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Wednesday Morning MMA Link Club: Is It the Shoes?

(Cain Velasquez’s new Lugz commercial. Yeah, he smashed that. Props: YouTube.com/MMAFightClub)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link …

(Cain Velasquez‘s new Lugz commercial. Yeah, he smashed that. Props: YouTube.com/MMAFightClub)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Punch Drunk Preview: WEC 50 (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Cro Cop Says He’s Not Ready for UFC 119 but Still Guarantees a First Round Knockout (MiddleEasy)

– Backstage: Ariel Helwani vs. Ed Soares (MMA Fighting)

– Total Fighter Payroll for Strikeforce Challengers Phoenix: $53,250 (MMA Convert)

– 10 Taekwondo Knockouts That Will Blow Your Mind (MMA Scraps)

– Shane Carwin still silent on steroid connection; media as well (Watch Kalib Run)

– Pettis: ‘Roller Doesn’t Want Any Part of My Stand-up’ at WEC 50 (Versus MMA Beat)

– Chael Sonnen Syndrome: Urijah Faber trash-talking his way to the WEC Bantamweight Title shot? (LowKick)

– Rafael Cavalcante: “I have been working hard for not just this fight, but for my dream, every day for six years.” (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Strikeforce Houston: Noons & Gurgel on Standing and Banging for a Title Shot (FIGHT! Magazine)

Epic Main Card Confirmed for ‘UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez’

("You ain’t my wife, but you’ll do for right now.")
The UFC has confirmed the pay-per-view lineup for their super-stacked UFC 121 event, which goes down October 23rd at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tune in and you will see Brock Lesnar…

Brock Lesnar UFC Frank Mir
("You ain’t my wife, but you’ll do for right now.")

The UFC has confirmed the pay-per-view lineup for their super-stacked UFC 121 event, which goes down October 23rd at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tune in and you will see Brock Lesnar go for his third heavyweight belt defense against Cain Velasquez, Jake Shields attempt to leapfrog Jon Fitch on the welterweight ladder by smashing Martin Kampmann, and Tito Ortiz try to take advantage of Matt Hamill’s deafness-related lack of equilibrium. (Science!) Plus: Sanchez vs. Thiago, Schuab vs. Gonzaga, TUF 11 winner Court McGee stuffed onto the prelims and more. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday at noon PT.

Fun fact, from the UFC press release: If Lesnar defeats Velasquez, he will tie Tim Sylvia for the most heavyweight title defenses, and will set the record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses. And now, the lineup…

Main Card
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez (for heavyweight title)
Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields (WW)
Paulo Thiago vs. Diego Sanchez (WW)
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill (LHW)
Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (HW)

And Now He’s Fired: Ben Saunders

(Killa B gets worked by Dennis Hallman at UFC 117. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.)
Following back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Dennis Hallman at UFC 117 and Jon Fitch at UFC 111, Ben Saunders (8-3-2, 4-3 UFC) has been released from his UFC co…

(Killa B gets worked by Dennis Hallman at UFC 117. Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.)

Following back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Dennis Hallman at UFC 117 and Jon Fitch at UFC 111, Ben Saunders (8-3-2, 4-3 UFC) has been released from his UFC contract. The American Top Team welterweight confirmed the news on his Twitter page, where he wrote the following:

Sorry everyone I tried to fight my best these past two fights but ended up getting out worked… the UFC has officially cut me… the good news is they told me to work on my wrestling and ground game and then come back… So that is all I am going to be doing… improving dramatically and show them I belong. It was a honor to fight for the @UFC and I will make it back into the mix in due time… no one ever said my dream of getting that belt would be easy… in fact I was denied it as even a possibility and told I was crazy since I was a kid… look how far I have gone feeding off the doubters and haters… it just makes me that much more hungry… I’ll be back! There isn’t a doubt in my mind.

Report: Mike Brown to Return at WEC 51 Against Cole Province

("Yeah, I was married before. For one day. Long story." Lots more bizarre photos at myspace.com/therealmikebrown)
A year ago, Mike Brown was the two-time defending featherweight champion of the WEC. Now, he’s a belt-less contender on a 1-2 …

("Yeah, I was married before. For one day. Long story." Lots more bizarre photos at myspace.com/therealmikebrown)

A year ago, Mike Brown was the two-time defending featherweight champion of the WEC. Now, he’s a belt-less contender on a 1-2 skid, who most recently suffered a shocking first-round knockout at the hands of Manny Gamburyan. Once again, it’s time to rebuild. According to MMA Junkie, Brown will make his return at WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan (September 30th; Broomfield, Colorado) against Cole Province (6-1).

Province had a two-fight stint in the WEC in 2008-9, losing a decision to Diego Nunes, then winning a decision over Fredson Paixao — which was deemed a no-contest when Province popped for steroids. In June, Province returned to action at an event in Oklahoma City, where he scored a quick submission over Nick Masters. That was apparently enough to earn him a return ticket to the WEC. To summarize, former champion Mike Brown has to fight a 6-1 drug-cheat who’s never actually won in the WEC. In a way, we feel bad for both of them.

The addition of another WEC star adds even more firepower to a card that’s damn near PPV-worthy. The tentative lineup is after the jump…

The Ladies Will Have to Work Extra Fast at Friday’s Strikeforce Tournament

(Click above for larger version. Four competitors, representing four continents. Miesha enjoys cake decorating. Maiju’s turn-ons include the right hook and rear-naked choke. Image courtesy of Strikeforce.)
MMA Junkie passes along word that the format…

MMA Junkie passes along word that the format for the 135-pound women’s tournament at Friday’s Strikeforce Challengers event has been tweaked by the Arizona State Boxing Commission, a longtime enemy of epicness. First off, the two first-round matchups — which, again, won’t be determined until tomorrow — will only consist of two 3-minute rounds, rather than the three 3’s that were originally announced. The ASBC has also nixed the idea of a "sudden victory" round, so to prevent the inevitable 19-19 draws, the judges will just call the fight for whoever they think won it, PRIDE-style. (Okay, so that part’s not so bad.) The final match will still consist of three 3-minute rounds.

Two of the tourney’s four participants have previous multi-fight GP experience. Miesha Tate made her pro debut at that infamous 2007 HOOKnSHOOT women’s tournament, where she spent 12 minutes winning a decision over Jan Finney before getting blasted out by Kaitlin Young in 30 seconds. Maiju Kujala last competed at an Upcoming Glory tourney in the Netherlands in March, where she submitted Akvile Vitkauskaite and outpointed Titiana van Polanen, in over 19 minutes of total fight time.

More Injuries Strike UFC 118 Lineup; ‘Godzilla’ Returns

(Sakara and Etim, the latest victims of the UFC’s brand-new curse.)
After losing Phil Baroni and Jorge Rivera due to injuries, UFC 118 (August 28, Boston) is inching towards "cursed" status with another pair of late withdrawals that have co…

(Sakara and Etim, the latest victims of the UFC’s brand-new curse.)

After losing Phil Baroni and Jorge Rivera due to injuries, UFC 118 (August 28, Boston) is inching towards "cursed" status with another pair of late withdrawals that have completely re-arranged the Spike TV prelim broadcast. First off, Alessio Sakara has been forced out of his fight against Gerald Harris due to a knee injury. Harris, who was originally a replacement for Rivera, will now face the returning Joe Vedepo, who has won four straight fights by stoppage outside of the UFC since being released in April 2009. Unfortunately, the fight is no longer slated for the Spike broadcast, meaning that Harris will need another dramatic stoppage to get some TV time. At this point, it hasn’t been confirmed which fight will move up to the prelim broadcast in its place.

The injury fairy also paid a visit to Terry Etim, who bows out of his UFC 118 fight against Joe Lauzon due to a broken rib. Lauzon will instead meet — get this — Gabe "Godzilla" Ruediger, the TUF 5 contestant who became a national punchline due to his love of colonics and ice cream cake, and was eventually dismissed from the show for not making weight. More recently, Ruediger has built up a six-fight win streak competing in California, picked up the Tachi Palace Fights lightweight title, and has helped turn Paris Hilton into a killing machine.

We’ll let you know as soon as UFC 118’s lineup is finalized.