Tag: FanHouse Exclusive

Billy Vaughan Tapped to Face Jorge Gurgel This Saturday at Strikeforce

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NewsWhen Tyler Combs pulled out of his fight with Jorge Gurgel just five days before they were scheduled to meet at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson, the promotion was left in a bit of a bind.

But stepping in will be…

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Jorge GurgelWhen Tyler Combs pulled out of his fight with Jorge Gurgel just five days before they were scheduled to meet at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson, the promotion was left in a bit of a bind.

But stepping in will be Columbus, Ohio-based fighter Billy Vaughan (9-6) to replace Combs on short notice. Strikeforce officials confirmed the new booking with MMA Fighting on Wednesday.

Chris Lytle to Consider Retirement After Secret Surgery, UFC 127 Loss

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsBecause he’s a pro’s pro, Chris Lytle wouldn’t admit it, but he was far from fighting at full strength in his UFC 127 loss to Brian Ebersole. In fact, just four weeks before his fight, he had the injured menisc…

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Because he’s a pro’s pro, Chris Lytle wouldn’t admit it, but he was far from fighting at full strength in his UFC 127 loss to Brian Ebersole. In fact, just four weeks before his fight, he had the injured meniscus in his right knee removed, MMA Fighting has learned.

Lytle chose to keep the procedure quiet to deflect attention and avoid devaluing Ebersole’s win. But after MMA Fighting learned of the injury from two separate sources, Lytle’s manager Ken Pavia finally confirmed the surgery, which he said began as an exploratory procedure before the doctor removed the meniscus due to the damage.

Lytle chose to fight, and the ensuing unanimous decision loss to Ebersole marked the end of a four-fight win streak. It could also possibly bring a close to his career.

Brian Ebersole’s Long, Strange Journey to Victory at UFC 127

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveIf you’re one of those people who insist on connecting the dots between every bad thing in the past and every good thing in the present – if you are, in other words, annoyingly positive – then you could say that Bria…

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If you’re one of those people who insist on connecting the dots between every bad thing in the past and every good thing in the present – if you are, in other words, annoyingly positive – then you could say that Brian Ebersole‘s surprising UFC debut, his upset win over Chris Lytle, and the $75,000 bonus check he received for the ‘Fight of the Night’ would never have happened if not for a street fight between some rowdy college kids more than a decade ago.

Picture Eastern Illinois University, September of 2000. Leaves changing. Hormones raging. All the same college campus crap, just set to a slightly different soundtrack.

Ebersole, a third-year college student on a wrestling squad that features future UFC legend Matt Hughes as one of its assistant coaches, has built something of a reputation for himself as a guy who can fight a little bit when he wants to.

Added Focus, Increased Expectations for Bellator’s MTV2 Debut

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Bellator, NewsJust two years into the company’s existence, Bellator continues its forward momentum by premiering on MTV2 on Saturday night. Once seemingly another in a long line of flash-in-the-pan promotions, the organ…

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Just two years into the company’s existence, Bellator continues its forward momentum by premiering on MTV2 on Saturday night. Once seemingly another in a long line of flash-in-the-pan promotions, the organization has become a player in the MMA world with a mix of exciting prospects (Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Rick Hawn) rising stars (Ben Askren, Zach Makovsky), and established champions (Hector Lombard, Eddie Alvarez).

During its recent offseason, Bellator even showed a willingness to dip into the major free agent pool, inking highly regarded featherweight Marlon Sandro.

But with more exposure comes added expectation, and thus comes the challenge for Bellator to produce a product that matches the entertainment value of major US promotions Strikeforce and the UFC.

It’s a challenge that company CEO Bjorn Rebney embraces.

Best of UFC 127 Video Interviews

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UFC 127 is officially in the books, so we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the highlights from our pre-fight and post-fight interviews shot in Sydney. Check out the highlight video below.

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UFC 127 is officially in the books, so we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the highlights from our pre-fight and post-fight interviews shot in Sydney. Check out the highlight video below.

Jorge Rivera Says ‘Classless’ Bisping Hit Him With Intentional Illegal Knee

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveThere are moments from his UFC 127 bout with Michael Bisping in Sydney, Australia that are still fuzzy to Jorge Rivera, but there is at least one thing he knows for sure.

The illegal knee that Bisping hit him with i…

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There are moments from his UFC 127 bout with Michael Bisping in Sydney, Australia that are still fuzzy to Jorge Rivera, but there is at least one thing he knows for sure.

The illegal knee that Bisping hit him with in the first round? No matter what Bisping said later, that was no accident, Rivera told MMA Fighting on Sunday.

“That knee was deliberate, and I’ll tell you exactly how I know this,” Rivera said.