MMA News

UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz got one step closer to defending his belt on the network he called home for years as a member of WEC when he stepped on the scale earlier today and made weight for his match-up with Demetrious Johnson meaning their fight will go on tomorrow night as scheduled. Cruz and Johnson both weighed in at 135 pounds on the dot, somewhat remarkable when considering Johnson is five inches shorter than "The Dominiator". ...

The third of four consecutive UFC events shakes down this Saturday night with the first free title fight in nearly four years. Due to injuries, it’s another abbreviated weekend of fights. However, ten free UFC fights are still ten free UFC fights right? There are a lot of fighters making their Zuffa debuts (or re-debuts) this weekend so you may get the chance to see some of the best fights of the year as these current first timers look to make their mark. Let’s take a look at the UFC Live 6 undercard, shall we? ...

Even if Pat Barry wasn’t consistently one of the most charming, hilarious individuals in Mixed Martial Arts there’s a good chance he’d still be immensely popular given his fan-friendly approach to competition. However, in a professional endeavor involving high-level athletes trying to knock your block off, Barry is well-aware of the risk involved in his preference to strike first, ask questions later. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll be changing things up anytime soon. ...

Another awesome Saturday of MMA behind us, another one around the corner. I’m getting ready to head to DC this weekend to corner Mac Danzig at UFC Live 6. I haven’t been working with him long for this fight. He’s training in LA and I’ve been there a couple of times but it’s tough for me to leave Vegas to work with him and equally hard for him to leave LA to train in Vegas. I leave him some stuff to work on while I’m gone but it’s still not ideal. ...

You know, part of me still wonders why Bellator believes Saturday is THE must-have night for MMA. They usually have some pretty worthwhile fights, but they're largely unseen because they seem to coincide against one of the bigger promotions' big cards. Take last week for example. Fantastic card, with tons of considerations for "Knockout of the Year" but it ran up against UFC 135. As a result, the ratings weren't deserving of a card of that stature. This weekend, it runs up against UFC on Versus. ...

Former UFC lightweight Roger Huerta will return home to Texas in two months for an event in Pharr, Texas where he’ll face controversial Ultimate Fighter alumnus War Machine (i.e. the Mixed Martial Artist known as Jon Koppenhaver). The Ultimate Warrior Fighting match-up will mark the first for Huerta since an October 2010 defeat to Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 33 while his opponent hasn’t fought sine July of last year due in large part to his incarceration for a felony assault charge. Huerta confirmed news of the November 26 bout through his Twitter page earlier today. ...

What was originally thought to be a standard, injury-related withdrawal had a bit of intrigue thrown into the mix earlier today when Dave Herman revealed he had been pulled from a UFC 136 bout against Mike Russow after testing positive for marijuana use. However, “Pee Wee” also defended himself saying he doesn’t smoke weed and explained that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation had originally told him they’d lost his sample only for it to mysteriously reappear with traces of THC. ...

This weekend will mark the third straight Saturday in a row with a live UFC event and, at least based on the card, should live up to the standard set by predecessors UFN 25 and UFC 135 with arguably one of the deepest lineups in the Versus Network’s history. Headlined by UFC bantamweight title-holder Dominick Cruz defending his championship against small-but-powerful contender Demetrious Johnson, and also featuring a heavyweight throwdown between Pat Barry and Stefan Struve, UFC Live 6 has a little something for everyone. ...

Need a little more Octagon in your life? Of course you do, and, as it turns out, the UFC is prepared to satisfy your cravings! According to UFC President Dana White, the organization is planning to occasionally run two events on the same day without any actual crossover meaning both shows would be completely independent cards. It’s a bold move and one fans can expect to see take place in less than six months when the UFC heads to the Far East for a show in Japan on February 26. ...

If you asked a group of MMA fans about what it takes to be successful in the ring and you’re likely to end up with as many different answers as people surveyed – great striking, a solid wrestling base, world-class submissions, never-ending cardio, etc. However, question a collection of actual fighters and you’re likely to see a bit more uniformity in their responses with a singular emphasis on the importance one’s state of mind plays in terms of winning/losing. One such competitor who subscribes to that belief is Anthony Johnson, a 27-year old welterweight in the UFC who faces Charlie Brenneman this Saturday night at UFC Live 6 on the Versus network. ...

When Ultimate Fighter Season 6 winner Mac Danzig faced Matt Wiman the first time it was the middle of last year and both men were coming off successful showings against solid opposition. However, what was started off as an excellent bout between two up-and-coming lightweights ended in the blink of an eye when referee Yves Lavigne mistakenly thought Danzig was unconscious and called for the fight’s conclusion. The 20-8-1 Danzig has only fought a single time since then, knocking Joe Stevenson out at UFC 124 this past December with a few other pairings since then laid to waste as the result of an injury. ...

It appears Nam Phan’s decision to be a company man and take another bout on late notice has paid off in the form of a higher-profile pairing than normal after the UFC announced earlier today that heavyweight Dave Herman had withdrawn from UFC 136 due to injury. Phan, who fights Leonard Garcia on October 8, will now see action on the main card as he and the Jackson’s MMA product try to settle the score from a controversial decision in a previous bout. The two originally squared off in December 2010 with Garcia receiving the judges’ favor even though it appeared to most that Phan had deserved the nod. ...

Top UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard is entering his upcoming fight with champion Frank Edgar at UFC 136 an “angry,” “obsessed” individual and he’s not afraid of who knows it. Maynard recently wrote about his feelings regarding his second shot at dethroning Edgar where he made it clear his emotions are riding high for the match-up and he’s ready to snatch the respect he deserves by taking ownership of the divisional gold. ...

There’s no doubt the UFC is a goal certain individuals set for themselves and, in some cases, even achieve after enduring countless obstacles along the way. One such inspirational story, though unique in nature, is that of former Strikeforce middleweight champ Cung Le. Le was forced to flee his homeland of Vietnam as a toddler amidst violence and struggled to fit in as a kid growing up in California. However, he channeled his frustrations into martial arts and as a result became a world-class kickboxer who has since transitioned his incredibly creative striking into a very successful MMA career. ...

The UFC got one step closer to housing all of Mixed Martial Arts’ elite competitors when it re-signed Dan Henderson after the 41-year old spent a little more than a year fighting for Strikeforce where he became the promotion’s light heavyweight champion and stopped the once-unbeatable Fedor Emelianenko with strikes in the opening round of their bout this past July. Henderson’s first test in his third UFC stint will come November 19 at UFC 139 against former title-holder Mauricio Rua. At a recent press conference promoting the event the 28-8 Californian spoke some about his decision to return to the UFC. ...

It appears top 205-pound contender Rashad Evans may have to wait a big longer than anticipated in terms of finally getting his crack at UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones after the list of UFC 135 medical suspensions surfaced earlier today. According to Colorado’s regulatory board, Jones could be sidelined for six months as the result of suffering some sort of undisclosed injury during his title-defense Saturday night against Quinton Jackson. However, the commission did leave the door open for Jones to return in 45 days if he receives clearance from a licensed physician. ...

A genuine icon of the Octagon, Chuck Liddell has kept active since retiring last year after being knocked out in the closing seconds of a fight against Rich Franklin he would have likely won had it continued. Not only has Liddell continued to pursue opportunities in the acting world but he’s kept a close eye on the day-to-day operations of the UFC as the company’s Vice President of Business Development. While specifics of his job have never been made available, a few things Liddell recently weighed-in on relating to the organization was the state of officiating and the UFC’s upcoming debut on network television. ...

This past Friday the latest Strikeforce Challengers Series took place, featuring an evenly-matched night of action with top prospects Ryan Couture, Jason High, and Lorenz Larkin all coming out of the festivities ahead on the judges’ scorecards. A few days removed, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has since released the Strikeforce Challengers 19 with a number of athletes making a decent sum considering the size/scope of the show. ...

When UFC middleweight Wanderlei Silva suffered a thirty-second knockout to Chris Leben this past July it seemed evident his fantastic fighting career is coming to a close, a notion supported by six losses in his last eight outings. As such, agreeing to a bout on short notice as he recently did in regards to a mid-November match-up with Cung Le at UFC 139 could be cause for concern and, as Silva recently revealed through the UFC’s YouTube page, even he wasn’t initially sure if it was the right decision to make. ...

Eddie Ng burst onto the Asian scene with a bang with a spectacular one punch knock out win at ONE Fighting Championship 1. It has been a roller coaster ride for the Cantonese fighter who was living and training in England until he was recruited by Evolve MMA and promptly offered a contract with Asia’s most ambitious MMA promotion. Ng was training alongside the likes of Shinya Aoki and Gregor Gracie in preparation for his fight with Yuan Chuan Bo but despite his perfect preparation he almost got caught in a surprisingly slick Armbar attempt by the Chinese fighter. ...

UFC heavyweight Pat Barry may be the most laid-back fighters found in Mixed Martial Arts. However, Barry’s career has been anything but “easy going” as of late with two losses in his last three fights where both appeared to be bouts he had won early on. “HD” addressed the issue earlier today during a UFC Live 6 conference call with media where he spoke some about his fight this weekend against Stefan Struve but more about his approach to fighting and why it’s difficult for him to get too upset while living out a childhood dream. ...

Miguel Torres will return to the Octagon this November 19 in San Jose as part of a UFC 139 lineup already featuring a formidable lineup of former of Zuffa title-holders. Torres rose to popularity a few years ago while possessing WEC's bantamweight title with his display of fearlessness, heart, and overall technique. The 39-4 Torres will face 6-2 Nick Pace at the event, a East Coaster who has yet to be finished in his career. Both fighters confirmed the match-up through their Twitter accounts. ...

History has provided countless examples of how two individuals slugging it out can solve a personal problem between the two. Mixed Martial Arts is no different with intense rivalries often crumbling into shared sportsmanship and mutual respect after the actual fight has concluded. In certain cases the conflict may be manufactured but in others it is very, very real. The latest example of this being the case took place last weekend at UFC 135 when light heavyweight champion Jon Jones successfully defended his belt against former title-holder Quinton Jackson. Though they may have feuded with each other during the build up to the bout with Jackson accusing Jones of spying on his camp being a prime example, in the end it appears they may have settled their differences and come away with a mutual admiration of each other. ...

In a somewhat surprising turn of events it appears Spike TV will counter-program against November’s “UFC on FOX” event with a three-hour block of UFC Unleashed episodes revolving around heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The move is likely meant to capitalize on the network’s ownership of the UFC’s video library before the organization departs to FOX on a full-time basis and is indicative of the deteriorating state of the two sides’ professional relationship stemming from it. ...

For some fighters, suffering a loss after a solid run as remaining unbeaten could be disheartening. Add the unique situation of the bout being the biggest of your career, having a significant title on the line, and the defeat coming less than two minutes into the first round, and the effects might even be detrimental to a competitor’s confidence. However, UFC 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz is from average, and true to form his first and only stumble in the cage served a far more positive purpose than might normally be the case. ...

If Quinton Jackson didn’t respect UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones before they met in the Octagon Saturday night he most certainly does now. “Rampage” became the dynamic 24-year old’s latest victim after struggling to handle his reach for most of their headlining bout at UFC 135 before finally getting submitted in the fourth round. Jackson discussed the fight at the post-event press conference where he said he got “desperate” at times and explained that the only real challenge Jones will face at 205-pounds is former teammate Rashad Evans. ...

It seems the only “super-fight” UFC President Dana White ever talks about is one pitting the middleweight master Anderson Silva against popular 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre. It’s an intriguing bout on paper given GSP’s wrestling and Silva’s stand-up, but perhaps not a particularly competitive one in the end given the size difference between the two as well as the French-Canadian’s susceptibility to strikes. However, that’s not to say the UFC doesn’t have other options at their disposal when it comes to cementing Silva’s legacy in Mixed Martial Arts as he nears the final few years of his career. In point of opinion, there’s one in particular worth exploring that for some reason has eluded the UFC’s buzz-eliciting marketing machine – Jon Jones. ...

Last night Bellator set up camp in the home of the NFL Hall of Fame - Canton, Ohio - and delivered an evening of action featuring enough hard-hits to even make the gridiron greats proud! Among the night’s numerous finishes were a couple of surprising outcomes in the form of knockout losses to long-time Bellator fighters Wilson Reis and the promotion’s reigning featherweight champion, Joe Warren. Reis has been a part of the Bellator since the organization’s first season but has lost his last two fights via strike-based stoppage. The latest instance came after rising 22-year old prospect Eduardo Dantas landed a flying knee, then finished things off with a few shots from above, to improve his record to 11-2. ...

Fans who tuned in to the UFC 135 broadcast likely walked away very pleased after the PPV portion of the card delivered all three of the evening’s event-specific bonuses. However, given the show’s spectacular action, it would have been understandable if twice as many had been handed out. Leading things off in the bunch is Nate Diaz who also opened up last night’s main card with as impressive a showing as has been seen from the son of Stockton thus far in his career. Diaz outclassed Takanori Gomi in the stand-up department, often taking advantage of his noticeable reach, and eventually secured a “Submission of the Night” winning Armbar. The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 champ was awarded $75,000 for his efforts. ...

If you're a fan of crime-stopping phenoms, chain-wearing film stars, or simply terrific MMA events then chances you were excited about the UFC's offering tonight in Denver, Colorado! Headlined by Jon Jones defending his light heavyweight championship against former title-holder Quinton Jackson, and also featuring fights like Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck and Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi, UFC 135 unfolded earlier this evening and Fighters.com was along for the ride with the rest of you, reporting back on whose reflexes reigned supreme at the show. ...