gave him the chance to return to action against the exact same opponent he was supposed to face the last time.

UFC officials announced the pairing on Tuesday.

The fight at UFC 164 will be Guida‘s second at 145 pounds after the Chicago native spent most of his MMA career fighting in the lightweight division.  In his first bout at featherweight, Guida upset former title contender Hatsu Hioki by split decision in a closely contested bout.

Right from the frying pan and into the fire for Guida, who will get another step up in competition for his next trip to the Octagon when he faces another top featherweight at UFC 164.

Since losing his bid to become UFC featherweight champion in 2011, Chad Mendes has been an absolute wrecking machine, as he’s bowled through every fighter he’s faced in his last three bouts.

Mendes has not only won his last three fights in a row, but he’s done so by finishing all of his fights inside of two minutes of the first round.

In his last bout where he was supposed to face Guida, Mendes instead drew late-notice replacement Darren Elkins.  Mendes blasted the Indiana native with punches, finishing the fight at just over one minute into the round.

Now Mendes faces another top challenger with Guida standing in his way at UFC 164 in Milwaukee.

The upcoming UFC 164 card will be part of the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown event as part of the Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary being held in Milwaukee that weekend. 

No main event has been named for the event yet, but it’s expected that UFC officials will look to make an announcement in the coming days with tickets going on sale soon.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Nick Diaz’s Promotion Plans First Event but Still Requires Promoters’ License

Nick Diaz’s life after fighting started to take shape a few weeks ago with the creation of Nick Diaz Promotions and the new WAR MMA fight organization. While little detail has been leaked about the new fight promotion, Diaz along with associate Jonatha…

Nick Diaz‘s life after fighting started to take shape a few weeks ago with the creation of Nick Diaz Promotions and the new WAR MMA fight organization.

While little detail has been leaked about the new fight promotion, Diaz along with associate Jonathan Tweedale appear ready to embark on a new venture kicking off in just about a month’s time.

According to the Ticketmaster listing, tickets will soon be on sale for a June 22 event at the Stockton Arena in California as Nick Diaz presents WAR MMA 1. Tickets are not on sale yet, but the listing states the on-sale date as May 29 at 10 am PT.

The Stockton Arena is in Diaz‘s hometown, and the fighter actually competed there once upon a time while working with Elite XC. In July 2008, Diaz fought journeyman Thomas Denny in a card taking place in Stockton. Diaz won by second-round TKO that night. A crowd of 6,572 witnessed the show, which was also broadcast on CBS at the time.

The only hold-up currently preventing Diaz‘s first show from happening is a promoter’s license that he has yet to receive from the California State Athletic Commission.

Executive Director Andy Foster spoke to Bleacher Report on Tuesday, verifying that Diaz has filed for the promoter’s license, but has yet to compete the necessary paperwork and documentation required for approval.

“They’re not done,” Foster said on Tuesday. “They’ve still got time but they need to hurry.”

Foster says that approving a new promotion isn’t a long, arduous process and he’d happily approve them if and when he receives the information he requires for any organization hoping to hold a show in California.

“I can turn it around real quick, I want the business. I can probably turn it around in three days or four days, maybe even faster if they got me the stuff, but the problem is they haven’t gotten me the stuff I need,” Foster stated. “There’s still a few things they’ve got to get me.”

In addition to the information required by Foster, he also states that the California State Athletic Commission will hold a meeting on June 10, and as part of their informal process of approval, any new promotion holding a show in the state typically appears before the commissioners.

“The commissioners are meeting on (June) 10 and they like to meet our new promoters,” Foster said. “They really need to come down there to that meeting in L.A. if they want to do something on the 22nd. Somebody, it doesn’t need to be Nick (Diaz), but somebody needs to show up and say hi to the commissioners.”

Foster’s hope would be to have a finalized fight card and all the information at least 14 days in advance of any show, but there’s no set deadline for how long Diaz and his partners have to get the necessary information filed.

With the commission’s next meeting being held on June 10, however, and a show planned for June 22, things for WAR MMA will need to come together fairly quickly.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Costa Philippou Says If Michael Bisping Wants a Proven UFC Winner, Step on Up

Costa Philippou is gunning for a fight when he returns later this year, and he couldn’t think of a better opponent to face than perennial UFC bad boy Michael Bisping. Philippou was most recently scheduled for UFC on FX 8 in a bout against Ronaldo “Jaca…

Costa Philippou is gunning for a fight when he returns later this year, and he couldn’t think of a better opponent to face than perennial UFC bad boy Michael Bisping.

Philippou was most recently scheduled for UFC on FX 8 in a bout against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, but the New York-based fighter suffered a deep cut during training that forced him out of the bout. 

Now with the wound almost healed, Philippou has one name on his radar, and he’s doing everything in his power to make the fight happen.

“He’s a huge name, obviously beating Bisping it would put me in the top three, and it works for Bisping too because beating me, it will get him up in the top of the ranks. Maybe give him a title shot. I don’t have the name that Bisping has, but I have five wins in a row. He’s never had five wins in a row, so I think it would benefit him too,” Philippou told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.  “He’s a great striker, so am I, so I think it would be an exciting fight for the fans.”

Throughout his time with the UFC, Philippou has been a worker inside the cage but never one to speak out of turn about opponents or trash talk before a fight. He knows calling out Bisping will certainly get him in the crosshairs of one of the most prolific promoters the sport of MMA has ever known, but he’s ready for whatever verbal jabs the Brit throws at him.

He promises that no matter what Bisping says, it won’t get to him like it has against some past opponents.

“I understand why he does it, and at the end of the day it’s just business. If he chooses to do that, I’m game, not a big deal. I’ll go right back at him,” Philippou said. “At the end of the day it would be me and him in the cage and I honestly feel I can take him.

“He is a great fighter, nobody can deny that, nobody can take that away from him. I don’t know if you’re weak mentally and you allow him to get to you, I don’t know what to say. I don’t think he can get to me mentally, I’m stronger than anybody else mentally. That’s not an issue for me. He can talk as much as he wants.”

There was already some talking from Bisping earlier on Tuesday when he responded to another call-out from former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who asked to fight him next in the Octagon. Bisping took a response shot at Rockhold‘s current 0-1 record in the UFC following a knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8.

If Bisping is looking for an opponent with UFC wins and ranking, Philippou reminds him that he’s got five wins in a row and currently sits at No. 6 in the world.

“It’s a win-win for everybody. I’m not just anybody, I’m ranked, he can see that. I noticed Luke Rockhold called him out today, but like Bisping said he hasn’t won a single fight in the UFC and he told him to go get a few wins in the UFC and then come back. He can’t really say that about me,” Philippou stated.  

“I’ve been in the UFC for a couple of years and I’ve been winning.  He wants a better opponent, let him step in and prove it.”

Philippou‘s campaign to fight Bisping has officially started, but as of yet he hasn’t heard from the former Ultimate Fighter winner. His hope is that Bisping accepts his challenge and the two can meet in the cage later this year and find out which of them is truly an elite middleweight in the UFC.

“I’m waiting,” Philippou said about Bisping. “Hopefully he’s going to get back to me soon and we’ll set that up. I’m willing to fight him anywhere he wants. I’ll go to England if he wants.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Bisping Tells Luke Rockhold to Win a UFC Fight Before Calling Him Out

At one time not long ago, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold were training partners helping each other prepare for fights. Now there appears to be a growing rivalry between the two middleweight contenders. It was back in December 2012 when Rockhold’s na…

At one time not long ago, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold were training partners helping each other prepare for fights. Now there appears to be a growing rivalry between the two middleweight contenders.

It was back in December 2012 when Rockhold‘s name was brought up to Bisping while he was doing an interview with MMA Uncensored Live about some of the champions from Strikeforce being brought in as No. 1 contenders on day one in the UFC.

Bisping, who has a wealth of UFC experience, took exception to that idea and even divulged a little inside info about his training sessions with the best middleweight in Strikeforce.

“Let me put it like this, I’ve sparred with Luke Rockhold recently and let’s just say I’m the unofficial Strikeforce champion,” said Bisping.  “These are the facts.”

Needless to say, Rockhold didn’t enjoy hearing that from Bisping, but at that point he was still in Strikeforce awaiting the time when he could make his UFC debut. 

Rockhold finally did step into the Octagon earlier this month, but things didn’t go his way because he found himself on the wrong end of a spinning back kick from Vitor Belfort that sent him crashing to the mat for a knockout loss. 

Now just weeks later, Rockhold is anxious to get back in action and decided to take to Twitter to make a challenge to Bisping to perhaps see who really would win if the two competitors faced off in the Octagon.

It didn’t take long for Bisping to answer the challenge—although there’s little doubt it wasn’t the answer Rockhold was looking to hear.

Bisping also fell victim to a head-kick knockout from Belfort back in January, but since that time returned to form with a victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 159 in April.

Typically the UFC doesn’t match up a fighter coming off a win with a fighter coming off a loss anyway, and it appears Bisping isn’t too interested in a fight with Rockhold right now regardless of wins or losses.

Bisping remains one of the top draws in the UFC, and has been gunning for a middleweight title shot for years, falling just short of achieving that dream several times.

Whether Bisping gets Rockhold or another fight, it’s likely the Brit will target a late summer show to return to the UFC with several cards filling up currently for August and September.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA’s Great Debate Radio: UFC 160 Review, T.J. Grant and Matt Serra Interviews

With UFC 160 in the record books, MMA’s Great Debate Radio returns with a recap of the show as well as guests—new No. 1 lightweight contender T.J. Grant and recently retired former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra. Today’s show will go in dep…

With UFC 160 in the record books, MMA‘s Great Debate Radio returns with a recap of the show as well as guests—new No. 1 lightweight contender T.J. Grant and recently retired former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra.

Today’s show will go in depth talking about the major moments of UFC 160, including the big wins by both Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

New top lightweight contender T.J. Grant stops by to discuss his win over Gray Maynard.  He will talk about being shunned by Maynard after the fight when he went to shake his hand and also give his initial thoughts on facing Benson Henderson later this year.

Matt Serra also joins the show to discuss his recent retirement after more than a decade in the sport.  What led him to this decision and will he ever come back?

Also, Serra spills the beans on who he would fight if he had one more chance to step inside the Octagon.

Finally, today’s debate topics surround all that happened at UFC 160 over the weekend.

Today’s debate topics include:

—Did the fight between Cain Velasquez and Bigfoot Silva get stopped too early?

—Rate your excitement level in Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3?

—What kind of a statement did T.J. Grant make with his knockout over Gray Maynard at UFC 160?

—Is Glover Teixeira the biggest threat to Jon Jones’ title right now?

This is MMA’s Great Debate Radio for Tuesday, May 28, 2013

(If the embeddable player does not work please click HERE to listen to the show. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show via iTunes or listen via Stitcher Radio)

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Anthony Pettis Talks Jose Aldo: ‘My Stand Up Is Something He’s Never Seen’

There was little doubt following Anthony Pettis’ first-round knockout over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone back in January that he was the new No. 1 contender in the lightweight division. The victory marked his second straight knockout win in a row (the first …

There was little doubt following Anthony Pettis‘ first-round knockout over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone back in January that he was the new No. 1 contender in the lightweight division.

The victory marked his second straight knockout win in a row (the first came over Joe Lauzon in 2012), and with Pettis already holding a win over UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, everything seemed in place for his title shot.

That was until in an unexpected move, Pettis offered to move down to the featherweight division and face champion Jose Aldo.  At the time, Pettis was concerned about how long he’d have to wait to fight Henderson and thought a bout against Aldo would be something the UFC and the fans would get behind.

It didn’t take UFC president Dana White long to make the call, and just days later, Pettis had his fight with Aldo for the UFC featherweight title.

Now with a few months to go until August, when he’ll step into the cage with Aldo in his home country of Brazil as the main event at UFC 163, Pettis is still excited about the fight, but he wants to make it clear that this move to 145 pounds was all about this matchup and not to pick up the UFC title.

“Aldo’s name is what intrigues me.  He’s the champ, but his name, he’s one of the pound-for-pound best in the world around my weight class,” Pettis said in a recent interview with Bleacher Report.  “So that’s why this fight is so intriguing to me.”

To prepare for Aldo and the featherweight division, Pettis will do a test weight cut down to 145 pounds in about a week to see how his body reacts to the extra 10 pounds he’ll need to shed.  Pettis says he’s not too worried about the weight but wants to test things out just to see how he feels.

Assuming everything goes well, Pettis will then begin his full training camp to get ready for the showdown with Aldo in August.

The fight with the UFC’s top featherweight also gives Pettis the chance to face another top-level striker, something he says he’s not really had since signing to the WEC back in 2009.

“My whole career I’ve been fighting wrestlers,” Pettis stated.  “If you look back, all of my fights have been against wrestlers.  Give me some strikers in front of me and you see how I perform.  Another great reason why I chose to fight Aldo: He’s a great fighter, he’s a stand-up guy and he’s going to test me.”

As elated as he is to face an elite stand-up fighter, Pettis was quick to point out, however, that as good as Aldo is, he won’t be able to hang with the former WEC champion once the fists and feet start flying.

“I feel like my stand-up’s something he’s never seen,” Pettis said.  “He’s not going to be able to find training partners that can do what I do.  I’m used to the leg kicks.  I’ve been kicked there since I was five, so I feel like my range is longer than him. I’m bigger than him, I can match him in speed and power and I’ve got a style like nobody else’s.”

If the fight with Aldo goes well, Pettis has made no bones about his desire to eventually move back to the lightweight division and settle things with Henderson in that division as well.  For now, his focus can only be on Aldo, but there is no denying he will be a lightweight again one day.

“Aldo’s in my way, I can’t really think about ‘let’s move back to 55.’  Let’s see what happens at 45 first and then I’ll make my decision from there,” Pettis stated.  “155 is my home.  I’ve got a guy like Aldo in front of me, that’s enough for me to focus on.  Jose Aldo is next and that’s all I’m focusing on.”

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com