Tag: Breaking News

Invicta FC 5: Sarah Kaufman Looking for Rematch with UFC Champ Ronda Rousey

Before Ronda Rousey became the face of women’s MMA, Canada’s own Sarah Kaufman was widely considered the pound-for-pound best female fighter in world.That wouldn’t last—the popular Rousey continued to rise undefeated through Strikeforce while Kau…

Before Ronda Rousey became the face of women’s MMA, Canada’s own Sarah Kaufman was widely considered the pound-for-pound best female fighter in world.

That wouldn’t last—the popular Rousey continued to rise undefeated through Strikeforce while Kaufman dropped a featherweight title defense to Marloes Coenen and a bantamweight championship bout to Rousey just three fights later.

Now, Kaufman will start her comeback in the all-women’s Invicta FC 5 event on April 5, but she still wants another shot at Rousey.

During an interview with the MMA Underground, Kaufman talked about her previous win over potential Ultimate Fighter 18 coach Miesha Tate and where she wants to go if she notches a win on Friday in Kansas City:

100% I want Ronda Rousey. I will continue to put on exciting fights and beat my way back to the top. Women (and the 135lb division) in MMA are in a great place right now. We have the UFC, Invicta, Bellator, and other organizations all putting on some amazing fights. I want to continue to be a part of that growth and push the boundaries even further. Miesha Tate was also fun to punch in the face. I’d love to get that opportunity again, but this time, finish her before the final bell!

Kaufman previously defeated Tate in her May 2009 Strikeforce debut by unanimous decision, but the two fighters are in very different places nearly four years later.

Both women would eventually lose title matches against Rousey, though, with Kaufman falling prey to an armbar in just 54 seconds. 

Tate would rebound a win in her final Strikeforce bout and a UFC contract, where she’s currently scheduled to fight Cat Zigano at the upcoming TUF 17 Finale in Las Vegas on April 13.

(That match will be the second-ever female fight in UFC history, set as part of the event’s main card.)

Whoever wins that fight will go on to coach opposite of Rousey in the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will include a mix of male and female bantamweight fighters—a rare first in the show’s eight-year history.

Rousey and Tate are noted for having an intense rivalry, so a win for Tate could mean huge ratings for TUF and the UFC next season. Kaufman is one of the few female MMA bantamweights to have earned a UFC contract, so a victory at Invicta FC 5 might potentially start building up a solid case for a rematch with Rousey.

 

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

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen to Jon Jones: ‘I’m the Biggest Draw This Industry Has Ever Seen’

Upcoming UFC light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday and had a special birthday address in store for Jon Jones on the latest edition of UFC Tonight.”The American Gangster” didn’t have to say much to prope…

Upcoming UFC light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday and had a special birthday address in store for Jon Jones on the latest edition of UFC Tonight.

“The American Gangster” didn’t have to say much to properly hype the UFC 159 main event, which takes place on April 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Transcription via BJPenn.com:

I will come on stage, I will sell the tickets. I’m the highest paid fighter in the history of the UFC and I’m the biggest draw this industry has ever seen. So Jon, when I get done, grab your broom and sweep up afterwards.

Clearly, Sonnen has no doubt that interest for this 205-pound title fight is at an all-time high and he expects to pull the massive upset over “Bones.”

As far as his career salary goes, a fun fact is that Sonnen is No. 60 on the UFC’s all-time earner list, raking in roughly $582,000 in 11 Octagon appearances (via MMA Manifesto). 

His claim to being the top draw of all time is a little more realistic. His rematch with Anderson Silva at UFC 148 did roughly one million pay-per-view buys, making it the sixth top selling UFC PPV ever (also via MMA Manifesto). 

Of course, “Uncle Chael” has never been the one to let the facts get in the way of a good WWE-style promo, so check out the choice words he had for Jones as he concluded. 

On 4/27 at 7:00 PM, 10:00 in the East, not that the East coast matters, and only on PPV, by Chael Sonnen promotions in conjunction with Zuffa, LLC will bring to you the biggest fight of the year, the biggest light heavyweight fight of all time. The young Jon Jones at last will have what every young fight dreams, a chance to go one on one, to actually share the people’s Octagon with Chael Sonnen … Jon Jones, beat me, if you can.

The matchup comes after Sonnen and Jones coached opposite one another on season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Sonnen enters the bout winning five of his past seven fights, with both losses coming at the hands of Silva, the UFC’s middleweight champ. 

Meanwhile, Jones currently boasts an eight-fight win streak and looks to tie Tito Ortiz’s UFC light heavyweight record of five consecutive title defense. 

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Rick Hawn Beat Karo Parisyan in Judo and Plans Do to the Same at Bellator 95

The history between Bellator 95 fighters Rick Hawn and Karo Parisyan goes back more than a decade when they were both Judo practitioners looking to make their Olympic dream a reality. Their careers splintered into two very different directions after th…

The history between Bellator 95 fighters Rick Hawn and Karo Parisyan goes back more than a decade when they were both Judo practitioners looking to make their Olympic dream a reality.

Their careers splintered into two very different directions after that time however as Hawn remained focused on Judo all the way until 2008, while Parisyan opted for a career in mixed martial arts that saw him fighting much more experience competitors when he was only 17-years old.

Hawn eventually made his way to MMA as well, and now, years later he meets Parisyan in the cage as opposed to the mats where they first met all those many years ago.

“We were in the same weight class actually in the 90’s, early 2000’s, but we fought at the same weight class 178-pounds.  We fought a couple times, I won both those fights way back when,” Hawn told Bleacher Report about his history with Parisyan.  “So he was definitely someone I knew of and maybe left judo early to pursue MMA.  It was a person that was just another rival, another competitor I guess.”

To look at their records, the assumption would be that Parisyan is the older, grizzled veteran going into his fight with Hawn on Thursday night, but the one-time UFC welterweight contender is only 30-years old while his opponent will celebrate his 37th birthday later this year.

15 years of fighting MMA has put a ton of wear and tear on Parisyan however, and despite the fact that he’s the younger of the two former Judo stars, he’s seen plenty of ups and downs since his first professional bout in 1999.

During those years and fights, Parisyan has often been accused of not taking his training seriously and dedicating the work necessary to match the incredible skill he seemed to possess whenever he stepped foot in a cage. Parisyan has also struggled mightily with panic attacks that have literally crippled him before fighting, and it’s an ongoing battle he continues to fight today.

Hawn‘s heard all the stories about Parisyan and his mental preparedness going into fights, and he believes that’s one area that he trumps his former judo mate in a big way and it will show on Thursday night.

“It does come down to mental preparation.  I’ve been a professional for many, many years and I know how to prepare. I’ve trained with the best fighters, the best judo guys, I know what it takes to be the best,” said Hawn.   “I know how to do that. I do that same thing for MMA.  I prepare mentally and physically the best way I can. I’ve never really seen that from his side, even when he was on back in the day.  He did well, but I think mentally I have a huge up on him.”

Hawn has watched plenty of tape on Parisyan ahead of their fight this week.  He studied the fights where Parisyan was on a short list of the best welterweights in the world, but Hawn has also watched plenty of fights that he’s had recently as well. 

Over his last seven fights, Parisyan has gone 3-4 with sporadic performances happening over the last three years. When on his game, Parisyan can still be one of the most dangerous fighters at 170 pounds, but it’s a mystery when that version will show up. Hawn isn’t sure that version of Parisyan will ever appear again, but he plans on testing the waters on Thursday night.

“He’s not the same fighter he was back in the early days in the UFC.  He may never be that same fighter again,” Hawn said about Parisyan.   “I don’t think he’s back to that point now.  I’ve watched the videos of the last year or so, and I’ve broken it down a little bit and kind of picked him apart and see what I can exploit.”

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

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UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz Drug Test Results All Return Negative

The drug test results for UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz have been returned, and no fighter tested came back with a positive result. The Quebec Boxing Commission, who oversees mixed martial arts regulations, emailed the results to Bleacher Report on Thurs…

The drug test results for UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz have been returned, and no fighter tested came back with a positive result.

The Quebec Boxing Commission, who oversees mixed martial arts regulations, emailed the results to Bleacher Report on Thursday confirming the results.

According to the statement, six fighters at UFC 158 were tested in their anti-doping program and all six came back with negative results.

Due to medical laws and the rules within the commission, it does not, however, release the names of the six fighters who were tested nor the drugs that they were tested for at the event.

While no names were released, it’s almost standard practice among athletic commissions that the main event fighters will be among those tested and in this case four other random fighters on the card. 

Regardless whom the fighters were that were drug tested, Nick Diaz’s name did not pop up, which means he’s clear to return to action if he decides to come out of retirement.

Prior to UFC 158 taking place, Diaz, who has twice been suspended in the past for positive tests for marijuana, stated that he’s not sure if he’d pass a drug test if it was administered while he was in Montreal.

“I think (at UFC 143) I tested for a metabolite or a nanogram, it was hardly (anything) so I just did a little more than I did last time so, sorry if I don’t pass the test, but I think it should work out,” Diaz said at the UFC 158 pre-fight press conference. “I’ve passed plenty of them before, unless they just weren’t testing me.”

Even UFC President Dana White expressed that if Diaz should fail a third test for marijuana post UFC 158 that he might have to make the hard decision to cut the Stockton fighter. It looks like if Diaz wants to come back and compete again, so he’s safe to call the UFC home.

The Quebec commission has come under fire since UFC 158 for what has been dubbed “Weight Gate” where there was an apparent rule that allowed title fighters Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz to come in as high as 170.9 pounds and still be ruled as weighing 170 pounds. It’s standard practice that for title fights, the competitors must weigh in at or under the weight limit for that particular division, in this case 170 pounds.

Attorneys for Diaz have threatened to file an appeal with the commission over the incident, but no action has been taken at this time.

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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Alexander Gustafsson on UFC on Fuel 9 ‘Worst Time of My Career’

UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson has spoken of his bitter disappointment in being forced out of this Saturday’s UFC on Fuel 9 event in his home country of Sweden. In an interview with Fighters Only Magazine, he described it as the &ldqu…

UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson has spoken of his bitter disappointment in being forced out of this Saturday’s UFC on Fuel 9 event in his home country of Sweden.

In an interview with Fighters Only Magazine, he described it as the “worst time of my career.”

“It’s been terrible, been the worst moment in my life in my career so far. I lost once in my career but this is even worse. It’s been a circus. It’s been a rollercoaster,” said Gustafsson.

The Swedish title prospect was scheduled to fight former Strikeforce and DREAM 205-pound champion Gegard Mousasi in the latter’s first appearance under the UFC banner. A win in the match could have potentially launched him straight into a title fight against division champion Jon Jones, who’s currently training for a match again Chael Sonnen later this month.

“After I got the stitches the doctor said here in Sweden they’re very sensitive when it comes to blood and everything,” said Gustafsson.

The decision of the Swedish MMA Federation (SMMAF) to refuse to licence the fighter after inspecting the injury, has been highly controversial. UFC president Dana White has called it “the worst decision I have ever seen to pull [a] fight.”

Gustafsson agrees.

“I’ve been fighting the whole week me and my team to just get this fight, to make this happen. Just few days ago this wasn’t a problem. In my wildest fantasies I would never believe this would be happening…But now it’s happened and everything went so fast, I’ve been training my ass off, it’s been the best camp in my career, I’m in the best shape ever, I’m ready for fighting 10 rounds. I’m super hungry to fight.”

This is, indeed, a huge blow to the Swede who has only ever lost once in his entire 16-fight MMA career, and is currently riding a six-fight win streak. That has taken him closer to the title than almost anyone else in the division, and on Saturday, against Mousasi, he was ready to make his case. That is all left for an uncertain future now which, in the shifting sands of the UFC, could mean a title prospect is a long way off.

Jones is due to take on Sonnen at UFC 159 on April 27. Should the champion win, he could face Lyoto Machida in a rematch, after the Brazilian defeated former No. 1 contender, Dan Henderson, earlier this year.

However, that fight isn’t certain either, since Machida is eager to get back in the cage in a pre-title fight, perhaps at catchweight, against a different opponent. It may end up that the winner of Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans at UFC 161 in June gets the nod instead—even though Evans has also faced and lost to Jones before.

There are certainly plenty of options for the UFC, if its 205-pound kingpin does in fact get past Sonnen in a couple of weeks. That’s why it’s imperative for Gustafsson to get back in the cage as soon as possible and make his case.

The Swedish fighter says he has no idea when he’ll be able to fight next, but he has been told to let the injury heal for a further two weeks.

Mousasi, meanwhile, is now facing Gustafsson’s teammate, the little known—and little fancied—Ilir Latifi.

Of his replacement, the Swede says, “He’s a great person and a great athlete. He’s very serious and he’s a strong guy. He’s going to give Gegard a fight on Saturday, that’s for sure.”

The match takes place in Stockholm on April 6.

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UFC President Dana White Lashes out at Fans over UFC on Fuel 9, Gustafsson

Several fans aren’t happy about losing Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi as the UFC on Fuel 9 main event, but Dana White doesn’t want to hear it.After all, the card is “free” on Fuel TV.But with Gustafsson officially benched due to a cut about hi…

Several fans aren’t happy about losing Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi as the UFC on Fuel 9 main event, but Dana White doesn’t want to hear it.

After all, the card is “free” on Fuel TV.

But with Gustafsson officially benched due to a cut about his left eye, Mousasi is now in a risky situation, facing a virtual unknown in Swedish fighter Ilir Latifi, a 29-year-old prospect with just 10 total bouts on his professional MMA record.

As more people have voiced their displeasure to Dana White on Twitter, the UFC president has fired back at some of his detractors, apparently fed up with the feedback:

Even though Swedish website MMA NYTT had reported on March 31 that Gustafsson would likely not be medically cleared to fight, White spent April 1 re-assuring fans that “The Mauler” was still scheduled to meet Mousasi in Stockholm, Sweden.

Fans were left with nothing but confusion in the wake, even falling for an April Fools’ Day prank by Wanderlei Silva, who claimed that the UFC asked him to step in on short notice. Many outlets reported Silva’s statement, with even Mousasi saying that he would accept the fight.

Of course, the whole thing turned out to be a ruse.

According to Mousasi (via MMA Junkie), even former UFC champion Vitor Belfort was rumored at one point to be a potential candidate for a last-minute replacement, but that plan apparently never came to fruition.

Instead, the main event spot eventually wound up going to Latifi—Gustafsson’s sparring partner at the Allstars Training Center.

Since none of the other bouts in the Fuel TV event were suitable as an alternate headliner, some MMA pundits have argued that the card is far less appealing without a “name” fighter like Gustafsson. That doesn’t fly with White, who says there’s little reason to complain:

Unless prominent MMA journalists fail to press the issue, White may have to field questions about how he handled the entire debacle during the remainder of fight week.

Overall, it’s not unusual behavior for the bombastic and sharp-tongued UFC president, who often uses his Twitter account to interact with nearly 2.5 million followers. Over the years, Dana White hasn’t been shy about frequently trading thoughts, opinions and insults with many of his fans—and UFC on Fuel 9 is no exception.

 

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

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com