Tag: Breaking News

Report: Lyoto Machida Expected to Take on Phil Davis at UFC 163 in Brazil

A featured light heavyweight bout is expected to take place at UFC 163 coming up in August when former champion Lyoto Machida faces former NCAA champion Phil Davis in Brazil. The fight was reported on Monday by MMAWeekly.com, with verbal agreements in …

A featured light heavyweight bout is expected to take place at UFC 163 coming up in August when former champion Lyoto Machida faces former NCAA champion Phil Davis in Brazil.

The fight was reported on Monday by MMAWeekly.com, with verbal agreements in place for the 205-pound showdown taking place on the card headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo facing Anthony Pettis.

Following his last fight at UFC 157 in February, which ended in a win over Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida was expected to be the new No. 1 contender for the UFC light heavyweight title.  Unfortunately for him, the current champion remains Jon Jones, and their last fight ended with Machida losing by submission in one of the most memorable finishes in recent UFC history.

Machida‘s loss to Jones, coupled with a close and somewhat unexciting fight against Henderson in February, seems to have bumped him back in line in the contender’s race, but he will still get the chance to fight at home in Brazil for his next bout.

Hoping to add his own name to the list of top contenders in the division, Phil Davis jumps back into the deep end at light heavyweight after picking up wins over Wagner Prado and Vinny Magalhaes in the last year.

Davis has been looked at as one of the best prospects at 205-pounds for the last few years, with a tremendous wrestling base and ever developing stand-up skills to match his grappling. 

Davis stumbled in his marquee matchup against Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2 last year but now looks to redeem himself against another former champion when he faces Machida in August.

The other piece of the puzzle that all but falls into place with this Machida vs. Davis matchup is the next fight taking place with the UFC light heavyweight title on the line.

For the last few weeks, all signs have pointed to a showdown between Jones and Swedish born fighter Alexander Gustafsson, with both fighters taking to Twitter to rally for the bout to take place.

With Machida now locked up for a fight of his own at UFC 163, it’s all but assured now that Jones vs. Gustafsson will be the next light heavyweight title fight to take place sometime later this year.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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Chris Weidman: Silva Deserved Fine, I’m Doing Most of the Promotional Work

Chris Weidman takes no offense to Anderson Silva coasting on promotional duties for UFC 162, but there are certain appointments that even the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world must uphold.In May, UFC President Dana White fined Silva $50,000 for …

Chris Weidman takes no offense to Anderson Silva coasting on promotional duties for UFC 162, but there are certain appointments that even the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world must uphold.

In May, UFC President Dana White fined Silva $50,000 for missing a planned media event serving as promotion for UFC 162, which is scheduled for Fourth of July weekend, on July 6.

Silva told Brazilian media outlet Veja—via MMAjunkie.com—that he was completely unaware of the media day. He reinforced his excuse by mentioning that he has never missed any commitment with the UFC and his media schedule was blocked so he could focus on training for Weidman.

During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Weidman was asked whether or not Silva deserved to be fined for missing the scheduled event. Weidman refused to say anything negative about his upcoming opponent, but he certainly didn’t shy away from his opinion regarding the promotional work being put into UFC 162:

It’s all good. He got fined and that sucks for him. It was definitely fair. It’s part of his job to do the media, especially since it was setup and they spent a lot of money. Oh yeah, I’m sure [I’ve had to do more media than Silva leading up to the fight].

Weidman has emerged as a bold, young contender capable of dethroning arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history.

Fans often underestimate how big of a fight this is for Weidman. A win would make him an instant star in the sport, and his name would be forever etched in UFC history. The media attention is new for Weidman, and he is soaking it all in and enjoying every moment of it.

Silva, on the other hand, has been on this rodeo more times than you could count on two hands. He has completely dominated every legend and top contender placed in front of him.

While Weidman agrees with the fine, he won’t hold it against Silva for flaking on the media
promotion:

I’m the challenger, and this guy has been doing this for I don’t know how long. You can tell me, 11 title defenses or something like that? I don’t know. So he’s done a lot of media in his time, and he’s probably a little more sick of it than I am. So I have no problem picking up the tab.

If he manages to knock off Silva, all of the extra media work will have paid off big time for Weidman, who would quickly become one of the UFC’s biggest stars. Unfortunately, a loss would only validate the one thought on the minds of most fans:

Weidman is just another opponent not worth Silva’s time.

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Korean Zombie: Pettis ‘Cut in Line,’ Hasn’t Earned a Place in the Division Yet

Featherweight contender Chan-Sung Jung is likely on the verge of a title shot, with only fellow 145-pounder Ricardo Lamas standing in his way at UFC 162 next month.In an exclusive interview with BJPenn.com, “The Korean Zombie” spoke about the headlinin…

Featherweight contender Chan-Sung Jung is likely on the verge of a title shot, with only fellow 145-pounder Ricardo Lamas standing in his way at UFC 162 next month.

In an exclusive interview with BJPenn.com, “The Korean Zombie” spoke about the headlining featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis at the same event. 

Needless to say, the well-rounded fan favorite was less than thrilled that “Showtime” is making his 145-pound debut with an immediate title shot.

First off, I feel kind of like Pettis ‘cut in line’ … I disagree with the choice. It’s not as though I feel like I should be the one fighting Aldo, either. It’s just that Pettis hasn’t really earned a place in the division yet. I think that Lamas, myself or even some other guys should’ve gotten the title shot before Pettis.

After having his UFC debut spoiled by Clay Guida in June 2011, Pettis rattled off three straight wins, including back-to-back knockouts over perennial contenders Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone. 

The last WEC lightweight titleholder then decided he didn’t want to wait for a rematch with the UFC’s 155-pound champ Benson Henderson and instead opted to cut the extra 10 pounds to fight Aldo, via MMA Junkie. 

As it turns out, Aldo vs. Pettis takes place at UFC 163 on August 3, while Henderson vs. TJ Grant is being pegged for the main event of UFC on FOX Sports 1-1, which—also via MMA Junkie—takes place just two weeks later on August 17.

Also worth noting is that Jung was not opposed to seeing lightweight-turned-featherweight Frankie Edgar fight Aldo at UFC 156 in February, since Eric Koch suffered a late injury and few other viable replacements were available, via MMA Junkie.

Additionally, Jung makes note that he would prefer to face Aldo over Pettis and would like to headline a UFC pay-per-view in his homeland of Korea sometime in the near future. 

The 26-year-old is 3-0 under the UFC banner and has scored four fight bonuses during that span: two “Submission of the Night” awards, one “Knockout of the Night” and one “Fight of the Night” honor. 

His May 2012 bout with Dustin Poirier was also widely regarded as “The Fight of the Year” due to the high-paced, action-packed nature of the bout that Jung finished with a D’Arce choke in the fourth round.

Did the UFC make the right decision in booking Aldo vs. Pettis as the next featherweight title bout in August?

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

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Chael Sonnen Issues Challenge to Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua

Chael Sonnen never relents. After Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of his UFC 161 matchup against Maurcio “Shogun” Rua, via Ariel Helwani, h/t Bloody Elbow, fight fans and critics alike channeled their inner Joe Silva and attempted to pred…

Chael Sonnen never relents. 

After Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of his UFC 161 matchup against Maurcio “Shogun” Rua, via Ariel Helwani, h/t Bloody Elbow, fight fans and critics alike channeled their inner Joe Silva and attempted to predict possible replacement opponents to save the fight. 

Wanderlei Silva makes sense, but he is a close friend (not the picture you expected, eh?) of Shogun’s. 

Ryan Jimmo, who is set to fight on the UFC 161 preliminary card on FX, also seems like a decent replacement and should be well-tuned for battle, but he boasts a meager 1-1 record inside the Octagon and his name does not carry the heft of Nogueira. 

Who, oh who could save the day? 

Can you hear the rockets ignite as the Star Spangled Banner begins? What beautiful music. 

Chael Sonnen has arrived, and he has something to say. 

Taking to his favorite trash-talking, deal-drafting forum, Twitter, Sonnen penned this gem, aimed directly at Mr. Shogun. 

It seems clear Sonnen is prepared to fill in for Nogueira and save the co-main event of the evening, and the UFC would undoubtedly agree to the bout should Shogun accept. 

Sonnen is guaranteed to plant butts in seats—live and at home—and the promotion cannot afford to argue logistics at this point (not that they ever do when it comes to Sonnen, but I digress).

Should Shogun accept, this fight is all kinds of intriguing. Each man badly needs a win, and each has a distinct advantage in a major facet of the sport. 

For Sonnen, the advantage (as usual) lies in his stellar wrestling and top control. Shogun has shown exceptional ground skills throughout his career, but there is little doubt that Sonnen possesses the upper hand should the fight turn into a grappling match. 

Shogun, however, can deliver Sonnen his third straight loss by utilizing his exceptional Muay Thai attack. As is well documented, Shogun hits hard—very hard—and Sonnen does not particularly enjoy getting smashed in the face (see: Silva, Anderson or Jones, Jon). 

While Sonnen‘s tweet does not confirm anything at this point, this is a raging blip on every MMA fan’s radar, and the UFC needs to make a decision with UFC 161 rapidly approaching on June 15. 

What do you think, Bleacher Report faithful? Will Sonnen talk his way into a high-profile matchup again, or has he exhausted his “gimmes?” 

 

For fans of MMA, heavy metal or general absurdity, 

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Stephen Bonnar: I Never Even Dreamed of Being in the UFC Hall of Fame

The UFC announced that former light heavyweight champion/original “Ultimate Fighter” Forrest Griffin would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at the post-fight press conference for UFC 160 on May 25. In a move that has been heavily debated by f…

The UFC announced that former light heavyweight champion/original “Ultimate Fighter” Forrest Griffin would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at the post-fight press conference for UFC 160 on May 25. 

In a move that has been heavily debated by fans and analysts alike, the first TUF runner-up, Stephan Bonnar, will be joining him. 

“The American Psycho” had not weighed in on the honor until Friday, when he made an appearance on AXS TV’s Inside MMA. Bonnar seemed to be legitimately surprised to be so fortunate (via MMA Mania):

“I never even dreamed [of being in the Hall of Fame],” Bonnar said. “I did this as a hobby, I got picked for the show and just that was enough for me — I could have died happy there … If they want to put me in the Hall of Fame then like, my god what an honor, I never really expected it … just what an honor.”  

Bonnar’s last appearance in the Octagon was at UFC 153 in October, losing a light heavyweight bout to middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva via first-round TKO. 

The fan-friendly brawler failed his second post-fight drug test after the bout, testing positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone.

Prior to that matchup, Bonnar had won three straight fights, though he was still just 3-3 in his past six outings inside the Octagon. 

The 36-year-old black belt in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and taekwondo finished his career with a 15-8 overall record, never getting within striking distance of a title shot in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. 

Love or hate the decision to add Bonnar to the UFC Hall of Fame, he joins former champions and pioneers of the sport such as Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, among others. 

After his historic brawl with Griffin in April 2005, did Bonnar do everything he needed to earn a spot among other legends of the sport?

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

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UFC 161: Antonio Nogueira Injured, Fight vs. Shogun Rua Officially Canceled

Update: According to MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, the UFC has confirmed that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua is canceled.Currently, the promotion is looking a replacement before pulling “Shogun” of…

Update: According to MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, the UFC has confirmed that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua is canceled.

Currently, the promotion is looking a replacement before pulling “Shogun” off the card.

Another UFC event, another injury.

It appears that the much-anticipated UFC 161 fight between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Shogun Rua is in jeopardy, with reports claiming that “Little Nog” has an injured back.

Bloody Elbow relays the latest news, straight from Globo:

On his 37th birthday, the light-heavyweight Brazilian Rogerio Nogueira had to deal with an unpleasant situation: he will be forced to give up his rematch against Mauricio Rua at UFC 161 on June 15 in Winnipeg, Canada. A back problem again bothered the fighter.

Nogueira had been preparing well for the fight, but felt back pain because of a herniated disc in training last Monday. The problem is not serious, but it was enough to get him out of the fight, due to the proximity of it.

Naturally, the injury is extremely poor timing, but if it does in fact keep Nogueira from competing on June 15 on the Canada-bound card, there’s replacements available.

In fact, over a dozen fighters could get the call.

Should the UFC desire someone coming off a win, some likely names could include Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hamill or Jimi Manuwa.

Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson are also awaiting Octagon returns, but both of them are on the short list of current contenders to Jon Jones’ UFC title.

This would also be Nogueira’s third injury since August 2011.

Previously, the Brazilian had actually been set up for bouts against former champion Rich Franklin (at UFC 133) and Gustafsson (at UFC on Fuel TV 2), but both a shoulder injury and a late knee injury derailed both matchups, respectively.

 

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.

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