Retirement can take a backseat for now.The UFC is targeting a matchup between former welterweight and lightweight champion B.J. Penn and longtime veteran Josh Koscheck, according to a tweet by Koscheck on Wednesday night.”UFC just offered me to fight B…
Retirement can take a backseat for now.
The UFC is targeting a matchup between former welterweight and lightweight champion B.J. Penn and longtime veteran Josh Koscheck, according to a tweet by Koscheck on Wednesday night.
Penn said after his last fight that it was likely the last time he would be seen in the UFC’s Octagon, explaining that he couldn’t perform at the top level of competition anymore. A matchup with Koscheck will put a stop to any retirement plans. All that awaits is a response from the former two-division champion.
“Just waiting on him!” Koscheck tweeted. “Let’s scrap, bra?”
Penn’s last performance saw him losing a decision to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in October of last year. The loss was the third in the his last five fights, and he hasn’t seen two wins in a row since 2009.
Koscheck was last seen dropping a split decision to Johny Hendricks at UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller earlier this month. The loss was his first since losing his second bid for the welterweight title against Georges St-Pierre in 2010.
A date and venue are yet to be announced for the Penn-Koscheck matchup.
Erik Fontanez is a freelance journalist, specializing in MMA. Follow Erik on Twitter at @Erik_Fontanez
LOS ANGELES – When the UFC started promoting Brock Lesnar versus Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, the phrase “Mexican-American” was used in the campaign with little hesitation. In fact, it was the biggest tool to advertise the now-UF…
LOS ANGELES – When the UFC started promoting Brock Lesnar versus Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, the phrase “Mexican-American” was used in the campaign with little hesitation. In fact, it was the biggest tool to advertise the now-UFC heavyweight champ.
This was met with some controversy. Some of the ads praised Velasquez as attempting to become the first “Mexican heavyweight champion” when Ricco Rodriguez—a fighter with Mexican and Puerto Rican roots—already held the UFC heavyweight title years prior.
Eventually, people moved on from the controversy and Velasquez welcomed the label given to him by the UFC’s marketing team.
More than a year later, things haven’t changed much for the heavyweight champion. He’s more than happy to represent the Mexican people while he’s in the Octagon.
Like he said during UFC on Fox fight week, he fights for “la raza.”
“I’m happy to be that person for the Mexican people,” Velasquez said at the UFC on Fox open workouts. “I’m proud to be Mexican and be a role model for some people.
“I’m glad I’m in this position.”
And the marketing has worked, according to Velasquez. He’s visited south of the American border and has seen the rise in popularity of the UFC. Clearly, with Velasquez’s help, the Hispanic population has turned their attention to a sport that didn’t get much of any a decade ago.
But the sport’s ability to appeal to a wide audience reaches beyond Mexico’s borders. Mixed martial arts has become a world-wide phenomenon because anyone, no matter where they’re from, can watch and enjoy the sport, according to the heavyweight champ.
“Every time I go to Mexico, it seems like the sport’s getting bigger and bigger,” he said. “I’ve definitely seen a rise. It’s a good thing. Anybody around the world can just watch the sport without even knowing the rules, so it’s no surprise that it’s grown that big.”
Since winning the title, Velasquez has been recovering from a shoulder injury. This Saturday, however, he’ll finally get a shot at defending his belt when he faces No. 1 heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos.
Like before, the Hispanic population is behind Velasquez as he prepares to fight in Anaheim’s Honda Center. Expectations remain the same for the Mexican-American champ. Velasquez’s fan support is as strong if not greater than the last time he ventured to Southern California for a title fight.
“It feels good just [have] the people that I had behind me,” Velasquez said of the support he gets from fans. “I expect the same and it’s good to have [those] people behind me.”
Velasquez said he anticipates his fight with dos Santos to go the full five-round distance. The idea of a heavyweight title fight going five rounds is considered laughable to some because heavyweights don’t typically go the distance, but that idea doesn’t cross the champ’s thoughts.
Admittedly, keeping the frame of mind of a five-round war encourages harder training and helps with focus. All the better when preparing for dos Santos in what UFC president Dana White is calling the biggest night in UFC history.
“This is a great opportunity for MMA as a whole [with this] great exposure,” Velasquez says. “I’m happy to be part of it.”
Erik Fontanez is a senior writer and reporter for MMAWeekly.com.
LOS ANGELES – Dana White is a fight promoter. His purpose to sell the public on fight cards and main events are included in that responsibility. So, with that being the case, the UFC boss is more than willing to tell people why they should c…
LOS ANGELES – Dana White is a fight promoter. His purpose to sell the public on fight cards and main events are included in that responsibility.
So, with that being the case, the UFC boss is more than willing to tell people why they should care about the UFC on Fox event that takes place this Saturday.
In the main event, heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez will take on No. 1 contender Junior dos Santos. White all but guarantees an exciting fight.
The UFC boss says there were a number of fights he and Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta thought could headline UFC on Fox. While he’s not sharing which potential fights those were, White does admit that nothing made more sense than this heavyweight title fight.
Promoting fights as fight promoters do.
“Lorenzo [Fertitta] and I sat down and we talked about a lot of different fights we can make. This one made sense,” White says. “Not only with the heavyweight championship of the world, but the fight between these two athletes. These guys are monsters, man. When have you seen either of these guys in a boring fight that was just horrible? The answer is never.”
A great percentage of Velasquez’s fans are from a Mexican background. With dos Santos being from Brazil, some have even gone to the extent of making this a fight between countries. Like the Brazilian and Mexican national soccer teams, Velasquez and “JDS” are fighting for the pride of their nations.
However, the UFC president feels this is more than a fight between two countries; this fight is more global.
“This isn’t one of those fights that’s Mexico versus Brazil,” says the UFC president. “People from all over the world are watching this fight. On Twitter, on the Internet, people are going crazy.
“This is a global heavyweight fight.”
When the network deal with Fox was originally announced, White stated there were several networks in talks with the UFC. Major networks were all in the mix for who would be the first broadcast the Las Vegas-based promotion’s fights. Fox won the chase, according to White, and he couldn’t be happier.
It’s been a long 10-year journey for White and the Fertittas, but things have finally got to the next level. On Saturday night, they’ll do what they’ve been planning to do since purchasing the UFC in 2001; they’ll make their dreams become reality.
“It’s the biggest night in UFC history this Saturday night,” White proclaims. “And this is a dream come true. This is what we’ve been working for… the perfect deal at the perfect time with the perfect guys.”
Erik Fontanez is a senior writer and reporter for MMAWeekly.com.
UFC light heavyweight contender Phil Davis knows just as much about when he will return to the Octagon as everyone else. And, like the rest of the world, he doesn’t know. The 205-pound contender sustained a knee injury earlier this year and hasn’t seen…
UFC light heavyweight contender Phil Davis knows just as much about when he will return to the Octagon as everyone else.
And, like the rest of the world, he doesn’t know.
The 205-pound contender sustained a knee injury earlier this year and hasn’t seen action in the Octagon since besting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC Fight Night in March.
Had it not been for the injury, Davis would have fought Rashad Evans at UFC 133 in Philadelphia.
Fortunately for the Penn State alum, his recovery is going smoothly, and the pain from the injury is low.
“(The recovery) is actually coming along really great, minimal pain,” Davis told B/R last week. “It’s like any pain when you have an injury, you have a little scar tissue building up, and I think I just have minimal scar tissue and…inflammation. It’s just really come along quite well.”
After more follow-ups with physicians, fans will have a clearer picture of when they can anticipate Davis’ comeback.
With no fights lined up, the waiting game alone is becoming something to battle, according to “Mr. Wonderful.”
The knee that’s keeping Davis out of the Octagon is symbolic of an opposing fighter negotiating a contract with the UFC. Essentially, it’s the last component holding up a fight from becoming official because it’s just not ready.
“It’s almost like an injury becomes a third fighter,” Davis said. “It’s not necessarily [about] when I’m ready or when my opponent’s ready; it’s when my knee is ready.
“I now have an extra variable [as to] when I can fight.”
The knee hasn’t kept the San Diego resident out of the gym, however. The recovery has allowed for light sparring sessions to keep the fighter’s tools sharp while he anticipates his return.
His coach at Alliance MMA, Eric Del Fierro, says the 205-pounder’s progress has been good, but going full-speed isn’t an option yet. Bringing Davis back to the grind at an easy pace is working well for now.
“He’s doing good. He is slowly getting back into training,” Del Fierro said of his fighter. “He is doing pad work with me. Nothing live yet.”
Recently, before his injury had ample time to heal, UFC president Dana White was ready to get Davis back into the Octagon. The boss said Davis was slated to fight Lyoto Machida in the main event for UFC 140.
Unfortunately, with that card creeping in up December, Davis’ knee won’t be prepared for the Toronto headliner.
The announcement was pulled back by White about an hour later, admitting that he jumped the gun when talking about the proposed bout. The situation made waves for a moment, and Davis wasn’t even aware of it until after the dust settled.
“The whole situation was over and done with before I had even…heard about it,” he said.
“I was like, ‘Phil Davis is fighting? That’s me!'”
With as much excitement as Davis has created with his Octagon performances, people are eager to see him come back and fight soon. The UFC president is one of those people, according to the Alliance MMA fighter.
“I think Dana White, like anybody else, is anxious to have me back in there,” he said. “I want to be back in there, too.”
Everyone is longing to see Davis return.
Erik Fontanez is a senior writer and reporter for MMAWeekly.com.
Concern? Who’s concerned? UFC 137 fighter Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic isn’t. The Croatian striker has seen his share of fights spanning over a legendary career that has lasted more than a decade. With that much time in the game, it’s safe to say he’s tes…
The Croatian striker has seen his share of fights spanning over a legendary career that has lasted more than a decade. With that much time in the game, it’s safe to say he’s tested a lot of different fighting styles and taken what he needs from them to build the best arsenal.
When it comes to his opponent Roy Nelson’s grappling, “Cro Cop” isn’t any more concerned with that than he was with anyone else he’s faced. After all, time in the game translates to experience on the mat, apparently.
The 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix winner wants people to know that he is more than familiar with how to grapple. According to the time line, he’s trained in jiu-jitsu longer than some black belts.
When asked, straightforwardly, how concerned his is with Nelson’s grappling, “Cro Cop” simply replies, “not much.” According to the former Pride standout, If he’s submitted guys like Fabricio Werdum, he’s not worried about Roy Nelson.
“He’s a jiu-jitsu black belt, but the times when fighters were divided (between) stand-up fighters and grapplers [are] history,” Filipovic said at the UFC 137 open workouts in Las Vegas. “People forget that I [have] trained jiu-jitsu for 10 years, and had the privilege to train with top jiu-jitsu fighters like Werdum… like Dean Lister.
“With Werdum I trained for three years. So if I was able to submit Werdum in a fight, I don’t have to be concerned with (Nelson).”
So does this mean “Cro Cop” will walk to the Octagon on Saturday night with a Team Cro Cop gi and appropriate belt on? No, probably not. He knows what he’s paid to do.
While he doesn’t want people to sell his ground game short, “Cro Cop” knows that people buy tickets to see him do one thing: strike.
The highlight reels showing Mirko kicking off heads might just be memories at this point, but anything can happen in MMA. There is a sense that people hold onto the slight chance that Filopovic will bring back those highlight reels on Saturday night.
If anything, he’ll look to please the crowd just as he’s done in years past.
“People expect… and pay (to watch me) kick and punch people, not to submit them. Of course I will submit if I have a chance, but I always prefer to finish a fight in a stand-up position.”
“Cro Cop” said that he didn’t forget how to punch and kick, that all his recent shortcomings were more from mental issues than physical. Despite those shortcomings, Filipovic still has goals, first of which is beating Roy Nelson on Saturday night.
He may lack concern about Nelson’s grappling, but that doesn’t mean “Cro Cop” thinks his UFC 137 opponent isn’t dangerous. His fellow countryman might be critical of Nelson’s frame—and so is “Cro Cop to an extent—but he knows Saturday won’t be easy.
The fat-guy routine can be very misleading.
“He’s definitely too heavy for his height and his conditioning is his biggest problem,” Filipovic said of Nelson. “People in my country will say ‘if [you] beat him, you beat a fat guy.’ If I lose to him they will start laughing [at] me. But he’s a super-dangerous guy who can knock out anyone. Some people might be tricked with his body, but he’s a dangerous guy.”
Erik Fontanez is a senior writer and reporter for MMAWeekly.com.
Retirement can take a backseat for now.