Tag: UFC Booking

Henry Cejudo Signs With the UFC, Will Meet Scott Jorgensen at UFC 177


(Henry Cejudo wrestles a crazed MMA fan. / Photo via Getty)

Well, Potato Nation, it appears we may have been…wrong.

Emphasis on may have been.

A few months ago, we called Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo the biggest bust in MMA history. At the time, there was plenty of evidence to support it–specifically his apparent lack of focus (and sanity) as far as MMA was concerned. Then there was his involvement with a cult of weird, new age, self-help loons.


(Henry Cejudo wrestles a crazed MMA fan. / Photo via Getty)

Well, Potato Nation, it appears we may have been…wrong.

Emphasis on may have been.

A few months ago, we called Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo the biggest bust in MMA history. At the time, there was plenty of evidence to support it–specifically his apparent lack of focus (and sanity) as far as MMA was concerned. Then there was his involvement with a cult of weird, new age, self-help loons.

The UFC doesn’t share our misgivings about Cejudo. They just signed the 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal winner. They also booked him in a fight against a proven quantity in Scott Jorgensen.

Cejudo is 6-0 over Wikipedia-less jobbers. His most recent fight was back in January–a flyweight fight where he missed weight by three pounds. Jorgensen, too is coming off a victory. He defeated Danny Martinez at UFC Fight Night 42. Prior to that, he had dropped three fights straight.

This is an interesting signing, Potato Nation.

The biggest question is whether Cejudo can mentally cope with the big leagues. Judging by the fact that he had trouble dealing with the likes of Legacy FC, we’re not optimistic.

However, the UFC is willing to take the risk–and why not? The flyweight division is devoid of anyone that can even remotely be considered a draw. And, as Luke Thomas noted, Cejudo’s ability to speak Spanish would be a boon to the UFC’s efforts in Latin America provided he string a few wins together.

But even if Cejudo loses, it doesn’t matter. This fight is taking place on UFC 177–the card TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao is headlining–so it’s unlikely anyone will see it happen.

Rematch Alert: Jose Aldo Will Meet Chad Mendes at UFC 176


(Photo via Getty)

This afternoon, the LA Times reported the UFC booked Chad Mendes in a rematch with featherweight champ Jose Aldo. The fight will take place at UFC 176 this August in Los Angeles.

This is one instance of a rematch we don’t necessarily mind seeing (unlike some rematches that don’t ever need to happen again. Ever.). Mendes has been on a warpath since losing to Aldo back at UFC 142 in 2012, winning five fights in a row over the likes of Clay Guida and…Clay Guida.


(Photo via Getty)

This afternoon, the LA Times reported that the UFC booked Chad Mendes in a rematch with featherweight champ Jose Aldo. The fight will take place at UFC 176 this August in Los Angeles.

This is one instance of a rematch we don’t necessarily mind seeing (unlike some rematches that don’t ever need to happen again. Ever.). Mendes has been on a warpath since losing to Aldo back at UFC 142 in 2012, winning five fights in a row over the likes of Clay Guida and…Clay Guida.

Okay so the division is a little thin, but Mendes’ style still poses a threat to Aldo who, according to Dana White, has been looking like shit lately despite outclassing the entire division. If you recall, some say a controversial fence-grab gave Aldo the leverage to ward off a Mendes takedown and knee his head into the stands. Perhaps this is the truth and Mendes is the man to beat Aldo? Unfortunately for Mendes, wonder-coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig is no longer available to help him, which can only be a detriment.

At the time of writing, no other bookings have been announced for UFC 176. We’ll post more updates as we get them.

UFC Booking Alert: Ronda Rousey to Face Alexis Davis at UFC 175


(Did you know: Ronda Rousey doesn’t listen to music, only the screams of past opponents. / Photo via Getty)

Ronda Rousey‘s next opponent has been determined. It’s not Holly Holm. It’s not Gina Carano, and it’s definitely not Cris Cyborg.

It’s Alexis Davis, who’s currently 3-0 in the UFC and is on a five-fight win streak overall.

Dana White announced the fight over twitter last night.

To be honest, we’re a little disappointed. Find out why after the jump.


(Did you know: Ronda Rousey doesn’t listen to music, only the screams of past opponents. / Photo via Getty)

Ronda Rousey‘s next opponent has been determined. It’s not Holly Holm. It’s not Gina Carano, and it’s definitely not Cris Cyborg. It’s Alexis Davis, who’s currently 3-0 in the UFC and is on a five-fight win streak overall. Dana White announced the fight over twitter last night.

To be honest, we’re a little disappointed. We wanted one of the “big three” names that get thrown around when Rousey is mentioned–Carano, Cyborg, or Holm.

Dana White met with Gina Carano recently, but apparently nothing came of it–at least nothing immediate. It’s still possible that they eventually work something out. Who knows, maybe Carano will face Rousey at the UFC’s year-end card. And while Carano getting an immediate title shot after several years of inactivity would be insane, the amount of buzz that a Carano-Rousey fight would generate is undeniable (even if the fight itself would be one-sided in favor of Rousey).

And, of course, we already know that the UFC (more specifically Dana White) is not at all sold on the idea of Holly Holm in the UFC. And Cyborg? She’ll likely never see the inside of the Octagon, sadly.

So it looks like the Rousey hype train will justifiably pick up more steam this July at UFC 175. We’re not going to officially call the fight right now to avoid a “Dewey Defeats Truman” scenario, but a Rousey win is certainly more likely. Davis just isn’t on the same level in terms of skill and raw athleticism. Remember our theory about the UFC women’s bantamweight division just being a feeder system for Rousey? Looking more true with each booking!

UFC Booking Alert: Robbie Lawler to Face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 173


(Robbie Lawler storms the Octagon, refusing to leave until Joe Silva offers up a sacrifice. / Photo via Getty)

UFC 173 just got a little more star power. An intriguing welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler just got added to the May 24th card.

Originally, Ellenberger was slated to fight Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 172 in Baltimore next month. However, an injury Saffiedine sustained in training changed all that. Not to diss Saffiedine, but Ellenberger-Lawler is a much more exciting fight to daydream about.


(Robbie Lawler storms the Octagon, refusing to leave until Joe Silva offers a sacrifice. / Photo via Getty)

UFC 173 just got a little more star power. An intriguing welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler just got added to the May 24th card.

Originally, Ellenberger was slated to fight Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 172 in Baltimore next month. However, an injury Saffiedine sustained in training changed all that. Not to diss Saffiedine, but Ellenberger-Lawler is a much more exciting fight to daydream about.

Lawler is coming off a decision loss to Johny Hendricks in what was basically the fight of his life. He had the title within his grasp, but couldn’t reach it. Watching him (try to) bounce back will be interesting. Ellenberger, too, is coming off a loss. His was to Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 8 last July. He looked disinterested and flat. He’ll likely be looking to erase that performance with his efforts against Lawler.

UFC 173 needed a match like this—one between two top fighters that actually matter and that has implications in the weight class. The card started off well enough, with Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort Lyoto Machida as the main event. Then Weidman hurt his knee, and the MMA fandom collectively breathed a sigh of woe as the main event became Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw. But thanks to Ellenberger-Lawler, as well as Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic, UFC 173 might actually be worth paying for now.