It’s been a long time coming for “Ill Will” Brooks.
Back in May, it was revealed that Brooks had been released from his Bellator contract despite holding the promotion’s lightweight title at the time. While not exactly a shock given Brooks’ very public clashes with the promotion in recent months, it was still surprising to see that Bellator would be willing to let their champion and a man on an 8-fight win streak go in favor of, I dunno, guys like this.
According to Bellator President Scott Coker, however, “It was very simple.”
“Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer,” said Coker to MMAjunkie.
Insightful stuff. Anyways, many of us imagined that it’d only be a matter of time until Brooks signed with the UFC, and last night, it was announced that he’d done just that.
It’s been a long time coming for “Ill Will” Brooks.
Back in May, it was revealed that Brooks had been released from his Bellator contract despite holding the promotion’s lightweight title at the time. While not exactly a shock given Brooks’ very public clashes with the promotion in recent months, it was still surprising to see that Bellator would be willing to let their champion and a man on an 8-fight win streak go in favor of, I dunno, guys like this.
According to Bellator President Scott Coker, however, “It was very simple.”
“Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer,” said Coker to MMAjunkie.
Insightful stuff. Anyways, many of us imagined that it’d only be a matter of time until Brooks signed with the UFC, and last night, it was announced that he’d done just that.
UFC officials have announced that Brooks has in fact signed a six-fight deal with the UFC, and better yet, will face tough-as-nails veteran and TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson at the TUF 23 Finale next month.
As we mentioned earlier, Brooks will be carrying an eight-fight winning streak into the matchup with Pearson, which includes a pair of title defenses over the likes of Dave Jansen and Marcin Held at Bellator 136 and 145, respectively. Pearson, on the other hand, will be looking to secure his first two-fight streak since 2013, having recently scored a split decision victory over Chad Laprise at Fight Night 85 in March.
We now go to the man himself, Will Brooks, for comment…
The TUF 23 Finale goes down on July 8th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks has reportedly inked a deal to join the UFC’s already star-studded 155-pound division, and according to MMAJunkie, ‘Ill Will’ will make his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale this July 8 against Ross Pearson. Brooks (18-1) is on a head-turning eight-fight win streak not having lost
Former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks has reportedly inked a deal to join the UFC’s already star-studded 155-pound division, and according to MMAJunkie, ‘Ill Will’ will make his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale this July 8 against Ross Pearson.
Brooks (18-1) is on a head-turning eight-fight win streak not having lost since February of 2013. His most recent cage appearance saw him successfully retaining his Bellator 155-pound strap against Marcin Held at Bellator 145 last November.
‘Ill Will’ was later released by the promotion, being forced to vacate his longtime lightweight crown, and allowed to test the free-agency market. Bellator President Scott Coker had this to say on Brooks’ release:
“It was very simple,” he said. “Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer.”
Brooks’ inaugural opponent Pearson (19-10-1), has won three of his last five bouts, most recently taking home a split decision win over Chad Laprise at UFC Fight Night 85 in March. Pearson was originally scheduled to throw down with James Krause at the TUF 23 Finale; however, Krause was forced out of the bout for undisclosed reasons.
The TUF 23 Finale takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on FS1 on July 8, 2016. It will be headlined by a women’s strawweight championship bout between champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1-ranked Claudia Gadelha.
It looks like former Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Will Brooks will soon be calling the Octagon his new home.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Brooks has signed with the UFC and will make his official debut for the promotion against Ross Pearson at T…
It looks like former Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Will Brooks will soon be calling the Octagon his new home.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Brooks has signed with the UFC and will make his official debut for the promotion against Ross Pearson at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale event.
The TUF 23 Finale event is scheduled to take place on July 8, 2016 from Las Vegas, Nevada during International Fight Week, one day before the landmark UFC 200 event on 7/9.
Also scheduled for the TUF 23 Finale event is UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, as she defends her title against bitter rival Claudia Gadelha in the main event of the evening.
Bellator is making some crazy moves this afternoon. According to a report via MMAJunkie, the promotion has decided to part ways with its lightweight champion Will Brooks, who is now officially a free agent. Bellator President Scott Coker had this to say concerning the former lightweight king’s release: “It was very simple,” Coker said. “Will
Bellator is making some crazy moves this afternoon. According to a report via MMAJunkie, the promotion has decided to part ways with its lightweight champion Will Brooks, who is now officially a free agent.
Bellator President Scott Coker had this to say concerning the former lightweight king’s release:
“It was very simple,” Coker said. “Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer.”
Brooks (18-1) was last seen in the Bellator cage successfully defending his 155-pound strap against Marcin Held in a five-round unanimous decision victory in November.
Coker also stated Brooks is a ‘great kid,’ however, he just believes continuing a relationship between the two parties would simply be a waste of both their times:
“Will is a great kid,” he said. “At the end of the day, he’s had some good fights for Bellator, but I just don’t think it’s a fit, and he should move on to the next part of his life.
I think we’re actually doing him a favor by taking this position. Now he can just move on, and we can move on, as well.
“I just think it would be a waste of time to continue this relationship and try to go through the dance of an option period and a matching period. I just think it wouldn’t have worked out anyway, so we decided today to let it go.”
Coker also revealed that the promotion would be stripping heavyweight Vitaly Minakov of his title due to inactivity.
Minakov (17-0) won the Bellator heavyweight title back in 2013 when he knocked out then-champion Alexander Volkov at Bellator 108. The Russian would make only one title defense in 2014 before contract disputes with the promotion held him out of the cage for two years now.
Since his last Bellator bout against Cheick Kongo in April of 2014, Minakov has been keeping busy with three successful finishes in the Russian Eurasia Fight Nights promotion.
Coker also mentioned that a tournament will be held to determine the next Bellator heavyweight titleholder; however,,they will keep Minakov on their roster:
“There have been a lot of things that we were told he was going to do, and so far none of them has happened yet, so we’re going to be moving forward and start looking for the next heavyweight champ,” Coker said.
“We’re going to build a series of fights that will lead to a fight to determine the next heavyweight champion for Bellator. But as far as waiting for Minakov to come back, I think we’ll be happy if he comes back, but if he doesn’t, we’re already moving on with the title.”
Stay tuned to LowKick for the latest on Minakov’s situation with Bellator, as well as where the talented Will Brooks could possibly land next.
Following his decision win over Jorge Masvidal in the main event of last November’s UFC Fight Night 79, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson declared that he would be testing the free agent waters with his contract now fulfilled. It was a statement that more and more fighters seem to be making in this new
Following his decision win over Jorge Masvidal in the main event of last November’s UFC Fight Night 79, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson declared that he would be testing the free agent waters with his contract now fulfilled.
It was a statement that more and more fighters seem to be making in this new and not-so-lucrative Reebok sponsorship era, but many of the fighters simply see what they’re worth on the open market and then find out if the UFC will match them or not. Some end up staying, and others, like former UFC light heavyweight contender Phil Davis, actually do leave for a better deal in another promotion.
And today (Mon., February 1, 2015), news has arrived from Henderson that he has joined Davis in Bellator, releasing a statement via his website:
I’d like to officially announce my move over to Bellator MMA.
I’m beyond excited for this next phase of my career, it’s a big move, like any move when switching employers or jobs after having worked somewhere for such a long time.
I have to thank the BigMan upstairs for putting some amazing people in my life, my wife (first and foremost) and a lot of truly smart and insightful people behind the scenes who helped make the connections and negotiated this deal to bring it to fruition.
I’d be remiss to not thank Dana White and Lorenzo Fertita for the opportunities they presented me, you guys have helped me change my life for the better and to be able to provide my family with the things I didn’t have while growing up. For that I’ll always have the utmost appreciation. Thanks for all the advise you guys gave too, both business wise and personal.
And last but not least, to who it is I think of when I think of the UFC! Everybody behind the scenes who I personally dealt with every time I reported in or had to do something. Mayra, Melissa, Dave, Chris, Nick, Tracy, Joanie, Maura, Tony, Heidi, Ryan, James, Dave, Kaia (sp.???), Burt, Rob, Rudy, Stitch, House, Mike, Susie, Dean, Donna, Feryal, Sean, Joe, Brad, Jazzmine, Candice, Michelle, Reed, sorry I can’t name everyone or this list would go on for forever. There’s a whole ton of people behind the scenes who make that show what it is. You guys and girls are the ones who make that show great and allow us fighters to do what it is we love!!! Much love to you all and thanks for putting up with me for so long.
To my fans, thanks for all the love and support, I’ll keep giving you my all, opening up my heart and soul inside that cage. I’m excited for this next chapter and building new relationships with guys I’ve heard nothing but great things about like Scott Coker, Rich Chou and Mike Kogan.
#TheOnceAndFutureKing
BH
UFC officials confirmed that they had declined its matching rights on Henderson’s offer, making his move official. With the announcement, Henderson will now reportedly move back to lightweight after winning his last two UFC bouts at welterweight, and it appears that he’s already found his first potential opponent.
Read on to the next page to find out who called out ‘Smooth’ quite quickly….
Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen has been waiting a long time for his chance to fight for the Bellator MMA lightweight title. After winning the season 7 lightweight tournament back in March of 2013 Jansen was set for a clash with then champion, Michael Chandler. However, that fight would never take place. Chandler fell victim to injury, as did Jansen. Two years later, fully recovered from a knee injury that had him sidelined eighteen months, Jansen is ready to return to the cage with the hopes of bringing gold back to Portland, Oregon.
The state of Oregon has long been a hotbed for top-level talent in the world of mixed martial arts, but championships have been relatively scarce as of late. The last person fighting out an Oregon based camp to hold a title with a major promotion was Evan Tanner back in 2005. This decade long drought is likely just feeding the fire that is Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jansen and get his thoughts on the upcoming title shot against “Ill” Will Brooks at Bellator 136 on April 10. During our discussion Jansen exuded a calm but confident attitude. Jansen seemed excited about the opportunity to fight Brooks he made it clear to me that he knew this day would come, it was inevitable.
Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen has been waiting a long time for his chance to fight for the Bellator MMA lightweight title. After winning the season 7 lightweight tournament back in March of 2013 Jansen was set for a clash with then champion, Michael Chandler. However, that fight would never take place. Chandler fell victim to injury, as did Jansen. Two years later, fully recovered from a knee injury that had him sidelined eighteen months, Jansen is ready to return to the cage with the hopes of bringing gold back to Portland, Oregon.
The state of Oregon has long been a hotbed for top-level talent in the world of mixed martial arts, but championships have been relatively scarce as of late. The last person fighting out an Oregon based camp to hold a title with a major promotion was Evan Tanner back in 2005. This decade long drought is likely just feeding the fire that is Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jansen and get his thoughts on the upcoming title shot against “Ill” Will Brooks at Bellator 136 on April 10. During our discussion Jansen exuded a calm but confident attitude. Jansen seemed excited about the opportunity to fight Brooks he made it clear to me that he knew this day would come, it was inevitable.
I asked Jansen, considering the injury and the long wait for this title fight how does it feel to know that a shot at the belt is just 2 months away?
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m really looking to make the most of it. I knew it was just a matter of time before I got the title shot since I had already won a past tournament. But then they offered me the Rick Hawn fight as a bit of a test coming off my ACL injury to see what I had done since the surgery. I jumped on that opportunity to help speed things along.”
Being put in a comeback fight with a top contender like Rick Hawn (a former Olympian in judo) when you are widely considered next in line for a title shot wouldn’t be an easy thing to deal with for most people. Jansen however, took the challenge by the horn. Jansen showcased his striking in the bout earning a unanimous decision victory. Not known for his striking Jansen’s standup looked much improved against Hawn. I asked Jansen what has changed in his camp that has helped create this newfound success on the feet?
“Since the injury I started training my kickboxing with Robert Villardi and he has changed everything for me as far as my confidence in both my hands and my kicking game [is concerned]. I feel more comfortable than I ever have before and I have so many more weapons on my feet as a result. My flexibility has gotten a lot better, coach Villardi has me on a good stretching routine and it has been a huge help. I want to be able to take the fight anywhere it goes and every fight starts standing up. Early on in my career I was lacking in that part of my game but now things have really improved.”
Jansen has improved his game in more ways than just his striking. Jansen mentioned to me that not only has his striking improved greatly but his Jiu Jitsu has also seen improvement. Jansen credited this to the addition of the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu program to the Rose City FC family. Head instructor Nathan Orchard is a black belt under Eddie Bravo and Jansen had only positive things to say about Orchard and his team. Even with these improvements to his game Jansen will likely have his hands full when he takes on Will Brooks in April. Brooks is a good wrestler with serious knock out power and excellent speed. I asked Jansen what about Will Brooks impressed him?
“He’s fast, that’s for sure, but I’m not really impressed with his power. I guess I’m just really impressed with his speed but he’s kind of a runner. He goes in and out, in and out. I’m not looking to chase him. I want to make him fight, that’s what I do, I force people to fight and I bully them. I’m really looking to dominate and everything I throw is going to be with bad intentions.”
With speed being the obvious concern I asked Jansen what he was doing in camp to prepare for the speed of a guy like Brooks?
“The trick to beating Will Brooks is training with guys that are faster than Will Brooks and Carson [Frei] and Ian [Loveland] are definitely faster than he is. It won’t be a huge shock to my system when I get in there with Brooks because the guys I’m training with are so fast and talented.”
Jansen went on to praise his teammates in preparing him for this fight. He is proud of the guys around him and made it clear that he thinks the world of them. He specifically mentioned the young upstart, Carson Frei. Jansen praised the work ethic and determination of the young fighter from Idaho and believes that Frei has helped put him in position to defeat Will Brooks at Bellator 136.
Since suffering the ACL injury Jansen has taken the time to get himself healthy and he is trying to stay on a path that will keep him healthy. Jansen mentioned multiple times that his health, both mentally and physically, are very important to him. He wants to be sure he can maintain a high level of performance in and out of the cage. Jansen mentioned specifically that he is working with a sports massage therapist, Bill Proppe, who Jansen is very thankful for. That, in combination with an intense yoga program and two separate stretching programs has been instrumental in keeping Jansen healthy.
From two years to now just two months the wait is nearly over for Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen. Between now and fight night you can find Jansen grinding away at the gym, holding a pose at a yoga class or stretching out with coach Villardi. What you won’t find is Jansen taking time off. Jansen is eager to show the world just what he brings to the table and whether it be a one round lopsided victory or a five round war Jansen will be ready to bring a title back to Oregon.
