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Urijah Faber Wants Interim Title Fight at UFC 148, Name Three Possible Opponents

Urijah Faber didn’t waste a whole lot of time in putting his two cents in regarding Dominick Cruz being forced out of the UFC 148 co-main event with a torn ACL. Faber and Cruz were set to have their rubber match after splitting their first two mee…

Urijah Faber didn’t waste a whole lot of time in putting his two cents in regarding Dominick Cruz being forced out of the UFC 148 co-main event with a torn ACL.

Faber and Cruz were set to have their rubber match after splitting their first two meetings 1-1, but the deciding bout between the current coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” will have to wait.

Faber posted a video (the one shown here) on his Twitter page a few hours after Cruz’s injury was announced and actually showed a lot of sympathy for his arch nemesis (thanks to MMA Mania for the transcription):

“I’m sure everyone has heard the terrible news that Dominick Cruz tore his ACL. There’s a lot of rumors rolling around about the whole situation, possibly that Ronda Rousey is the one who made it happen. It sucks for everybody, especially myself and Dominick. I wish him a speedy recovery — you don’t wish that on anybody. I know he wanted to scrap. Now, I’m just waiting to hear what happens.:

Not surprisingly, “The California Kid” is still expecting a title shot in July, even if it has to be for an interim belt:

“I’m thinking an interim title fight — [Dominick] has been out almost 1.5 years now — once this surgery goes through it’s going to be another nine months. I’m hoping for a top contender: Renan Barao, in my opinion is next up with Michael McDonald after that and Ivan Menjivar after that. I’m just waiting to see — I know as much as you guys do, but I’m ready to scrap on July 7. And, as far as I’m concerned, that’s when it’s going down.”

Given the severity of Cruz’s injury–one that typically requires eight to nine months to recover from–an interim title fight makes a lot of sense.

Faber’s ranking of his prospective three opponents is tough to argue with as well.

Barao has won an incredible 18 fights in a row and boasts an unheard of record of 28-1(1). The Brazilian is also a perfect 3-0 since making his Octagon debut at UFC 130 just over a year ago.

McDonald, who is a mere 21-years-old, proved he is a top contender at 135 pounds by knocking out long-time WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at UFC 145.

“Mayday” has a 15-1 record with 13 finishes and has avenged his only loss to Cole Escovedo.

Meanwhile, Menjivar is the only fighter out of the three that has faced Faber before. However, he was disqualified for illegally kicking Faber when he was a downed opponent.

Still, that bout was in Jan. 2006 and he does own a respectable record of 24-8. His signature win came at APEX: Undisputed in Sept. 2005 when he submitted Joe Lauzon with a calf slicer.

Also worth noting is that Barao was scheduled to have an unofficial number one contender bout with Menjivar on the same July 7 card, so odds are that bout is going to be re-arranged as well.

Cruz joins fellow UFC title holder, welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, on the shelf with an ACL tear.

St-Pierre first suffered a knee injury in October, but the injury was at first misdiagnosed and was not recognized as an ACL tear until December when he later scheduled knee surgery.

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MMA: Dominick Cruz out of UFC 148

It looks like Urijah Faber will have to take a rain check on his rubber match with Dominick Cruz.The UFC bantamweight champion has been forced to withdraw from the highly anticipated championship bout scheduled for UFC 148.MMAWeekly.com broke the news …

It looks like Urijah Faber will have to take a rain check on his rubber match with Dominick Cruz.

The UFC bantamweight champion has been forced to withdraw from the highly anticipated championship bout scheduled for UFC 148.

MMAWeekly.com broke the news on Monday.

According to the source, Cruz was teaching his team of lightweights in the “Ultimate Fighter” on FX while also preparing for his bout with Faber at Alliance MMA.

Sources close to the situation are saying Cruz suffered an ACL injury while working with his team.

Cruz and Faber were expected to settle their ongoing rivalry in the co-main event of UFC 148 on July 7. The two served as coaches on Season 15 of the “Ultimate Fighter,” which is currently airing on FX.

The only loss on Cruz’s record came at the hands of Faber back in March 2007. Faber submitted Cruz in the first round to retain his WEC featherweight title.

After the loss, Cruz dropped to bantamweight and has been rolling ever since.

In July 2011, he avenged his loss to Faber and successfully defended his UFC bantamweight title for the first time in a bout many labeled “Fight of the Year.”

It is unknown whether or not Faber will remain on the card. If Cruz has indeed suffered a serious injury to his ACL, he could be sidelined for the rest of the year.

The UFC has three surefire top contenders at 135 pounds in Faber, Renan Barao and Michael McDonald. Depending on Cruz’s injury, the promotion could opt to crown an interim champion.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more news becomes available in this developing story.

Looking for some more MMA news, and perhaps a couple of laughs? Follow me on Twitter @JordyMcElroy.

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Melvin Guillard: Slumping Contender or Scatterbrained Underachiever?

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of…

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.

Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of a certain arachnid in the middleweight division.

But Melvin Guillard will never seriously contend for a title, let alone garner the success Anderson Silva has. Despite his God-given athleticism, “The Young Assassin” is resigned to mediocrity.

Guillard has amassed 11 wins in the octagon against six losses, a “good” record. People with the athletic talent of Melvin Paul Guillard Jr. are supposed to do better than “good.”

At times, he channels his inner beast: He’s finished 19 of his 29 victories by (T)KO. Frankly, he makes fighters who try to stand with him look meek and stupid. But if the UFC was an idiot contest, Melvin would win. Hands down.

All six of Melvin’s defeats in the UFC have come by way of submission. He’s just not up to par with his ground skills. He looks like a child when his fights hit the mat, even after 17 UFC bouts. He serves his neck and limbs on a platter to hungry submission sharks, without fail.

Okay, so he’s not especially well-rounded, but he even sets the table for his limb-hungry foes. In his last fight with Jim Miller, he attempted three telegraphed flying knees in the first round, begging to be taken down, and choked. Miller obliged after being lit up like a lamp the entire first round.

Melvin, learn how to win. You don’t need a highlight-reel KO to move up the lightweight ladder.

Guillard is booked for a fight with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt/gorilla Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148, on the undercard. UFC executives are implicitly begging him to train his submission defense.

Melvin has the gifts needed to shine in the octagon. But until he trains his grappling or learns to avoid his weaknesses, Melvin will never reach UFC gold.

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UFC News: Chael Sonnen Rips Anderson and Wanderlei Silva, Takes Shot at Rampage

Top UFC middleweight contender was recently interviewed by MMA-30’s Dave Farra and shockingly, Chael did not have any compliments to go around. Sonnen talked about the venue change for his rematch with arch nemesis/UFC middleweight champion Anders…

Top UFC middleweight contender was recently interviewed by MMA-30’s Dave Farra and shockingly, Chael did not have any compliments to go around.

Sonnen talked about the venue change for his rematch with arch nemesis/UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (thanks to Bloody Elbow for the transcription):

“I would love to be part of setting a record, you know… If I can be part of that, you know, I’d love to. … But, the bottom line is the fight is in the octagon. Whatever city, whatever venue, whatever crowd, it doesn’t matter. The fight’s in the octagon and that’s where we’ll fight. It’s a lot closer trip, don’t forget he (Silva) doesn’t live in Brazil; he lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills.”

Just to clarify, Sonnen vs. Silva II was originally going to take place at UFC 147 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but the UFC announced last week that the bout will now move to UFC 148 due to issues with finding a suitable venue in Brazil.

Sonnen then made sure his off and on feud with Wanderlei Silva continued:

“Every time Wanderlei fights I get the same feeling, sincerely. ‘Man, I hope he gets up and can walk out of the ring’. It’s the same thing this time, you know, and I think he’s got a big heart, I think he’s got a tremendous place in martial arts from the wrasslin’ he did over in Japan to the competitive stuff he did here. At the end of the day, this isn’t work he can do.”

Uncle Chael also took exception to Wanderlei driving a $200,000 Aston Martin, “what James Bond drove,” likely because it’s a car manufactured in Britain.

In the rematch between “The Axe Murderer” and Vitor Belfort, Chael said “these two bums fought already” and picked Belfort to win in a round about way.

In a separate clip, Sonnen took some shots at former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson:

“You know, I think he’s got a place, but he’s a crybaby, he’s a real ‘poor me’ guy. He comes in, he takes all the money, he takes all the money, he takes all the spotlight, and it’s still not enough….You know, you think you have problems with Ryan Bader, you know don’t even try that stuff with some of us that have, you know, kicked and scratched and clawed while you, you know, you’ve been eating at the trough for years. So, you know, ‘Rampage’ has a place, but you know if he doesn’t want to fight anymore, he doesn’t have too.”

Finally, Sonnen closed things out by giving his prediction for the UFC 148 main event, sparing no theatrics:

“I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news, all right? The good news? The first punch I throw might not land. Bad news? There’s five more coming right behind it. I will still be the man with the biggest arm, the greatest charm and that does the most harm. When all is said and done, I will stomp you for 25 minutes, or until you give up. And Bruce Buffer will once again announce ‘And still undefeated .. and still undisputed … and still Chael P. Sonnen.”

Both clips are definitely worth watching in their entirety.

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Chael Sonnen: ‘The Voice of Reason: A VIP Pass to Enlightenment’ Book Review

Over the course of the last few years Chael Sonnen has become one of the most divisive figures in mixed martial arts. The outspoken middleweight is beloved by some and reviled by others, to find an MMA fan without an opinion on Sonnen is virtually impossible. With a recently announced rematch against middleweight champion Anderson Silva looming, the timing could not be better for Sonnen to release The Voice of Reason: A VIP Pass To Enlightenment.

When you first open the book it doesn’t take long to figure out what kind of ride you will be taken on by Sonnen. The dusk jacket features a brief blurb from the author that simply states, “You’re welcome, civilization.” If that’s not enough of a clue of where things are headed, you’ll find that none other than “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of Humanity, COO of the Universe”, has penned the foreword. Those two items set the tone for the book, but don’t be fooled, just like with the author himself, there is much more happening here than a quick glance can discern.

The book itself is comprised of more than 25 relatively short chapters, with each chapter tackling a subject before quickly moving on to the next topic. In that manner the book it is not unlike an interview with Sonnen himself. If you find yourself uninterested in the subject that he is currently writing/speaking about, just wait a minute or two, he’ll change gears and move on to something fresh.

The book is laid out in an entertaining manner. After a brief introduction, the author begins by taking the reader on the journey with him to a UFC fight, detailing everything that goes into getting there and the drama that he has to deal with every step of the way. The book closes with that fight taking place and Sonnen having his hand raised in victory. Between those chapters is where we hear The Voice of Reason.

During the course of the book there are moments where Sonnen comes off as “aw, shucks” humble, such as when a father and son want to have their picture taken with the fighter. There are many examples of self-deprecating humor, like when he discusses losing focus for a brief moment, writing that if you need an example, “Look no further than my fight with Anderson Silva.” There are times when you will be left wondering about the sincerity of what he is writing. And you should wonder during those times because as Sonnen himself writes, discussing characters on television:

If you begin any thought about these people with ‘he seems like a really nice and genuine person’ than you are his favorite breed of fool. You’re the type that still believes in Santa Claus and fad diets. You are our favorite sort of turkey. I mean, their favorite sort of turkey. Because I’m not like them at all. I would never lie to you. Trust me, because I am the real deal, and we are going to be best friends forever.

Sure there are times that Sonnen is playing all of us, but that’s part of the beauty of his game, figuring out when those times are taking place.

The topics covered in the book are varied. You get the fight related topics you would expect, but you also get a glimpse at things that shaped Sonnen’s life, his family and his early days of wrestling. He also offers his thoughts on, among other things politics, Presidents, terrorists, films, walkout songs and much more.

For those that are already fans of Sonnen this book will be a must read. For those that, shall we say, are less than enamored by Mr. Sonnen, this book will provide a glimpse below the surface, exposing the reader to a man that is much more than the one he presents when he is standing in front of a camera with a microphone in his hand.

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UFC 148: Early Main Card Breakdown and Predictions

After the UFC’s plans to put Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen on the UFC 147 card in Brazil fell through, the organization decided to put on what may be the biggest card in UFC history. The rematch between Silva and Sonnen may end up being the big…

After the UFC’s plans to put Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen on the UFC 147 card in Brazil fell through, the organization decided to put on what may be the biggest card in UFC history.

The rematch between Silva and Sonnen may end up being the biggest MMA fight of the year, and the co-headlining title fight between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will have had an entire seasons worth of build up from The Ultimate Fighter to get fans interested by the time the event rolls around.

As if throwing two of the biggest fights of the year on the same night isn’t enough, the card also features the final fight of future UFC hall of famer Tito Ortiz’s career, as he will take on longtime rival Forrest Griffin in a rubber match.

Also on the card are two middleweight scraps that have some serious star power behind them, as former middleweight champion Rich Franklin will take on a former Strikeforce champion in Cung Le and rising contender Tim Boetsch will look to take out a former Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Bisping.

This card has the most stacked lineup in recent memory, and the quality of the bouts will make sure it delivers on July 7.

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