Jon Anik Joins the UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that it has agreed to terms with broadcaster Jon Anik, who will serve as a commentator and on-air talent for the fastest-growing sports organization in the world. The 33-year-old Boston native, who h…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that it has agreed to terms with broadcaster Jon Anik, who will serve as a commentator and on-air talent for the fastest-growing sports organization in the world. The 33-year-old Boston native, who has served as a top ESPN host for nearly six years, will handle play-by-play duties for upcoming UFC® events to air on FX and FUEL TV. Jon will also fulfill the newly-created host position for the revamped Ultimate Fighter® on FX.  In addition, he will host UFC’s new magazine show, Ultimate Insider, which premieres on FUEL TV in January.

“Jon Anik has been a top tier talent at ESPN for a number of years and I’ve made it a priority to bring him over to the UFC as we start our new partnership with FOX,” UFC President Dana White said. “It’s critical to seek out the best talent in the business as our company continues to grow.” 

Anik, who began his stint with ESPN in 2006 as a SportsCenter anchor, has handled play-by-play duties for college football and the 2010 WBC heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Shannon Briggs. He now heads Octagon-side with the opportunity to fulfill what he calls “a chance of a lifetime.”

“The UFC is one of the strongest brands in sports, and in my opinion, it’s the greatest sport in the world,” Anik said. “The product speaks for itself. More frequently than any other sport, the UFC delivers. I had the chance to be on the road at UFC events when I was with ESPN and what separates the UFC from other sports is that it prides itself on being hands-on and fan-friendly.”

“I look forward to helping play a small role in bringing the UFC to as many people across the world as possible. I’m really excited to a part of an organization that is filled with quality people who are the best in the world at what they do.”

Anik, his wife, Christine, and their daughter, Riley will relocate to Las Vegas. He will be based out of the UFC’s corporate headquarters.

Jon Anik Joins the UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that it has agreed to terms with broadcaster Jon Anik, who will serve as a commentator and on-air talent for the fastest-growing sports organization in the world. The 33-year-old Boston native, who h…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that it has agreed to terms with broadcaster Jon Anik, who will serve as a commentator and on-air talent for the fastest-growing sports organization in the world. The 33-year-old Boston native, who has served as a top ESPN host for nearly six years, will handle play-by-play duties for upcoming UFC® events to air on FX and FUEL TV. Jon will also fulfill the newly-created host position for the revamped Ultimate Fighter® on FX.  In addition, he will host UFC’s new magazine show, Ultimate Insider, which premieres on FUEL TV in January.

“Jon Anik has been a top tier talent at ESPN for a number of years and I’ve made it a priority to bring him over to the UFC as we start our new partnership with FOX,” UFC President Dana White said. “It’s critical to seek out the best talent in the business as our company continues to grow.” 

Anik, who began his stint with ESPN in 2006 as a SportsCenter anchor, has handled play-by-play duties for college football and the 2010 WBC heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Shannon Briggs. He now heads Octagon-side with the opportunity to fulfill what he calls “a chance of a lifetime.”

“The UFC is one of the strongest brands in sports, and in my opinion, it’s the greatest sport in the world,” Anik said. “The product speaks for itself. More frequently than any other sport, the UFC delivers. I had the chance to be on the road at UFC events when I was with ESPN and what separates the UFC from other sports is that it prides itself on being hands-on and fan-friendly.”

“I look forward to helping play a small role in bringing the UFC to as many people across the world as possible. I’m really excited to a part of an organization that is filled with quality people who are the best in the world at what they do.”

Anik, his wife, Christine, and their daughter, Riley will relocate to Las Vegas. He will be based out of the UFC’s corporate headquarters.

UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos Premieres Today on UFC.com

In anticipation of their world heavyweight title clash at UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ VS. DOS SANTOS, UFC® champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will be featured on UFC Primetime®, an all-access documentary.This hard-hitting episode wi…

In anticipation of their world heavyweight title clash at UFC® on FOX: VELASQUEZ VS. DOS SANTOS, UFC® champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos will be featured on UFC Primetime®, an all-access documentary.

This hard-hitting episode will premiere Sunday, October 30 following or preceding the NFL on Fox game (varies by market, check local listings). Re-airs will follow on ufc.com beginning Monday, October 31 and on FUEL TV Wednesday, November 2. UFC Primetime, produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), is a look into the lives and preparation of Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

Last October, Cain Velasquez (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) became the promotion’s first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion by defeating superstar Brock Lesnar in the first round. Raised by immigrant parents, Velasquez was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University.
His speed and power have been the keys to beating
bigger foes throughout his career, which now boasts a perfect record of 9-0.

With a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC, Junior dos Santos (fighting out of
Santa Catarina, Brazil) finished his first five fights against
names such as Mirko Cro Cop, Gabriel Gonzaga, Gilbert Yvel, Stefan
Struve and Fabricio Werdum. The rising star has one of the
top striking games in the heavyweight division and showed his ability to
go into deep water with dominant decisions over Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Shane Carwin.

“This is our Forrest GriffinStephan Bonnar,
now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver, and there’s no
doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything and am betting
that these guys (Velasquez and dos Santos) are going to deliver,” said
UFC president Dana White, referring to the classic Ultimate Fighter season one finale bout in 2005 that kicked off the mixed martial arts explosion that has turned the sport into the fastest growing one in the world.
 
UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos will air live on Fox Saturday, November 12 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA at 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT. Live prelims will air on a site or channel to be determined.

Cain’s Patience Has Paid Off

“UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez isn’t accustomed to sitting around and living the life of a couch potato.”That created a challenge for him after he underwent surgery in January for a major tear of his right rotator cuff and doctors strictly li…

“UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez isn’t accustomed to sitting around and living the life of a couch potato.

“That created a challenge for him after he underwent surgery in January for a major tear of his right rotator cuff and doctors strictly limited his physical activity. He had to talk himself into being patient and obeying their orders, trading short-term frustration for the promise of long-term gain.”

Read full article

20-Disc Collection Features the Best of the Year

Lesnar vs. Velasquez.  Silva vs. Belfort. Shogun vs. Jones. St-Pierre vs. Shields. These are some of the top matches of the year, the ones that fight fans want to relive over and over again. On December 6, Anchor Bay Entertainment and the Ultimate…

Lesnar vs. VelasquezSilva vs. Belfort. Shogun vs. Jones. St-Pierre vs. Shields. These are some of the top matches of the year, the ones that fight fans want to relive over and over again. On December 6, Anchor Bay Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® give them the chance with UFC®: Ultimate Fight Collection 2011 Edition, an awesome anthology of the epic battles fought between July 2010 and June 2011. This 20-disc DVD set captures every important moment with over 50 hours of footage – including 10 hours of content never before available on DVD. The set will get an exclusive roll out at Best Buy on November 8.
 
UFC®:  Ultimate Fight Collection 2011 Edition is a look back at one of the most exciting 12-month periods in the world’s fastest growing sport. Included here are bouts from UFC® 116UFC® 131, UFC® Fight Night 22-24, The Ultimate Fighter® Finale 12 & 13 and UFC® Live 2-4. These are the fights that gave us four new champions, stirred-up old rivalries and had unforgettable outcomes.

UFC®:  Ultimate Fight Collection 2011 Edition is a document of the sports history being made by the UFC®.  These tumultuous and thrilling matches can now be found within an unequaled compilation that will bring fans to their feet. This is 170 fights, 50 hours and 20 discs – it’s the biggest and boldest box set of the year!

 

Tavares Out of 137; Starks to Face Jacoby

With middleweight prospect Brad Tavares forced from his UFC 137 bout against newcomer Dustin Jacoby due to injury, another Octagon debutant will step in, as Clifford Starks will put his 7-0 record on the line against the 6-0 Jacoby. The bout has been v…

With middleweight prospect Brad Tavares forced from his UFC 137 bout against newcomer Dustin Jacoby due to injury, another Octagon debutant will step in, as Clifford Starks will put his 7-0 record on the line against the 6-0 Jacoby. The bout has been verbally agreed upon.

Moving to the October 29th main card with this change will be the bantamweight showdown between Scott Jorgensen and Jeff Curran.

GSP injured; Penn-Diaz Elevated to 137 Main Event

Returning UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz will get
his UFC 137 main event after all, as UFC President Dana White announced via
twitter Tuesday afternoon that 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre has been
forced to withdraw from his October 29th title defense against Carlos Condit
due to a knee injury.

Diaz, who was originally scheduled to face GSP in the UFC
137 main event before being pulled from the bout due to two press conference no
shows, will now see his three-round bout with BJ Penn elevated to the main event a week
from Saturday.

“We will sit Carlos to wait for GSP,” wrote White. “It’s looking so far like he could be ready in a couple months.”

Also getting a bump in the bout order will be talented middleweight prospects Brad Tavares and Dustin Jacoby, who will now see action on UFC 137’s main card.

Credeur Injured, Tavares Takes on Jacoby Oct. 29 updated October 5
The UFC 137 fight card has undergone yet one more revision with Tim Credeur being forced to withdraw due to injury, UFC president Dana White announced today.

His opponent Brad Tavares will instead face UFC newcomer Dustin Jacoby, a 6-0 middleweight out of Springfield, Illinois.

Camozzi Returns to the UFC Against Francis Carmont updated September 12
A UFC newcomer faces a returning veteran as Francis “Limitless” Carmont and TUF alumni Chris Camozzi will go to war at UFC 137. Carmont, a French striker who trains with event headliner Georges St-Pierre in Montreal, has long fought at light heavyweight but will make his promotional debut at 185 pounds against the TUF alumnus.

Musical Chairs at UFC 137 – Diaz vs. Penn Set for Vegas updated September 8
If UFC fans didn’t get enough blockbuster news this week, company President Dana White delivered some more Thursday evening with the announcement that Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is not only remaining in the UFC fold after being pulled from his UFC 137 title bout with Georges St-Pierre (due to missing two pre-fight press conferences this week) but that he will still be fighting on October 29th. The opponent for the Stockton native’s first Octagon bout since 2006? Former two division world champion BJ Penn.

The bout came to fruition after Penn’s original foe for the UFC 137 event in Las Vegas, Carlos Condit, was moved up to replace Diaz against GSP. And by popular demand, White made the new bout happen, tweeting “This is crazy but here we go again! You wanted it so you got it. Penn vs Diaz Oct 29th in Vegas.”

Diaz Out, Condit in to Face GSP
A wild week for the Ultimate Fighting Championship just got wilder on
Wednesday afternoon, as UFC President Dana White revealed in a Las Vegas
press conference that the man challenging for UFC welterweight champion
Georges St-Pierre’s title on October 29th in Las Vegas won’t be
Strikeforce 170-pound king Nick Diaz, but “The Natural Born Killer,”
Carlos Condit
.

The shocking news came after Diaz no-showed a press conference in
Toronto Tuesday and did the same thing in Vegas. And after not returning
phone calls, White decided to pull the Stockton, California native from
the main event of UFC 137.

Cowboy in for Stout, Faces Siver at UFC 137 updated August 29
After the Monday removal of Sam Stout from his UFC 137 bout with Dennis Siver, rising lightweight star Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has stepped up to the plate yet again, verbally agreeing to take on the streaking contender from Germany in the October 29th bout in Las Vegas.

Cerrone is currently riding a five fight winning streak that includes three UFC victories and two post-fight awards for KO of the Night and Fight of the Night. Siver has notched four straight wins, and is coming off back-to-back victories over George Sotiropoulos and Matt Wiman.

Curran’s Back, Meets “Young Guns” at UFC 137

After a seven year absence, veteran Jeff Curran will return to the Octagon on October 29th in Las Vegas to take on bantamweight contender Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen at UFC 137. Curran, whose last UFC appearance was a decision loss to Matt Serra at UFC 46, has since gone 19-6 and is remembered for a five fight WEC stint in 2007-09. The “Big Frog” has won four of his last five, but will be tested by former WEC title challenger Jorgensen, who is fresh from a first round knockout of Ken Stone in June.

Fan Faves Danny Boy and Stripper Ramsey to Fight

A lightweight match between the tough-as-nails Daniel “Danny Boy” Downes and TUF 13 runner-up Ramsey Nijem has been verbally agreed to for the UFC 137 fight card, UFC president Dana White confirmed today.

Crazy Tim to Face Tavares at 137
July 21
Verbal agreements are in for a middleweight bout between “Crazy” Tim Credeur vs. Brad Tavares at UFC 137, Dana White confirmed.

Credeur — Louisiana’s first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt — hit the public eye as a member of the TUF 7 house; Hawaiian Tavares was a season 11 standout.

At that same event, two longtime veterans will look to establish themselves in the ever-deepening featherweight division as Bart Palaszewski and Tyson Griffin have verbally agreed to meet.

Siver vs. Stout, Fire vs. Truth at UFC 137
updated July 16
UFC president Dana White today confirmed a hotly-speculated-about lightweight bout to take place at UFC 137.

“A potential Fight of the Year candidate has been verbally agreed to between hard-hitting Dennis Siver and Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout,” he said.

Also at UFC 137, a light heavyweight matchup has been verbally agreed to as Eliot “The Fire” Marshall will welcome Brandon “The Truth” Vera back to the Octagon.

Condit vs. Penn Added to UFC 137 updated July 15
The title fight between GSP and Nick Diaz won’t be the only showcase for elite 170-pounders this fall in Las Vegas. A match between two of the best welterweights in the world has been set as “Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit will take on BJ “The Prodigy” Penn at UFC 137.

The two hinted at the matchup on Twitter this last week. Condit, who is coming off a first-round KO of the Night victory over the previously-undefeated Dong Hyun Kim, tweeted to Penn on Monday that “The people have spoken @bjpenndotcom, they want to see us scrap, let’s give em what they asked for.”

Penn – who had previously been exchanging barbs with Jon Fitch about a possible rematch of their UFC 127 main event draw, responded with: “@CarlosCondit Yup. Let’s do it! October 29th.”

Dana White confirmed today that both men have verbally accepted the bout.

Cro Cop/Big Country, Kongo/Mitrione This Oct. updated July 14
Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Mirko Cro Cop, fan favorites for both their in-cage performances and their out-of-ring personas, have agreed a Las Vegas battle this fall.

UFC president Dana White confirmed today that PRIDE legend Cro Cop and TUF winner Nelson have verbally agreed to a heavyweight matchup at UFC 137 on October 29.

Those aren’t the only star heavyweights on the UFC 137 roster – White also confirmed today that Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione have agreed to a bout on the same card. “Both men are coming off big knockout wins at UFC Live in June,” he said.

Roop to Welcome Hioki to Octagon at 137 updated June 1
Highly regarded featherweight phenom Hatsu Hioki lands in the Octagon on October 29th to begin his quest for the title. Welcoming him to UFC and looking to take out another top contender will be the always dangerous George Roop. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the UFC 137 bout.

GSP vs. Diaz Superfight set for October updated June 1
UFC President Dana White’s tweet Wednesday afternoon was short and sweet – “U wanted it! U GOT IT!!!”
 
What the fans wanted was a showdown between UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and the STRIKEFORCE welterweight title holder, Nick Diaz. So on October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the UFC 137 Superfight becomes a reality.
 
Unbeaten since 2007, St-Pierre has taken on and beaten all comers, barely losing a round in the process. Since regaining his title from Matt Serra in 2008, he has turned back the challenges of Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, and Jake Shields. But this fall, he will face off against the man many believe has the style to dethrone him, Shields’ longtime training partner Diaz.
 
A proud native of Stockton, California, Diaz, like GSP, has not lost since 2007. Along the way, the UFC vet has defeated Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, Mach Sakurai, KJ Noons, and Paul Daley, and with his world-class striking skills and jiu-jitsu game improving with each fight, he is on track to shock the world on October 29th.