Tag: Breaking News

Kyle Noke Wants Ultimate Fighter Coaching Job and Then Fight Patrick Cote

Former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Kyle Noke is hoping that he can bring his UFC career full circle by putting his name in the hat to become a coach on the new international season of the reality show, which pits his native Australia against Canada…

Former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Kyle Noke is hoping that he can bring his UFC career full circle by putting his name in the hat to become a coach on the new international season of the reality show, which pits his native Australia against Canada.

Noke, who was one of the first fighters to come to prominence out of Australia, has been nursing a wrist injury after having surgery just weeks ago, but he’s already targeting his next mission in the UFC.

While he missed out on the first season of the international reality show while fellow countryman George Sotiropoulos took on Ross Pearson, Noke is ready for the challenge in the next version.

“That’s something that I definitely want to do, and I think me versus probably Patrick Cote would be the most logical choice for the coaching job,” Noke told MMA‘s Great Debate Radio recently.  “I’d love to fight him, I’d love to see it.  I know he’s been tweeting about it and would love the job also.  So we both want the job, let’s get in there and do it.

“He’s another big guy, he just came down a weight division.  I think that would be a great fight, and it would be a great show to have me versus him.”

Cote also told Bleacher Report recently, after inking a new multi-fight deal with the UFC, that a job coaching Team Canada on the The Ultimate Fighter would be a dream come true.  Just like Noke, Cote is a former contestant on the reality show and has plenty of real world UFC experience to pass on to the next crop of Octagon hopefuls.

For his part more than anything, Noke just wants to be a part of the show so he can continue to help drive the sport of MMA in his native country.  While he trains primarily in New Mexico now as part of Team Greg Jackson, Noke still travels home whenever he can to help fighters in Australia as well.

He believes being on the The Ultimate Fighter would be a great showcase to take the sport to the next level, and he wants to be a part of it.

“It would mean a lot to me.  I’d love to have the opportunity to coach the young Australians, and help them pursue their dreams and it would mean the world to me,” Noke stated.  “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I’d be happy.”

Noke thinks that Cote is the natural choice as an opponent and as a fellow coach on the reality show, but no matter who he’d be matched up with, he wants in as the head of Team Australia.

If it’s Cote or another Canadian, it really doesn’t matter much to Noke.  He just wants to be a part of this season and represent Australia like he’s been doing since day one when he first stepped on the mats.

“I think it would be the best option for both of us.  Either way I don’t care who it is,” Noke stated.   “I want the job and I’m prepared to fight anyone for it.  For me, Patrick would probably be the best opposing coach.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

John Cholish: UFC Underpays Fighters, Many Don’t Break Even

Former UFC lightweight John Cholish, who abruptly retired before his loss Saturday night at UFC on FX 8, said Monday that he retired from fighting because his pay was too low.“I can say from how I’ve been treated directly and on my understa…

Former UFC lightweight John Cholish, who abruptly retired before his loss Saturday night at UFC on FX 8, said Monday that he retired from fighting because his pay was too low.

“I can say from how I’ve been treated directly and on my understanding of what the UFC takes in on an annual basis that they could compensate the lower-level fighters…and even the upper-level fighters a little bit better,” Cholish said Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast.

The issue of fighter pay has long been a radioactive topic for MMA in general and particularly for the UFC, a promotion that has long defended itself against claims of undercompensation and resisted calls for reform but does not formally release fighter salary or revenue figures.

Cholish, 29, finished 8-3 in his MMA career and 1-2 in the UFC Octagon. Cholish, who also works full time for an energy commodities brokerage firm on Wall Street, said he had spoken with other fighters and professionals in and around the sport and in both the UFC and other promotions who share the belief that fighters are underpaid.

To date, however, few have spoken out on the issue. Apparently, as a result of his public stance on such a sensitive topic, Cholish said an unnamed fighter who also was on the UFC on FX 8 card Saturday refused to take a picture with Cholish.

“I just think a lot of fighters feel the same exact way I do but are just in a situation or a position where for lack of a better word they’re just scared to speak out because they’re worried about the repercussions,” Cholish said.

Cholish said he personally earned $8,000 to show up for his fight Saturday night, with another $8,000 if he won (he lost to Gleison Tibau). However, Cholish said he “probably won’t receive any money” for his efforts after subtracting expenses. Cholish estimated that the costs of his camp and for his team to travel to Brazil for UFC on FX 8 would probably total between $5,000 and $10,000. Those costs included medical tests, extra visas, licensing fees and payments to coaches and management.

“I think if you’re a fighter on the lower level you should at least be getting enough income win or lose in your fight so that…you can go into that fight fully focused on the fight,” Cholish said. “I don’t understand how [lower-level fighters] can live off the income at this level.”

Cholish said a relatively small difference—adding “$5,000 or $10,000” to the base pay of lower-level fighters—could go a long way for fighters.

“Going into these fights, I knew I was going to lose money,” Cholish said. “If I’m losing money, is it really something I want to keep doing, especially if I’m putting myself at risk?”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva Isn’t Looking for Revenge, Only the Gold at UFC 160

If there’s one thing to be said about UFC 160 main event fighter Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, it’s that he has the ability to rise to the occasion when the entire world seems to be counting him out. In February of 2011, Silva was matched up with former pou…

If there’s one thing to be said about UFC 160 main event fighter Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, it’s that he has the ability to rise to the occasion when the entire world seems to be counting him out.

In February of 2011, Silva was matched up with former pound-for-pound king and heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko in the opening round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Emelianenko was entering the fight off a loss to Fabricio Werdum, but many considered it to be a fluke mistake the Russian made getting caught in a triangle choke early in the opening round.

The bout with Silva was supposed to be Emelianenko‘s charge back to the top of the rankings, but what happened in the fight was a far cry from a triumphant return.  Silva manhandled Emelianenko for the better part of 10 minutes before the fight was stopped due to damage the Russian endured while battling the giant Brazilian fighter.

Silva once again had the odds stacked against him when he faced former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in February at UFC 156.  It seemed everybody had already anointed Overeem as the next challenger to the UFC heavyweight title and his fight with Silva was merely a formality.

Unfortunately for Overeem, Silva had much different plans and instead knocked out the former K-1 kickboxing champion in the third round to not only shock the world but claim his spot as the top contender in the heavyweight division.

Now just a few days away from his first crack at the UFC heavyweight title, Silva is again facing what seem to be insurmountable odds.

Silva’s title shot comes against Cain Velasquez—the same fighter who gave him a very rude welcome to the Octagon by beating him in the first round by TKO almost exactly one year ago.  So heading into the rematch, Silva is again in familiar territory.

He isn’t one to look at his history and believe that upsets are something he just excels at when he steps in the cage.  Silva knows that if his preparation is on point, he can beat any fighter on the planet whether he’s the favorite or a huge underdog.

“I don’t want and don’t like to show anyone some type of proof,” Silva told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview.  “Just that I train hard and try to achieve good victories because I love to fight.”

If proving naysayers wrong doesn’t serve as Silva’s motivation, how about good, old fashioned revenge?

It’s hard to erase the image of Velasquez taking Silva down in their last fight and literally pounding him into a bloody mess that preceded the end of the night for the Brazilian.  Maybe it’s his best poker face, but according to Silva, this fight isn’t about revenge or redemption.

It’s about facing the best heavyweight in the world and when the fight is over taking home the UFC gold.

“I don’t think about revenge,” Silva stated.  “I’m professional and all I want is to fight and win.  There is a feeling of a rematch and I want the belt.  This is an extra motive.

“This is definitely a great moment in my career, but I don’t put pressure on myself.  This fight is just another important fight in my life.”

While their last fight ended with Silva wearing a crimson mask, it also provided him with a large amount of knowledge for how Velasquez may approach this rematch. He felt the UFC champion’s strength and wrestling in their last fight, and it gives Silva plenty of ammunition to load up for the rematch this Saturday night.

“Cain Velasquez is an excellent wrestling and a complete athlete and I respect him a lot,” Silva said.  “I am training well and I am going to do what my trainers taught me because I am sure it will work.  For every attack, there is a defense and a counterattack.”

Silva doesn’t care much about how this fight plays out in terms of him gunning for a knockout or a submission.  If he walks out of UFC 160 with the heavyweight title, he’s going to be a very happy man.

So when it came down to a prediction on how the fight with Velasquez will end—Silva kept it simple and said “with my arms raised in the air.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Daniel Cormier Wants Next Fight at UFC on Fox Sports 1 Alongside Chael Sonnen

Former Strikeforce heavyweight and Olympic talent Daniel Cormier is still eyeing a cut to 205 pounds, but he wants a fight at UFC on Fox Sports 1 this August.During a UFC on FX 8 post-fight coverage segment on Fuel TV (via MMA Weekly), the top-ranked c…

Former Strikeforce heavyweight and Olympic talent Daniel Cormier is still eyeing a cut to 205 pounds, but he wants a fight at UFC on Fox Sports 1 this August.

During a UFC on FX 8 post-fight coverage segment on Fuel TV (via MMA Weekly), the top-ranked contender asked for a fight at heavyweight to follow up on his one-sided decision victory over former UFC champion Frank Mir:

I want to fight on the first card on FOX Sports 1 in Boston on Aug. 17. And I hope my man Chael Sonnen is fighting Wanderlei Silva next to me. Put us on the card, boss!

At the end of the day I can’t cut massive amounts of weight.  That’s well documented from my problems in the Olympic games.  But I can diet, and when I’m dieting I can still fight.  Can I fight at 205? No.  Because it’s too much weight to cut in a short period of time.  But could I fight a heavyweight fight and just be a little lighter? I think so.

UFC on Fox Sports 1 takes place on August 17, and given the timing, that would only free up two names on the promotion’s roster.

Currently, the only winning heavyweights yet to face Cormier without a fight scheduled are Roy Nelson and Todd Duffee.

Since Duffee is nowhere near the title hunt and well outside of the official UFC rankings, that would make Nelson the most likely candidate for Cormier at UFC on Fox Sports 1, assuredly for a title eliminator on the main card.

Moreover, Cormier has already declared that he refuses to fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship (via MMA Weekly) as long as Cain Velasquez holds the title. Both men are friends and training partners at the American Kickboxing Academy.

In 2008, Cormier suffered kidney failure while competing at the Olympic Games, due to massive weight cutting of 20- to 30-pound increments, according to Sports Illustrated.

As a result, the common practice of weight cutting in MMA isn’t a safe or viable option for the relatively stout Cormier—standing at a mere 5’10” in height—despite stepping onto the scales before UFC on Fox 7 at 30 pounds under the 265 heavyweight limit.

 

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.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Luke Rockhold on Vitor Belfort Loss: ‘TRT Had Nothing to Do with That Kick’

Following a brutal highlight-reel worthy knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8, Luke Rockhold isn’t making any excuses. Speaking with MMA Junkie following the event, the American Kickboxing Academy member refused to blame the …

Following a brutal highlight-reel worthy knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8, Luke Rockhold isn’t making any excuses. 

Speaking with MMA Junkie following the event, the American Kickboxing Academy member refused to blame the loss on “The Phenom’s” testosterone replacement therapy usage. 

“TRT had nothing to do with that kick,” Rockhold said. “I lost to one of the best guys in the world, and it was something pretty spectacular,” Rockhold said. “I don’t know what to really think about anything right now. I just want to get back and fight and beat someone up. That’s what I’m focused on. Good job by Vitor. What can I say?” 

The victory improved Belfort‘s record at middleweight to 5-1, including back-to-back headkick knockouts over Rockhold, a former Strikeforce champ, and perennial contender Michael Bisping. 

His only loss at 185-pounds came against long-reigning titleholder Anderson Silva at UFC 126 in February 2011, where Belfort suffered a devastating headkick knockout of his own.

Despite being ranked second in the UFC’s official list of top 10 middleweights, Belfort may never receive another title shot due to the controversy surrounding his TRT use. 

As Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer told Bleacher Report in March, it is unlikely that Belfort would get licensed in the states due to failing a post-fight drug test for steroids in 2006 (via MMA Weekly). 

Leading up to the fight, Rockhold was anything but complimentary of his Brazilian counterpart, saying that his TRT exemption is a loophole used to cheat the system (via ESPN).

The loss snaps a nine-fight win streak for Rockhold, who also indicated that he would like to have a quick turnaround for his next fight. 

Should Chris Weidman pull off a major upset and defeat Silva at UFC 162 this July, Belfort would clearly be the front runner for the next shot at the middleweight strap.

However, if Silva notches yet another successful title defense, Belfort will likely need to win at least one more fight before he is seriously considered for another championship bout.

 

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.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Manager: Carlos Condit Targeting August/September Return to the Octagon

UFC welterweight contender Carlos Condit wasn’t kidding after his last fight against Johny Hendricks that he really wanted to concentrate on bettering his wrestling before returning to the Octagon. In his last two fights, Condit struggled to stop the o…

UFC welterweight contender Carlos Condit wasn’t kidding after his last fight against Johny Hendricks that he really wanted to concentrate on bettering his wrestling before returning to the Octagon.

In his last two fights, Condit struggled to stop the offensive wrestling advances of both Hendricks and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Takedowns were the biggest difference in scoring during both bouts, and following his second consecutive loss he wanted to dedicate himself to adding that element to his game.

Now more than two months removed from the fight with Hendricks, Condit is starting to receive calls from the UFC about his return to action, and it appears that a late summer date could be the time when the “Natural Born Killer” next appears in the cage.

According to Condit‘s manager Malki Kawa, the New Mexico-based fighter has a potential fight being offered to him, but no deal has been struck just yet to make it happen. Kawa says when Condit reappears in the UFC he wants to make sure wrestling is never a reason he loses a fight again, so timing is crucial for his return.

“There actually is a fight on the radar,” Kawa revealed when speaking to MMA‘s Great Debate Radio. “The UFC has been talking about a fight for Carlos Condit, but Carlos right now at this moment is looking to improve his wrestling. He’s really concentrating on that a lot. I’ll have a conversation with Carlos this week and figure out if he wants to do something in August or September.”

Condit‘s personal timetable would land him on a card in September, possibly even the recently announced UFC 165 fight card taking place in Toronto that month. The UFC would like to place Condit on a card in August, but it’s unknown at this time which date will end up on his calendar.

“I think his timetable is September, and I think the UFC wants him to come back and fight some time in August,” Kawa stated. “So we’ll see what happens, I think right now he really wants to perfect his wrestling.”

While Condit‘s record may sport two losses in a row on it, that doesn’t mean his career is by any means at a crossroads where he desperately needs a win. Condit is still ranked No. 2 in the world at 170 pounds according to the official UFC ranking system, and the only losses he’s suffered in the past few years came at the hands of the welterweight champion and the current No. 1 contender.

Still the right fight needs to happen for Condit to get back into title contention and in the win column. 

A couple of names brought up to Kawa included former UFC welterweight title contender Nick Diaz and top-10 fighter Martin Kampmann. Both would be interesting rematches for Condit, who holds a win over Diaz and suffered his first loss in the UFC to Kampmann.

“I think those are two fights that definitely interest Carlos. I think any fight that gets him back into title contention is an interesting fight to him,” Kawa said. “If Nick was interested in that rematch, I think we’d give it to him. I think it’s a big-money fight, and I think it’s an opportunity for Carlos to go out there and finish him this time. I think the Kampmann fight is interesting only from the aspect of him avenging that loss.”

Currently, Diaz remains retired after suffering a loss to St-Pierre at UFC 158 in March, but a rematch with Condit could potentially serve as motivation to draw the Stockton, Calif., native out of hibernation. Kampmann hasn’t fought since his own loss to Hendricks in November 2012, but a fight against Condit may be the right way to jump back into the deep end of the welterweight division for the veteran contender.

Either way, decisions on Condit‘s next fight will be made soon with the August UFC cards filling up now, and September won’t fall far behind.

“He told me September, the UFC wants him in August,” Kawa revealed.  “We’ll figure it out and see what happens.  It’s all up to him and what he decides what he wants to do.”

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com