Author: UFC News

“If anyone in the UFC’s featherweight division has a right to be mad at the company’s matchmaking duo of Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, it might just be Jason “Shotgun” Young (8-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

“Young made his UFC debut this past June against once-beaten contender Dustin Poirier and now fights at Saturday’s UFC 138 event against gritty Japanese vet Michihiro Omigawa (12-10-1 MMA, 0-4 UFC). No matter, says Young.”

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“If you’re having trouble picking out bantamweight Vaughan Lee (11-6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a roomful of UFC 138 fighters, just look for the guy with the biggest grin.

“After all, Ultimate Training Centre product Lee is not only making his octagon debut, he’s doing it in his hometown of Birmingham, England.”

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Following a minor car accident Monday night in which he was rear-ended at a red light and suffered whiplash, lightweight Paul Taylor has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 138 bout with Anthony Njokuani. Due to the late nature of this card change, the bout will not be replaced, and the light heavyweight bout between Anthony Perosh and Cyrille Diabate will move to the main card.

Hathaway, Thompson Out of UFC 138
Injuries and illness have prompted changes to the November 5 fight card taking place in Birmingham, England.

In heavyweight news, Oli Thompson has been forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. Original opponent Phil De Fries has verbally agreed a matchup against fellow Englishman Rob Broughton, who will return to his home country to fight after appearing at UFC 135 in Denver last month.

Rising Brit welterweight John Hathaway has been forced to withdraw from UFC 138 as well. His original opponent, Matt Brown, has verbally agreed to face “The Polish Pistola” Seth Baczynski instead. Brown vs. Baczynski will take place at UFC 139 on November 19 in San Jose, CA.

Head vs. Scanlon now Maguire vs. Edwards updated September 28
The welterweight showdown between Mark Scanlon and James Head has completely vanished from the UFC 138 fight card after both athletes suffered injuries.

Last week, Scanlon was forced to withdraw. London, England’s John Maguire signed on to take his spot.

Today it was announced James Head was also forced to withdraw from UFC 138 due to injury; stepping in for him will be TUF 13’s Justin Edwards, fresh off his UFC Fight Night win over Jorge Lopez in New Orleans.

Changes and Additions to UFC 138 updated August 31
Pascal Krauss has been injured, forcing him to withdraw from his scheduled bout at UFC 138. Taking Krauss’ place will be Matt “The Immortal” Brown, who will test his invincibility skills against rising star John “The Hitman” Hathaway. Both men have verbally agreed to the welterweight bout, UFC president Dana White announced today.

Also confirmed for that event: On the main card, WEC vet Brad Pickett will make his postponed UFC entrance against Renan Barao in a bantamweight bout, while Cyrille Diabate is set to fight Anthony Perosh at light heavyweight in the prelims. A crop of new fighters will make their debuts at UFC 138, as TUF 13’s Chris Cope welcomes Che Mills, Chris Cariaso takes on Birmingham local Vaughan Lee and heavyweight newcomers Phil De Fries and Oli Thompson square off.

Panzer Faces the Hitman in England updated July 25
Verbal agreements are in for a welterweight fight between undefeated German prospect Pascal Krauss and 15-1 Brighton native John “The Hitman” Hathaway at UFC 138 November 5th in Birmingham, England.

Four More Bouts Set for Birmingham updated July 20
England’s next UFC event continues to shape up with a handful of bouts verbally agreed to for the November 5th Birmingham event.

Fists will fly in two matchups pitting some of England’s best strikers against up-and-comers. Walsall’s “Relentless” Paul Taylor will battle Anthony Njokuani in  lightweight scrap. In another 155 pound slugfest, Liverpool’s Terry Etim will fight Edward Faaloloto.

One of the featherweight division’s newest prospects, kickboxer Jason Young, is set to take on one of the division’s most established, Michihiro Omigawa.

It was also confirmed today that UFC 138 will feature a welterweight matchup between James Head and Mark Scanlon.

Alves Returns to Face Unbeaten Abedi on Nov. 5 updated July 20
Unbeaten Swedish prospect Papy Abedi will get a tough assignment in his UFC debut in Birmingham, England on November 5th, as he takes on longtime contender Thiago Alves in a bout verbally agreed to on Tuesday.

“Undefeated welterweight Papy ‘Makambo’ Abedi has agreed to make his UFC debut against fan favorite Thiago ‘Pit Bull’ Alves at UFC 138,” said UFC President Dana White.

UFC’s Return to the UK to be Televised Nov. 5
Top 185-pound contenders Chris Leben and Mark Munoz will headline the UFC’s return to British shores on November 5th, as the televised UFC 138 event takes place at the LG Arena in Birmingham.

“Two of the middleweight division’s heaviest hitters will go to war in the UFC’s first ever non-title 5 round main event as the ‘Filipino Wrecking Machine’ Mark Munoz takes on Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben at UFC 138 November 5th in Birmingham, England,” said UFC President Dana White of the historic matchup.

Leben has won four of his last five bouts, including finishes of Aaron Simpson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Wanderlei Silva. Munoz is on a similar hot streak, having beaten Aaron Simpson, CB Dollaway, and Demian Maia in successive bouts.

Two serious bantamweight title contenders have also verbally agreed to battle at the same event. “England’s top bantamweight, Brad Pickett, will be taking on the man with the best unbeaten streak in the sport, Renan Barao, who hasn’t lost in his last 29 fights.”

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Undefeated UFC® middleweight champion Anderson Silva will lead the field to the green flag behind the wheel of the Official Pace Car – Toyota Venza – at the start of the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 13. As the official pace car driver in Phoenix’s NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup event, the 36-year-old mixed martial artist will take an honorary lap on the newly repaved and reconfigured one-mile oval.

“I’ve been a NASCAR fan for a long time and it’s an honor to be part of the upcoming event in Phoenix,” Silva said. “I have much respect for these guys and they are undoubtedly some of the toughest athletes in the world. I can’t wait to get in the pace car in Phoenix.”

Widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Silva is the UFC’s longest reigning champion, with 14 consecutive wins – a streak that has lasted five and a half years. He has been proclaimed by UFC president Dana White as “the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts” and is ranked as the No. 1 middleweight in the world by multiple publications.

Silva will be available for interview at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 in the infield media center.

Tickets for the Kobalt Tools 500 on November 13 and the WYPALL* 200 on November 12 at Phoenix International Raceway are available by calling 866-408-RACE (7223) or by visiting PhoenixRaceway.com.

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.

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.