Owned by former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Rizin FF has been steadily gathering talent over the last year. Unfortunately their debut event last December proved to be lacklustre at best, as MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko returned against MMA newcomer Jaideep Singh. That said, the promotion provided a nostalgic feel with their outlandish entrances, overall
Owned by former Pride FC boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Rizin FF has been steadily gathering talent over the last year. Unfortunately their debut event last December proved to be lacklustre at best, as MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko returned against MMA newcomer Jaideep Singh. That said, the promotion provided a nostalgic feel with their outlandish entrances, overall production and old school rules. Since their first event, Rizin has harvested some of the most popular names from the JMMA heydays.
Included on that list were fierce rivals Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva. Sharing a duo of fights under the Pride banner, Cro Cop and Silva quickly engaged in beef after Filipovic’s successful debut back in September. Then came the news that Silva was unable to compete, citing the need for more time to recover from recent injuries. Needless to say, Cro Cop was not impressed, and unleashed a furious rant about his old foe.
King Mo Steps In
Last night it was confirmed by MMAJunkie.comthat Muhammed Lawal would step in to replace Wanderlei Silva. The quarter finals of the openweight grand prix is set for December 29, with the semi finals and finals both taking place on New Year’s Eve. King Mo has lost just one of his last eight bouts, and won the heavyweight GP for Rizin last year. Cro Cop is unbeaten in four fights, and recently avenged his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga before joining Rizin FF.
Also being replaced on December 29 is former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin. The heavy-handed knockout artist came out of retirement to Join Rizin, but was later scratched due to injury, Replacing ‘The Engineer’ against Amir Aliakbari is another familiar face from the Pride FC days. Heath Herring fights for the first time since losing to Brock Lesnar in 2008, replacing Carwin on December 29. Long considered one of the best heavyweights in the world until around 2002, Herring holds a 28-14 (1 NC) record.
Rizin FF Quarter Finals Matches
Venue: Saitama Super Arena, Japan
Date: Rizin FF 3 December 29 (QF), Rizin FF 4 December 31 (SF/F)
QUARTERFINAL STAGE: MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC VS. KING MO WANDERLEI SILVA “BARUTO” VS. TSUYOSHI KOSAKA SHANE CARWIN HEATH HERRING VS. AMIR ALIAKBARI VALENTINE MOLDAVSKY VS. SZYMON BAJOR
Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could. A throwback to an earlier era of MMA
Longtime MMA star Dan Henderson officially retired after his close unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of last night’s (Sat., October 8, 2016) UFC 204 from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and he did so in the style that only the heavy-hitting “Hendo” could.
A throwback to an earlier era of MMA where fighters fought to compete rather than gather social media followers, “Hendo” went out with a bang by nearly finishing now-champ Bisping in the same fashion in which he so iconically did at 2009’s UFC 100. In the end, the 46-year-old Henderson was edged out by Bisping’s far superior aggression, striking volume, and accuracy, but the two “H-Bombs” that nearly put “The Count’s” lights out in the first and second round were more than enough for most Hendo fans to believe their man had done enough to win.
While that’s a tough proposition to do against the champion in his home (and in a fight where he rarely pushed the action), the once-named “Hollywood” made things as dramatic as ever, and that is why he will go down as one of the most revered fighters in UFC and MMA history.
His story is a unique one. After a Greco Roman wrestling career that twice saw him compete in the Summer Olympics, Henderson first fought in the UFC in only his third MMA fight, defeating Allan Goes by decision on May 15, 1998 before outlasting Carlos Newton on the same night to win the UFC 17 Middleweight Tournament Final. After a string of six decision wins in seven bouts saw him dubbed “Decision Dan,” Hendo refuted the notion by becoming “Hollywood” in Pride due to his highlight reel finishes.
There, he fought a who’s who of Japanese MMA at the time, winning the welterweight championship and defeating Wanderlei Silva for the middleweight belt to become the first simultaneous two-weight champion in Pride. He remains the only man to do so.
In the Octagon, Hendo never won the one title that eluded him, falling just short against elite fighters such as Anderson Silva, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Bisping. Obviously he did etch his name into UFC history with possibly the most infamous knockout ever for his one-punch decimation of Bisping at UFC 100.
He even left for Strikeforce after a contract dispute following his historic knockout of Bisping, becoming their 205-pound champion by knocking out Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Henderson then knocked out arguably the best heavyweight of all-time when he floored Fedor Emelianenko in 2011.
That was enough for the UFC to re-sign him, and his third UFC run began with a fight that many feel may be the greatest MMA bout of all-time, his classic UFC 139 war with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. It was the kind of bouts fans came to love and respect from Henderson.
That fight lead to a light heavyweight champion to dominant then-champ Jon Jones, but the bout never happened when Henderson injured his knee and ‘Bones’ refused to fight anyone on short notice, leading to the the promotion’s first ever cancellation of an event with UFC 151.
Hendo never seemed to quite bounce back from the over yearlong layoff that resulted, dropping narrow, uninspired split decisions to Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans in 2013 before he was knocked out by the almost superhuman force of TRT-era Vitor Belfort (yes, it also deserves to be noted that Henderson was a pioneer of sorts of TRT use in MMA, being one of the first to secure a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the treatment).
His UFC run ended with seven losses in his last 10 bouts, but any MMA fan couldn’t help but forget all about those when Henderson rallied to knock out Hector Lombard with, of all things, a back-elbow, head kick, forearm smash combination at UFC 199. It was enough to get him a revenge-based title shot against Bisping despite the backlash due to the bout’s accused refusal to adhere to anything close to resembling a fair rankings system.
It happened, and Henderson and Bisping delivered a classic. True, Henderson came up just short, but even the Manchester fans gave him a rousing ovation after he nearly knocked out their famed hometown champion on more than one occasion.
Henderson was a throwback of MMA gone past who still brought the excitement needed to gain attention in today’s increasingly fast-paced, attention-starved world. There simply won’t be another fighter like him, and while he may not have had his hand raised every time, it was most certainly guaranteed you would be seeing a show.
“Hendo,” “Hollywood,” “Dangerous,” or even “Decision Dan,” Henderson was, is, and always will be an MMA legend. In his case, the UFC belt doesn’t prove or disprove that, yet he battled the only way he knew how to in one last war last with Bisping night.
It’s been a long-traveled, winding road on the journey to all-time great former Pride champion Fedor Emelanenko fighting in the UFC, and it’s been one that’s ultimately ended without any fruit to bear. However, almost seven years after talks to have Fedor fight then-UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fell apart, there’s apparently more hope now
It’s been a long-traveled, winding road on the journey to all-time great former Pride champion Fedor Emelanenko fighting in the UFC, and it’s been one that’s ultimately ended without any fruit to bear.
However, almost seven years after talks to have Fedor fight then-UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fell apart, there’s apparently more hope now to seeing ‘The Last Emperor’ in the Octagon than there ever has been. Speaking through a translator to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour today (Mon., June 13, 2016), Emelianenko revealed that it’s a distinct possibility he’ll fight in the UFC, but a mutually beneficial deal would have to be reached between both sides:
“Yes. In a word, yes. That possibility does exist. I always wanted to fight for UFC and I would fight for UFC, but at this moment we’re looking at the deal and the deal has to satisfy both parties — them and my organization. Until there’s no friction, until we are 100 percent in terms of seeing eye-to-eye, we are all basically in limbo.”
There were some rumors that Fedor would somehow be the returning Lesnar’s opponent at the midsummer blockbuster UFC 200. Emelianenko confirmed that opportunity was never presented to him, but he would consider it if it was:
“All I wanted to say is for now we never received a proposal like that,” Emelianenko said. “But if somebody were to make that proposal, we’ll definitely look at it closely.”
The probability of him stepping into the Octagon was thought to be gone forever when Emelianenko retired in 2012, but after his return last New Year’s Eve, ‘The Last Emperor’ feels as if he’s back to reaching his prime fighting shape:
“I did get that feeling,” Emelianenko said. “I feel like I am back. A fighter is measured by the last fight. I’m looking forward to illustrate I am back in my usual form.”
Finally, Fedor stated that he was indeed closer than ever to making his UFC debut, and that an offer had been put on the tabe by Dana White & co. But he once again stressed the small details that he still had to hammer out with the promotion:
“Right now, I’m much closer compared to when I just came back to MMA. Yes, we did receive an offer. But there are some finer points that we wanted to discuss.”
With some small issues apparently left to discuss, at least there’s a small chance we see the man who many consider the best heavyweight of all-time set foot in the Octagon. But will it ever be more than the rumors we’ve been reading for years?
This is sad to hear… Former Pride FC middleweight champion, UFC veteran and legendary Brazilian fight icon Wanderlei Silva has gone through the mill in the last two years. After his fighting career came to a grinding halt in March 2013, the battles continued outside the arena of combat for ‘The Axe Murderer,’ including a
Former Pride FC middleweight champion, UFC veteran and legendary Brazilian fight icon Wanderlei Silva has gone through the mill in the last two years. After his fighting career came to a grinding halt in March 2013, the battles continued outside the arena of combat for ‘The Axe Murderer,’ including a lengthy rivalry with the UFC and the Nevada Athletic Commission. After avoiding Nevada dope testers before his scheduled fight with Chael Sonnen after TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) Brazil 3, Silva was handed a lifetime ban by the commission, and so began his three year struggle.
The knockout artist who’d made his name in IVC and Pride back in the Japanese MMA days was now unable to make a living, and he began making his opposition to the UFC very clear. After UFC president Dana White made his feelings clear about Wandy, a feud was born between he two, with Silva even claiming he’d known about ‘fixed fights’ in the UFC during his time there.
Silva’s 2013 knockout win over Brian Stann is widely considered one of the most exciting UFC fights of all time…
Siva took to social media and released Youtube videos that damned the UFC’s practices and alleged maltreatment of their fighters. Unable to compete stateside and still locked in the air tight UFC contract he’d signed to, even the far east wasn’t an option at this stage. Finally a breakthrough came this year, as th promotion released their hold on Silva, allowing him to sign a contract with Bellator MMA and Rizin FF, but hs troubles weren’t over just yet.
Silva was ran down by a car while riding a bike in his native Curitiba, Brazil and required shoulder surgery as a result of the accident. Thankfully Wandy’s helmet saved his life, but it’s apparently spurred ‘The Axe Murderer’ to look a little deeper in to his brain’s health, and the results aren’t great.
Addressing fans on his official Instagram account, the 49-fight mixed martial arts veteran had a sombre message to deliver. He first pays tribute to the recently passed Kimbo Slice, before revealing he is suffering from 12 out of 15 symptoms of brain damage, including memory loss.
Rest in peace, first Randleman now Kimbo, I fear we do not know all the consequences caused by our profession, and the consequences on the body and mind, as I said to my friends who are pro fighters “This bid to forget things it is good, when you forget the bad things.” (jokes) The sad part is I attended a lecture about concussion (brain injury caused by impact) of 15 symptoms presented by the expert, I have 12! When u lose dehydrates liquid in the brain, much in increasing the chance of having severe brain damage as a result of the blows! “! It has several of my friends, it is very different from the old days” We are stuck half-mad “and now who will take care of us? Who have not saved some money, will go through difficulties unfortunately we do not have any help at all! All on our own!
At a time when legends like Mark Kerr have finally revealed the turmoil they’ve put their body through in the pursuit of glory, it really does make you think about the long term impact this sport can have. Perhaps we’ve only scratched the surface thus far, and although fighter safety has improved in all respects, this does little to help legends like Wanderlei Silva and many others who fought in the early years of MMA.
Silva’s Rizin FF/Bellator MMA debut is yet to be announced.
Pride FC and UFC fan favorite Wanderlei Silva, although no longer fighting in the premier organizations, remains one of the most revered and followed characters in the sport of mixed martial arts. His stints in Pride during the Japanese MMA boom and also his classic UFC wars make ‘The Axe Murderer’ one of the most
Pride FC and UFC fan favorite Wanderlei Silva, although no longer fighting in the premier organizations, remains one of the most revered and followed characters in the sport of mixed martial arts. His stints in Pride during the Japanese MMA boom and also his classic UFC wars make ‘The Axe Murderer’ one of the most well known faces in the game. He also stood against the UFC in a drawn out battle before eventually being released from his contract to fight for Rizin FF this year.
The 39 year-old Brazilian has been in his fair share of brutal fights over the years, but his most recent bruiser happened on the way home from the gym. According to Wand’s official Facebook page, the feared striker was knocked down by a car as he rode his bike home from a training session.
Translation: Note: please be advised that the wand had an accident, where he was hit by a car when I was returning from bike to your house after a workout, with that over the shoulder and caused a lot goes through surgery today. We ask your prayers for our champion. Ascom
Terrible news for Wanderlei and his fans who were looking forward to seeing the Brazilian banger back in action by late summer. His former issues with the UFC have seen Silva out of fighting since his wild knockout win over Brian Stann in 2013, but his signing with former Pride boss Sakakibara’s Rizin FF meant we’d get to see Silva play out his twilight years where he originally made his name, in Japan.
Rumours of a long wished fight with Fedor Emelianenko will have to wait, as all we know at this stage is that Silva has undergone shoulder surgery following his accident.
Former Pride FC middleweight champion and UFC veteran Wanderlei Silva is once again ready to fight. After a drawn out legal battle with the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC, ‘The Axe Murderer’ is now signed to Bellator MMA and Rizin FF. The Brazilian striker was released from his UFC contract in January this year,
Former Pride FC middleweight champion and UFC veteran Wanderlei Silva is once again ready to fight. After a drawn out legal battle with the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC, ‘The Axe Murderer’ is now signed to Bellator MMA and Rizin FF. The Brazilian striker was released from his UFC contract in January this year, and his lifetime ban by the NAC was overturned. He is set to face fellow legend and former two-time opponent Kazushi Sakuraba in a tag team grappling match for Rizin. Paired with Kiyoshi Tamura against ‘Saku’ and Hideo Tokoro, Silva also hopes to fight under MMA rules for both Bellator and Rizin this year.
With a renewed vigour for combat competition clear in his latest media appearance, chances are Wanderlei will come in great shape for the busy months ahead. Speaking with MMAFighting.com, ‘The Axe Murderer’ was a far cry from the down and out and somewhat spiteful character we’d seen over the last two years. Check out the best bits from his interview hosted by Ariel Helwani:
“I was not happy with the terms (under the UFC), I was not happy with fighting, I just did not want to fight any more. But the Bellator and Rizin changed that, I got released from my contract, and now I want to fight again, they took away my problems. I think something went wrong, I was coming from the old school, I tried talking to (Dana White) but he said bad things about me. I like him, I respect him a lot, he helped changed the sport, so we finished our history and now we are going to start a new history.”
Now free of the ‘shackles’ the Zuffa promotion had once held him with, Silva still has very hard feelings towards the NAC, who have upheld a three year ban on the Brazilian competing in Nevada, in relation to a drug test he fled from in 2014. In Silva’s defense, they never really had the right to do so under the old rule set, as Silva wasn’t even a licensed fighter at the time. He continued:
“The Commission has no place telling someone who can and can’t work, I have to work to put food on my family table. How can they catch someone, and then two months later after they fight, then they reveal the test failure? If he is famous it’s one rule, if he’s not so famous it’s another….
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