Author: Mike Hodges

Ramapge Jackson: Fighter Says Dana White Has Granted Him Permission to Leave UFC

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s saga with the UFC on Twitter continues to circulate, but his most recent tirade has likely attracted the most attention yet.Jackson posted on Twitter that he has been given the nod by UFC president Dana White to leave the co…

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s saga with the UFC on Twitter continues to circulate, but his most recent tirade has likely attracted the most attention yet.

Jackson posted on Twitter that he has been given the nod by UFC president Dana White to leave the company following his next fight, which he also claims is his last fight on his contract.

Jackson has continuously voiced his frustration with the UFC since losing to Ryan Bader at UFC 144.

“I have 1 more fight on my contract n @danawhitesaid n a text (that I’ve saved) hahaha that I can go after my last fight,” Jackson wrote.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has shown to be rather lackluster in recent performances, despite picking up victories over Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill. “Rampage” has even gone as far as to use social media as another route to express his displeasure and rant about the UFC in general.

With the loss to Bader, Jackson has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in his career, leading fans, and himself, to question his immediate future in mixed martial arts.

Apparently a rumored bout with fellow PRIDE veteran Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has been thrown around, as well as a rematch with former PRIDE titleholder Dan Henderson.

Jackson has publicly stated his disinterest in facing wrestlers and his preference to fight a striker.

“y? So I can keep being under promoted n giving leg humpers who just wants 2 take me down all the time instead of havin a show?,” he wrote. 

While it is unlikely he will leave the UFC, it appears Jackson has backed his boss into a corner and is content to leave on his own terms, which would be a financial blow to the organization. 

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Nick Diaz Has a Sparring Session with Boxer James Toney

Although he might still be contemplating retirement, Nick Diaz appears to still be continuing his training regimen should he decide to return.The 27-year-old Diaz was involved in a sparring session with former WBA heavyweight champion James Toney. Diaz…

Although he might still be contemplating retirement, Nick Diaz appears to still be continuing his training regimen should he decide to return.

The 27-year-old Diaz was involved in a sparring session with former WBA heavyweight champion James Toney. Diaz’s manager Cesar Gracie posted on his Twitter account:

“We will be getting some great sparring. James Toney is a fan,” Gracie wrote.

Diaz was last seen in the Octagon, where he was on the losing side of a controversial decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143. The loss frustrated the Stockton, California native and prompted him to announce his retirement during the post-fight interview.

It was later revealed that Diaz had tested positive for marijuana and will likely face up to a one year suspension, courtesy of the Nevada Athletic State Commission.

This isn’t the first time Diaz has enlisted the services of a world-class boxer.

In preparation for his bout against Georges St-Pierre, he had sparred with WBA and WBC middleweight champion Andre Ward. 

Toney made his mixed martial arts debut when he faced Randy Couture at UFC 118 in 2010, where he lost via submission in the first round, but he remains active and hopes to continue a career in the sport.

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Benson Henderson Reveals His Signature Moves on ‘UFC Ultimate Insider’

Newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson was recently featured in an exclusive segment on UFC Ultimate Insider demonstrating some of his signature moves.The 28-year-old has an extensive background in taekwondo—also a brown belt in …

Newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson was recently featured in an exclusive segment on UFC Ultimate Insider demonstrating some of his signature moves.

The 28-year-old has an extensive background in taekwondo—also a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a two-time NAIA All-Amercian wrestler—and is regarded as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the sport.

Henderson performs a variety of moves and strikes that he is renowned for, including an axe kick and a double-leg takedown.

The champion demonstrates each move using his technique and athletic ability while also providing some commentary and insight on the move.

The segment is a great opportunity for fans to become more educated on the sport and see their favorite fighters in a more interactive environment.

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Where Will UFC 146 Rank Among the Best Cards in UFC History?

Since its announcement earlier this week, UFC 146 has become one of the anticipated events of this year, featuring a few pivotal heavyweight bouts.With Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem headlining the main card, and Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir se…

Since its announcement earlier this week, UFC 146 has become one of the anticipated events of this year, featuring a few pivotal heavyweight bouts.

With Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem headlining the main card, and Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir securing the co-main event slot, it is evident the UFC is relying on their heavyweight stars to carry the spotlight and gain more exposure.

This was a smart move from the UFC, and it will likely keep fans more involved in the division, as the next heavyweight challenger will be determined for a future bout with the champion.

The UFC heavyweight division has not received this amount of attention in recent memory, as it was long considered a weak and talentless division. But with the emergence of fighters like dos Santos, Velasquez and Overeem, the division has suddenly become relevant and one of the more entertaining weight classes to watch.

This new breed of heavyweight fighters has sparked life into a stagnant division, once reigned by former UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, and has remained stable in his absence. For once, fighters competing over 205 pounds are more than just big, powerful behemoths, and actually possess technique and skill to make bouts more enjoyable to watch.

UFC 146 will receive it’s fair share of publicity within weeks leading up to the event and it could very likely surpass all expectations. 

If the heavyweight division intends on standing alone as a credible, premier weight class, this will be the event to prove its legitimacy in mixed martial arts.

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Jon Jones Says He Doesn’t Want to Fight Anderson Silva, Considers Him a ‘Mentor’

Since becoming UFC light heavyweight champion last year, the comparisons between Jon Jones and Anderson Silva have been endless.Both competitors’ performances in their respective divisions have made fans call for a potential dream fight, but Silva has …

Since becoming UFC light heavyweight champion last year, the comparisons between Jon Jones and Anderson Silva have been endless.

Both competitors’ performances in their respective divisions have made fans call for a potential dream fight, but Silva has already shot down the idea of facing Jones.

And now Jones has also played down the notion of fighting the Brazilian, who he considers the top-pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and a role model.

“I respect and look up to him so much,” Jones told SenseiSporTV (courtesy of FightersOnly.com). “For me, the ideal scenario would be having him as my mentor and learn with him after he retires. It would be great for me.”

Like Silva, Jones’ dominance over the 205-pound division thus far will eventually allow him to move up to the heavyweight division, which Jones personally requested earlier this year but was denied by UFC President Dana White. White insisted that there were still more challengers ahead for the champion.

But if he continues to successfully defend the light heavyweight crown, Jones said he will have essentially cleaned out the competition.

“I spoke with Dana White about making a heavyweight fight in 2012 but he said he didn’t consider it a good idea right now,” he said. “But after beating Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans and maybe Alexander Gustafsson in 2012, I don’t see what to do in this division, not wanting to disrespect to anybody.”

Although fans may never witness a matchup between the two champions, they should be fortunate to see a special athlete in Jones, who at only 24 years old, is probably not even in his prime years and will only continue to evolve as a fighter.

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Why a Frankie Edgar-Benson Henderson Rematch is the Wrong Thing to Do

From the moment the UFC lightweight title changed hands, it was likely a rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson would ensue.And as intriguing as it would be to see both competitors meet again, it’s one bout that most fans could pass on for …

From the moment the UFC lightweight title changed hands, it was likely a rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson would ensue.

And as intriguing as it would be to see both competitors meet again, it’s one bout that most fans could pass on for the time being.

With fighters like Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz climbing through the rankings, there should be more opportunities given to help keep fans invested in the lightweight division. Unfortunately, due to the competition and talent stemming from the division, opportunities are hard to come by.

However, it should be noted Edgar is one of the top contenders at 155 pounds and he possesses an undeniable amount of heart, but his presence near the top of the division will only make it grow stagnant in his constant pursuit of rematching previous opponents.

Although respective fights with BJ Penn and Gray Maynard had their reasons to be made, realistically there wasn’t much controversy coming out of Edgar’s bout with Henderson, as it was a highly competitive matchup.

Also, being a small 155-pound fighter, Edgar would be better suited to compete in the featherweight division.

But it’s evident that he can be successful in the lightweight division and there are still other matchups Edgar can compete in.

So as fans anticipate another lightweight rematch, others like Pettis and Miller will still have to continue earning their shot at a title, when they have already shown they are more than capable of being in title contention.

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