Tag: MMA

Cub Swanson, Dennis Siver Will Fight in England This February

UFC UK announced Thursday via Twitter that featherweight sluggers Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver will face each other in a battle of division contenders. They fight will most likely take place at UFC on Fuel TV 7, scheduled for Feb. 16 in London. 
A…

UFC UK announced Thursday via Twitter that featherweight sluggers Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver will face each other in a battle of division contenders. They fight will most likely take place at UFC on Fuel TV 7, scheduled for Feb. 16 in London.

 

 

Both men have recently seen a rise in their stocks after arguably the biggest wins in their respective careers. Last Saturday at UFC on Fox 5, Siver (21-8) manhandled Nam Phan for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. Siver is 2-0 since dropping to the 145-pound division.

In September, Swanson (18-5) scored a highlight-reel knockout of highly-regarded prospect Charles Oliveira at UFC 152.

Swanson was quick to confirm the engagement on his own Twitter feed.

 

 

Siver, 33, is known primarily as a kick boxer, but showed strong takedowns and ground-and-pound versus Phan. His entire game became substantially more powerful when he moved to featherweight from lightweight, where he went 8-5. Before dropping to lightweight, Siver went 10-4 as a welterweight. Siver will undoubtedly try to leverage his strength advantage over Swanson, a well-rounded fighter who swings for the fences with each engagement.

UFC on Fuel TV 7 is currently scheduled to be headlined by a bantamweight interim title fight between Renan Barao an challenger Michael McDonald.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FX 6: Questions We Have About Colin Fletcher

UFC on FX 6 in Gold Coast, Australia will double as the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, a special season of TUF pitting British and Australian fighters against one another.In the main card, which airs in the U.S. on Friday night, two new T…

UFC on FX 6 in Gold Coast, Australia will double as the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, a special season of TUF pitting British and Australian fighters against one another.

In the main card, which airs in the U.S. on Friday night, two new TUF champions will emerge. At 155 pounds, Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke will tangle with Britain’s Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher.

If you haven’t watched The Smashes, chances are you may not have heard of Fletcher. And if you have heard about him, it’s probably been in the form of his many scary walkouts and masks.

We’ll cover that, but there’s a fighter under all that, too. Here are the questions we have about Fletcher the fighter and Fletcher the person. 

Begin Slideshow

UFC on FOX 5 Medical Suspensions: Several Indefinite Suspensions Handed Down

Nate Diaz was late getting to the UFC on Fox 5 press conference on Saturday night. When he did take his seat, one could guess that his delayed entrance was necessitated by the fact that his right eye was a mess and obviously needed some medical attenti…

Nate Diaz was late getting to the UFC on Fox 5 press conference on Saturday night. When he did take his seat, one could guess that his delayed entrance was necessitated by the fact that his right eye was a mess and obviously needed some medical attention. At least Diaz was able to attend the press conference.

BJ Penn, who received a thrashing at the hands of Rory MacDonald, was not as lucky; he was shipped off to a local hospital for examination.

That’s not to say that only those fighters that were vanquished on Saturday night in Seattle needed post-fight medical care. No, even some of the victors faced potentially lengthy medical suspensions following the UFC on FOX 5 fight card. For instance, light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson faced up to six months off, far more than the man he defeated, Mauricio Rua, who only received a 30-day suspension.

The full list of medical suspensions are listed below for the UFC on FOX 5 fight card:

Benson Henderson was suspended for seven days.

Nate Diaz was suspended indefinitely until cleared by a doctor. He is suspended for a minimum of 45 days, 30 days with no contact. Original suspension can be extended to 60 days.

Alexander Gustafsson was handed an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor or 180 days suspension, with a minimum of 30 days.

Mauricio Rua was suspended for 30 days

Rory MacDonald was suspended for seven days.

B.J. Penn was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor with a minimum of 45 days, with 30 days without contact.

Matt Brown was suspended for seven days.

Mike Swick was suspended for 60 days.

Yves Edwards was suspended for 30 days, 21 days with no contact.

Jeremy Stephens was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor with a minimum suspension of 60 days.

Raphael Assuncao was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by orthopedic surgeon, with a minimum suspension of seven days.

Mike Easton was suspended for seven days.

Ramsey Nijem was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor, with a minimum of 30 days.

Joe Proctor was given an indefinite medical suspension with no contact until cleared by a doctor, minimum suspension of 60 days.

Daron Cruickshank was suspended for seven days.

Henry Martinez was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor, with a minimum suspension of 60 days.

Abel Trujillo was suspended for seven days.

Marcus LeVesseur was suspended for 30 days.

Dennis Siver was suspended for seven days.

Nam Phan was given an indefinite medical suspension until cleared by doctor, with a minimum suspension of 45 days, with 30 days no contact.

Scott Jorgensen was suspended for seven days.

John Albert was suspended for seven days.

Suspensions via MMAFighting.com

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF 16 Finalist Mike Ricci: Smith ‘Not Half the Fighter I Am and He Knows That’

Mike Ricci was not an unknown heading into the 16th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Before joining the show, he had amassed a professional record of 7-2, with most of those fights taking place for Ringside. Ricci did have one taste of the big time befo…

Mike Ricci was not an unknown heading into the 16th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Before joining the show, he had amassed a professional record of 7-2, with most of those fights taking place for Ringside. Ricci did have one taste of the big time before TUF, fighting once on a Bellator card, where current Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran knocked him out.

Ricci also trains at the famed Tristar gym in Montreal, mixing it up with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, rising UFC star Rory MacDonald and a rotating cast of All-Stars that travel to the gym to work with head trainer Firas Zahabi.

That level of experience gives Ricci a lot of confidence despite giving up weight and size to his opponent on Saturday’s TUF finale card, Colton Smith.  

BR/MMA caught recently caught up with Ricci, and when the conversation got around to Smith, Ricci said, “Colton Smith’s only advantage in this fight is the fact that he’s bigger than me, just like everyone else I fought there. None of them were as good as I was; Colton’s not as good as I am.” 

Ricci went on, “At the end of the day, he’s not half the fighter that I am, and he knows that.”

Ricci also took the time to review how he found his way into the TUF house, the experience in the house and more.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC News: Vinny Magalhaes Blasts Phil Davis, Wants Fight with ‘Mr. Wonderful’

Looks like UFC light heavyweight title contender Chael Sonnen is rubbing off on his jiu-jitsu coach and fellow 205-pounder Vinny Magalhaes. In an interview with Bloody Elbow, the highly decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt went off on Top 10 l…

Looks like UFC light heavyweight title contender Chael Sonnen is rubbing off on his jiu-jitsu coach and fellow 205-pounder Vinny Magalhaes. 

In an interview with Bloody Elbow, the highly decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt went off on Top 10 light heavyweight Phil Davis for refusing to fight him after he had a full fight camp under his belt. 

I guarantee he’d take the fight for December, where he’d have the advantage. Now that I would have 8 – 10 weeks to train, he doesn’t want to take the fight. He wants to fight me while I’m out of shape so he can have more chances to win. He knows if he gives me a full camp, it’s not gonna be easy. Style-wise, I’m a horrible fight for him. That makes me real upset, and that’s why I’ve been calling him out on Twitter.

Davis was originally scheduled to meet former divisional champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 155. Once Griffin withdrew due to a knee injury, “Mr. Wonderful” was pulled from the card. 

Magalhaes stated that he was not willing to fight Davis on three weeks’ notice, since he is currently training Sonnen for his April title fight with champion Jon Jones. However, he was willing to fight the former four-time All-American wrestler sometime in February and that offer was declined. 

When interviewer Steph Daniels suggested that perhaps Davis is only willing to fight consensus Top 10 light heavyweights, Magalhaes had some choice words for Davis’ recent slate of opponents. 

What Top 10 opponents was he going to fight? Chad Griggs? Chad Griggs just got tapped out by Cyrille Diabate, and Cyrille sucks on the ground. Griggs was fighting the guys with losing records, and Phil took that fight twice. Not just once, but twice. What Top 10 guys are you talking about? There’s nothing personal against Phil, I just want the fight.

The 28-year-old Brazilian indicated that he was also willing to fight household names in Ryan Bader, who defeated him at the Season 8 finale of The Ultimate Fighter, and Matt Hamill.

He did not receive those opponents either and expressed how badly he wants to be recognized as one of the best in the world.

There are guys that have been fighting for the UFC for years, but they’re not moving up. James Te-Huna is coming off wins, but nobody knows who he is. If I were to fight Ryan Jimmo, it would probably be on Myspace, not even Facebook. Nobody wants to see Jimmo fighting.

Magalhaes had an ongoing Twitter campaign going to try to entice Davis into fighting him, and while he deleted most of the postings, a few gems still remain. 

“I don’t blame  for not fighting me, he needs to fight legit competition, just like his last opponent, who’s been fighting for 3 yrs, has a padded record against guys that their record combined is 22-26, and mainly can’t grapple to save his life. “

Davis’ last victory was at UFC 153 in October over Wagner Prado, a Brazilian prospect who, although undefeated on the Brazilian regional scene, was easily submitted in the second round.

On the other hand, Magalhaes has won six in a row, including his most recent victory over Igor Pokrajac with a picture-perfect armbar at UFC 152 in September.

Is Magalhaes vs. Davis a fight the fans want to see or simply wishful thinking on the part of the Brazilian submission specialist?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 156: Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Two of the UFC’s top flyweights will be looking to get back into title contention early next year as Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall are set to face off at UFC 156 in February.Both men are coming into this bout following recent losses to champ Demetrio…

Two of the UFC’s top flyweights will be looking to get back into title contention early next year as Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall are set to face off at UFC 156 in February.

Both men are coming into this bout following recent losses to champ Demetrious Johnson who won the inaugural 125 lb crown during the exciting four-man flyweight tournament earlier this year.  A win for either fighter may earn them another crack at “Mighty Mouse,” provided he defends his belt against John Dodson in January.

I am very interested in this fight as Benavidez and McCall have widely been regarded as top-three 125ers over the past few years and should provide an amazing show at UFC 156.

Let’s take a look at the head-to-toe breakdown of this exciting flyweight matchup.

Begin Slideshow