Tag: John Hathaway

UFC 120 Set to Break European MMA Gate, Attendance Records

Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC 120 will set European mixed martial arts gate and attendance records when the show bows at the 02 Arena in London, UFC UK president and managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said on a Thursday confer…

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UFC 120 will set European mixed martial arts gate and attendance records when the show bows at the 02 Arena in London, UFC UK president and managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said on a Thursday conference call for the event.

Demand for tickets was so high that UFC recently reconfigured the arena to allow additional seats to be made available. Zelaznik later told MMA Fighting that over 17,000 fans would fill the arena, breaking the record of 16,693 from UFC 105 in Nov. 2009.

Mike Pyle Says He’ll Beat John Hathaway to Spite ‘All of Them Crooked-Teethed Englishmen’

(Pyle insults England, Englishmen and the king’s English all in one quote. Good show, old boy. PicProps: RSW3)
Thanks to his almost uncanny ability to let down in big fights, Mike Pyle has spent most of his 11-year MMA career toiling in relative …


(Pyle insults England, Englishmen and the king’s English all in one quote. Good show, old boy. PicProps: RSW3)

Thanks to his almost uncanny ability to let down in big fights, Mike Pyle has spent most of his 11-year MMA career toiling in relative obscurity. It seems like Pyle is continually mentioned by other fighters as “one of the best” in the gym, but that exceptional skill shrinks away when the cage door slams and the TV lights come on. Case in point: His 2-2 record in the Octagon, which includes losses to both up-and-comer Jake Ellenberger and down-and-outer Brock Larson. But perhaps in advance of his bout with 23-year-old phenom John Hathaway at UFC 120, Pyle has finally found a way to thrust himself into the limelight: The Chael Sonnen way.

Indeed, Pyle looks primed to say a bunch of ridiculous shit leading up to Oct. 16, when he’ll be a short-notice injury replacement for Dong Hyun Kim. With the card set for the O2 Arena in London, Pyle doesn’t plan on making many friends that night.

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MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Jon Fitch Stuck at No. 2

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, WelterweightsIf there was any doubt that Jon Fitch is the second-best welterweight in the world, he erased that doubt on Saturday night. By thoroughly dominating Thiago Alves at UFC 117, Fitch firmly established…

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If there was any doubt that Jon Fitch is the second-best welterweight in the world, he erased that doubt on Saturday night. By thoroughly dominating Thiago Alves at UFC 117, Fitch firmly established himself as MMA’s best welterweight not named Georges St. Pierre.

Unfortunately for Fitch, he was beaten so badly by St. Pierre in their previous fight that there aren’t a lot of fans clamoring for a rematch. And if St. Pierre loses to Josh Koscheck in December, it’s an open question whether Fitch will even accept a title fight if it’s offered to him, since he and Koscheck are friends and training partners.

And so while UFC President Dana White has said Fitch earned the No. 1 contender position with his victory, I’m not so sure that Fitch’s next fight will be for the title. I think it’s more likely that we’re going to see Fitch put into the Octagon with someone else (maybe the Jake Shields-Martin Kampman winner) as he continues his role as the welterweight division’s permanent gatekeeper. Fitch is a great fighter, but I view him less as a No. 1 contender than as a guy who’s stuck at No. 2.

Find out how I rank the rest of the welterweight division below.

Report: Diego Sanchez to Face Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 in October

(Corn’s in season? YES! YES! YES!)
According to  a report by pennyjomma.com, Diego Sanchez will remain at welterweight and will square off against dangerous Brazilian Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 October 23 in Anaheim, California.
Sanchez confirmed the…


(Corn’s in season? YES! YES! YES!)

According to  a report by pennyjomma.com, Diego Sanchez will remain at welterweight and will square off against dangerous Brazilian Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 October 23 in Anaheim, California.

Sanchez confirmed the fight with the website via text message:

"Lol it’s top secret jk !!! all you girls need to know is I’m fighting Paulo thiago oct 23 at 121. I am giving everything I have in the training camp this time around, I will show my fans and ufc that that last fight I was only performing at 70 % with no one to blame but myself. I have found my focus again I am excpecting [sic] a war. Luv you two awesome fans!"

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Elbow Surgery Knocks Dong Hyun Kim Out of UFC 120; Hathaway to Face Pyle

Filed under: UFC, NewsThe battle of unbeaten welterweight prospects expected for UFC 120 has been scratched.

Rising star John Hathaway, who had been scheduled to face Korean standout Dong Hyun Kim, will now oppose American veteran Mike Pyle, after Kim…

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The battle of unbeaten welterweight prospects expected for UFC 120 has been scratched.

Rising star John Hathaway, who had been scheduled to face Korean standout Dong Hyun Kim, will now oppose American veteran Mike Pyle, after Kim was knocked out of the bout due to an injury.

MMA Fighting has learned that Kim recently suffered an elbow injury during training that required surgery, forcing him out of the anticipated welterweight clash. No timetable was given for his return.

Mike Pyle to Replace Injured Dong Hyun Kim Against John Hathaway at UFC 120

(Does training with Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann help Pyle prepare for John "The Hitman" Hathaway?
Xtreme Couture welterweight Mike "Quicksand" Pyle will step in for injured Dong Hyun Kim to face fast-rising British w…


(Does training with Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann help Pyle prepare for John "The Hitman" Hathaway?

Xtreme Couture welterweight Mike "Quicksand" Pyle will step in for injured Dong Hyun Kim to face fast-rising British welterweight John "The Hitman" Hathaway at UFC 120 on October 16 at the O2 Arena in London, England.

The bout was first reported by Gareth Davis of the UK’s The Daily Telegraph and CagePotato.com has since confirmed the bout with sources close to both camps.

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