After learning earlier today from MMA Fighting.com that Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen would now headline UFC 148, the main card has become a much more stacked event than what fans had first expected.In addition to the middleweight title bout, UFC ban…
After learning earlier today from MMA Fighting.com that Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen would now headline UFC 148, the main card has become a much more stacked event than what fans had first expected.
In addition to the middleweight title bout, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will defend his title against Urijah Faber, as well as a trilogy between UFC veterans Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.
The card has been given a major boost in terms of marketability, as the rematch between Silva and Sonnen is expected to draw a lot of viewers, and for it being billed as one of the greatest fights of all time.
This card draws comparisons to UFC 100, where the company put on a historic event featuring two title bouts and a bout involving Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping in a pivotal middleweight matchup.
The magnitude of the two events contrast from each other, but most of the attention will be drawn to the main event. However, considering the presentation of the card, this will be one event that fans will be anticipating for quite some time.
Also, take into consideration that the UFC will be hosting it on their traditional fourth of July weekend, and the amount of media coverage for UFC 148 will increase.
Sure, the UFC took a risk in moving their main event off their previous card in Brazil, but it is well worth it. It is expected that UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will headline UFC 147 in Silva’s absence, which is a win-win for the company.
Given the right amount of marketability, UFC 148 will be one event that nearly every fan will want to tune in for on July 7th.
With today’s official announcement that Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen will now take place at UFC 148, instead of UFC 147 as originally planned, there is no bigger benefactor than featherweight contender Hatsu Hioki.While Hioki is not directly affected…
While Hioki is not directly affected, a replacement main event will be added. You see, along with the news that Silva/Sonnen has been postponed, Dana White stated that featherweight champion Jose Aldo will likely be added to the card.
Hioki has gone 2-0 inside the Octagon and is riding the momentum of a six-fight winning streak. Normally, he would be the natural choice to face Aldo, the champion of a division with few clear-cut contenders. However, there are two other dogs that have been in the chase.
Fellow contenders Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung have each made a sizable impact within the division as of late, with the Korean Zombie knocking out Mark Hominick and Poirier riding his own five-fight streak. With all three men laying a legitimate claim to a title shot, Aldo’s opponent was still up in the air.
Poirier and Zombie are currently scheduled for a May 15th encounter at UFC on FUEL TV 3 in Fairfax, VA. The winner of the contest would potentially have the time to recuperate and challenge Aldo at his previously scheduled UFC 149 title defense.
Now that Aldo is being relocated to UFC 147, it does not appear that the Zuffa boys will have time to wait for a contender to emerge. Unless they plan to do some major shuffling to UFC on the FUEL event (which is unlikely), Hioki is the logical choice to step in and fight for a chance at glory.
Keep in mind that all of this is contingent on Frankie Edgar not dropping down to Featherweight.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updates on all things UFC as they become available.
By Elias Cepeda
(The Silva/Sonnen staredown nuzzledown from today’s press-conference, via MMAMania.)
The good news? Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will indeed rematch one another this summer. The bad news, at least for Brazilian fans, is that the mega bout will not take place in Brazil as originally planned, but rather in Las Vegas.
UFC President Dana White convened a press conference in Rio this morning, breaking the news alongside middleweight champion Silva and #1 contender Sonnen. White said he wanted to secure a soccer stadium in either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janiero for UFC 147, with Silva vs. Sonnen headlining, but that “everything that could go wrong, went wrong.” That included a United Nations conference being scheduled in Rio during the weekend UFC 147 was originally scheduled for, creating an insurmountable logistical nightmare for the promotion.
Silva vs. Sonnen II will now be moved to UFC 148 on July 7th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas. UFC 147 will still take place in Brazil, though White said a venue has yet to be secured. The event is scheduled to feature the rematch between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, as well as the middleweight and featherweight finals of TUF Brazil. White said that the UFC is also working on moving Jose Aldo to that card from his UFC 149 engagement, against an opponent to be named later.
By Elias Cepeda
(The Silva/Sonnen staredown nuzzledown from today’s press-conference, via MMAMania.)
The good news? Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will indeed rematch one another this summer. The bad news, at least for Brazilian fans, is that the mega bout will not take place in Brazil as originally planned, but rather in Las Vegas.
UFC President Dana White convened a press conference in Rio this morning, breaking the news alongside middleweight champion Silva and #1 contender Sonnen. White said he wanted to secure a soccer stadium in either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janiero for UFC 147, with Silva vs. Sonnen headlining, but that “everything that could go wrong, went wrong.” That included a United Nations conference being scheduled in Rio during the weekend UFC 147 was originally scheduled for, creating an insurmountable logistical nightmare for the promotion.
Silva vs. Sonnen II will now be moved to UFC 148 on July 7th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas. UFC 147 will still take place in Brazil, though White said a venue has yet to be secured. The event is scheduled to feature the rematch between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, as well as the middleweight and featherweight finals of TUF Brazil. White said that the UFC is also working on moving Jose Aldo to that card from his UFC 149 engagement, against an opponent to be named later.
During today’s press conference, Anderson Silva said that he was “not happy that the fight wont be in Brazil,” but that he has “fans worldwide…nothing will really change.”
Sonnen, who’s had a well-documented history of insulting Brazil and its people, also said he was disappointed to not be fighting in the country. “Especially [losing out on] coming to a stadium,” Sonnen explained. “St. Pierre vs. Shields was in a stadium with 55,000 people watching and I was hoping to be a part of breaking that…The plan was to come here, take your money, come take [Silva’s] belt and go back to America.”
On Tuesday morning, Dana White, Chael Sonnen and the middleweight champion Anderson Silva were all in Brazil for a press conference about UFC 147.But the biggest news from the press conference was something that had been rumored for about two week…
On Tuesday morning, Dana White, Chael Sonnen and the middleweight champion Anderson Silva were all in Brazil for a press conference about UFC 147.
But the biggest news from the press conference was something that had been rumored for about two weeks now: the necessity to move the fight from Brazil to Las Vegas due to scheduling conflicts.
However, there was more than just that news to come out of the presser, so let’s take a look at all the stories from the UFC 147 press conference in Brazil.
Earlier today, UFC President Dana White announced to the world that the rematch between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship, will be moved from Brazil to Las Vegas to headline UFC 148.It’s a shame we will miss out on t…
It’s a shame we will miss out on the extreme partisan reactions of the Brazilian crowd as they cheer on their countryman Silva. But, no matter where the fight takes place, it’s bound to be hotly anticipated and an extravaganza like few others in MMA history.
There’s no question that the MMA world is in a frenzy over this fight. In their initial match, Sonnen beat Silva from pillar to post before eventually succumbing to a final round submission from a battered champion. After the fight, it was revealed that Sonnen had competed while being treated for hypogonadism, a condition that prevents the body from producing normal levels of testosterone.
While defending his testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 16.9-to-1 (the legal ratio in California was 4-to-1), Sonnen told the California Athletic Commission that he had been approved for a therapeutic use exemption in the state of Nevada, allowing him to use testosterone legally. Nevada’s Executive Director Keith Kizer categorically denied the claim:
Keith Kizer, executive director of the NSAC, testified over streaming video from Las Vegas that neither he nor Nevada commission-licensed doctors granted Sonnen a therapeutic use exemption, which allows for prescribed medication to be used by a licensed competitor if it’s deemed necessary for his or her well-being.
Sonnen, Kizer said, was never told he didn’t need to disclose testosterone treatments.
“That is a false statement,” Kizer said.
Kizer would eventually meet with Sonnen, his then manager Matt Lindland and members of the UFC’s senior management team. After much discussion and thought, Kizer tells Bleacher Report that he doesn’t see why Sonnen wouldn’t be eligible to fight in the state. In fact, he might even be eligible for an administrative license, meaning he would be approved without the necessity of a commission hearing.
“If he files, any and all relevant issues will be addressed,” Kizer said, conceding Sonnen’s past would potentially be an issue. “There is always more scrutiny, but that does necessarily mean a hearing is needed. That is something to be decided but I think he may be eligible for administrative licensing, i.e., no need for hearing. The final decision on that point would be the Chairman’s.”
The standard licensing procedure does present some potential pitfalls for Sonnen:
Therapeutic Use Exemption: While Sonnen can apply for an exemption to the Commission’s prohibition against artificial testosterone, even having the proper paperwork isn’t a guarantee that it will be approved
U.S. attorney’s office spokesperson Gerri Badden told MMA Fighting that Sonnen was sentenced on Friday to 24 months probation, a $10,000 fine and forfeiture of his real estate license as the result of his Jan. 3rd guilty plea.
In his plea, Sonnen admitted that he was part of a financial transaction that was conducted or designed to disguise the ownership of funds due to wire fraud. The charge had carried a possible fine of up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
While there is no reason to assume that Sonnen isn’t clean, he should learn a lesson from Alistair Overeem and expect to be tested by the Commission when he applies for his license. Nevada reserves the right to test the athletes out of competition and upon request for licensure. I suspect Sonnen may be asked to submit to drug testing before the bout.
At UFC 117, the MMA world saw Anderson Silva vulnerable for the first time in his UFC career.For four and a half rounds, he was dominated from pillar to post by Chael Sonnen, who not only out-wrestled the champion, but out-struck him as well. It was a …
At UFC 117, the MMA world saw Anderson Silva vulnerable for the first time in his UFC career.
For four and a half rounds, he was dominated from pillar to post by Chael Sonnen, who not only out-wrestled the champion, but out-struck him as well. It was a Hail Mary triangle choke that forced Sonnen to tap and saved Anderson Silva’s title reign. Chael Sonnen’s performance was unfortunately tainted when his post-fight drug test came back for elevated levels of testosterone.
While serving his one year suspension, Sonnen became something of a media darling because of his ability to cut a promo. For an entire year, Sonnen would tell anyone and everyone who would listen about how he was the real middleweight champion and that Anderson Silva would never survive “the mean streets of West Linn, Oregon.”
Finally, after two years of waiting, Chael Sonnen would get another shot at the champion. He’d be traveling to Silva’s backyard and fight in front of a rowdy Brazilian crowd at UFC 147.
The UFC, to their credit, recognized how big of a fight this could be for the South American nation and intended to hold the fight at a soccer stadium.
Unfortunately, plans began to fall through when the United Nations scheduled a conference the very same weekend. Not only would there be a ton of security in town for all of the diplomats, but there were also concerns that the country’s infrastructure wouldn’t be able to accommodate both the UN and UFC.
Following UFC on Fuel 2, UFC President Dana White confirmed to the attending media that the card was in jeopardy.
Rumors of the fight being moved to UFC 148 soon followed.
Today, the UFC confirmed that the fight had in fact been moved to UFC 148 in Las Vegas. The fight will headline one of the deepest cards in recent history which also features a bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as well as Tito Ortiz’ last fight ever.
UFC 147 will still go on at a yet to be named venue in Brazil with Vitor Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva in the main event. Jose Aldo is also expected to fight on that card.
With 