Sarah Kaufman vs. Amanda Nunes didn’t last long.
Five days after Nunes was announced as a replacement for Shayna Baszler against Kaufman at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale card on April 16, the Brazilian is already out with an in…
According to a report from Combate, Nunes is out of the bantamweight bout with a hand injury and the UFC expects to find another opponent for Kaufman.
“I was really excited to fight Sarah,” Nunes wrote on his Instagram. “This was a great opportunity for me. Unfortunately, I dislocated my finger and it will have to wait.”
Kaufman (16-3), a former Strikeforce bantamweight champion, has yet to win inside the Octagon. In her only UFC appearance, Kaufman’s split decision loss to Jessica Eye at UFC 166 was overturned to a no-contest after Eye failed a post-fight drug test.
The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale takes place at the Colisee Pepsi arena in Quebec, Canada, and is headlined by a middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy.
The UFC is trying to get Demian Maia a new opponent for TUF: Brazil 3 Finale card.
Mike Pierce, who was scheduled to meet the Brazilian welterweight in Maia’s hometown of Sao Paulo, is out of the bout with a broken hand, sources close to t…
The UFC is trying to get Demian Maia a new opponent for TUF: Brazil 3 Finale card.
Mike Pierce, who was scheduled to meet the Brazilian welterweight in Maia’s hometown of Sao Paulo, is out of the bout with a broken hand, sources close to the situation confirmed to MMAFighting.com. MMA Junkie first reported the news.
There is no word yet on who will replace Pierce on the card.
Pierce (17-6) had his four-fight win streak snapped in a 31-second submission loss to Rousimar Palhares last October and hasn’t fought since. On the same night, Maia (18-6) suffered a split decision loss to Jake Shields. Maia returned to the Octagon four months later to take on Rory MacDonald, but again left the cage with a decision loss.
While the promotion looks for a name to replace Pierce, two new bouts were added to the card. Former RFA champions Pedro Munhoz and Brian Ortega were added to the TUF: Brazil 3 Finale event against Wilson Reis and Diego Brandao, respectively. Combate first reported the news.
Munhoz (10-1) looks to get back to the win column after suffering his first professional loss in his Octagon debut against top-ranked bantamweight Raphael Assuncao at UFC 170, while Reis (17-5) dropped to 1-1 under the UFC banner with a close split decision loss to Iuri Alcantara in Brazil.
Unbeaten in MMA, Ortega (8-0) won the vacant RFA featherweight title in a five-round fight with Keoni Koch in January. In his previous seven bouts, the Black House fighter scored four submission victories. Brandao (), who was scheduled to meet Will Chope at UFN 38, looks to get back on track after a first-round loss to Dustin Poirier.
As I tweeted earlier, I wish I had a better-quality video of this, and I’m not sure what that says about me. Basically, Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa fought Swedish rookie Goran Jettingstad at Inoki Genome Fight 1 in Tokyo on Saturday, and may have possibly turned his leg completely backwards during a leg lock. I had to watch this crowd-shot footage three or four times to wrap my head around it, but yeah, that seems to be what happened.
Keep in mind that Minowa was competing in his 102nd professional fight that evening, while Jettingstad came into the match with a professional record of 0-0. (Good one, Japan!) Anyway, we’ll update this post if a better video appears. By the way, our old pal Brett Rogers also competed on the Inoki Genome Fight 1 card, where he KO’d Yusuke Kawaguchi in 28 seconds. Video of that knockout is after the jump…
As I tweeted earlier, I wish I had a better-quality video of this, and I’m not sure what that says about me. Basically, Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa fought Swedish rookie Goran Jettingstad at Inoki Genome Fight 1 in Tokyo on Saturday, and may have possibly turned his leg completely backwards during a leg lock. I had to watch this crowd-shot footage three or four times to wrap my head around it, but yeah, that seems to be what happened.
Keep in mind that Minowa was competing in his 102nd professional fight that evening, while Jettingstad came into the match with a professional record of 0-0. (Good one, Japan!) Anyway, we’ll update this post if a better video appears. By the way, our old pal Brett Rogers also competed on the Inoki Genome Fight 1 card, where he KO’d Yusuke Kawaguchi in 28 seconds. Video of that knockout is after the jump…
(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)
Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.
And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:
After the jump: Guillard speaks with The MMA Hour about life after the UFC and the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.
(Hopefully Guillard can earn enough with the WSOF to actually get some lenses put in those frames, but a man can only dream…Photo via Getty)
Whether you were a fan of his brash personality or excitement-first fight philosophy, there’s no denying the impact Melvin Guillard had on the UFC’s lightweight division during his near-unprecedented 9-year run in the organization. His recent release from the UFC may not have been completely unexpected, given his 1-3 1 NC record in his past 5 fights, but it signified the end of an era in its own way. Of course, given Guillard’s fan-friendly style, we figured it wouldn’t be long before he found a new promotion to call home.
And as is usually the case, we were right. After a mere fortnight of unemployment, Guillard has signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting, as confirmed by WSOF executive Shawn Lampman and Guillard’s own Twitter account:
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, “The Young Assassin” discussed what it felt like to be a free agent for the first time in nearly a decade, as well as the factors that led to his uninspiring performance against Michael Johnson at Fight Night 37.
I was happy. I gave the UFC nine years. I gave them a good nine years. Honestly I gave them one bad performance, which was the London fight (against Johnson). I had two busted ribs, a busted hand in the first round, but I didn’t make any excuses in the fight. I stayed in there, I fought. I could’ve been like most fighters and just threw in the towel when I got up off the seat, but I was fighting injured.
I didn’t expect to get released. I just expected (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) to do the normal thing he does and sit me down for like six months, and make me ask him for a fight. But I ended up getting released, and for me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me right now at this point in my career.
The list of Fight Night 37 medical suspensions seems to corroborate Guillard’s story, so a credit is due to him for not making any excuses following what was an uncharacteristically boring fight on his resume. In any case, who would you like to see Guillard matched up against for his WSOF debut, Nation?
Tim Kennedy’s not afraid to admit that in one sense, he’s grateful for the opportunity to fight Michael Bisping.
“The Count,” after all, is one of MMA’s most sought after opponents. If you get a date with the bombastic British middleweight…
Tim Kennedy’s not afraid to admit that in one sense, he’s grateful for the opportunity to fight Michael Bisping.
“The Count,” after all, is one of MMA’s most sought after opponents. If you get a date with the bombastic British middleweight, your profile will inevitably be raised.
“I think everyone from 170 to 205, there are probably heavyweights out there who are like ‘I’ll fight Michael Bisping,'” said Kennedy, who meets Bisping in the main event of the TUF Nations Finale in Quebec City on April 16. “I’m fortunate because he’s a really good fighter. He’s a long-time, perennial, marquee UFC contender.”
But that’s where the good words for his foe end. Bisping has made it plain in recent weeks that he doesn’t like Kennedy, and on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Kennedy returned the favor.
“I don’t like the guy,” Kennedy said. “It’s just another opportunity for me, it’s just, every time he opens his mouth, it’s just, this makes it so easy for me to want to hit him.”
On a recent MMA Hour appearance, Bisping went on the offensive. First he made fun of a video in which Kennedy appeared in a dress, stating he was “acting like a queer.”
Kennedy, when played the tape of Bisping’s statements, more less laughed them off.
“I’m have to going to give a little credence to his word, I never wanted to say this before, Michael Bisping might be right about something,” Kennedy said. “I should not dress up a woman. Queer? Is that negative? Is he supposed to be insulting me with that? I don’t know what that homophobic comment has to do with anything.”
But then Bisping went for the jugular, questioning Kennedy’s commitment to a fight career. Bisping noted that fighting is his only identity, while Kennedy is known equally as an Army Ranger and a professional fighter.
This time, Kennedy wasn’t giving an inch in his response.
“His identity is completely encapsulated with being a fighter,” Kennedy said. “That’s not who I am. I fight because I like it, I’m good at it and I’ve always done it. I’ve been a martial artist, like him, since I was a kid. Six, seven years old I started doing karate. Moved into Japanese jiu-jitsu when I was 10. I love it. But he’s totally right. He’s a fighter first. That’s not me. I’m a family man. I love my family, I love my wife. I’m a soldier, I put my family and my country first over anything, any day.”
And Kennedy isn’t afraid to lob back a few verbal grenades of his own. The way he sees it, Bisping is first and foremost a dirty fighter.
“I don’t know him personally,” Kennedy said. “I’ve never gone and had a drink with him, or chatted it up, or rubbed elbows at a party. So I can’t speak to what he’s like outside the cage at all. The only thing I know is how he fights. … Not just spitting on opponents, not just kneeing downed opponents, etc. etc. etc. He always eye gouges. He always kicks to the groin. He always grabs shorts. He always grabs the cage. He always lifts his arm over the top of the cage. Not habitually, but always. Every fight, he does it. He’s a dirty fighter.”
As for how he might mitigate Bisping’s perceived dirtiness when they get into the Octagon, Kennedy says it starts with officiating assignments.
“I’m hoping we have a strong reffing presence,” Kennedy says. “That does make a difference. There’s a big disparity between having guys like Big John McCarthy and Herb Dean in there that are aggressive.”
Beyond that, it’s about keeping your cool under fire.
“You have to be mentally prepared for him to do dirty things,” Kennedy said. “I can’t freak out when he grabs my shorts. i have to be aware of him trying to poke me in the eye with his fingers.”
Of course, this is more than just a grudge match for Kennedy. It’s also the fight which could parlay him into middleweight stardom. Kennedy has gone 5-1 in a span dating back nearly four years, with his only loss in that time a decision against Luke Rockhold. With three straight wins and two in the UFC, Kennedy knows what a win over Bisping would mean.
And it helps that he’s training for the bout with Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque during a busy month for the gym. Campmates Jon Jones and Travis Browne are also appearing in April main event bouts, and the enthusiasm is carrying over.
“Everyone is on top of each other making sure that everyone is doing the right thing,” Kennedy said. “Diets are right, schedule’s right, it’s just focused. It’s the machine right now. So many good guys there, you can’t get away with anything.”
Earlier in the week, MMA legend Bruce Lee was revealed as a mystery playable character in the upcoming game, EA Sports UFC. The Internet appropriately went nuts.
Now EA has released the trailer, and darn if it doesn’t look awesome. Bruce Lee makes his …
Earlier in the week, MMA legend Bruce Lee was revealed as a mystery playable character in the upcoming game, EA Sports UFC. The Internet appropriately went nuts.
Now EA has released the trailer, and darn if it doesn’t look awesome. Bruce Lee makes his appearance at the 1:20 mark. Here’s a GIF to save you some time.
Earlier in the week,