Weekend Preview: Robert Drysdale, Ben Saunders Return to Action

Strikeforce heavyweight and wrestling trainer to the stars Daniel Cormier is already victorious, defending his XMMA belt Friday in Australia. On Saturday, grappling champion Robert Drysdale, UFC veteran Ben Saunders and top 10 135-pounder Alexis Davis …

Strikeforce heavyweight and wrestling trainer to the stars Daniel Cormier is already victorious, defending his XMMA belt Friday in Australia. On Saturday, grappling champion Robert Drysdale, UFC veteran Ben Saunders and top 10 135-pounder Alexis Davis are also set to enter the cage.

Check out five fights to keep an eye on this weekend after the jump.

Report: Ben Saunders Cut by the UFC

If someone approached you last November and told you that in less than one year’s time, Ben Saunders would no longer be in the UFC, you probably would have told that person they were out of their damn mind (unless of course that person had just stepped out of steaming hot DeLorean). What went down […]

saunders

If someone approached you last November and told you that in less than one year’s time, Ben Saunders would no longer be in the UFC, you probably would have told that person they were out of their damn mind (unless of course that person had just stepped out of steaming hot DeLorean). What went down in November? Saunders KO’d Marcus Davis with a series of ‘close your eyes kids” knees, at UFC 106, to run his Octagon record to 4-1. Things were looking swell for the “Killa B.”

Well unfortunately for the American Top Team welterweight, since then Saunders has gone 0-2, losing to Jon Fitch by UD (which most expected), and most recently at UFC 117, he dropped another decision to the vet Dennis Hallman (that likely surprised a few people). In this business of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, Saunders has apparently announced via his Facebook account, that he’s been cut by the UFC. (Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the quote)

“Sorry everyone I tried to fight my best these past two fights but ended up getting out worked. The UFC has officially cut me. The good news is they told me to work on my wrestling and ground game and then come back. So that is all I am going to be doing, improving dramatically and show them I belong.”

Based off some of Saunder’s earlier performances, cue footage of win over Brandon Wolff, we’re thinking he’ll be back in the Octagon soon enough.

And Now He’s Fired: Ben Saunders

(Killa B gets worked by Dennis Hallman at UFC 117. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.)
Following back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Dennis Hallman at UFC 117 and Jon Fitch at UFC 111, Ben Saunders (8-3-2, 4-3 UFC) has been released from his UFC co…

Ben Saunders Dennis Hallman UFC 117
(Killa B gets worked by Dennis Hallman at UFC 117. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.)

Following back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Dennis Hallman at UFC 117 and Jon Fitch at UFC 111, Ben Saunders (8-3-2, 4-3 UFC) has been released from his UFC contract. The American Top Team welterweight confirmed the news on his Twitter page, where he wrote the following:

Sorry everyone I tried to fight my best these past two fights but ended up getting out worked… the UFC has officially cut me… the good news is they told me to work on my wrestling and ground game and then come back… So that is all I am going to be doing… improving dramatically and show them I belong. It was a honor to fight for the @UFC and I will make it back into the mix in due time… no one ever said my dream of getting that belt would be easy… in fact I was denied it as even a possibility and told I was crazy since I was a kid… look how far I have gone feeding off the doubters and haters… it just makes me that much more hungry… I’ll be back! There isn’t a doubt in my mind.

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UFC 117 Undercard Blog: Hazelett vs. Story, Davis vs. Wallace, More

Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 117 live blog for all five of the undercard bouts of UFC 117 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

A noteworthy bout on the undercard is submission wizard Dustin Hazelett facing prospect Rick Story at 170 pounds. Sin…

Filed under:

Hazelett vs. Story is one of the undercard fights at UFC 117.This is the UFC 117 live blog for all five of the undercard bouts of UFC 117 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

A noteworthy bout on the undercard is submission wizard Dustin Hazelett facing prospect Rick Story at 170 pounds. Since losing to John Hathaway in his UFC debut, Story has reeled off three consecutive wins. Hazelett is coming off a loss to Paul Daley in January.

The live blog is below.