Report: Mirko “Cro Cop” to Replace Injured “Minotauro” Nogueira vs. Frank Mir

If you’re a huge “Minotauro” Nogueira fan and have had September 25th marked down on your calendar, in anticipation of your boy getting another shot at Frank Mir, well, you may want to put the coffee down (or any other object that could be thrown courtesy a temper tantrum). According to a report from Fighters Only […]

cro cop

If you’re a huge “Minotauro” Nogueira fan and have had September 25th marked down on your calendar, in anticipation of your boy getting another shot at Frank Mir, well, you may want to put the coffee down (or any other object that could be thrown courtesy a temper tantrum). According to a report from Fighters Only Magazine Nogueira has been forced to withdraw from UFC 119 due to an injury. In a follow up report from MMA Junkie, a source has confirmed with the outlet, that a rib injury has in fact punted the legendary heavyweight from the card.

So, for big time Nog fans this news has to be very disappointing, as Nogueira has consistently said that a serious staph infection and a messed up knee, were key reasons as to why he got absolutely pasted by Mir at UFC 92. Looks like Nog learned his lesson in terms of trying to fight through an injury no?

Now, the sh-tty news regarding Nogueira’s injury aside, Fighters Only is reporting that Mirko “Cro Cop” will step in to fight Mir at UFC 119. Our first reaction was ‘cool—wait—what?’ Now Cro Cop has clearly fought some of the best in the sport, and if he has indeed agreed to fight Mir then that’s awesome, but it wasn’t long ago we were hearing reports that he was humming and hawing about retirement. Now he’s stepping up against one the world’s best on 6 week’s notice? Guess he’s still looking to make a run.

Report: Ben Saunders Cut by the UFC

If someone approached you last November and told you that in less than one year’s time, Ben Saunders would no longer be in the UFC, you probably would have told that person they were out of their damn mind (unless of course that person had just stepped out of steaming hot DeLorean). What went down […]

saunders

If someone approached you last November and told you that in less than one year’s time, Ben Saunders would no longer be in the UFC, you probably would have told that person they were out of their damn mind (unless of course that person had just stepped out of steaming hot DeLorean). What went down in November? Saunders KO’d Marcus Davis with a series of ‘close your eyes kids” knees, at UFC 106, to run his Octagon record to 4-1. Things were looking swell for the “Killa B.”

Well unfortunately for the American Top Team welterweight, since then Saunders has gone 0-2, losing to Jon Fitch by UD (which most expected), and most recently at UFC 117, he dropped another decision to the vet Dennis Hallman (that likely surprised a few people). In this business of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, Saunders has apparently announced via his Facebook account, that he’s been cut by the UFC. (Thanks to Bloody Elbow for the quote)

“Sorry everyone I tried to fight my best these past two fights but ended up getting out worked. The UFC has officially cut me. The good news is they told me to work on my wrestling and ground game and then come back. So that is all I am going to be doing, improving dramatically and show them I belong.”

Based off some of Saunder’s earlier performances, cue footage of win over Brandon Wolff, we’re thinking he’ll be back in the Octagon soon enough.

Randy Couture Talks New UFC Contract

Remember, way back in the day (three years is a long time for some), when all the talk was about if and when a recently ‘retired’ Randy Couture might square off with Fedor Emelianenko? Well, if you’ve been clinging to hope that someday, somehow, someway, that super fight might still take place, um, things aren’t […]

COUTURE

Remember, way back in the day (three years is a long time for some), when all the talk was about if and when a recently ‘retired’ Randy Couture might square off with Fedor Emelianenko? Well, if you’ve been clinging to hope that someday, somehow, someway, that super fight might still take place, um, things aren’t looking so good.

Earlier today we passed along the news that in a recent press conference, Fedor announced that he’s interested in signing a new multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, possibly for 4-6 fights. Yup, as we noted this AM, based off the frequency of Fedor’s fights, the Russian could be pushing 40 by the time that contract’s fulfilled. As far as Couture, well the legendary fighter’s upcoming UFC 118 bout with James Toney is apparently the second last bout on his current UFC deal, but as it’s looking like right now, Captain America isn’t looking to move. In a recent interview with MMA Weekly, Couture had this to say about his upcoming free agency:

“I’m sure the UFC, if things continue the way they’ve been continuing, will want to sign me to a new contract,” Couture said on Thursday. “That’s a long ways away as far as I can see. Right now, I’m not looking past James Toney, and be ready for that.”

No surprises there. Couture also added that his future bouts will likely take place at 205. So, really, it’s looking like the closest we’ll get to Fedor vs. Randy is by simulating it on EA Sports MMA. On the plus side, it’s just awesome Couture’s not even talking retirement; we could still see him throwing down two years from now.

Verbal War Between Patrick Cote and Michael Bisping Continues

With much of the MMA internet world still consumed with discussion about last Saturday’s ‘now that sh-t was crazy’ fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, you may have missed the war of words that’s heating up between Patrick Cote and Michael Bisping. Apparently the growing drama all started recently when Cote stated in an […]

patrick cote

With much of the MMA internet world still consumed with discussion about last Saturday’s ‘now that sh-t was crazy’ fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, you may have missed the war of words that’s heating up between Patrick Cote and Michael Bisping. Apparently the growing drama all started recently when Cote stated in an interview with Fighters Only Magazine, that he wasn’t a “big fan” over Bisping and that further, he thinks the British fighter is “arrogant and over-rated.”

Naturally, when “The Count” was informed about the Canadian’s ‘assessment’ of him, he responded by saying that Cote was “two-faced” and that:

“Maybe all that horse meat has gone to his head. If he wants to try and make himself relevant again by trying to talk himself into a fight with me he can do, his time is his own.  Personally if I was him I would spend it in the gym learning how not to get dumped on my head.”

Realizing they’ve got something real nice cooking (interesting verb choice considering the above line), Fighters Only got back to Cote yesterday, and here is some of what the slugger had to say in response to Bisping.

“And by the way, I only gave an answer to a question from a journalist, I didn’t attack him out of nowhere. This is life you know, you can’t love everybody. But if he wants to be this way, with cheap shots like the ‘horse meat’ and ’dumped on the head’, lets do it, he’ll finish second I swear!”

Both guys have other bouts lined up for the fall  (Bisping with Yoshihiro Akiyama, Cote with Tom Lawlor) but hopefully Joe Silva’s keeping an eye on this.

Randy Couture Dismisses Report that James Toney Tapped Out “King Mo” Lawal

A couple of months ago a few thousand eyebrows were likely raised, when Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion “King Mo” Lawal confirmed reports, which said soon to be mixed-martial-artist James Toney caught him with a submission during training. At the time it was reported that Toney had utilized a standing guillotine to tap Lawal, however, in a […]

Mark-Coleman-Vs-Randy-Couture

A couple of months ago a few thousand eyebrows were likely raised, when Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion “King Mo” Lawal confirmed reports, which said soon to be mixed-martial-artist James Toney caught him with a submission during training. At the time it was reported that Toney had utilized a standing guillotine to tap Lawal, however, in a more recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the boxing champ said it was a rear-naked-choke. Interesting how there’s a little bit of discrepancy there no?

Well, just a couple of weeks away from the highly anticipated bout between Randy Couture and Toney, it sounds like “The Natural” is calling BS on the boxer’s supposed new found submissions skills. Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, the legendary fighter said this, when asked for his thoughts on the widely (cleverly) circulated story that Toney subbed Lawal.

“Nah, I don’t believe that,” Couture chuckled. “He’s probably doing some wrestling with Mo Lawal. That wouldn’t surprise me. I know he’s not training with Dean Lister. Dean called me himself when that one broke and said, ‘I’m not training with that guy. Don’t believe that stuff.’ But it doesn’t matter. All the talk is just talk. No matter who he can get to say he’s tapped them out in training, on the day he’s still going to walk down to the cage and get in there with me and that’s when all that stuff stops.”

Who’s going to argue with Randy? To bet on that fight or any other scheduled for UFC 118 head here.

Alan Belcher’s Eye Injury Could Be Career Ending

Any regular reader here at Fix knows that generally speaking we act like jackasses on the site, belittling whatever or whomever is dominating MMA headlines, in a way that we hope is somewhat entertaining (no—you’re not the only one who’s saying ‘since when?’). Unfortunately there’s some news surfacing today that we certainly don’t want to […]

Starnes+Belcher

Any regular reader here at Fix knows that generally speaking we act like jackasses on the site, belittling whatever or whomever is dominating MMA headlines, in a way that we hope is somewhat entertaining (no—you’re not the only one who’s saying ‘since when?’). Unfortunately there’s some news surfacing today that we certainly don’t want to make light of, as according to an interview Alan Belcher gave Purefight recently, the bruising middleweight’s fighting career could be on the ropes.

Now, you likely heard that Belcher was forced to withdraw from his scheduled September 15th bout with Demian Maia, due to a detached retina he incurred while training. If that wasn’t sh-tty enough, it sounds like Belcher is likely in need of further surgery, which could ultimately determine if he can continue to fight. Speaking to Purefight about his serious predicament Belcher said (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quote):

“Worst case is I don’t get any better than this and I’m only working with one eye and then I probably don’t want to risk fighting again with only one eye, cause if I lose that one, then I’m going to be blind,” Belcher said. “So it’s just — I’m not even really thinking about fighting right now. I’m just going to wait a couple months and see where I’m at. It’s disappointing cause I was on a roll and getting close to a title [shot].”

Belcher also added that at according to his doctors, “it’s not going to get better to the same, but at best, it’s going to be something like 20/40, 20/60 vision,” and that laser surgery will probably required “to get rid of the distortedness.” Damn; here’s hoping for a speedy and full recovery.