Author: UFC News

The busy week for the men of Team Alpha Male continues: TJ Dillashaw was a finalist in Saturday’s TUF 14 Finale, Urijah Faber was announced as coach of TUF 15, and now Danny Castillo will follow up his UFC 139 win with a quick turnaround at UFC 141.

UFC president Dana White announced today that TUF 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem has been injured, forcing him to withdraw from his planned bout against Anthony Njokuani. Njokuani and Castillo have verbally agreed to the lightweight bout.

Escudero Returning to UFC December 30 updated December 7
TJ Grant has been forced to withdraw from UFC 141 due to an injury, according to UFC president Dana White. Stepping in to replace him will be TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero, making his return to the UFC against Jacob Volkmann. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the new match.

Fan Fave Nam Phan Set for UFC 141 updated November 15
Featherweights Nam Phan and Jim Hettes have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 141 on December 30th. Phan is coming off win marked by a record-setting offensive display, while Hettes remains undefeated, finishing all opponents by submission.

Riddle vs. Ramos Added to December Card updated November 15
Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight bout between former Shooto champion Luis “Beicao” Ramos and Ultimate Fighter veteran Matt Riddle December 30th in Las Vegas at UFC 141, UFC president Dana White announced today.

Cowboy vs. Diaz plus Featherweights at 141 updated October 31
A potential fight of the year has been verbally agreed to as two of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division will battle it out at UFC 141, UFC president Dana White confirmed today. Riding a six-fight win streak and ending his last two bouts in the first rounds, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will take on Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz, who is coming off a spectacular submission victory over Japanese legend Takanori Gomi.

The bout will be the co-main event UFC 141, which is headlined by a heavyweight battle between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.

Additionally, two featherweight bouts have been verbally agreed to for the same card.

Featherweights Manny Gamburyan and Diego Nunes have re-booked their bout, originally slated for UFC 135 in September. The fight was scrapped after both men suffered injuries leading up to the date.

Plus, another veteran with lots of firepower is entering the featherweight ranks. Ross Pearson is dropping a weight class and jumping into the division against Junior Assuncao.

Assuncao told one website that Pearson instigated a fight with him by staring him down at past events. The two called for the bout on Twitter, with Assuncao writing “I’ll give him the welcome to the 145 class” in response to a tweet announcing that Pearson had successfully made the featherweight limit on a test cut. “u may just get what u wish for, see u very soon!!” responded Pearson.

Lightweight Battle Added to UFC 141 Card updated October 26
Two of the best grapplers in the lightweight division have verbally agreed to fight December 30th at UFC 141 as Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist TJ Grant takes on relentless wrestler Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann at the end-of-year event.

Stun Gun Returns in Dec. to Face Pierson updated October 3
A welterweight showdown is on tap for December 30th, as South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim returns to the Octagon for what should be an exciting scrap with Canada’s Sean Pierson.

“Two talented welterweights on the comeback trail will face off at UFC 141 when Sean Pierson takes on the ‘Stun Gun’ Dong Hyun Kim.” said UFC President Dana White.

Janitor vs. Mauler Re-Set for December
Two of the toughest contenders in the light-heavyweight division have verbally agreed to fight in Las Vegas December 30th as Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson will take on Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko.

The two were originally slated to meet at UFC 133 in Philadelphia last month, but a late injury sidelined Matyushenko. Instead, Gustafsson fought Matt Hamill, winning via TKO in the second round.

Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks at UFC 141 updated September 12
A second bout between top contenders has been added to the UFC’s year-end card, company president Dana White confirmed today. Verbal agreements are in for a matchup between top-ten welterweights as 11-1 Johny Hendricks takes on 23-3-1 Jon Fitch. Both men are standout wrestlers; the December bout will be Fitch’s first return to the cage since being sidelined by injury earlier this year.

Overeem Signs with the UFC; Faces Lesnar in December updated September 6
Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has
found a new home – in the UFC. But after signing a deal with the
promotion today in Las Vegas, he’s going to get put to work immediately,
as it was also announced that he will make his Octagon debut on
December 30th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena against former UFC

heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Stay tuned for more information on Overeem vs. Lesnar and the December 30th event in Las Vegas.

“Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight match between grappling specialists Daniel ‘Ninja’ Roberts and Charlie ‘The Spaniard’ Brenneman,” confirmed UFC president Dana White today.

Also at that event, Joseph Sandoval will be taking on one of Canada’s most exciting bantamweights, Nick Denis in Denis’ UFC debut.

Rivera vs. Schafer, 3 More Bouts Set for FX updated November 29
Verbal agreements are in for a middleweight match in Nashville on January 20 as Eric “Red” Schafer takes on Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera, announced UFC president Dana White today.

Plus, a bevy of international stars and new signees will look to wow the fans in Tennessee as verbal agreements are in for a trio of intriguing matchups.
 
Former featherweight champion Mike Brown looks to keep another run at the title alive as he takes on Vagner Rocha in Rocha’s first visit to 145 pounds.

Stockholm, Sweden’s Reza “Mad Dog” Madadi will make his UFC debut against Rafaello Oliveira in a lightweight bout. And at light heavyweight, Ryan “Big Deal” Jimmo will look to extend his 16-fight win streak in his UFC debut against Czech powerhouse Karlos Vemola.

Shalorus Returns in January Against Unbeaten Nurmagomedov updated November 24
Looking to bounce back from the first loss of his career to Jim Miller last March, hard-charging lightweight Kamal Shalorus will look to get back on track on January 20th, as he faces 16-0 Russian prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov on the FX card in Tennessee.

“Undefeated Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov has verbally agreed to make his UFC </a>debut against powerful wrestler Kamal ‘Prince of Persia’ Shalorus January 20 in Nashville,” said UFC President Dana White.

Miller vs. Guillard Headlines FX Card in January

The main event for the UFC’s first FX event in January promises to be one to remember, as lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Melvin Guillard square off in a venue to be announced.

“Two of the top ranked lightweights in the UFC have verbally agreed to square off in the main event on FX, as top ten ranked Jim Miller takes on explosive fan favorite Melvin ‘The Young Assassin’ Guillard,” said UFC President Dana White.

Two Bouts Set for First FX Fight

The first-ever UFC </a>fight card to be televised live on FX is taking shape with two bouts featuring fan favorites known for their fast-paced fights.

A welterweight bout with fight of the year potential will unfold as Josh ‘The Dentist’ Neer and Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig have verbally agreed to meet in the new year.

In addition, a heavyweight showdown has been verbally agreed to for with Christian Morecraft taking on Pat ‘HD’ Barry.”

City, date and international viewing information will be made available shortly.

UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones, the youngest champion in UFC history, is one of eight finalists in ESPN SportsNation’s 2nd Annual Awesomest Dude of the Year contest.

The contest is held in a bracket format with the winners of each round being determined by online fan voting.  Voting in the first round is now open.  All voting will be held exclusively on SportsNation’s Facebook page, located at www.Facebook.com/SportsNation.

In the first round, Jones is matched up against WWE Superstar and actor Duane “The Rock” Johnson.

In a recent interview with MMAInterviews.TV, UFC legend Wanderlei Silva and his protege Jorge Lopez said they believe Lyoto Machida has what it takes to earn back the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt at UFC 140.

“Jon Jones is great, but Machida is Machida,” said Silva.

“Via decision, Machida can win by outscoring Jon Jones on points,” added Lopez. “Machida has something a lot of fighters don’t — footwork.”

Silva also pointed to Machida’s experience as a factor that could give him an edge over the phenom Jones.

Watch full video

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® invades the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 28 for its second network television event on FOX with an ultimate tripleheader. In the night’s main event, former light heavyweight champion “Suga” Rashad Evans takes on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis to determine the next challenger to the 205-pound title.

Plus, in the night’s co-main event, controversial middleweight contender Chael Sonnen battles the red-hot Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz for the right to fight champion Anderson Silva. If that wasn’t enough, British star Michael “The Count” Bisping looks to earn a future crack at the middleweight title when he locks horns with dangerous grappler Demian Maia.

This outstanding two-hour broadcast airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
 
History was made when the UFC® debuted on FOX in November, as 5.7 million viewers (8.8 million peak) tuned in to watch Cain Velasquez battle Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight title. Now, fight fans around the world can gear up for another incredible night of action inside the Octagon® live on FOX.

“This is the show that officially starts our deal with FOX and we’re bringing what the fans want – a night packed with great fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re kicking this thing off with an incredible tripleheader. Rashad Evans looked fantastic in his last fight against Tito Ortiz and he wants to get the belt back. But Phil Davis is no joke. He’s undefeated at 9-0 and has stormed through guys like Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson and Rogerio Nogueira. He wants the title shot just as bad as Rashad.

“Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz are going to collide to see who gets the next crack at Anderson Silva,” White continued. “Both of these guys are phenomenal wrestlers coming off big wins. Chael wants the chance to avenge his loss to Anderson. Mark wants a chance to prove that he’s the best 185-pounder in the world. Plus, we’ve got Michael Bisping against Demian Maia and the winner will be next in line for a title shot after the winner of Sonnen-Munoz.”

Tickets for UFC® on FOX are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50, and $40, and go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the United Center Box Office.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Dec. 8, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter by entering their email address in the “join newsletter” field at the top of ufc.com.

Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) has made it clear that he wants a chance to dethrone reigning champion Jon Jones in 2012. Before that can happen, he looks to extend his winning streak to four when he meets “Mr. Wonderful” in a No. 1 contender fight at the United Center. The 32-year-old Evans (21-1-1) dismantled Tito Ortiz in his last fight in August and believes a win over Davis will secure him the highly-coveted shot at the 205-pound title.

“Some people may say I’m already the No. 1 contender, but I’m a fighter not a critic and I will go through anybody who stands in my way until I got a shot at the UFC title,” Evans said.  “Having the opportunity to prove that I’m the top contender in the division on FOX – the biggest stage there is – is just icing on the cake. I will leave no doubt that I’m the top guy in the light heavyweight division after my fight on FOX.” 

Phil Davis (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.), 27, is arguably one of the fastest-rising stars in the sport thanks to an undefeated mark of 9-0, including five victories inside the Octagon®. Originally scheduled to fight Evans at UFC 133 before an injury forced his withdrawal, the former national champion wrestler at Penn State University is pleased the stars finally aligned for his much anticipated collision with the former champion.

“I am excited to be a part of the UFC on FOX in Chicago,” Davis said. “I was pretty upset when the fight with Rashad didn’t happen in August. I am ready for him now.  He is one of the best guys in the world. I can’t wait and I’m confident that I’m going to win.”

Chael Sonnen (fighting out of West Linn, Ore.) continues his quest for a rematch with Anderson Silva on Jan. 28 when he meets Munoz on FOX. Following a loss to the champion in 2010, Sonnen returned to the Octagon® at UFC 136 and submitted the surging Brian Stann. He now faces Munoz, an opponent he once met in college while wrestling for the University of Oregon.

“This is competition between Mark Munoz and me,” Sonnen said. “We competed before, we will compete again. And when it is done, it will be one more in the win column, one more trophy above the mantle, and one more for the bad guy.”

Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz (fighting out of Vallejo, Calif.) heads to Chicago fresh off a dominant stoppage victory over Chris Leben in the main event of UFC 138 in England in November. A winner of four straight, the former Division I national champion wrestler from Oklahoma State University now has his sights set on besting his friend turned temporary foe, Sonnen.

“Chael and I are friends and will remain friends long after this fight,” the 33-year-old Munoz said. “But make no mistake, when that cage door closes we will not hold back. We will show the world why we are the best at what we do.”

After battering Jason “Mayhem” Miller on Dec. 3, Michael Bisping (fighting out of Manchester, England) firmly believes that his time to fight for the middleweight title is approaching. A winner of four consecutive fights, including the last two by knockout, the 32-year-old leaves no doubt that his clash with Maia is the most important of his career.

“It is a huge honor to fight on American national television on FOX,” Bisping, owner of a 23-3 record said. “Going straight back into camp, missing Christmas, none of that even entered my mind. I want to earn my way to a title shot and fighting a former No. 1 challenger as dangerous as Maia is exactly the opportunity I have been hoping for. This is the most crucial fight of my life.”

Grappling sensation Demian Maia (fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) has won two out of his last three bouts since dropping a decision to champion Silva in Abu Dhabi in 2010. The 34-year-old, who is a two-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has defeated high-caliber opponents such as Sonnen, Jorge Santiago, Kendall Grove and Dan Miller. When he meets Bisping next month, he knows that a win will put him right back into the title picture.

“I think Michael Bisping is a great fighter and will be one of the hardest fights I ever had,” Maia, 15-3, said. “Some people underrate him, but I think I can never underestimate him. I consider him one of the top contenders at middleweight. He is someone with only three losses in over 20 fights, with one of those losses coming to Rashad in a higher weight class. It shows how tough he is and the challenge that is ahead of me. I’m also very excited to be fighting in Chicago for the first time, a city where I spent part of some of my last training camps, and where I have a lot of friends. If that was not enough, on top of all that, fighting on FOX is a huge opportunity.”
 

According to data released through Facebook’s Memology 2011 project, the fastest-growing sport in the world was the most-talked about topic among those in the fifth-biggest country in the world.

The Facebook Memology report lists the most popular topics discussed on Facebook, as determined by comparing status updates from 2011 those posted in the same time frame in 2010.

UFC was the #1 topic in Brazil for the year. The brand’s popularity exploded in that nation this year, due in large part to the August UFC RIO event and boosted again in November when Junior dos Santos won the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Read article in Globo Sports

Read translated version

Read Facebook’s Memology 2011 to see what trended globally.