Author: Mike Hodges

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar Rematch Confirmed for UFC 150

The rematch is official.During an appearance on UFC Tonight, UFC president Dana White announced UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will make his first title defense against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.The two competitors last met at UFC 144 in Febr…

The rematch is official.

During an appearance on UFC Tonight, UFC president Dana White announced UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will make his first title defense against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.

The two competitors last met at UFC 144 in February where Edgar would drop the title to Henderson via a unanimous decision. Edgar personally requested a rematch immediately following the bout due to how competitive the matchup was, but White insisted that the former lightweight champion drop to 145 pounds and challenge current champion Jose Aldo.

However, Edgar kept persisting for a rematch and White ultimately granted his wish to face Henderson again.

This will be Edgar’s third opponent in back-to-back title fights after he defeated fellow lightweight contenders BJ Penn and Gray Maynard.

UFC 150 will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, which will be the company’s first trip back since hosting UFC 135.

Rumors are still swirling surrounding the event, but the UFC can now begin to build around the main card with Edgar and Henderson set to headline.

Jake Shields is also expected to be featured on the card, as the former Strikeforce middleweight champion makes his return to 185 pounds to face Ed Herman.

Plus, Yushin Okami is looking to rebound off his loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 as he is slated to meet Luiz Cane.

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Dominick Cruz Injured: Does UFC Need Interim Champion?

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has become another casualty to The Ultimate Fighter curse, as he was forced out of UFC 148 title bout against Urijah Faber.The two bantamweights are currently serving as opposing coaches on the new seas…

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has become another casualty to The Ultimate Fighter curse, as he was forced out of UFC 148 title bout against Urijah Faber.

The two bantamweights are currently serving as opposing coaches on the new season, but Cruz’s latest injury has prevented any sort of meeting between them.

The 26-year-old has not competed since last October, as he has spent most of the time recuperating from a broken hand he suffered in his most recent title defense against Demetrious Johnson at UFC Live 6. The setback will likely see Cruz out of action for the next nine months.

The UFC has now lost its co-main event to one of the company’s biggest cards of the year, scheduled for July 7. Having already pulling Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch off the card as well, the event is in desperate need of some star power.

Rather than having to rely solely on main-eventers Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, the UFC should create an interim title bout to maintain some star credibility. 

Faber has already expressed interest in meeting rising 145-pound contender Renan Barao in a matchup, and he considers the Brazilian to be one of the top fighters in the division. Other candidates include Michael McDonald and Ivan Menjivar as possible replacements, but Faber seems content on challenging Barao and retaining his spot on the card.

Logically, this fight makes the most sense, and with the champion nursing an injury, Faber and Barao stand alone as the only two fighters worthy of being crowned the UFC bantamweight interim champion.

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Dan Henderson’s Coach Guarantees He Will ‘Put His Hands’ on Jon Jones

Dan Henderson is always one shot away from ending a fight instantaneously. The 41-year-old, who is set to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title later this year, is unquestionably one of the most powerful strikers in the sport tod…

Dan Henderson is always one shot away from ending a fight instantaneously. 

The 41-year-old, who is set to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title later this year, is unquestionably one of the most powerful strikers in the sport today, and his boxing coach, Gustavo Pugliese, doesn’t see any reason why that is about to change when he meets the 24-year-old champion.

Henderson has already competed for a UFC title on two separate occasions, and Pugliese is confident he can put on a strong performance against Jones.

“I don’t hope for anything less than a knockout,” Pugliese told TATAME.com. “He’s putting his hands on him, buddy.”

Henderson has strung together some quality wins over the past year and is well-deserving of a title opportunity at this stage in his career. Prior to returning to the UFC, the former PRIDE light heavyweight and middleweight champion defeated Rafael Cavalcante and Renato “Babalu” Sobral to capture the 205-pound Strikeforce title. Henderson then decided to accept a fight with former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, whom he knocked out in the first round.

Upon his third tenure in the UFC, Henderson picked up a unanimous decision over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 to earn his fourth straight victory—and an opportunity to face Jones.

Although Jones has ran through the division thus far, defeating former champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, Pugliese isn’t too concerned with what Jones brings into the fight, especially his massive 84.5″ reach. 

He said Henderson has already began to neutralize and prepare for Jones’ skill set.

“We’re having him doing sparrings with guys the same size as Jones so that Dan get used to it,” he said. “We have to cut well the octagon, putting pressure but not rushing into things. We have to try to make the Octagon small, leaving no space out for Jones to escape Henderson. We have to use a lot of flow, combine kicks, move the head and work on the reach.”

While some fans might not like Henderson’s chances heading into the bout, his experience and power still make him a serious threat to Jones’ title reign.

Henderson has become quite reliant on his striking in recent years, but if he is able to mix up his attack and utilize his Greco-Roman wrestling as well, fans might just reconsider his odds and see a much more competitive fight.

If anything is certain, it’s that Henderson will be prepared to test Jones, whether he wins or loses.

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Shogun Rua on Thiago Silva: ‘It’s Going to Be an Ass Kicking’

Since losing to Dan Henderson last year at UFC 139, fans have yet to see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua return and compete inside the Octagon.With possible opponents lined up for the Brazilian, ranging from Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Rua is sc…

Since losing to Dan Henderson last year at UFC 139, fans have yet to see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua return and compete inside the Octagon.

With possible opponents lined up for the Brazilian, ranging from Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Rua is scheduled to face Thiago Silva at UFC 149 on July 21 in Calgary.

Now, with an opponent and a date set, Rua is ready to make another run at the UFC light heavyweight title.

“I guess it’s going to be an interesting fight because Thiago likes striking and so do I. It’s gonna be ass kicking,” Rua told TATAME.com. “I respect Thiago as an athlete and as a person. I know he’s very good and complete, but I’ll get there prepared.”

It wasn’t too long ago that Rua was atop the 205-pound division, only to be dethroned by current champion Jon Jones. Since then, Rua has been 1-1.

A possible win over Silva could launch Rua back into the upper echelon of the division, and with a few more wins, he could challenge for the title once again. 

Although he has struggled to be consistent throughout his UFC career, Rua said he only has control over his performance during the bout. If he hopes to regain a title opportunity, he believes the outcome of his bouts will determine his future.

“Fighting for the title is just a consequence of good results on my next bouts,” he said. “I have to get those wins first so I can get a chance at the title.”

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UFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz vs Anthony Pettis Should Determine Next Title Contender

After a few years of struggling to find consistency in both the lightweight and welterweight division, Nate Diaz proved he now belongs among the elite fighters at 155 pounds.Diaz earned a dominant victory over Jim Miller this past weekend at UFC on FOX…

After a few years of struggling to find consistency in both the lightweight and welterweight division, Nate Diaz proved he now belongs among the elite fighters at 155 pounds.

Diaz earned a dominant victory over Jim Miller this past weekend at UFC on FOX 3 and his third consecutive victory in his last five bouts, leading some fans to believe he is next in line to receive a title shot.

While Diaz’s performance was certainly impressive enough to convince fans of his potential in the lightweight division, it was wasn’t necessarily enough to earn him a title shot yet.

Diaz is obviously talented and his recent wins over Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and Miller are evident that he can be a threat to either Benson Henderson or Frankie Edgar. However, there is still one challenger left who some feel should deserve a title opportunity especially since he currently owns a victory over the champion: Anthony Pettis.

With Henderson and Edgar expected to meet sometime this fall and Diaz waiting on the winner, it won’t be until early-mid 2013 until the Stockton, Calif. native steps back into the Octagon. That would leave Pettis open as a valuable opponent and another top name for either competitor to earn a victory over in order to cement their status as a top contender.

Plus, Pettis is already making his claim as the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds and called out Diaz during the post-fight show on FUEL TV.

Stylistically, this could be one of the most exciting bouts of the year. 

The lightweight division is currently stagnant and a possible bout between Pettis and Diaz would officially determine the next title contender. And with no other significant bout surfacing momentarily, this matchup makes perfect sense and the UFC shouldn’t waste any time in booking it. 

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Frank Mir: Junior dos Santos Only Brings Great Boxing into the Fight

Frank Mir is relishing the opportunity to challenge for a UFC heavyweight title once again.The 12-year veteran previously held the heavyweight strap in 2004, before vacating the title after a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his career. After earnin…

Frank Mir is relishing the opportunity to challenge for a UFC heavyweight title once again.

The 12-year veteran previously held the heavyweight strap in 2004, before vacating the title after a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his career. After earning three consecutive victories, Mir now finds himself facing current UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 on May 26th.

Mir said he is honored to face a competitor of the Brazilian’s caliber, but it is only dos Santos’ boxing that he sees as his primary concern.

“Junior dos Santos is always submitting people on their feet and he’s a better boxer, but that’s all he brings to this scenario,” Mir told TATAME.com. “He may be good at Jiu-Jitsu, he can be a great wrestler, but his strongest point is Boxing, so his game plan is not to be on his punching zone so he won’t find me.”

Mir was originally slated to meet former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez that same night, however, he was put in the main event after learning dos Santos’ original challenger Alistair Overeem had failed a pre-fight drug test.

Mir said he wasn’t surprised to learn that he would replace the Dutchman and believed he was the only other contender who was worthy of challenging “Cigano.”

“I wasn’t surprised at all. Obviously I heard Dana’s version and in my mind I don’t think they’d put another person instead of me to fight Junior dos Santos,” he said. “I thought there would be a great chance I wouldn’t fight for the title, but it never happened and here I am.”

And now that Mir is competing for a title shot again, he is focused on recapturing the belt and he expects dos Santos to be ready as well.

Despite his last victory over dos Santos’ mentor and friend, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mir doesn’t believe the champion’s intention will be to avenge Nogueira’s loss. Mir fought Nogueira at UFC 141 last December and broke his arm after submitting the former PRIDE FC star in the first round.

“I guess he’s only fighting me because I’m trying to take that belt off him,” he said. “I know it would be nice for him if he could win this fight and come back having revenged his friend’s loss, but in the end of the say he will be more focused on fighting me for his own reasons, after all, he wants to remain as the champion.”

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