(Photo courtesy of MMAjunkie.com, if you couldn’t tell.)
According to multiplesources, UFC veteran and recent Bellator signee Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao suffered a heart attack in training this past weekend, the cause of which has yet to be determined. His manager has stated the following:
Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and might stay there for few more days, when he’ll go through a catheterization. He’s lucid and improving fast.
Falcao’s lone octagon appearance, a decision victory over TUF 7 alum Gerald Harris, was memorable for a multitude of reasons. Not only did a timing error deny Falcao nearly 7 seconds to finish a rear naked choke on Harris in the first round (one which even Dana White though Harris would have tapped to), but the third round would become an exercise in tedium as neither fighter would engage. Bizarre to say the least, made all the more disappointing by the fact that Falcao had been so dominant up to that point over a tough guy in Harris.
(Photo courtesy of MMAjunkie.com, if you couldn’t tell.)
According to multiplesources, UFC veteran and recent Bellator signee Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao suffered a heart attack in training this past weekend, the cause of which has yet to be determined. His manager has stated the following:
Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and might stay there for few more days, when he’ll go through a catheterization. He’s lucid and improving fast.
Falcao’s lone octagon appearance, a decision victory over TUF 7 alum Gerald Harris, was memorable for a multitude of reasons. Not only did a timing error deny Falcao nearly 7 seconds to finish a rear naked choke on Harris in the first round (one which even Dana White though Harris would have tapped to), but the third round would become an exercise in tedium as neither fighter would engage. Bizarre to say the least, made all the more disappointing by the fact that Falcao had been so dominant up to that point over a tough guy in Harris.
Remember yesterday when we found that amazing drawing of Ikuhisa Minowa fighting Godzilla, and used it as an excuse to run a relatively pointless post confirming that Minowaman would not, in fact, be fighting Brian Stann at UFC 144? Man, the crazy antics we get up to when nobody’s watching.
The thing is, we actually have some legit news to pass along about DREAM’s reigning Super Hluk [sic] champion. MMAFighting is reporting that Minowa will make his U.S. MMA debut at ProElite 3 (January 21st, Honolulu) where he’ll face rangy UFC veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove. Okay, so it’s not the kind of freak-show matchup we’re used to seeing from Minowaman — but at least Grove is really tall for a middleweight.
(Avenge us, Kendall. AVENGE US.)
Remember yesterday when we found that amazing drawing of Ikuhisa Minowa fighting Godzilla, and used it as an excuse to run a relatively pointless post confirming that Minowaman would not, in fact, be fighting Brian Stann at UFC 144? Man, the crazy antics we get up to when nobody’s watching.
The thing is, we actually have some legit news to pass along about DREAM’s reigning Super Hluk [sic] champion. MMAFighting is reporting that Minowa will make his U.S. MMA debut at ProElite 3 (January 21st, Honolulu) where he’ll face rangy UFC veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove. Okay, so it’s not the kind of freak-show matchup we’re used to seeing from Minowaman — but at least Grove is really tall for a middleweight.
After being released by the UFC earlier this year following back-to-back decision losses to Demian Maia and Tim Boetsch, Grove rebounded at Pro Elite 1 in August, choking out Joe Riggs in 59 seconds. Meanwhile, Minowa has won his last four fights in Japan against opponents who had a combined record of 4-4-1 and a combined weight of 869 pounds.
Minowa has reportedly signed a three-fight North American exclusive deal with ProElite. His debut appearance at ProElite 3 will be just the third time that Minowa has competed outside of Asia in his 91-fight career, and his first fight in the United States. And here’s another fun fact that I just learned on his Wikipedia page: Ikuhisa Minowa put together a record of 1-8-1 in his first ten fights. And now he’s a minor MMA legend. The moral of the story? Don’t give up, Lionheart.
Filed under: Bellator, NewsUFC 123 competitor Maiquel Falcao remains in intensive care at the Santa Casa de Pelotas hospital in Brazil after suffering a heart attack over the weekend, reports Tatame.
“Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and mi…
UFC 123 competitor Maiquel Falcao remains in intensive care at the Santa Casa de Pelotas hospital in Brazil after suffering a heart attack over the weekend, reports Tatame.
“Maiquel is still on the Intensive Care Unit and might stay there for few more days, when he’ll go through a catheterization,” Falcao’s manager Marcelo Brigadeiro told TATAME on Wednesday. “He’s lucid and improving fast.”
The 30-year-old middleweight competed last month on a local card in Brazil, earning a TKO win in 75 seconds. A week later, Falcao officially joined the Bellator roster.
“Our sole focus and concern right now is for Maiquel and his family,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated on Wednesday to MMAFighting.com. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as they go through this ordeal.”
Fighting out of Chute Boxe, Falcao holds an overall MMA record of 28-4, 23 wins by way of (T)KO. Falcao was a victor in his one fight with the UFC, but was released six months later due to legal problems brought on from a 2002 assault charge in Brazil.
It has recently been reported that a welterweight contest between Paulo Thiago and Mike Pyle has been added to the rapidly awesomingUFC 142 card, which goes down January 14th in Rio. Thiago, a Brazilian superhero of sorts, last competed in the UFC’s return to Brazil at UFC 134, notching a unanimous decision victory over David Mitchell. It was Thiago’s first win in his past three contests, so a win over Pyle is likely necessary if he wants to keep his job that doesn’t involve Brazilian gangs, which, according to this one documentary I saw, are fucking terrifying. Pyle, on the other hand, just saw a three fight win streak (one that included an upset win over British prospect John Hathaway) snapped at the hands of Canadian wrecking machine Rory MacDonald.
It has recently been reported that a welterweight contest between Paulo Thiago and Mike Pyle has been added to the rapidly awesomingUFC 142 card, which goes down January 14th in Rio. Thiago, a Brazilian superhero of sorts, last competed in the UFC’s return to Brazil at UFC 134, notching a unanimous decision victory over David Mitchell. It was Thiago’s first win in his past three contests, so a win over Pyle is likely necessary if he wants to keep his job that doesn’t involve Brazilian gangs, which, according to this one documentary I saw, are fucking terrifying. Pyle, on the other hand, just saw a three fight win streak (one that included an upset win over British prospect John Hathaway) snapped at the hands of Canadian wrecking machine Rory MacDonald.
Coming off a close decision loss to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz at UFC on Versus 6, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will be looking to get back in the win column against the first ever WEC bantamweight champion, Eddie Wineland. Wineland is in a similar position as Thiago, having dropped two straight unanimous decisions to Team Alpha members Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez at UFC 128 and UFC Live: Lytle vs. Hardy, respectively, and will be a huge underdog coming into this bout.
UFC on FOX 2 is set to transpire January 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
(Cyborg at 135 will be a scary woman, especially to other 135-pound women)
In an interview she did this week with TATAME, Strikeforce featherweight champ Cristiane Santos revealed a bit of insight into the plans the promotion has for its women’s division.
According to “Cyborg,” the Zuffa-owned organization has asked her to drop down to 135 following her December 17 title defense against Hiroko Yamanaka as they are looking to do away with the 145-pound class since they can’t find anyone to face her. On the bright side, Santos says she’s lucky that Strikeforce is accommodating the women on its roster considering UFC president Dana White’s thoughts on female MMA.
“I signed the contract for these four fights after UFC purchased Strikeforce, so I guess they’ll keep us, they’ll keep the female divisions and female MMA keeps growing and growing, and I guess they’re keeping the girls and it depends on what we do to call UFC’s attention,” Santos explains. “[As of right now there] are still two weight divisions: 135lbs and 145lbs.”
(Cyborg at 135 will be a scary woman, especially to other 135-pound women)
In an interview she did this week with TATAME, Strikeforce featherweight champ Cristiane Santos revealed a bit of insight into the plans the promotion has for its women’s division.
According to “Cyborg,” the Zuffa-owned organization has asked her to drop down to 135 following her December 17 title defense against Hiroko Yamanaka as they are looking to do away with the 145-pound class since they can’t find anyone to face her. On the bright side, Santos says she’s lucky that Strikeforce is accommodating the women on its roster considering UFC president Dana White’s thoughts on female MMA.
“I signed the contract for these four fights after UFC purchased Strikeforce, so I guess they’ll keep us, they’ll keep the female divisions and female MMA keeps growing and growing, and I guess they’re keeping the girls and it depends on what we do to call UFC’s attention,” Santos explains. “[As of right now there] are still two weight divisions: 135lbs and 145lbs.”
The 26-year-old Brazilian, who already cuts a massive amount of weight to make 145, says she’ll have her work cut out for her dropping another 10 pounds, but she’s willing to give it a shot if it means keeping her job.
“It’s already hard for me to drop to 145lbs, I gotta work a lot and they’re thinking about one division only. They asked me if I could do it. I can try; it’s not impossible. Let’s see… I guess that in the future there’ll be some news,” she predicts. “It’ll be hard because I got a lot of weight to lose, but it’d be good because I could fight more. I guess it’s important to keep active, it’s my job, so I’ll try it to stay here.”
In other news, the whole Strikeforce women’s 135-pound division announced today that it will be dropping to 125.
I say put Cris in with some of the men her size and see how she does if they can’t find women to fight her. The only problem with that plan that is they’d probably give Kenny Florian an immediate title shot at the new unisex belt.
![Super Hluk [sic] champion](http://cdn2.cagepotato.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Minowaman-Super-Hulk-belt.jpg){kind=link}