Author: Jordy McElroy

Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen Scheduled for a Face-to-Face Meeting

Uncle Chael is coming to brunch.UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is scheduled to meet with Chael Sonnen on Wednesday.While no official word has been given surrounding the nature of the meeting, the rumor mill is already buzzing about a potentia…

Uncle Chael is coming to brunch.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is scheduled to meet with Chael Sonnen on Wednesday.

While no official word has been given surrounding the nature of the meeting, the rumor mill is already buzzing about a potential fight signing that would put the two adversaries against one another in early 2012.

“The bug got to Anaheim today, I get in tomorrow. We are having a meeting, and I AIN’T BRINGING FLOWERS….,” Sonnen posted on Twitter on Tuesday. “As Champion, I need nothing except my list of demands. Fighting on the date I’VE selected is my right for being better than you, Yes YOU.”

After submitting Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen challenged Silva to a rematch of their dramatic UFC 117 clash in August 2010.

“Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck,” Sonnen told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “Super Bowl weekend…the biggest rematch in the history of the sport. I’m calling you out, Silva.”

If things go according to plan, Sonnen would face Silva at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The inclusion of Sonnen and Silva could set up the biggest fight card in MMA history.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is scheduled to defend his belt against former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz on that same night. Other potential bouts include Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit and Anthony Pettis taking on Joe Lauzon.

There is a lot of bad blood between Silva and Sonnen, and it’ll be interesting to see how the meeting unfolds. In the mean time, Sonnen continues to taunt Silva and take verbal jabs at his wife.

“Andy won’t stand up to me, but he’ll have to sit before me tomorrow. Perhaps bowing and kissing my boot is in order. MEDIUM RARE!,” tweeted Sonnen.

The “medium rare” taunt stems from a past interview Sonnen did with Mauro Ranallo on “The MMA Show.”

“You tell Anderson Silva I’m coming over and I’m kicking down his back door and patting his little lady on the ass and I’m telling her to make me a steak, medium rare, just how I like it,” said Sonnen.

Those are fighting words, even to a single man.

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UFC: Chuck Liddell and Rampage Meet for a Rubber Match

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson closed the book on their rivalry in a “rubber match” that ended in surprising fashion.The legendary UFC superstars stepped onstage before the UFC 137 weigh-…

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson closed the book on their rivalry in a “rubber match” that ended in surprising fashion.

The legendary UFC superstars stepped onstage before the UFC 137 weigh-ins to play against one another in THQ’s upcoming “UFC Undisputed 3” video game.

There was no shortage of entertainment either. The event had entrances, Mike Goldberg calling the action, and a Pride world title.

The storied rivalry between Liddell and Jackson began at Pride Final Conflict in November 2003.

Jackson used his world class striking to dominate the standup exchanges and close the distance for takedowns. In the second round, Liddell’s corner was forced to throw in the towel after the light heavyweight superstar took a barrage of unanswered body shots on the ground.

After the bout, Liddell returned to the UFC, where he would win a world title and go on a seven-fight win streak.

The streak was finally snapped in May 2007 at UFC 71, where Jackson defeated Liddell once again in the rematch to claim the light heavyweight title.

Who wins the rubber match?

We’ll leave out the spoilers and let you find out for yourself in the video above.

The release date to “UFC Undisputed 3” has been pushed back to February 14 in North America and February 17 in Europe. The game will be featured on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Along with a star-studded roster of over 150 fighters, the game will also host a plethora of new options, including fighter entrances and competing under the Pride banner and rules.

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BJ Penn Talks Retirement, Gives Georges St. Pierre an Edge over Nick Diaz

There will never be another BJ Penn.After losing a decision to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, the former two-division UFC champion and future Hall of Famer announced his retirement from MMA.Is this really the end? Have fans seen the last of Penn?”The Prodigy” f…

There will never be another BJ Penn.

After losing a decision to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, the former two-division UFC champion and future Hall of Famer announced his retirement from MMA.

Is this really the end? Have fans seen the last of Penn?

“The Prodigy” finally stepped from the shadows to address the retirement talk and give his prediction on the upcoming welterweight showdown between Diaz and Georges St-Pierre.

HDNet’s Michael Schiavello was on hand at “Pro Elite: Big Guns” to interview a quickly healed Penn a little over a week out from his three round war with Diaz.

“I think this is something I should’ve did after the first Frankie Edgar fight. A bunch of coaches pleaded with me to step away from the sport, take some time off. I was just kind of in the mix. I kept going, I kept going, trying to push myself. I don’t really like the results I’ve been getting, and I’ll just take some time off, take some time away from the sport,” said Penn.

“If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back, if it interests me or excites me. I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m still doing this.’ If it excites me, we’ll see how it goes, but I definitely need some time away.”

With Penn going on an indefinite hiatus, Diaz prepares for the biggest fight of his career against St-Pierre. The fiery debates have already begun about what to expect in the championship bout.

While fans and pundits are entitled to their opinions, Penn may have the best insight and knowledge about this matchup, considering he’s already fought both welterweights.

“I think it’s going to be very, very tough for Nick Diaz to defend Georges St-Pierre’s takedowns, and if Georges St-Pierre wants to turn this into a takedown type fight, I think he’s definitely going to have an advantage,” said Penn.

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Nick Diaz Admits He Deserves a Whooping, but Promises to Throw Everything at GSP

Following his UFC 137 victory over MMA legend BJ Penn, Nick Diaz may be public enemy No. 1, but at least he got a UFC title shot.The former Strikeforce welterweight champion recently appeared on “Inside MMA”, where he talked about being labeled the bad…

Following his UFC 137 victory over MMA legend BJ Penn, Nick Diaz may be public enemy No. 1, but at least he got a UFC title shot.

The former Strikeforce welterweight champion recently appeared on “Inside MMA”, where he talked about being labeled the bad guy and his upcoming showdown with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

“You don’t always come off the way that you want to or look the way you want to. I go out there and just act up and become the evil villain, and I’m calling guys out and stuff. It seems to have worked. I’m getting the fights I want. I can’t complain right now at this point,” laughed Diaz.

Diaz, who has always been known for his controversial antics, was originally slated to face St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 137, but after missing two scheduled pre-fight press conferences, UFC president Dana White yanked him from the main event.

Instead of St-Pierre, Diaz was forced to face Penn, his friend and former training partner.

After a tough first round, Diaz began to load up on his strikes and pour it on the future Hall of Famer. It was an impressive performance that earned the Stockton native the unanimous decision, but a decision victory wouldn’t be all Diaz earned that night.

After being pulled from his bout with St-Pierre, Diaz’s top contender spot was taken by former WEC champion Carlos Condit.

With his bout against Penn in the books, Diaz ceased a great opportunity to grab the microphone and call out St-Pierre.

“Where you at Georges? Where you at mother (expletive)?,” yelled Diaz in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. “I don’t think Georges is hurt, I think he’s scared. I think he’s scared to fight everybody right now.”

It was an incredibly clever move that helped Diaz leap frog Condit back into the No. 1 contender’s spot in the welterweight division.

“I was here first really. I’ve been a UFC fighter for longer than Georges St-Pierre has, not a lot of people realize that. I’ve been fighting in the UFC before all of them. I’ve been here first. I have more fights, and I’ve fought the bigger names,” said Diaz.

“I don’t have nothing against Georges personally, but for him not to want the harder fight and to think Carlos Condit is the harder fight, it may be the case, but it’s just not on paper. You’ve got to recognize that.”

St-Pierre has long been considered by some as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

This is a huge opportunity for Diaz to step up and prove that he is the best in the world, but it will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of his professional career.

“I’m the one in this division mouthing off and talking the most, so if anybody’s in for a good whooping, I’m that guy, and who better to do that than the UFC champion?,” asked Diaz. “I’m ready to get the show on the road. I’m not getting any younger. I’m ready to fight.”

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Mark Munoz Says He’s Paid His Dues, Ready for a Shot at Anderson Silva

Mark Munoz is no longer knocking for a UFC title shot.The door is wide open, and Munoz is ready to step over the threshold and get his opportunity to compete for the UFC middleweight title.”The Filipino Wrecking Machine” extended his winning streak to …

Mark Munoz is no longer knocking for a UFC title shot.

The door is wide open, and Munoz is ready to step over the threshold and get his opportunity to compete for the UFC middleweight title.

“The Filipino Wrecking Machine” extended his winning streak to four at UFC 138 on Saturday night after opening up a nasty gash over Chris Leben’s eye and forcing the referee to call an end to the bout.

“Chris Leben is a tough competitor. I knew I had to look out for his left hand,” Munoz said to Joe Rogan in the cage after his win. “I had to get rid of my brawling instincts and stick to my wrestling. I had to get angles, change levels and utilize my wrestling and my single leg and my ground and pound.”

Throughout his UFC tenure, Munoz has been criticized for abandoning his world-class wrestling pedigree and attempting to outlast opponents in unnecessary and wild exchanges on the standup.

Munoz was a two-time All-American and an NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Oklahoma State. He has the skill set to present plenty of problems for any fighter at 185 pounds.

It was a major statement to see him stick with his grappling roots in his bout with Leben.

In the main event of a major UFC fight card, most would’ve expected Munoz to throw out any form of a game plan and stand toe to toe with Leben winging haymakers.

Instead, the world saw a much more mature Munoz. He put on an exciting showing for fans, but he wasn’t reckless in doing so.

He did what needed to be done to get the victory.

Is Munoz ready for a title shot?

“I’ve paid my dues in this weight class. I think I deserve a title shot,” said Munoz. “Anderson Silva is by far the best pound-for-pound fighter. I give him all the respect and honor. I consider him a friend, but I think I deserve a title shot right now.”

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Rashad Evans: "I Can Respect Machida, but I Don’t Like Jon Jones"

Rashad Evans should be used to playing the waiting game by now.A thumb injury forced the former UFC light heavyweight champion to miss out on another opportunity to reclaim the world title.At UFC 140, he’ll be sitting on the sidelines as his arch nemes…

Rashad Evans should be used to playing the waiting game by now.

A thumb injury forced the former UFC light heavyweight champion to miss out on another opportunity to reclaim the world title.

At UFC 140, he’ll be sitting on the sidelines as his arch nemesis and former teammate Jon Jones prepares to put forth his second title defense against Lyoto Machida.

Who does Evans hope to face next? Well, his answer shouldn’t surprise anyone.

“Jon Jones,” Evans responded in an interview with GnP-TV. “I don’t like Jon Jones. I can respect Machida. He beat me fair and square, but I don’t like Jon Jones.”

The falling out between Evans and Jones can be traced all the way back to March 2011, when Jones defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC light heavyweight title.

After the fight, a bout was proposed pitting the teammates against one another. While Jones had no qualms about facing his training partner, Evans found it suspicious that the 24-year-old champion would be so quick to face him, especially after they agreed to never fight one another.

With the Jones situation unfolding and a supposed lack of moral support at Jackson’s MMA, Evans chose to leave the gym and longtime mentor Greg Jackson.

Along with former members of American Top Team, Evans now trains in Boca Raton, Florida with a new team known as the “Blackzilians.”

With his new camp behind him at UFC 133, Evans returned after more than a year hiatus and dominated a surging MMA legend in Tito Ortiz.

“First of all, I’ve got to stop worrying about a title shot. Second of all, I’ve got to keep on winning, and as long as I keep doing those two things, I’m sure [a title shot] will come.”

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