Tag: UFC bookings

Yeah, So Hatsu Hioki Actually Turned Down a Title Shot Against Jose Aldo

In case you missed the update to yesterday’s rumor, top-five featherweight Hatsu Hioki will be facing Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida (June 22nd, Atlantic City), and Erik Koch is indeed the leading candidate to be the next challenger to Jose Aldo‘s belt.

If it seems that Koch is being pushed to a title shot a little too soon — especially coming off of a lengthy injury layoff — well, it’s not his fault. As UFC president Dana White explained to FOX Sports, Hioki was next in line, but insisted on getting “one more test before going for the belt.”

Let us now dissect the wisdom of Hioki’s decision…

In case you missed the update to yesterday’s rumor, top-five featherweight Hatsu Hioki will be facing Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida (June 22nd, Atlantic City), and Erik Koch is indeed the leading candidate to be the next challenger to Jose Aldo‘s belt.

If it seems that Koch is being pushed to a title shot a little too soon — especially coming off of a lengthy injury layoff — well, it’s not his fault. As UFC president Dana White explained to FOX Sports, Hioki was next in line, but insisted on getting “one more test before going for the belt.”

Let us now dissect the wisdom of Hioki’s decision…

From a competitive standpoint, Hioki made the right call. Though he was widely considered Japan’s top featherweight during his stint in Sengoku, his UFC debut saw him barely squeak by George Roop. In February, he turned in a much more impressive performance, dominating (but not finishing) Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144 in his home country. One more lap through the Octagon on U.S. soil would make him a comfortable UFC veteran, better prepared for the unique pressure and atmosphere of the promotion. And let’s be honest, one does not simply walk into Jose Aldo.

But from a career perspective, Hioki might have screwed himself here. Ricardo Lamas has looked outstanding since dropping to featherweight, earning a first-round TKO against Matt Grice last June, then picking up a Submission of the Night bonus for his arm-triangle choke of Cub Swanson at UFC on FOX 1. If Lamas scores an upset (which is entirely possible), Hioki will plummet down the 145-pound contender’s ladder, and it could take years to claw his way back. Even if Hioki wins, his place in line isn’t guaranteed. In general, the UFC doesn’t hold guys who turn down big opportunities in high regard. When Joe Silva calls, you say “yes” even before he has the chance to say “sup, bro.”

What do you think? Will Hioki’s decision come back to bite him in the ass?

Jose Aldo Likely to Defend Featherweight Title Against Erik Koch


(Photo courtesy of MMAWeekly)

Jose Aldo‘s next opponent is close to being finalized, and from what we hear, it won’t be Hatsu Hioki or Frankie Edgar. A source close to Roufusport MMA Academy has informed CagePotato.com that 145-pound contender Erik Koch has been sent a contract to challenge Aldo for the UFC featherweight title. The fight would likely take place at UFC 147 in Brazil.

Until we can confirm this report with one of the fighters themselves, treat it as a rumor for now. We’ve contacted Koch’s manager, Mike Roberts of MMA Inc., but have yet to receive a response. Stay tuned.

Koch (13-1) is 2-0 in the UFC, including his Knockout of the Night win against Raphael Assuncao and a unanimous decision over TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins last September. He was scheduled to return against Dustin Poirier at UFC 143 in February, but had to withdraw due to injury.

Update: Hatsu Hioki will be facing Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4, and Aldo vs. Koch is now very likely.


(Photo courtesy of MMAWeekly)

Jose Aldo‘s next opponent is close to being finalized, and from what we hear, it won’t be Hatsu Hioki or Frankie Edgar. A source close to Roufusport MMA Academy has informed CagePotato.com that 145-pound contender Erik Koch has been sent a contract to challenge Aldo for the UFC featherweight title. The fight would likely take place at UFC 147 in Brazil.

Until we can confirm this report with one of the fighters themselves, treat it as a rumor for now. We’ve contacted Koch’s manager, Mike Roberts of MMA Inc., but have yet to receive a response. Stay tuned.

Koch (13-1) is 2-0 in the UFC, including his Knockout of the Night win against Raphael Assuncao and a unanimous decision over TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins last September. He was scheduled to return against Dustin Poirier at UFC 143 in February, but had to withdraw due to injury.

Update: Hatsu Hioki will be facing Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4, and Aldo vs. Koch is now very likely.

UFC Booking Alert: Big Nog Returns vs. Cheick Kongo at UFC 149, Munoz vs. Weidman to Headline UFC on FUEL 4


(Fun fact: Nogueira’s body is composed mainly of replacement parts from grave-robbed corpses.)

UFC 149 (July 21st, Calgary) is picking up some heavyweight muscle in the form of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo. The Calgary Sun first reported the matchup, adding that the event will likely be headlined by the Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson light-heavyweight title fight.

Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?

In other booking news…


(Fun fact: Nogueira’s body is composed mainly of replacement parts from grave-robbed corpses.)

UFC 149 (July 21st, Calgary) is picking up some heavyweight muscle in the form of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo. The Calgary Sun first reported the matchup, adding that the event will likely be headlined by the Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson light-heavyweight title fight.

Big Nog is coming off his gruesome kimura loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140 in December, a defeat that had many fans and pundits pleading for the legend’s retirement. Following that fight, Nogueira said he expected to return within nine months. Just seven months later, he’ll be taking one more kick at the cat against a tough striker in Kongo, who ate a first-round TKO loss against Mark Hunt in his last outing. Still, you can’t count either of these guys out (see: Nog vs. Schaub, Kongo vs. Barry). Are you happy to see Nogueira back in the Octagon? And who do you think will be left standing?

In other booking news…

During last night’s episode of UFC Tonight on FUEL, reporter Ariel Helwani revealed that a middleweight meeting between Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman will headline UFC on FUEL 4 (July 11th, location TBA).

Weidman increased his perfect MMA record to 8-0 at UFC on FOX 2 in January with a unanimous decision win over Demian Maia. Munoz was scheduled to compete against Micchael Bisping at the same event, but had to withdraw due to elbow problems. Munoz is currently riding a four-fight win streak, most recently stopping Chris Leben at UFC 138.

As of now, the only other match reported for the 7/11 UFC on FUEL event is Brandon Vera vs. James Te-Huna.

Silva vs. Sonnen II Moved to UFC 148, July 7th in Las Vegas

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.”

UFC 146 Heavyweight Shuffle, Part 2: Nelson vs. Gonzaga, Del Rosario vs. Miocic Added to Main Card


(I’ve met some ugly chicks on PlentyofFish before, but Angie was a new low for me. And she looked even worse with her clothes off.)

Fun fact: Alistair Overeem’s withdrawal from UFC 146 has now resulted in six fighters on the main card getting their opponents switched a month out from the fight. (Only the Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve bout has been completely unaffected.) In the latest edition of “Dos Santos vs. Mir” musical chairs, Roy Nelson gets a new opponent, and an undefeated heavyweight prospect comes in to fill the gap.

— With his original opponent Antonio Silva now facing Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson’s new dance-partner on May 26th will be Gabriel Gonzaga. “Napao” is coming off his successful UFC return against Edinaldo Oliveira in Rio, and was originally slated to kick off the UFC 146 pay-per-view against 11-0 Strikeforce vet Shane Del Rosario. Now it’ll be Gonzaga vs. Big Country, a battle of BJJ black belts with knockout power. We can dig that.


(I’ve met some ugly chicks on PlentyofFish before, but Angie was a new low for me. And she looked even worse with her clothes off.)

Fun fact: Alistair Overeem’s withdrawal from UFC 146 has now resulted in six fighters on the main card getting their opponents switched a month out from the fight. (Only the Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve bout has been completely unaffected.) In the latest edition of “Dos Santos vs. Mir” musical chairs, Roy Nelson gets a new opponent, and an undefeated heavyweight prospect comes in to fill the gap.

— With his original opponent Antonio Silva now facing Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson’s new dance-partner on May 26th will be Gabriel Gonzaga. “Napao” is coming off his successful UFC return against Edinaldo Oliveira in Rio, and was originally slated to kick off the UFC 146 pay-per-view against 11-0 Strikeforce vet Shane Del Rosario. Now it’ll be Gonzaga vs. Big Country, a battle of BJJ black belts with knockout power. We can dig that.

— Luckily, Del Rosario will still get to make his UFC debut at UFC 146. Dana White also announced that 8-0 knockout artist Stipe Miocic will be coming in as a replacement to face Shane. Miocic has won his first two fights in the Octagon, including a decision win against Joey Beltran, and a Knockout of the Night performance against Philip De Fries in February. Indeed, somebody’s ’0′ will go at UFC 146, though considering Del Rosario has been out of action for over a year due to injuries suffered in a car accident last May, and since he’ll stepping into the Octagon for the first time ever, we’d say that Miocic has the advantage here.

UFC 146 Heavyweight Shuffle: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva Confirmed as Co-Headliner


(“So this ‘acromegaly‘ shit…do they carry it at GNC?”)

When Frank Mir was called up to replace Alistair Overeem in UFC 146‘s main event, former heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez was briefly left without an opponent on the card. But over the weekend, Dana White announced that Antonio Silva will be stepping up to replace Mir against Velasquez. The fight will serve as the co-main event for UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir, which goes down May 26th in Las Vegas.

Antonio Silva will be making his UFC debut against Velasquez, and hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Daniel Cormier in the semi-finals of Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament last September. As for Silva’s original opponent Roy Nelson, Big Country is still expected to remain on the card though a replacement opponent hasn’t been named yet. The current lineup for UFC 146 is after the jump…


(“So this ‘acromegaly‘ shit…do they carry it at GNC?”)

When Frank Mir was called up to replace Alistair Overeem in UFC 146‘s main event, former heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez was briefly left without an opponent on the card. But over the weekend, Dana White announced that Antonio Silva will be stepping up to replace Mir against Velasquez. The fight will serve as the co-main event for UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir, which goes down May 26th in Las Vegas.

Antonio Silva will be making his UFC debut against Velasquez, and hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Daniel Cormier in the semi-finals of Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament last September. As for Silva’s original opponent Roy Nelson, Big Country is still expected to remain on the card though a replacement opponent hasn’t been named yet. The current lineup for UFC 146 is after the jump…

PPV Main Card
Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir (for UFC heavyweight championship)
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva (HW)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane del Rosario (HW)
Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve (HW)
Roy Nelson vs. TBA (HW)

Preliminary card (FX)
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins (FW)
Evan Dunham vs. Edson Barboza (LW)
Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway (MW)
Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass (LW)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig (WW)
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira (LHW)
Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda (FW)