Author: Mike Hodges

Anderson Silva: Manager Says Silva Will Retire After 4 More Fights

As Anderson Silva reaches 37 years old, it is fair to assume that he is not getting any younger.And it has become clearer with each fight that he leans towards retirement more and more. Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, recently spoke to SporTV and disc…

As Anderson Silva reaches 37 years old, it is fair to assume that he is not getting any younger.

And it has become clearer with each fight that he leans towards retirement more and more. 

Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, recently spoke to SporTV and discussed the Brazilian’s future in the UFC. He said the middleweight champion is nearing the end of his career, and facing the same competition does not serve any value to Silva as he continues to look for mega-fights.

“Sonnen would make a big fight, as would Dan Henderson and Georges St-Pierre, but we should recognize that Anderson only has around 4 fights left in his career,” Soares said. 

The general consensus is that Silva should move up to 205 pounds to challenge UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, or face off against fellow pound-for-pound champion Georges St-Pierre. 

However, it is highly likely fans will witness a rematch between Silva and Chael Sonnen, considering how Sonnen dominated the champion like no one else before him. Even more surprising is that Sonnen backed up his trash talk leading up to the title bout. 

But according to Soares, pairing Silva up against previous opponents would seem pointless and less competitive for the champion. 

“My opinion is that he had his chance and tapped, he should go back to the end of the line. The same thing is true with Vitor Belfort,” Soares said regarding potential rematches. “They’re great fighters, but they had their chance.”

The thought of seeing Silva defend his title against opponents like Sonnen and Belfort might be repetitive, but there is less of a chance seeing him compete in more high-profile bouts, momentarily.

The competition surrounding Silva in the middleweight division is very thin, but unless he is offered a fight that holds a lot of significance, he might have to remain at 185 pounds.

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Brock Lesnar Signs New Deal with WWE, Will Appear in WWE Video Game

Brock Lesnar will be making his return to the squared circle. According to TMZ.com, the former WWE superstar has signed a new deal with World Wrestling Entertainment that will feature him in an upcoming video game, “WWE:12”. The deal will reported…

Brock Lesnar will be making his return to the squared circle. 

According to TMZ.com, the former WWE superstar has signed a new deal with World Wrestling Entertainment that will feature him in an upcoming video game, “WWE:12”. The deal will reportedly see him as a “featured star” in the upcoming game.

TMZ.com also reports that developers for the game approached Lesnar in January and asked for his permission to use his likeness for the game and advertising campaign. 

Lesnar agreed to the offer, however he had to get permission from UFC President Dana White, who also agreed.  

“I love WWE and I have nothing but love for Vince McMahon — I’m totally OK with Brock being in the game,” White told TMZ.com.

Lesnar was an employee of the WWE for just two years before pursuing a career in the NFL and the UFC. Lesnar was a big draw for the WWE and brought a lot of mainstream success to the company. Lesnar would eventually make the transition to mixed martial arts and signed with the UFC in 2007, debuting for the company the following year. Since his debut Lesnar holds notable wins over Frank Mir and Randy Couture, and is a former UFC heavyweight champion.

TMZ.com confirmed the first commercial, which will feature Lesnar, is expected to be released today. 

Lesnar is expected to make his return to the Octagon later this year when he faces Alistair Overeem at UFC 140.

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Gilbert Melendez Wants UFC Recognition, Shot at the UFC Lightweight Title

Since Frankie Edgar’s dramatic win over Gray Maynard at UFC 136, there has been further speculation regarding the potential move of Strikeforce Lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez.Melendez has been vocal about switching to the UFC and UFC President …

Since Frankie Edgar’s dramatic win over Gray Maynard at UFC 136, there has been further speculation regarding the potential move of Strikeforce Lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez.

Melendez has been vocal about switching to the UFC and UFC President Dana White is also remaining active in attempting to acquire his services. Of course, once the deal is done, Melendez said it only seems fitting to get an opportunity to challenge for the UFC lightweight title.

“The UFC title is the best belt,” Melendez said during an appearance on The MMA Hour. “I want that belt and I want it as soon as possible.” 

Although his current crop of competition pales in comparison to the UFC’s talent, Melendez said he believes he has earned a chance to face Edgar. Melendez praised Edgar’s win last weekend and believes a future bout against him is inevitable, but “El Nino” still has an obligation to fight in Strikeforce and fulfill his contract. 

Melendez spoke on his upcoming bout against Jorge Masvidal, who he will face in December. 

“He’s the first guy in line. I think he’s the No. 1 contender, as of now, in Strikeforce, and as of now I have to focus on that guy,” he said.

Melendez’s resume is impressive as he holds notable wins over competitors like Clay Guida and Shinya Aoki. But despite all of his accomplishments, Melendez feels frustrated at the fact that he is not given the same recognition as other fighters simply because he competes in Strikeforce. 

“A lot of people don’t recognize me as a great fighter because I haven’t beaten any UFC guys,” he said. 

Melendez is one of the many talents the UFC has yet to acquire from Strikeforce. The idea of seeing the Strikeforce champion competing inside the Octagon seems very likely, considering UFC has already acquired Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and most recently, Dan Henderson.

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UFC 137 Trailer Featuring Georges-St-Pierre and Carlos Condit

After witnessing one of the more exciting cards of the year at UFC 136, fans can now turn their attention to UFC 137, which will feature one of the most anticipated title bouts of the year involving Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit. Originally,…

After witnessing one of the more exciting cards of the year at UFC 136, fans can now turn their attention to UFC 137, which will feature one of the most anticipated title bouts of the year involving Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit. 

Originally, St-Pierre was expected to face Nick Diaz in the main event, however, Condit was chosen to step in for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion after Diaz failed to show up to the scheduled press conferences and help promote the event. Instead, Diaz will now face BJ Penn in the co-main event.

In addition, a pair of heavyweight bouts are also on the card, including Roy Nelson versus Mirko Cro Cop, as well as a welterweight bout between Dennis Siver and Donald Cerrone.

UFC 137 is scheduled for October 29, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. 

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Dana White Says Rashad Evans Will ‘Probably’ Fight Again Before a Title Bout

Rashad Evans wants to remain active while he can, unfortunately, his next bout won’t be against Jon Jones. Evans’ plans on competing for a UFC title shot have been scrapped once again due to a hand injury, which will likely keep him sidelined for …

Rashad Evans wants to remain active while he can, unfortunately, his next bout won’t be against Jon Jones. 

Evans’ plans on competing for a UFC title shot have been scrapped once again due to a hand injury, which will likely keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. As a result, Lyoto Machida has stepped in to face the champion instead at UFC 140 on December 10 in Toronto. 

But Evans informed UFC President Dana White that he would rather continue fighting as opposed to waiting for a title shot again. 

“He was like ‘I’m not gonna sit around and wait again.’ So he probably will (fight),” White told MMAWeekly.com. “We’ll see how this whole thing goes down, we’ll see what happens.”

Evans has been unfortunate in his quest to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. 

Last year, “Suga” opted to protect his No.1 contender status by waiting for Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to heal from a knee injury and ironically Evans suffered an injury himself that would cost him his opportunity. 

Since then, Evans’ record is 16-1-1, with his most recent victory coming over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133.

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Silva vs. Sonnen Could Headline UFC Event at Cowboys Stadium

According to UFC President Dana White, the organization could finally host an event at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The UFC boss has been obsessed over the thought of hosting in the venue since attending a boxing match featuring Manny Pacquia…

According to UFC President Dana White, the organization could finally host an event at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. 

The UFC boss has been obsessed over the thought of hosting in the venue since attending a boxing match featuring Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito last year. 

“We’ve been talking to (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones for a while about doing a fight there,” White told reporters during a UFC 136 post-fight press conference. “It’s just got to be the right fight,” he added.

And the right fight could possibly be an anticipated rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. Sonnen was awarded the opportunity to face Silva following his decisive victory over Brian Stann this past weekend. After the bout, Sonnen challenged the Brazilian, much to the pleasure of the crowd, and even offered to put his career on the line. 

When asked about the possibility of setting up a title bout to headline Cowboys Stadium, White was optimistic about the idea.

“I think it could,” he said. “I think we could do a big, big venue for that one.”

The UFC is no stranger to breaking records, as they set a new attendance record for UFC 129, headlined by Georges St-Pierre and Jake Shields, holding over 55,000 fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Cowboys Stadium holds approximately 110,000 seats, and after failing to attract a bigger venue on the company’s recent trip to Brazil for UFC 134, White said they won’t make the same mistake. 

“We didn’t nail that one, but we won’t make that mistake twice,” he said.

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