Tag: UFC 161

Dan Henderson vs. Rashad Evans Set as New Main Event for UFC 161

With Renan Barao now officially out of UFC 161 due to injury, the promotion has bumped up one of the featured bouts on the undercard to main event status. The UFC announced via Twitter on Tuesday that the light heavyweight bout pitting former champion …

With Renan Barao now officially out of UFC 161 due to injury, the promotion has bumped up one of the featured bouts on the undercard to main event status.

The UFC announced via Twitter on Tuesday that the light heavyweight bout pitting former champion Rashad Evans against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson will now take the main event slot at UFC 161.

UFC officials also confirmed with Bleacher Report that the new main event will be a three-round fight.  Typically all main events (even non-title fights) are scheduled for five rounds, but because Henderson and Evans are bumping up to the headline spot on short notice, their fight remains a three-round bout as scheduled.

Barao suffered torn ligaments in his foot that forced him out of his scheduled title fight against top contender Eddie Wineland, and it left the UFC in a precarious position with less than a month to go until UFC 161 takes place on June 15 in Canada.

The UFC has now turned to the co-main event on the card to fill the headline slot with Evans taking on Henderson in a light heavyweight showdown.

Evans returns to action at UFC 161 following back-to-back losses in his last two fights with his eyes set on redemption.  The former UFC light heavyweight champion suffered a defeat at the hands of his former teammate Jon Jones at UFC 145 last year, and followed that up with a  lackluster performance against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in February as well.

Now Evans has a chance to get back on the horse again and return to his winning ways with a main event bout against a legendary multi-weight class champion.

For many years, Dan Henderson has been considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet with a willingness to literally take on all challengers.  He was both the middleweight and light heavyweight champion when Pride Fighting Championships was bought out several years ago, and went on to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight title as well.

Henderson even managed to bump up to heavyweight for a bout against iconic heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, and the Team Quest fighter won by knockout in the first round.

Following a disappointing loss in his last fight to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157, Henderson now hopes to jump right back into title contention with a win at UFC 161.

He’ll face Evans in the new main event for UFC 161, which goes down on June 15 from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The new co-main event for the card is expected to be another light heavyweight fight pitting former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Champion Renan Barao Injured and out of UFC 161 Main Event

UFC 161 is currently without a main event after interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao suffered a foot injury in training that will force him out of his scheduled bout against top contender Eddie Wineland. The news of Barao’s injury first surfaced o…

UFC 161 is currently without a main event after interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao suffered a foot injury in training that will force him out of his scheduled bout against top contender Eddie Wineland.

The news of Barao‘s injury first surfaced on Saturday during UFC on FX 8, which took place in the champion’s native country of Brazil.

At the time, UFC officials were hesitant to count Barao out of the fight just yet until he had a chance to visit with doctors on Monday. 

As of Tuesday, however, UFC representatives confirmed with Bleacher Report that Barao is officially out of UFC 161.  UFC President Dana White initially confirmed the news with MMAJunkie.com, stating that Barao‘s injuries were severe enough that he would be unable to fight Wineland on June 15.

According to White, Barao suffered torn ligaments in his foot and had to be pulled from the show due to the injuries.

It leaves the UFC with a tough spot to fill seeing as the UFC 161 card is less than a month away now, and options would seem few and far between to replace the entire main event.

Two featured light heavyweight bouts are on the card already with former champion Rashad Evans taking on Dan Henderson, while Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a rematch of an epic battle the two Brazilians had while competing under the Pride banner.

As of Tuesday, White was unable to confirm if the UFC had an alternate plan in place for a new headliner for UFC 161 or if the current card would move forward with either of the light heavyweight fights moving up to take the main event spot.

Barao‘s injury also muddies up the UFC bantamweight division even more because while he is serving as the interim title holder, 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz remains on the mend following back-to-back knee surgeries that have kept him out of action for more than a year.

It’s unclear when Barao will be able to return to action, and Cruz’s timeline has not been determined either until he gets doctor’s clearance to get back into full training following the two difficult surgeries.

Meanwhile, it leaves top contender Eddie Wineland in a difficult position as the top contender with no fight as of now.  If Barao‘s injuries are not too severe he could potentially return and face Wineland later this year, which would also give Cruz more time to heal up before unifying the titles when he gets back in the cage.

Either way, right now, UFC 161 stands without a defined main event with Barao out due to injury and no word on a fight that could fill the space instead.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Interim UFC Champ Barao Pulls Out of UFC 161 Title Defense Against Eddie Wineland


Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Tatame by way of Bloody Elbow reports that June 15th’s UFC 161 has lost its main event. UFC interim 135 pound champion Renan Barao was set to face Eddie Wineland in the event’s headlining match but the Brazilian has reportedly been forced to pull out due to injury.

Barao is reported to have injured a foot. He became the interim champion by beating Urijah Faber after champion Dominick Cruz went on injured reserve because of multiple knee ligament injuries. Wineland is on a two-fight win streak and Barao recently defended the interim belt by choking out Michael McDonald and earning his 20th consecutive win.

As of yet, the extent of Barao’s injury is unknown and so then is how long he will be out of action. No word yet from the UFC, either, on a substitution main event for UFC 161.

You up for an interim-interim bantamweight champ, nation?

– Elias Cepeda


Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Tatame by way of Bloody Elbow reports that June 15th’s UFC 161 has lost its main event. UFC interim 135 pound champion Renan Barao was set to face Eddie Wineland in the event’s headlining match but the Brazilian has reportedly been forced to pull out due to injury.

Barao is reported to have injured a foot. He became the interim champion by beating Urijah Faber after champion Dominick Cruz went on injured reserve because of multiple knee ligament injuries. Wineland is on a two-fight win streak and Barao recently defended the interim belt by choking out Michael McDonald and earning his 20th consecutive win.

As of yet, the extent of Barao’s injury is unknown and so then is how long he will be out of action. No word yet from the UFC, either, on a substitution main event for UFC 161.

You up for an interim-interim bantamweight champ, nation?

– Elias Cepeda

UFC 161 Video Preview: Dominick Cruz Breaks Down Barao vs. Wineland

It’s been a long while since we last saw Dominick Cruz defend his UFC bantamweight title. How long, you ask? Long enough for Renan Barao to put his interim bantamweight crown on the line for a second time when he faces Eddie Wineland in the main …

It’s been a long while since we last saw Dominick Cruz defend his UFC bantamweight title. How long, you ask? Long enough for Renan Barao to put his interim bantamweight crown on the line for a second time when he faces Eddie Wineland in the main event of UFC 161.

Cruz went down with a torn ACL during filming of The Ultimate Fighter: Live and was forced to undergo surgery. Unfortunately for Cruz, the cadaver ligament that was used during the repair was rejected by his body, necessitating a second surgery.

While Cruz was on the mend from his first surgery, the UFC moved forward and lined up Barao to face former WEC champion Urijah Faber for the interim title. Barao defeated Faber via unanimous decision in that bout and moved on to defend the title, stopping Michael McDonald by submission in February of this year.

With Cruz’s return still months away, the UFC has set Barao up with Wineland for a second attempted title defense. Wineland earned his shot at Barao after defeating Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett in his last two bouts.

UFC 161 will take place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, and you can bet that Cruz will be one the most interested observers of the Barao versus Wineland fight. 

Cruz recently sat down with Rick J. Lee and broke down the fight. See what the champ has to say about the upcoming scrap that just may decide who he faces when he does return to the Octagon. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Alexis Davis (13-5) and Rosi Sexton (13-2) continue the string of female debuts in the UFC when they meet at UFC 161 in June.Sexton will move up to bantamweight for this fight. She was highly ranked in the flyweight division during her time at 125 poun…

Alexis Davis (13-5) and Rosi Sexton (13-2) continue the string of female debuts in the UFC when they meet at UFC 161 in June.

Sexton will move up to bantamweight for this fight. She was highly ranked in the flyweight division during her time at 125 pounds.

Davis is currently ranked fifth in the UFC’s official rankings. In MMARising’s pound-for-pound rankings Davis ranks fifth, and Sexton comes in at 11th. It is a battle between two of the best veterans in the sport today.

With The Ultimate Fighter housing Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano, this fight is unlikely to produce the next title challenger, but the winner will put herself in prime position for a contender’s bout.

Here is your early breakdown for this women’s bantamweight bout.

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Barnburner Alert: Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton Added to UFC 161 in Winnipeg

 

Of all the attempts to exploit female MMA fighters for their looks, the above photo of Alexis Davis might be the most confusing. I mean, she’s clearly an attractive woman to those of us with non-Internet standards, but did the photographer responsible for this realize that WMMA is not Foxy Boxing? If you want to do a sexy photo shoot showcasing the “feminine” side of a female fighter (makeup, hurr did, etc.), then do a sexy photo shoot. If you want to showcase your female fighter as a female fighter, then have her throw on the gloves and maybe hit some heavy bags like you would with anyone else. Combining the two just seems…impractical and kind of counterproductive to the whole “we are more than just a pretty face” WMMA ideology, does it not?

Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox to pass along the news that Davis has just been booked to take on wrestling powerhouse and qualified osteopath Rosi Sexton at UFC 161 in June. According to the UFC, the fight will air on the pay-per-view portion of the card that already features Shogun vs. Lil’ Nog II and Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson (man, Hendo appears to just be rolling in it these days).

 

Of all the attempts to exploit female MMA fighters for their looks, the above photo of Alexis Davis might be the most confusing. I mean, she’s clearly an attractive woman to those of us with non-Internet standards, but did the photographer responsible for this realize that WMMA is not Foxy Boxing? If you want to do a sexy photo shoot showcasing the “feminine” side of a female fighter (makeup, hurr did, etc.), then do a sexy photo shoot. If you want to showcase your female fighter as a female fighter, then have her throw on the gloves and maybe hit some heavy bags like you would with anyone else. Combining the two just seems…impractical and kind of counterproductive to the whole “we are more than just a pretty face” WMMA ideology, does it not?

Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox to pass along the news that Davis has just been booked to take on wrestling powerhouse and qualified osteopath Rosi Sexton at UFC 161 in June. According to the UFC, the fight will air on the pay-per-view portion of the card that already features Shogun vs. Lil’ Nog II and Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson (man, Hendo appears to just be rolling in it these days).

A veteran of the sport since 2007, Davis is riding back-to-back submission victories over Hitomi Akano and Shayna Baszler at Invicta 2 and Invicta 4, respectively. Her battle with Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey easily ranked among the top 10 fights of 2012, if not the top 5, so expect her to put on a show against Sexton, who has collected three straight victories under the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship banner dating back to 2010.

Featuring a headlining interim bantamweight title fight between Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland, UFC 161 is scheduled for June 15th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

–J. Jones