Tag: Dana White

Strikeforce Preview: Alistair Overeem Discusses Werdum, UFC, Future Opponents

Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem has dealt with a lot within the last year, accomplishing almost everything in mixed martial arts. However, “The Demolition Man” has yet to compete in Strikeforce, …

Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:

Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem has dealt with a lot within the last year, accomplishing almost everything in mixed martial arts. 

However, “The Demolition Man” has yet to compete in Strikeforce, or defend his title since defeating challenger, Brett Rogers last year. Overeem will step back into the Strikeforce cage when he faces Fabricio Werdum in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix next month. 

Despite the extended layoff, Overeem said his body is rested.

“After my fight against Todd Duffee I could go on a holiday and enjoy life, instead of being in the gym all the time. So it gave my body a good rest and that was needed,” Overeem said in an exclusive interview with LowKick.com. 

While it is often debated on where Overeem fits within the rankings of the heavyweight division, the Dutch kickboxer said there will no longer be a debate on his placement following a victory over his opponent. Werdum already holds a win over Overeem dating back to Pride FC, where he lost via submission.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: Stann Not Fighting for Ultimate Fighter Slot

Dana White has denied reports that Brian Stann is fighting for a coaching spot on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Some reports indicated that if Stann were to defeat Jorge Santiago, Stann would face off against Micheal Bisping as a coach on th…

Dana White has denied reports that Brian Stann is fighting for a coaching spot on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Some reports indicated that if Stann were to defeat Jorge Santiago, Stann would face off against Micheal Bisping as a coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, which is scheduled to begin filming in the next few weeks.

Stann is the former WEC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender in the UFC. Stann is currently riding a two-fight win streak following a drop to the middleweight division. He has finished both fights at middleweight, including a first-round knockout of the hard-hitting Chris Leben in his last outing.

Stann’s opponent Saturday is Jorge Santiago. Santiago is the former Sengoku middleweight champion.  He is also on a two-fight win streak. Santiago has only gone the distance in five of his 31 fights.

Bisping had been slated to face Chael Sonnen as coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, but that plan has been discarded following the California State Athletic Commision’s ruling to uphold the suspension of Sonnen’s license.

Bisping has previously appeared on the third and ninth season of the reality show.  In Season 3, Bisping was on Tito Ortiz’s team and ended up winning the light heavyweight tournament. On Season 9, Bisping was the coach of the UK team that faced Dan Henderson’s United States team.

Bisping suffered a brutal knockout at UFC 100 in the coach’s fight for that season. Bisping rebounded to go 4-1 since the loss and is on a three-fight win streak.

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MMA News 5/26: Dana White, Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones, Cro Cop, UFC 130 and More

Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Thursday, May 26:Dana White reveals that Cro Cop will get one more fight in the UFC.White expects Brock Lesnar back before 2012.White sounds off on Chael Sonnen’s situation with the CSAC.Rampage Jackson delivers an …

Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Thursday, May 26:

Dana White reveals that Cro Cop will get one more fight in the UFC.

White expects Brock Lesnar back before 2012.

White sounds off on Chael Sonnen’s situation with the CSAC.

Rampage Jackson delivers an awkward interview.

King Mo blasts Jon Jones.

Alistair Overeem discusses Werdum, UFC, future opponents.

Demian Maia views Mark Munoz as a “great challenge.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130 Fight Card: Does Stefan Struve Have a Shot at Stopping Travis Browne?

UFC 130 Fight card orders up a tall task with Travis Browne Stefan Struve has one thing going for him coming into the UFC 130 fight against Travis Browne. He’s tall. His 6’11 height will give him a distinct reach advantage over the 6’7 Travis Bro…

UFC 130 Fight card orders up a tall task with Travis Browne

Stefan Struve has one thing going for him coming into the UFC 130 fight against Travis Browne.

He’s tall.

His 6’11 height will give him a distinct reach advantage over the 6’7 Travis Browne. Not a ton of reach difference but enough to be a factor, because he’s going to need all the help he can get.

Travis Browne isn’t the most well known fighter on the card, but he is the hottest. He’s been ripping through his competition with a series of brutal KO’s that have to have made Struve take notice.

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The real question for Struve is if he’s a better caliber fighter than some of the people that Travis Browne has been taking on in the recent months. Browne’s competition has been called into question but the drop off between the average of his previous opponents and Struve is not that much different.

Struve, if he has a chance at beating this brutal striker, is going to have to get him to the ground in a hurry. Struve has won a number of fights with his submission maneuvers which are some of the best in the business. If Struve has to fight on his feet it’s going to be a quick exit against a man on a mission.  

UFC News: Dana White Says He Expects Brock Lesnar Back Before 2012

Following the announcement of Brock Lesnar’s second battle with diverticulitis, which forced him out of his bout with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131, the general consensus was that his career was over.But UFC president Dana White seems to be the only per…

Following the announcement of Brock Lesnar‘s second battle with diverticulitis, which forced him out of his bout with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131, the general consensus was that his career was over.

But UFC president Dana White seems to be the only person firmly behind Lesnar. In fact, White said he expects to see the former UFC heavyweight champion fighting again before the end of this year.

“And I am still very optimistic that Brock is going to bounce back from this thing and be back sooner than everyone thinks, maybe by the first of the year,” White said during a pre-UFC 130 press conference.

Lesnar’s replacement, Shane Carwin, will step in and square off against dos Santos in the main event. White said the winner of the heavyweight bout will meet Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title later this year. 

Considering his long layoff, Lesnar will likely need a couple of wins before he is in contention for a heavyweight title shot. The last time Lesnar was stricken with the illness, he was out of action for nearly a year. 

When he does return, it is logical that Lesnar will face one of these three competitors in order to earn a title shot. Another logical, but marketable bout for Lesnar is third matchup with his rival Frank Mir. It was reported that White suggested the idea of a rubber match between Lesnar and Mir.

However, if White’s optimism stands correctly, fans just might see Lesnar’s presence inside the Octagon later this year. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Great, Mirko Cro Cop’s Getting Another Fight in the UFC

Mirko Cro Cop UFC MMA photos
(“Yep. Me again.”)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s nine-fight UFC career has been one of can-crushing highs and head-rattling lows. After suffering consecutive knockout loses against Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub, Dana White claimed that we’d seen the last of Cro Cop in the UFC. But DW had a change of heart yesterday, telling reporters that he owes Filipovic another fight, and the 36-year-old Croatian veteran will be returning to the Octagon. As he explained:

Mirko Cro Cop UFC MMA photos
(“Yep. Me again.”)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s nine-fight UFC career has been one of can-crushing highs and head-rattling lows. After suffering consecutive knockout loses against Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub, Dana White claimed that we’d seen the last of Cro Cop in the UFC. But DW had a change of heart yesterday, telling reporters that he owes Filipovic another fight, and the 36-year-old Croatian veteran will be returning to the Octagon. As he explained:

“Do I think he should have retired? Yeah. But I don’t think he’s in one of these situations where — I felt Chuck Liddell needed to retire right then. Listen, he’s a man, he’s a grown man. If he wants to continue to fight, that’s his right. And he still has a fight with me.”

Of course, Dana could easily cut Mirko’s contract if he wanted to; having fights left on your contract is no guarantee of job security in the UFC. White must feel that there’s at least one more marketable fight out there for Cro Cop. Do you use him to put over another young contender? Do you book him against another PRIDE-era old timer — say, Nogueira if he loses to Schaub? Do you give him a co-headlining spot on a Versus broadcast against the caliber of opponent that he’s beaten in the past? Is there anybody left who even cares?

A return date or opponent for Filipovic has not yet been announced.