Shogun Rua Out Until March, Leaving 205-Pound Division in Holding Pattern

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — Rashad Evans won a light-heavyweight championship title opportunity when he beat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in May, but he’s going to have to wait a while to cash in his golden ticket.

UFC President Dana White confirm…

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Shogun RuaLAS VEGAS — Rashad Evans won a light-heavyweight championship title opportunity when he beat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in May, but he’s going to have to wait a while to cash in his golden ticket.

UFC President Dana White confirmed Thursday that current champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua won’t be back in the octagon for another eight months, likely returning in March 2011.

Dana White: I’ll Release Chuck Liddell if He Wants to Fight Again

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — UFC President Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk since Liddell’s recent knockout at the hands of Rich Franklin.

That changes Thursday night. White…

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Chuck LiddellLAS VEGAS — UFC President Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk since Liddell’s recent knockout at the hands of Rich Franklin.

That changes Thursday night. White and Liddell are scheduled to have dinner, and though there is no official agenda, it’s quite likely the subject of fighting again will come up.

But White says this time, there will be no going back on his word. This time, there is no chance that Liddell can convince him for one more run in the octagon.

Dana White Talks UFC 116, TapouT Issue and Jake Shields

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsLAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Dana White following Thursday’s UFC 116 pre-fight press conference about a whole host of topics.

White discussed if he ever thought Brock Lesnar would never fight for the UFC…

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Dana White following Thursday’s UFC 116 pre-fight press conference about a whole host of topics.

White discussed if he ever thought Brock Lesnar would never fight for the UFC, whether Lesnar is the biggest draw in MMA, Yoshihiro Akiyama‘s initial reluctancy to fight Chris Leben, his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko‘s recent loss, whether he got in the way of a TapouT deal with Emelianenko, his take on MMA’s future in New York and whether the UFC had signed Jake Shields.

All that and much more in the interview below.

Yoshihiro Akiyama Explains Why He Was Reluctant to Fight Chris Leben

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosLAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting caught up with Yoshihiro Akiyama Thursday to talk about his UFC 116 fight against Chris Leben.

“Sexyama” explained why he was depressed upon hearing the news that Wander…

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting caught up with Yoshihiro Akiyama Thursday to talk about his UFC 116 fight against Chris Leben.

“Sexyama” explained why he was depressed upon hearing the news that Wanderlei Silva pulled out of their fight and why he doesn’t think Leben is a high enough caliber opponent. He also showed a very fancy watch he was wearing.

Check out the video interview below.

Paul Heyman, Lesnar’s Ex-WWE Manager, Explains Friendship With Champ

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsLAS VEGAS — Would you believe it if I told you that Paul Heyman, the former owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling and Brock Lesnar’s first manager in WWE, is now one of Lesnar’s closest friends? Well, it’s t…

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LAS VEGAS — Would you believe it if I told you that Paul Heyman, the former owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling and Brock Lesnar‘s first manager in WWE, is now one of Lesnar’s closest friends? Well, it’s true, and it’s amazing when you think about the fact that friendships don’t last very long in the world of pro wrestling.

Lesnar and Heyman are so close that when they first saw each other this week, prior to Lesnar’s title fight at UFC 116 versus Shane Carwin, Lesnar handed Heyman a photo of his daughter, Mya, and Heyman’s daughter, Azalea, holding hands in their strollers taken at WrestleMania in 2003. Heyman pointed to that photo and gesture as an example of how strong their eight-year bond is.

MMA Fighting spoke to Heyman following Thursday’s press conference about his relationship with Lesnar, how close he came to buying Strikeforce, his new project, The Heyman Hustle, and his future in MMA and pro wrestling.

Check out the interview below.

Lesnar and Carwin Jockey for No. 1 Ranking While Gridlock Forms Behind

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — The first thing that came out of Dana White’s mouth was an admission.

“Our heavyweight division used to suck,” the UFC president said. “But now, it’s stacked with incredible talent, and all these guys are lined up, …

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Brock Lesnar and Shane CarwinLAS VEGAS — The first thing that came out of Dana White‘s mouth was an admission.

“Our heavyweight division used to suck,” the UFC president said. “But now, it’s stacked with incredible talent, and all these guys are lined up, waiting to fight.”

Indeed, gridlock is forming on the road to the division’s championship. On Saturday night at UFC 116, current champion Brock Lesnar returns from illness to defend his belt against top contender and interim champ Shane Carwin with the world’s No. 1 heavyweight ranking on the line, but both guys don’t have to look too far in their rearview mirrors to see rival war wagons speeding up behind them.