Tag: UFC 184

Chris Weidman Injured Again, Rousey vs. Zingano Now Headlines UFC 184


(“Okay, Al, you need to get back on your feet and…dammit, there goes the other knee.” Via Getty.) 

I know what you’re thinking, “A champion who can’t stay healthy? WHAT SPORT IS THIS?”

Well, it’s MMA, dum-dum. Nothing ever goes according to plan; just ask Alexander Gustafsson. Or middleweight champ Chris Weidman, for that matter, who has once again been forced out of his bout with Vitor Belfort due to injury. We now kick it to our man in the field, Bunk Moreland, for analysis…

Details after the jump. 


(“Okay, Al, you need to get back on your feet like this and…dammit, there goes the other knee.” Via Getty.) 

I know what you’re thinking, “A champion who can’t stay healthy? WHAT SPORT IS THIS?”

Well, it’s MMA, dum-dum. Nothing ever goes according to plan; just ask Alexander Gustafsson. Or middleweight champ Chris Weidman, for that matter, who has once again been forced out of his bout with Vitor Belfort due to injury. We now kick it to our man in the field, Bunk Moreland, for analysis…

According to multiple sources, Weidman has gone down with a rib cartilage injury. As of this write-up, there is no expected timetable for his return.

Something about how Weidman and Belfort were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 173 until Vitor pulled out in the wake of the TRT ban. Something else about how they were rescheduled for UFC 181 until Weidman broke his hand.

Regardless, the women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano originally scheduled for UFC 181 has now been bumped back to serve as the headliner for UFC 184. But rest assured, a card co-mained by Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck will now cost us 5 more dollars than it did last year.

Something about Ronda Rousey’s recent fights.

Something about Cat Zingano’s recent fights.

Anything else to add, Bunk?

Yeah, that about sums it up. This sport is killing us. Goodnight.

–J. Jones

Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort Out, Rousey vs. Zingano in at UFC 184 Main Event

Chris Weidman will not defend his title against Vitor Belfort on Feb. 28 at UFC 184. 
According to MMAJunkie.com, the UFC middleweight champion, Weidman, has suffered an injury in training that forced him off the card. 
In the wake of this ne…

Chris Weidman will not defend his title against Vitor Belfort on Feb. 28 at UFC 184. 

According to MMAJunkie.com, the UFC middleweight champion, Weidman, has suffered an injury in training that forced him off the card. 

In the wake of this news, a women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano, which was originally scheduled as the show’s co-main event, will receive top billing on the evening. 

Per MMA Junkie’s report, neither the nature of Weidman‘s injury nor a timetable for his return is known at this time. 

For Weidman, unfortunately, injuries are nothing new. 

In September 2014, he was forced to pull out of a UFC 181 title showdown against Belfort due to a broken hand. He’s also previously injured his shoulder and his knee while fighting under the UFC banner. 

While Rousey vs. Zingano is an awesome fight that will provide the women’s bantamweight champ with perhaps her toughest test to date, this is a massive blow to the Los Angeles card. 

Weidman vs. Belfort was a killer main event, and a one-two punch of excellent matchups with title implications looked great for the promotion. 

Now, the co-main event for the evening will become Josh Koscheck vs. Jake Ellenberger, a showdown between aging welterweights with absolutely no bearing on the title picture at 170 pounds. 

In fact, both men are coming off three straight losses inside the Octagon and are perhaps fighting for their careers. While it’s a fun novelty match between well-known names, it has absolutely nothing on Rousey vs. Zingano as a co-main event in the grand scheme of things. 

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as news develops concerning Weidman‘s injury. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza Catches Pneumonia, UFC 184 Fight With Yoel Romero Postponed


(Souza is the alligator-man in front. Romero is the guy in the diaper, obviously. Props: Luke Rockhold’s Instagram)

Well shoot, this one kind of hurts. Due to a bout of pneumonia, top middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has withdrawn from his scheduled meeting with Yoel Romero at UFC 184 (February 28th, Los Angeles). UFC officials have decided to reschedule the match for a later date, rather than find a replacement opponent for Romero at the event.

With Jacare vs. Romero scratched, a prelim bout between lightweights Tony Ferguson and Yancy Medeiros has been pulled up to the PPV main card. The current UFC 184 lineup looks like this:


(Souza is the alligator-man in front. Romero is the guy in the diaper, obviously. Props: Luke Rockhold’s Instagram)

Well shoot, this one kind of hurts. Due to a bout of pneumonia, top middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has withdrawn from his scheduled meeting with Yoel Romero at UFC 184 (February 28th, Los Angeles). UFC officials have decided to reschedule the match for a later date, rather than find a replacement opponent for Romero at the event.

With Jacare vs. Romero scratched, a prelim bout between lightweights Tony Ferguson and Yancy Medeiros has been pulled up to the PPV main card. The current UFC 184 lineup looks like this:

UFC 184 MAIN CARD
Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort
Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano
Jake Ellenberger vs. Josh Koscheck
Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington
Tony Ferguson vs. Yancy Medeiros

UFC 184 PRELIMINARY CARD
Mark Munoz vs. Roan Carneiro
Alan Jouban vs. Richard Walsh
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Roman Salazar
Derrick Lewis vs. Ruan Potts
James Krause vs. Valmir Lazaro
Masio Fullen vs. Alexander Torres

Anderson Silva to Earn Middleweight Title Shot With UFC 183 Win Over Nick Diaz


(Anderson Silva, posing in front of Jon Jones’s coffee table.)

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is three weeks away from his fun little circus-fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 183, and if he wins, the UFC will give the Spider another chance to get his middleweight title back. UFC president Dana White revealed the plan last night on FOX Sports 1’s UFC Tonight:

“Diaz and Anderson Silva are fighting, and obviously if Anderson Silva wins that fight, and whether Vitor or Weidman win, then you have Anderson Silva versus either one of those guys,” White said.

“Obviously” is not the word I would have used here. For one thing, beating a semi-retired welterweight in a tune-up fight shouldn’t clinch anybody a middleweight title shot, even Anderson Silva. And also, what if Chris Weidman beats Vitor Belfort at UFC 184 next month (a likely scenario now that Belfort is totally off his meds)? Is anybody clamoring for a third fight between Silva and Weidman, outside of the Spider Superfans who remain convinced that the knockout and the broken leg were both “flukes”?

Keep in mind that middleweight contenders Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero — both of whom are still undefeated in the UFC — will be sluggin’ it out at UFC 184. Anderson Silva may be an “obvious” money-maker, but shouldn’t the Jacare/Romero winner be the rightful owner of the next middleweight title shot?


(Anderson Silva, posing in front of Jon Jones’s coffee table.)

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is three weeks away from his fun little circus-fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 183, and if he wins, the UFC will give the Spider another chance to get his middleweight title back. UFC president Dana White revealed the plan last night on FOX Sports 1’s UFC Tonight:

“Diaz and Anderson Silva are fighting, and obviously if Anderson Silva wins that fight, and whether Vitor or Weidman win, then you have Anderson Silva versus either one of those guys,” White said.

“Obviously” is not the word I would have used here. For one thing, beating a semi-retired welterweight in a tune-up fight shouldn’t clinch anybody a middleweight title shot, even Anderson Silva. And also, what if Chris Weidman beats Vitor Belfort at UFC 184 next month (a likely scenario now that Belfort is totally off his meds)? Is anybody clamoring for a third fight between Silva and Weidman, outside of the Spider Superfans who remain convinced that the knockout and the broken leg were both “flukes”?

Keep in mind that middleweight contenders Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero — both of whom are still undefeated in the UFC — will be sluggin’ it out at UFC 184. Anderson Silva may be an “obvious” money-maker, but shouldn’t the Jacare/Romero winner be the rightful owner of the next middleweight title shot?

Glover Teixeira Injured, Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva Shifted to UFC Fight Night 61 Main Event


(Photo via Getty)

The last we heard, UFC light-heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira was going to headline UFC Fight Night 61 (February 22nd; Porto Alegre, Brazil) against former champ Rashad Evans, despite the fact that Teixeira hadn’t been medically cleared to resume training. Well, that’s not going to happen after all.

Teixeira’s manager Ed Soares told MMAFighting.com today that Teixeira “tweaked a knee injury that he suffered in his October fight against Phil Davis and now requires six weeks of physical therapy.” The UFC is working on a new fight for Evans, although the date of that fight is yet unknown.

In the meantime, the UFC has decided to pull the Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva fight that was scheduled for UFC 184 on February 28th, and set it as the new main event of UFC Fight Night 61 six days earlier. UFC Fight Night 61 will still be co-headlined by Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson, but the way the UFC injury bug has been knocking off main events and co-mains lately, nothing in this life is guaranteed. The current UFC Fight Night 61 lineup is…


(Photo via Getty)

The last we heard, UFC light-heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira was going to headline UFC Fight Night 61 (February 22nd; Porto Alegre, Brazil) against former champ Rashad Evans, despite the fact that Teixeira hadn’t been medically cleared to resume training. Well, that’s not going to happen after all.

Teixeira’s manager Ed Soares told MMAFighting.com today that Teixeira “tweaked a knee injury that he suffered in his October fight against Phil Davis and now requires six weeks of physical therapy.” The UFC is working on a new fight for Evans, although the date of that fight is yet unknown.

In the meantime, the UFC has decided to pull the Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva fight that was scheduled for UFC 184 on February 28th, and set it as the new main event of UFC Fight Night 61 six days earlier. UFC Fight Night 61 will still be co-headlined by Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson, but the way the UFC injury bug has been knocking off main events and co-mains lately, nothing in this life is guaranteed. The current UFC Fight Night 61 lineup is…

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva
Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
Ivan Jorge vs. Josh Shockley
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sean Strickland
Wendell Oliveira vs. T.J. Waldburger
Rustam Khabilov vs. Adriano Martins
Sam Alvey vs. Cezar Ferreira
Iuri Alcantara vs. Frankie Saenz
Matt Dwyer vs. William Macario
Jessica Andrade vs. Marion Reneau
Cody Gibson vs. Douglas Silva

UFC Raises “Jones vs. Cormier” PPV Price by $5; Higher Price Also in Effect for UFC 183 and UFC 184


(Dana White acts like it’s so easy to “get a couple more friends.” But what if you’re a reclusive MMA blogger who eats peanut butter with a spork?)

Just like the promotion did with UFC 168 in December 2013, the UFC is using the surge of attention around UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier to raise the price of the pay-per-view broadcast by $5. MMAPayout alerts us that UFC.TV and multiple PPV providers are charging consumers $59.99 HD/$49.99 SD for tonight’s event. Notably, those higher prices will also be in effect for the other two PPV cards the UFC already has scheduled in 2015, UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz on January 31st and UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort on February 28th. As MMAPayout explains:

Last year’s down PPV business forced Standard & Poors to lower Zuffa’s outlook and threatened to lower their credit rating if things didn’t turn around by the end of Q1 2015. Now having said that, it makes sense as to why Q1 2015 has been scheduled with some of UFC’s biggest stars and match-ups. As for the price hike, looking back at UFC 168, it did an estimated 1.025M PPV buys with the hiked PPV price, so it doesn’t appear to have been much of a deterrent. It’s pretty much a safe bet to say that the UFC’s takeaway from the UF 168 experiment was that their customers have no problem paying extra for a major event. In 2015, it looks like they are taking that experiment a bit further by scheduling the first three events of the year with the price hike.


(Dana White acts like it’s so easy to “get a couple more friends.” But what if you’re a reclusive MMA blogger who eats peanut butter with a spork?)

Just like the promotion did with UFC 168 in December 2013, the UFC is using the surge of attention around UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier to raise the price of the pay-per-view broadcast by $5. MMAPayout alerts us that UFC.TV and multiple PPV providers are charging consumers $59.99 HD/$49.99 SD for tonight’s event. Notably, those higher prices will also be in effect for the other two PPV cards the UFC already has scheduled in 2015, UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz on January 31st and UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort on February 28th. As MMAPayout explains:

Last year’s down PPV business forced Standard & Poors to lower Zuffa’s outlook and threatened to lower their credit rating if things didn’t turn around by the end of Q1 2015. Now having said that, it makes sense as to why Q1 2015 has been scheduled with some of UFC’s biggest stars and match-ups. As for the price hike, looking back at UFC 168, it did an estimated 1.025M PPV buys with the hiked PPV price, so it doesn’t appear to have been much of a deterrent. It’s pretty much a safe bet to say that the UFC’s takeaway from the UF 168 experiment was that their customers have no problem paying extra for a major event. In 2015, it looks like they are taking that experiment a bit further by scheduling the first three events of the year with the price hike.

At this point, we don’t know whether or not the UFC will return to its original prices as soon as there’s a PPV card with a less highly-anticipated main event. $59.99/$49.99 could be the new normal. Ugh. I mean, I know the UFC is experiencing some financially desperate times and they need to build their bankroll while the iron’s hot, but damn, this is how you repay fans who stuck with you last year? By jacking up prices as soon as the cards are good again? Come on, man. Come on.