His opponent may have changed (again, sort of…) but UFC veteran Matt Hamill remains on the UFC 152 card. Light heavyweight Vladimir Matyushenko is out with an injury.
UFC newcomer Roger Hollett, who was originally named as Hamill’s opponent, has sorted through the red tape that prevented him from facing Hamill before, so he is now back in for the Montreal event.
One Change, One Addition to UFC 152 Card, updated August 24
UFC 151’s welterweight bout between Charlie Brenneman and Kyle Noke has received a new date and place, as the two will now meet on Toronto’s UFC 152 card on September 22nd. Unfortunately, Brenneman’s AMA Fight Club teammate Dan Miller won’t be joining him in Canada, but it’s for a good reason, as Miller’s son Danny Jr. finally has a date for his long-awaited kidney transplant surgery. Stepping in for Miller to face Sean Pierson at UFC 152 will be Lance Benoist.
Jones vs. Belfort Now Booked for Toronto updated August 23
Jon Jones will now face former champion Vitor Belfort for the UFC light heavyweight championship on September 22 in Toronto, as today’s bizarre series of events has taken yet another twist.
Jones was originally slated to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151 in Las Vegas; however, Henderson was forced to withdraw this week due to a knee injury. Polarizing former middleweight Chael Sonnen was offered the replacement spot and it briefly appeared that UFC 151 would take place with Jones vs. Sonnen as the headliner. However, Jones ultimately declined the fight, forcing the unprecedented cancellation of an entire UFC event.
This morning, UFC president Dana White announced that Jones would face former champion Lyoto Machida in a rematch that would headline the UFC 152 event on September 22. Machida earned the contender spot with his showcase knockout of Ryan Bader earlier this month. But this time it was Machida who declined the opportunity, opening the door for fellow Brazilian Belfort to earn the nod.
Belfort had been penciled in to fight Alan Belcher at middlewight at UFC 153 in Rio; a replacement for that fight will be announced in coming days.
Matyushenko Replaces Hollett in UFC 152 Bout against Hamill updated August 20
The return of Matt Hamill will get a different look on September 22nd, as Roger Hollett is out and Vladimir Matyushenko is in for “The Hammer” in UFC 152 action in Toronto. Both fighters are coming off tough 2011 bouts against rising star Alexander Gustafsson and are eager to get back in the win column when they meet on Canadian soil.
MacDonald Forced out of UFC 152 Bout with Penn due to Cut updated August 4
The bout between BJ Penn and Rory MacDonald, scheduled for UFC 152 in Toronto, will have to wait for the moment, as UFC President Dana White revealed Saturday night that a cut suffered by MacDonald in sparring will force the Canadian out of the highly-anticipated matchup.
In a post on his Twitter feed, MacDonald revealed a picture of the cut over his right eye, which took 38 stitches to close. He expects to be back in late November.
Hamill Returns September 22, More Fights Added updated August 3
Matt “The Hammer” Hamill has verbally agreed to make his UFC return against Canadian newcomer Roger “The Hulk” Hollett in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 152.
Three more matchups have been verbally agreed to for the event, which is headlined by the UFC’s first-ever flyweight championship bout.
Two veterans coming off of wins, Dan Miller and and Sean “The Punisher” Pierson, will meet in a welterweight bout in Pierson’s hometown.
Two of the most dynamic featherweight contenders in the world go head-to-head as Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira meet in the Octagon. Both fighters are coming off scintillating performances as Swanson has knocked out his last two foes and Oliviera has submitted his last two.
On the heels of his UFC 149 Fight of the Night performance, Ontario’s own Mitch Gagnon will take on Walel Watson in a bantamweight battle between exciting prospects.
More Bouts Announced for UFC 152 updated July 24
Fans in Toronto will get a treat in the 145-pound division as Jimy Hettes and Marcus Brimage will duke it out. The undefeated Hettes has quickly emerged as a featherweight prospect with his relentless offensive assault, but he will have his hands full dealing with the power of Brimage.
Plus, two exciting welterweights on win streaks will go head-to-head at UFC 152 as verbal agreements are in for Simeon “The Grin” Thoresen vs. Seth “The Polish Pistola” Baczynski.
Vinny Magalhaes Returns to the Octagon updated July 18
Riding a five-fight win streak, submission wizard Vinny Magalhaes has verbally agreed to make his UFC return at UFC 152 September 22nd against dangerous striker Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac in a light heavyweight bout.
Toronto Title Fight, Co-Main Confirmed for September updated July 13
The first-ever UFC flyweight world title fight goes down on September 22nd at UFC 152 in Toronto. The four man tournament, which began in March, will culminate with Joseph Benavidez taking on Demetrious Johnson in what is sure to be a memorable bout between two gifted fighters on a historic night.
Additionally, the co-main event has been verbally agreed to as top-ten middleweights “All-American” Brian Stann and brash Brit Michael “The Count” Bisping battle it out on Canadian soil to move closer to a title shot.
The Prodigy Returns Against Rory MacDonald updated June 9
After hinting at retirement following his October 2011 loss to Nick Diaz, former two division UFC champion BJ Penn has found the motivation to continue his storied career in the form of Canadian phenom Rory MacDonald,
who he has verbally agreed to face in a September 22nd bout in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. MacDonald, winner of three in a row, has also agreed
to this intriguing matchup on the UFC 152 card.