The third Saturday in November is going to be a busy day for the mixed martial arts community.
Nov. 15, which already features UFC 180 and Bellator 131, is the new date for World Series of Fighting 15. WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel…
The third Saturday in November is going to be a busy day for the mixed martial arts community.
Nov. 15, which already features UFC 180 and Bellator 131, is the new date for World Series of Fighting 15. WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz confirmed to MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that the show, initially slated for Oct. 24, was moved to Nov. 15. The location of the event has yet to be determined.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, it was NBCSN, the broadcast partner of WSOF, who pushed to move the event to Nov. 15.
WSOF 15 will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion David Branch and Yushin Okami. Riding a four-fight winning streak, Branch (14-3) will make his first title defense against the veteran Okami (30-8), who finished Svetlozar Savov in his promotional debut.
That same night will feature the UFC’s debut in Mexico, headlined by the return of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez against Fabricio Werdum.
Also on Nov. 15, light heavyweight veterans Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar will headline Bellator 131 in San Diego, with Will Brooks meeting Michael Chandler for the lightweight championship in the co-main event.
According to Abdel-Aziz, WSOF 16 is scheduled for Dec. 13, with the city and venue still yet to be determined. That WSOF show will also goes head-to-head with a UFC event, as UFC on FOX 13, headlined by Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic, is set for that same day in Phoenix.
Weidman has suffered a hand injury, which has forced him out of the UFC 181 on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas. Belfort posted the news on his Facebook page on Monday.
“I’ve just received the news that Chris Weidman broke his hand and, for what everything points to, our fight is gonna be moved to February,” Belfort wrote.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news with Ariel Helwani and said that the promotion is now planning on staging the middleweight title fight in February.
According to Weidman’s head coach Ray Longo, the middleweight champion was flown to Los Angeles on Monday after complaining of discomfort in his left hand. Weidman said on The MMA Hour after his win over Lyoto Machida in July that he suffered sprained ligaments in his left hand three weeks before the title fight and could not use it in the days leading up to the fight. On Monday, a doctor informed Weidman that he in fact fractured the hand, and the doctor believed this was an old injury. Longo said he believes Weidman fought Machida with a fractured hand and that the original injury was misdiagnosed.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Longo said. “We’re going to get Chris healthy and then we’re going to steamroll this guy. Believe me.”
Longo said Weidman, who was flying back to New York from Los Angeles when contacted by MMAFighting.com, currently has hand in a cast, but he was unsure whether the injury will require surgery.
Weidman (12-0) was set to put his title on the line for the third time in less than a year. After stopping Anderson Silva twice in 2013, Weidman defeated Machida via unanimous decision in July.
Belfort (24-10), a former UFC light heavyweight champion, earned a second shot at the 185-pound gold after scoring knockout out Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in 2013.
Weidman has suffered a hand injury, which has forced him out of the UFC 181 on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas. Belfort posted the news on his Facebook page on Monday.
“I’ve just received the news that Chris Weidman broke his hand and, for what everything points to, our fight is gonna be moved to February,” Belfort wrote.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news with Ariel Helwani and said that the promotion is now planning on staging the middleweight title fight in February.
According to Weidman’s head coach Ray Longo, the middleweight champion was flown to Los Angeles on Monday after complaining of discomfort in his left hand. Weidman said on The MMA Hour after his win over Lyoto Machida in July that he suffered sprained ligaments in his left hand three weeks before the title fight and could not use it in the days leading up to the fight. On Monday, a doctor informed Weidman that he in fact fractured the hand, and the doctor believed this was an old injury. Longo said he believes Weidman fought Machida with a fractured hand and that the original injury was misdiagnosed.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Longo said. “We’re going to get Chris healthy and then we’re going to steamroll this guy. Believe me.”
Longo said Weidman, who was flying back to New York from Los Angeles when contacted by MMAFighting.com, currently has hand in a cast, but he was unsure whether the injury will require surgery.
Weidman (12-0) was set to put his title on the line for the third time in less than a year. After stopping Anderson Silva twice in 2013, Weidman defeated Machida via unanimous decision in July.
Belfort (24-10), a former UFC light heavyweight champion, earned a second shot at the 185-pound gold after scoring knockout out Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in 2013.
Coming off a rough night against Andrei Arlovski, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will have surgery in Brazil.
“Bigfoot,” a former UFC heavyweight title contender, traveled to Sao Paulo after his UFC Fight Night 51 bout with Andrei Arlovski, and is…
“Bigfoot,” a former UFC heavyweight title contender, traveled to Sao Paulo after his UFC Fight Night 51 bout with Andrei Arlovski, and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday morning to remove a pituitary gland tumor that has reemerged.
“I should leave the hospital [next] Monday,” Silva told MMAFighting.com. “Bigfoot”, who suffers from acromegaly, has no timetable for his return to the cages.
The Brazilian heavyweight entered the Octagon against Arlovski following a nine-month suspension for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone in December. He lost the bout via first-round knockout, dropping to 2-3-1 in the UFC.
Bellator MMA announced on Monday that DeBlass vs. Lawal was added to the upcoming Bellator 131 card at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 15.
DeBlass (9-2) looks for his third win in a row since leaving the UFC in 2012. The jiu-jitsu expert defeated Carlos Brooks and Jason Lambert in his previous appearances inside the Bellator cage in 2013.
Lawal (13-4, 1 no-contest), a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, bounced back to the win column with a second-round TKO victory over Dustin Jacoby after a close decision loss to Rampage Jackson in May.
“Tom has been talking since we were supposed to fight in September. He’s a good fighter, but my jab is going to erase his teeth and swell up his eyes,” Lawal stated in a release. “My right is going to make him see stars and bright lights. Another fight, another win.”
“Listen, I respect Mo and I think he’s a world-class athlete,” DeBlass responded. “That being said, I know what I’m capable of, and I not only believe that I will win the fight, but I’m going to finish him. Bellator has treated me incredible, and I’ve been asking for big fights. Let Mo do his talking. His mouth is his best weapon.”
Bellator MMA announced on Monday that DeBlass vs. Lawal was added to the upcoming Bellator 131 card at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 15.
DeBlass (9-2) looks for his third win in a row since leaving the UFC in 2012. The jiu-jitsu expert defeated Carlos Brooks and Jason Lambert in his previous appearances inside the Bellator cage in 2013.
Lawal (13-4, 1 no-contest), a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, bounced back to the win column with a second-round TKO victory over Dustin Jacoby after a close decision loss to Rampage Jackson in May.
“Tom has been talking since we were supposed to fight in September. He’s a good fighter, but my jab is going to erase his teeth and swell up his eyes,” Lawal stated in a release. “My right is going to make him see stars and bright lights. Another fight, another win.”
“Listen, I respect Mo and I think he’s a world-class athlete,” DeBlass responded. “That being said, I know what I’m capable of, and I not only believe that I will win the fight, but I’m going to finish him. Bellator has treated me incredible, and I’ve been asking for big fights. Let Mo do his talking. His mouth is his best weapon.”
Douglas Lima has yet to defend his welterweight championship, and he expects to do it early next year.
“The Phenom”, who won the vacant 170-pound title with a second-round TKO victory over Rick Hawn in April, is currently dealing with small injuries and won’t be able to put his title on the line in 2014.
“I think I will only fight again in January or February,” Lima told MMAFighting.com.
Lima, a two-time welterweight tournament winner in Bellator, is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, all via KO or TKO.
Andrey Koreshkov, winner of the last season’s 170-pound tournament, could be next for Lima when he returns. “Spartan” is 17-1 in his MMA career with an 8-1 record under the Bellator banner.
According to a Bellator official, Koreshkov “has earned that title shot with the tournament victory, and will absolutely get that opportunity” despite the recent changes at Bellator, with the end of the tournament system.
Douglas Lima has yet to defend his welterweight championship, and he expects to do it early next year.
“The Phenom”, who won the vacant 170-pound title with a second-round TKO victory over Rick Hawn in April, is currently dealing with small injuries and won’t be able to put his title on the line in 2014.
“I think I will only fight again in January or February,” Lima told MMAFighting.com.
Lima, a two-time welterweight tournament winner in Bellator, is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, all via KO or TKO.
Andrey Koreshkov, winner of the last season’s 170-pound tournament, could be next for Lima when he returns. “Spartan” is 17-1 in his MMA career with an 8-1 record under the Bellator banner.
According to a Bellator official, Koreshkov “has earned that title shot with the tournament victory, and will absolutely get that opportunity” despite the recent changes at Bellator, with the end of the tournament system.
SAO GONCALO, Brazil — An apparent seizure kept Paulo Filho out of his scheduled fight in Brazil on Sunday night.
A former WEC middleweight champion and PRIDE veteran, Filho was supposed to take on UFC veteran Amilcar Alves in the Fatality Arena 7 main event in Sao Goncalo, but was pulled from the bout hours before the fight.
According to Osiris Maia, member of the Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts Confederation (CBMMA), Filho suffered a seizure.
“Paulo was apparently hospitalized this morning after suffering a seizure. We can’t let him fight after that,” Maia told MMAFighting.com.
Filho hasn’t fought since a decision loss to Andre Muniz in February. Once considered one of the best 185-pounders in the world, the Brazilian has gone 1-4-2 over the past seven bouts.
SAO GONCALO, Brazil — An apparent seizure kept Paulo Filho out of his scheduled fight in Brazil on Sunday night.
A former WEC middleweight champion and PRIDE veteran, Filho was supposed to take on UFC veteran Amilcar Alves in the Fatality Arena 7 main event in Sao Goncalo, but was pulled from the bout hours before the fight.
According to Osiris Maia, member of the Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts Confederation (CBMMA), Filho suffered a seizure.
“Paulo was apparently hospitalized this morning after suffering a seizure. We can’t let him fight after that,” Maia told MMAFighting.com.
Filho hasn’t fought since a decision loss to Andre Muniz in February. Once considered one of the best 185-pounders in the world, the Brazilian has gone 1-4-2 over the past seven bouts.
