MMA News

Russian heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) spoke with Life.ru last week about his absence from the Affliction: Banned card 19 July, where he was scheduled to face “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-10). Emelianenko insisted that everything is in order with his health, and that the reason for his absence was his failure to meet the California State Athletic Commission’s deadlines. “From a medical point of view everything is fully in order. I got through the medical board successfully and received my license to fight without any problems,” he said. “But the fact is that in California the commission is very strict about allowing you to fight. One of the main conditions… is that you must pass all the tests on time. I should have been in America on the thirteenth [of July]. They gave me my visa only on the fourteenth, and our tickets were purchased only on the fifteenth of July. I was just late.” ...

The UFC confirmed Wednesday that “Joker” Jess Liaudin (13-11) and David Bielkheden (12-6) will meet in a welterweight bout 18 October in Birmingham. Liaudin lost his last two fights, via first-round KO by “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-4) in January, then by split decision to Paul Taylor (9-3-1) in June. In his Octagon debut in March, Bielkheden was submitted via strikes by Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked welterweight “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2). ...

Justin Levens (9-8) tested positive for the painkiller Oxymorphone and has been handed a fine of $1000 and a six-month suspension by the California State Athletic Commission. As of Wednesday afternoon he had not appealed the ruling, according to CSAC Executive Officer Armando Garcia. The cut-off level for Oxymorphone is 120ng/ml; Levens tested at 10,141ng/ml. Levens’s scheduled bout with Ray Lizama (5-5) at Affliction: Banned 19 July was scratched because of time constraints, but he still received his full fight purse of $6000. ...

SpikeTV’s re-broadcast of UFC 84: Ill Will drew more viewers than the live CBS broadcast of EliteXC: Unfinished Business 26 July. According to the SpikeTV press release, 27% more viewers in the key demographic of males 18-34 tuned in to the rerun, with SpikeTV’s total at 433,000 and CBS’s at 341,000. UFC 84, which happened in May, was headlined by a lightweight match between Fighters.com’s second-ranked “Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) and fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1). EliteXC’s event featured a middleweight title rematch between sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-4) and “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5). The press release also stated that CBS ratings were down from its debut of Saturday Night Fights 31 May: 69% lower in males 18-34 and 57% lower in males 18-49. The May event was headlined by EliteXC star “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0), who will fight in the organization’s next event 4 October, also airing on CBS. ...

“Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) has tested positive for the non-approved painkillers Methadone and Oxymorphone, according to the results of a post-fight urinalysis by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Irvin was knocked out in 61 seconds by Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion and UFC Champ “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in their 19 July fight. Irvin has 20 days to respond to the findings and may be fined and/or suspended by the NSAC. Methadone is a synthetic opioid used to treat opioid dependence, and can be prescribed to manage chronic pain.  Oxymorphone is a semi-synthetic opioid painkiller. ...

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1) has signed a five-fight extension with the UFC, Tatame reported Tuesday. A clause in the contract states that if Werdum wins his next fight, which he says will be 25 October in Chicago “probably against Junior Cigano”, he will get a title shot. Werdum wants that title shot to be against UFC Interim Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1), which means Nogueira would have to defeat Frank Mir (11-3) when they meet as opposing coaches at the end of The Ultimate Fighter 8. “I want to be UFC heavyweight champion.  A final against Minotauro would be like a dream, it would be great for me, because I fought against him at PRIDE [in 2006] and it was a great fight, he deserved the victory, and I want to say that [I’m] fighting for the belt against Minotauro, probably [in] March,” Werdum said. After losing a unanimous decision to “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5) in his UFC debut in 2007, Werdum posted TKO wins over tenth-ranked “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) in January and “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) in June. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (6-1) would be making his Octagon debut.  He won his last fight by first-round TKO over Geronimo Mondragon (1-5). ...

While in So Cal for Affliction, Fighters.com drove north to San Luis Obispo to talk to "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5), who runs his own website at MMAJacked.com. Liddell treated me to a Central Coast tri-tip sandwich and told Fighters.com that he deserves a title shot if he beats "Sugar" Rashad Evans (13-0-1) in Atlanta 6 September and, just as emphatically, why "Dragon" Lyoto Machida (13-0) does not. Checkout Chuck's site: MMAJacked.com. ...

SpikeTV will air UFC 89 for free on tape delay from Birmingham 18 October, the UFC officially announced Monday. The UFC also confirmed two more bouts on the card, between light heavyweights “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) and “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2), and between welterweights “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) and Paul Taylor (9-3-1). Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked Jardine looks to rebound from a 36-second knockout loss to fifth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) in May. Vera won a unanimous decision over Reese Andy (7-3) at Ultimate Fight Night 14 last week.  He is 1-0 since moving down a weight class. Lytle lost a unanimous decision in May to fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (13-2). Taylor won a split decision over “Joker” Jess Liaudin (13-11) in June. ...

The UFC announced Monday that newcomer Jon Jones (7-2) will face Andre Gusmao (5-0) in a light heavyweight match-up at UFC 87 in Minneapolis 9 August. Jones replaces the previously-scheduled “Travolta” Tomasz Drwal (14-2) on the card. Jones TKO’d Moyses Gabin (2-2) in the second round at the Battle Cage Xtreme event 12 July to win the USKBA East Coast title. ...

Fighters.com’s third-ranked heavyweight and former UFC Champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (26-6) expects to fight in Affliction’s 11 October event, he revealed in an interview with the Houston Chronicle published Sunday. When asked whether he would be a part of Affliction’s next show, Sylvia answered, “Yeah, I believe so but I’m going to let Affliction do all the announcing.” Sylvia was submitted in 36 seconds via rear naked choke by new WAMMA Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) at Affliction’s debut event 19 July. ...

EliteXC’s third installment of Saturday Night Fights will air on CBS 4 October. The announcement was made during EliteXC’s event Saturday. It will take place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL, near Fort Lauderdale. “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) and Gina Carano (6-0) will feature on the card, although no opponents have been named yet. Both fought at EliteXC's network television debut in May. ...

"Are you serious?" That's the query I'd pose to Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) if I was UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva after the former Silva put "Sandman" James Irvin (14-5) to sleep in a minute in Las Vegas 19 July.  "Are you serious about being the UFC champion at both 185- and 205-pounds?" If "Spider" only wants to bulk-up to obliterate un-ranked light heavies for kitsch, fine. But, if Silva wants to match "Hollywood" Dan Henderson's (22-7) feat of holding major titles at 185- and 205-pounds simultaneously - if he's serious - he deserves a serious challenge in his next 205-pound showing. He could do it.  Not with the Vaseline ease with which he ascended to the 185-pound crown, but it's not an X-Files storyline either. The determinant will be how Silva scales the mountain range at the top of the division. UFC Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (22-4), "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5), "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-7), these beasts are all heavyweights with the work ethic to cut 40, 50 pounds or more and fight at 205 pounds. Enter IFL Light Heavyweight Champion "Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3)...maybe. ...

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) will defend his UFC title against “The Predator” Patrick Cote (13-4) in Rosemont, IL, near Chicago 25 October, the UFC announced Sunday. ‘‘There is no better way to introduce UFC to Chicago than with the championship fight between Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote,’’ UFC President Dana White said. Silva made his debut as a light heavyweight 19 July with a 61-second knockout of “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5). Cote also won his last fight, a split decision over “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) 5 July. Fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (26-4), who has a win via disqualification over Silva, was expected to be next in line for the title shot, but broke his hand during training. ...

"El Torro" Alex Andrade (8-4) won a five-round unanimous decision for the Revolution Fight League Middleweight Championship over John Troyer (8-2) Saturday night in Louisville. Andrade's best round was the second, when "El Torro" bullied Troyer to the mat and pounded away.  Troyer scrambled into an Andrade leglock at the end of the round; but, the bell rang before Andrade could work the technique for a tap. Troyer won the stand-up exchanges; but, Andrade put the fight on the mat and rode out the UD. "Duke" Brian Geraghty (20-12-1) put "Beast" Dustin Neace (15-12-1) to sleep in a triangle choke at the end of round three for a rare choke KO. "Big Wave" Dave Mewborn (5-0-1) of Athens's Hardcore Gym tapped Heath Davis (2-2) in a rear naked choke in round one. "Ironman" Robert Thompson (4-2) knocked out "Chocolate Nightmare" Courtney Ray (7-7) in round one to end a two-fight losing streak. Bryan Goldsby (4-3) earned a TKO "W" over Matt Troyer (2-2) due to referee stoppage in the second round after a gutsy stand-up battle. ...

"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (18-4) TKO'd "Hands of Steel" Scott Smith (13-5) at 2:35 of round two to retain his EliteXC Middleweight Championship. Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO'd "Wildman" Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two. Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats "The Goat" Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship. "Big Foot" Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO'd Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship. "Feijao" Rafael Cavalcante TKO'd "Gladiator" Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one. Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3). Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO'd Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one. Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO'd Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three. ...

“Bam Bam” Pat Healy (19-14) took this fight for the Maximum Fighting Championship welterweight title on short notice and pulled the upset win over hometown favourite “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (6-1) Friday in Edmonton. Ford looked dominant for most of the fight but Healy defended well; Healy attempted submissions, but Ford escaped using brute strength. In the end, Ford left himself vulnerable one too many times as Healy secured the armbar and forced Ford to tap at 3:02 of round three. One punch was all it took for light heavyweight Aron Lofton (3-0) to defeat Dwayne Lewis (3-5). After faking a jab, Lofton threw an overhand right to knock out his opponent at 0:17 of round one. Lightweight Benson Henderson (5-1) dominated the first round with strikes, Ricardo Tirloni (3-1) controlled the second, but it was Henderson who jumped on Tirloni, locked in a guillotine, and ended the fight at 3:49 of the second round. ...

Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) will face current DEEP champion Sung Hwan Pang (5-1) at World Victory Road's 24 August Sengoku 4 event in Saitama, the organization announced Thursday. PRIDE vet Gomi TKO’d “Bang” Duane Ludwig (16-8) in 2:28 at the first Sengoku event in March.  It was Gomi's first fight in eleven months. Pang, from South Korea, KO’d Kazunori Yokota (6-1-3) in 3:38 in May for the lightweight title. His only loss came during his professional debut in July 2007. ...

The UFC announced Thursday that Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) and Thiago Tavares (13-2) will meet in a lightweight preliminary bout at UFC 88 in Atlanta 6 September. Pellegrino lost his most recent fight to Nathan Diaz (9-2) when Diaz caught him in a triangle choke in the second round at Fight Night 13 in April. Tavares also lost his last fight, to “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) via second-round TKO at UFC 85 in June. The UFC also confirmed three other preliminary match-ups, a welterweight match between “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (10-0-1) and Matt Brown (7-6), a light heavyweight match between “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2) and James Lee (13-3), and the previously reported match between welterweights “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) and “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8). Kim made his Octagon debut at UFC 84 in May with a third-round TKO over Jason Tan (5-3). Brown, a TUF 7 competitor, won his fight in the June finale with a TKO in round two over “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2). Boetsch fell to “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1)’s punches in round two in April. Lee lost his UFC debut in January to “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7) via first-round TKO, ending a ten-fight win streak. ...

Affliction will head to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas 11 October, Yahoo! Sports learned Wednesday from arena director Daren Libonati. According to the report, “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) will defend his World Alliance of MMA heavyweight title against “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5). “We’re really excited to have Affliction in the building and particularly to have Fedor and all those other great names,” Libonati said. Libonati was among those who worked to bring PRIDE to the U.S. for the first time in October 2006, a show that was headlined by Emelianenko’s title defense against “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8). Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio did not confirm or deny the report but said an announcement about the organization’s second event would be made Tuesday. ...

The UFC officially announced three fights Wednesday for its 6 September card in Atlanta: • a previously reported light heavyweight bout between Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) and “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1); • a rumoured welterweight bout between tenth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) and “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5); • a middleweight bout between “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) and “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-1). Yoshida, who won his last nine fights, made his UFC debut in May with a 56-second submission over “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2). Parisyan will look to come back from a second-round TKO loss to third-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) at Fight Night 13 in April. Henderson, a former PRIDE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, was submitted via second-round rear naked choke by UFC and Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in March. Palhares is looking for his seventh consecutive win. In May he submitted Ivan Salaverry (13-7) via armbar in round one. ...

“Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2) told Sherdog Monday that he and his agent would appeal his controversial TKO loss to Kevin Burns (7-2) at UFC Fight Night 14 on Saturday. The bout ended in the third round when Johnson was accidentally poked deep in the right eye, despite a previous warning to Burns. “It’s not Kevin’s fault, it’s basically [referee Steve] Mazzagatti’s fault for making that call,” he said. “If he would have said something at the beginning when he first started poking me in the eye, then maybe the fight wouldn’t have ended the way it did. We could have had a better outcome, maybe he could have knocked me out or something crazy, different would have happened besides a poke in the eye.” Johnson suffered a conjunctival laceration as a result. Burns explained that he broke his left hand three times in the last sixteen months and is unable to throw it as a closed fist. He is open to a rematch with Johnson. ...

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7)’s torn MCL may keep him out of action for six to seven months. Hughes injured his knee in his TKO loss to third-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) at UFC 85 in London 7 June. “[The doctor] definitely thinks the MCL and the PCL is rebuilding itself,” he stated in his blog. “So right now, I’m going to work out lightly, try and build up my quadricep as much as I can. Do nothing with the hamstring really, from what he said and he says possibly being able to fight in 6-7 months.” ...

The MFC announced this weekend that “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (6-0) will now face “Bam Bam” Pat Healy (18-14) for the welterweight title 25 July. Ford’s previously-scheduled opponent, Joe Jordan (44-14-2), was removed from the card due to a back injury. Healy most recently fought in the IFL.  He lost his last fight to Jake Ellenberger (17-4) by unanimous decision in February. Healy will be cornered by “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (17-7), and Ford will be cornered by “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (20-9), who submitted Herman in his UFC debut. ...

After winning a unanimous decision over Mike Whithead (23-7), "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) told the post-fight press conference that he wants Affliction VP Tom Atencio to make a fight with "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1). ...

You may have noticed that former IFL fighters competing on Ultimate Fight Night 14 Saturday night were accompanied by IFL fight highlights. That wasn't a temporary arrangement. Fighters.com has confirmed that Zuffa, LLC has acquired certain assets of the International Fight League, including the IFL video library and fighter contracts. The deal is similar to the buyout of the World Fighting Alliance in 2006 and allows Zuffa to get its hands on the valuable IFL video library and fighters without assuming the failed company's debt. Fighters.com broke the possibility of the acquisition Thursday.  Since, there has been debate in the MMA media about whether the fighter contracts were transferrable. However, the anonymous former IFL fighters who've confirmed to Fighters.com that they've been notified of the aqcuisition of their contract by Zuffa, LLC have also confirmed that their contractual obligations are now to Zuffa, LLC according to their respective managements and legal counsels. Neither Zuffa, LLC nor the IFL have replied to Fighters.com requests for comment, nor have either made official announcements regarding the acquisition. Unlike the WFA deal where the WFA announced it would cease operations upon the Zuffa, LLC acquisition of its assets, it's unclear whether the IFL will put the "Out of Business" sign on its offices. ...

Affliction Veep Tom Atencio wants "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) to fight "The Natural" Randy Couture (16-8) at Affliction's October sequel if Couture can get a judicial nod to fight; but, if not, Emelianenko will be matched versus either "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (26-5) or "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5). If Atencio can make Emelianenko v Couture, Barnett and Arlovski will fight for the right follow-up Couture versus Emelianenko, since Couture has intimated his intention to retire win, lose, or draw versus Emelianenko. However, the more intriguing matchmaking question in the heavyweight division after Saturday night is what to do with "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-5) and "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-6) after their losses. They present two very different matchmaking problems. "Big" Ben should get no rest after his gutsy brawl versus legit heavyweight stud Arlovski. Rothwell took everything Arlovski dished and dished back until the end. Rothwell closed distance despite Arlovski's superior footwork, rolled out of the "Pitbull's" leg locks, and worked Arlovski over from the top position on the mat. As soon as Rothwell is healthy, he should get another challenge just a little less monumental than Arlovski. ...

 After knocking out "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-6) in scintillating stand-up war Saturday night in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5) reluctantly explained the difference between his last two snoozers in the UFC and his balls-to-the-wall onslaught in his Affliction debut.  ...

In a stunning cyclone of events, DREAM Lightweight Tournament reserve fighter “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) captured the DREAM Lightweight Championship in Osaka Sunday night. Hansen was originally eliminated from the tournament at DREAM.3 11 May after dropping a decision to Eddie Alvarez (15-1), but was drafted into the final after slapping an armbar on “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (10-8) at 2:33 of round one in the tournament's reserve fight Sunday. Ironically, Hansen replaced Alvarez after Alvarez knocked out “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) at 7:35 of round one in a thrilling slugfest.  A right hook, right uppercut combo floored "Crusher" and Alvarez pounded the Japanese fighter out, but sustained a cut over his right eye in the action that would prevent him from fighting for the title. Tournament favorite “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) contorted himself into the final versus Hansen in a unanimous decision over “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-11-4), throwing everything in the "Judan" book at Uno: armbar, triangle choke, heel hook, rear naked choke, gogoplata, etc.  Though Aoki wasn't able to stop Uno, he dominated for the decision. The final was set: Aoki v Hansen; and, in most people's minds, already settled in favor of the Japanese favorite. ...

After knocking out "Rock" Pedro Rizzo (16-8) Saturday night in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, to avenge a 2001 knockout loss, "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (26-5) told the press that revenge isn't always sweet. ...

After destroying "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (26-6) in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, Saturday night, "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) told the press that he couldn't say how he would beat himself and giggled at the thought.   ...