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UFC Morning Update: Sonnen Plays More Games, Fedor to UFC

Monday was a busy day in the world of mixed martial arts. We had another sweet UFC press conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Chael Sonnen tried to channel Jesse “The Body” Ventura circa 1990, and Fedor Emelianenko set the hearts of fanboys…

Let’s get right to the latest, shall we?

The Lead: Chael Sonnen Is What We Thought He Was

Oh, Chael Sonnen. We should’ve known you couldn’t have been serious when you issued an apology to Anderson Silva yesterday. We should’ve realized it was all just another ploy for you to release yet another pro wrestling interview like the ones from Don Owen’s Portland Wrestling that you grew up watching when you were a kid.

In case you missed it on last night’s episode of UFC Tonight, here’s Sonnen’s apology in full.

Actually, I did realize that last night’s outcome was the most likely one for this whole thing. That’s why I included it as Sonnen’s first potential reason for the apology during yesterday’s column.

The first and most likely scenario is that it’s simply another ploy by Sonnen. He’ll draw people into watching UFC Tonight under the guise of this apology, only to drop the proverbial hammer on Silva once again.

I know a lot of you hate any and all comparisons to professional wrestling, but I’ll still point out that this is an old tactic used in pro wrestling storylines designed to put even more “heat” on the bad guy, or heel.

Sonnen indeed dropped the proverbial hammer.

I’m a longtime fan of professional wrestling, or at least I was a fan of the stuff that was on television up until about 10 years ago. And so I understand that what Sonnen is doing here is the same thing he’s been doing for the past two years. Sonnen used his mouth to turn himself from “just another guy” into a championship contender.

All he’s really doing here is ensuring that the championship reign continues and that folks are still interested in seeing him fight Silva when June rolls around.

Monday’s Five Biggest News Stories

1. Henderson vs. Edgar rematch booked: Dana White met with Frankie Edgar after the UFC on FOX press conference in New York City yesterday and told the former lightweight champion that he’s going to get his rematch with Benson Henderson. The fight will take place this summer. As Jonathan Snowden said last night, it’s the right call.

2. Nogueira injured (again); Thiago Silva faces Alexander Gustafsson: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the toughest and more durable fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. His little brother Rogerio? Not so much. The littlest Nog once again had to pull out of a main-event fight, leaving former opponent Gustafsson to face the monstrous (and possibly genetically altered) Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC on Fuel in Sweden in early April.

3. Dos Santos vs. Overeem confirmed for UFC 146: The biggest heavyweight fight of the year will officially take place on Memorial Day’s UFC 146 card in Las Vegas. The UFC made the bout official yesterday, and tickets for the event go on sale shortly.

4. Fedor Emelianenko hints at a move to the UFC: The Russian fighter says his next bout will be in “June or July” and says that his best potential opponents remain in the UFC. I firmly believe Emelianenko wants to be in the UFC; unfortunately, his interests are controlled by some the very shady men at M-1 Global.

5. Dana White says “hell no” to Tim Sylvia: White emphatically slammed the UFC’s front door in Sylvia’s face during yesterday’s press conference, telling a reporter “hell no” before he could even finish formulating a question about White allowing Sylvia to return. I’m not Sylvia’s biggest fan and I still wouldn’t mind seeing the former heavyweight champion get a shot at returning, if only to see what he’d do against a fighter like Lavar Johnson. Hint: Johnson would eat him for breakfast.

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Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson Rematch: Dana White Made the Right Call

“What’s right?”That was Frankie Edgar’s question after losing his title to Ben Henderson in an epic bout at UFC 144. Edgar fought his heart out, taking Henderson to the limit. You could easily make the case Edgar won the five-round battle—Frankie…

“What’s right?”

That was Frankie Edgar‘s question after losing his title to Ben Henderson in an epic bout at UFC 144. Edgar fought his heart out, taking Henderson to the limit. You could easily make the case Edgar won the five-round battle—Frankie and others certainly did.

A rematch seemed the natural thing to do. After all, Frankie is no stranger to rematches. When Edgar won the title in a close fight against B.J. Penn, the UFC immediately granted Penn a rematch. Edgar’s draw with Gray Maynard last year was also replayed nine months later.

But, UFC President Dana White was hesitant to pull the trigger. White would clearly prefer to see Edgar drop down to 145 pounds to face featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Frankie, to his credit, stuck to his guns.

He didn’t want Aldo. He wanted to finish his business with Henderson. He thought he won the first fight and doesn’t want to let an opponent he thinks he can beat run him out of the division. Edgar’s confident.

And history tells us that he should be. Against Penn and Maynard, Edgar showed marked improvement between the first and second fights. The first fight with Penn was a razor-thin decision. In the second, Edgar dominated the five-round bout. Maynard didn’t survive his third fight with Edgar, falling by knockout in the fourth round.

Edgar and his team are able to get inside their opponent’s head. They figure out exactly what he intends to do, and the second time around, they capitalize on it in a major way.

The first fight was a tough one for Ben Henderson. In the rematch, he better come ready to fight because he’s going to find himself in a brand-new fight with a brand-new Frankie Edgar. It looks like 2012 just got its odds-on favorite for fight of the year.

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Chael Sonnen Apologizes to Anderson Silva, but Why?

It seems Chael Sonnen has had a change of heart when it comes to Anderson Silva.From a press release detailing tonight’s episode of UFC Tonight comes this gem of a quote:Anderson, over the last several months, I’ve disparaged your name in at…

It seems Chael Sonnen has had a change of heart when it comes to Anderson Silva.

From a press release detailing tonight’s episode of UFC Tonight comes this gem of a quote:

Anderson, over the last several months, I’ve disparaged your name in attempt to garner respect and attention for my own. That was wrong & I apologize. My actions were unsportsmanlike, they were uncalled for.

There are two ways to look at this.

The first and most likely scenario is that it’s simply another ploy by Sonnen. He’ll draw people into watching UFC Tonight under the guise of this apology, only to drop the proverbial hammer on Silva once again.

I know a lot of you hate any and all comparisons to professional wrestling, but I’ll still point out that this is an old tactic used in pro wrestling storylines designed to put even more “heat” on the bad guy, or heel.

The second scenario? Silva wouldn’t sign his contract to face Sonnen in June unless Sonnen issued a public apology. This is a plausible scenario. Silva used to think Sonnen’s games and verbal tirades were cute, but according to sources close to the middleweight champion’s camp, Silva has grown tired of the carnival barker-style abuse.

The magic of the first Silva/Sonnen fight was the newness of it all. Few professional fighters had ever embraced their love for pro wrestling like Sonnen did, and it made for a fun build to a fight that ultimately delivered in spades.

I’m not sure the same over-the-top approach will work a second time. Perhaps Sonnen has realized the same thing.

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UFC on FOX 3: Quick Quotes from Nate Diaz, Dana White, Main-Card Fighters

The main-card fighters participating in the big UFC on FOX 3 card on May 5th gathered in New York City today for a pre-fight press conference.Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher …

The main-card fighters participating in the big UFC on FOX 3 card on May 5th gathered in New York City today for a pre-fight press conference.

Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Johny Koscheck, Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher took questions from the fans and media in attendance.

Let’s check out a few quotes from the personalities involved.

Dana White on whether the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller or Anthony Pettis will get the next shot at Benson Henderson’s lightweight title:

“We said that the winner of this fight (Diaz vs. Miller) would get the next shot.”

Koscheck on the feeling that he may be a gatekeeper for the welterweight division:

“I’m not a stepping stone, kid. Johny Hendricks is not winning this fight.”

Dana comments on getting mixed martial arts legalized in New York City:

“I’ve been saying that for four years. We’re going to keep grinding and grinding until we get it done. We should be in New York and it’s ridiculous that we’re not.”

Koscheck on Johny Hendricks’ win over Jon Fitch:

“The fight didn’t last very long. I really couldn’t judge how good he is. I watched the fight and it looked like he threw a bunch of punches without looking.”

Hendricks responds:

“If you looked at that punch and watch where my eyes were, you could see that it was a pretty good punch. I’ll take it any day.”

Hendricks’ feelings after beating Jon Fitch:

“I just couldn’t wait to be on the card. I got to fight Jon Fitch, the number two guy in the entire world. And now I’ve got Josh Koscheck, another great fighter. It’s exciting for me. I can’t wait to put on a good show.”

Miller on fighting in his home state:

“It’s an honor to be on such a big card on FOX right here in my area. I’m excited about it. I’m excited to fight in front of my home state fans and put on a show. Nate and I match up very well together and it should be an exciting fight. I’m pretty amped up already, so I need to calm down. I’ve got another two months.”

Does Diaz think he’s deserving of main event status:

“I don’t know. I think it comes and goes depending on how your fights go. I’m glad to be on the card. It’s cool to be headlining and stuff.”

Dana’s thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s win over Miesha Tate:

“I’ve been saying for a long time about the women’s division. There aren’t enough women to create a division. But every once in awhile you’re going to have the fighters to create these one-off fights. That happened last Saturday night. Ronda Rousey is going to be a big star.”

Pat’s thoughts on Lavar Johnson’s punching power:

“You and I are no longer friends. Lavar Johnson has beyond heavy hands. I say that because he was able to knock out Joey Beltran.

I kicked Joey in the head five times and he shook it off. I’ve never wondered, in my entire career, whether or not I hit hard. So I guarantee you that he hits hard. I was there in Chicago, and he had the fight as soon as he walked out.

I looked at him and said ‘that looks like somebody they’re going to put me with.’ Everyone turned and looked at me. His fists are the size of my head. We’re going to punch each other a lot of times on May 5th. I hope not, but we probably are.”

Will Barry submit Lavar Johnson?

“I’m going to submit somebody, someday. Lavar? No. We’re both allergic to jiu-jitsu. We’re also both allergic to rounds two and three. You’re not going to see beginner-level grappling with the two of us.”

Did Dana put this card together to try and make exciting fights after the criticism of the first two shows?

“So the first fight went too quick and the second fight went too long? Oh well. We always try to put the best fighters in the world together. There’s nothing I can say if you think one was too short and one was too long.

These guys always deliver every time they go in there. I don’t know what to expect with this card. Hopefully, we get the right mixture of quick and long so that everybody is happy. I don’t know what else to say to that.”

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UFC Morning Update: Rampage Jackson Quitting UFC, Henderson vs. Edgar 2

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is an emotional dude. This news shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest. And that’s why you also shouldn’t be surprised that Jackson went on a Twitter rant while you slept, revealing that he has one fight remaining on his UFC …

After that fight ends? I’ll let him tell the rest in today’s UFC Morning Update.

Rampage Says He’s Quitting The UFC After One More Fight

Jackson is an open book. He’ll tell you exactly what’s on his mind and detail his trials and tribulations to the entire world. It’s one of the things that has made him one of the most endearing fighters in the history of the sport. In short, he’s real. Fans appreciate that kind of thing.

Last night, Jackson was once again an open book on his Twitter account.

I didn’t say I would b done fighting,I just said I’m not fighting 4 the UFC,(u fight cheap)I said I have other things on my mind (big head)

I will fight who ever they put n front of me,I always have,but it will b my last fight n the ufc,I have other things on my mind

@VWAssassin: @Rampage4real your leaving the UFC?” Y should I stay? I don’t need them or anybody else negative dealing with my carrie

Much of this likely stems from the interview Jackson did with Fighter’s Only where he admitted to using Testosterone Replacement Therapy for his fight with Ryan Bader. Jackson also said the UFC’s doctor pushed him towards using TRT, which probably didn’t go over too well in the Zuffa offices in Las Vegas.

Jackson has a history of emotional outbursts, so there’s no real way of knowing if this will stick. He and Dana White have one of the most up-and-down relationships in the industry.

He won’t be able to earn the kind of money he gets from Zuffa anywhere else in the world. If he wants to keep fighting, he’ll stick around and forget this whole incident ever happened.

Benson Henderson Willing To Rematch Frankie Edgar

New UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour podcast on Monday and said he’s perfectly willing to give Frankie Edgar the rematch he so badly wants.

Frankie had a very tough situation. He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (the rematch). He had to put himself on the line, I don’t want anybody coming back to me and saying ‘oh, Henderson didn’t want to rematch Frankie because he was scared.’

I’m more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow.

It’s looking more and more likely that we’ll see a rematch. Dana White badly wants Edgar to move down to featherweight for a big fight with Jose Aldo, but Edgar has resisted all efforts to force him to switch weight classes. He wants the rematch, and Henderson would seemingly rather face Edgar a second time than face Anthony Pettis a second time.

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The 8 Best Armbars in MMA History

Thousands of fights have ended this way in UFC history, but there’s still something special about an armbar.It’s an amazing hold that proves one person’s limb, no matter how strong, will always lose to his opponent’s entire body and the power of scienc…

Thousands of fights have ended this way in UFC history, but there’s still something special about an armbar.

It’s an amazing hold that proves one person’s limb, no matter how strong, will always lose to his opponent’s entire body and the power of science.

Ronda Rousey, the undisputed queen of the armbar, has brought the hold back to the forefront. But Rousey isn’t the only submission fighter who has won significant fights with her go-to hold.

Joining Rousey on my list are seven other superlative fighters who helped remind us over the years just how vulnerable the elbow really is.

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