Mixed Martial Arts

UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos has spoken at length about how winning the divisional belt was a dream come true after growing up in abject poverty. Unfortunately for him the only “feel good” story upcoming opponent Frank Mir is concerned about is the one involving an ending with him as a three-time title-holder even though his career was nearly ended years ago in a serious motorcycle accident. Mir spoke about his plans for Dos Santos in a preview for their headlining tilt this weekend at UFC 146 where he summed up his intentions in a single sentence, stating, “I’m gonna rain on that parade, steal the belt from him and take it home.” ...

Fans tuning in to the Bellator 69 broadcast last Friday night witnessed a spirited scrap between ferocious 115-pounders Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar. Billed as a bout featuring the top two women in the division, the match-up met expectations with the two going at it for fifteen full minutes and Aguilar edging the Japanese legend out on the scorecards in the end. While it made for a nice story, it seems Bellator left out one crucial element in the equation – its 115-pound champion Zoila Gurgel who beat both women en route to claiming the title. Gurgel, who has been sidelined for more than a year with injury, was essentially forgotten about during the play-by-play and not even mentioned as the #3 strawweight in the sport. Gurgel, who has never been afraid to speak her mind, has since caught wind of it and isn’t happy in the least at how she’s been treated by the company whose belt she rightfully holds. ...

Iconic Mixed Martial Artist Randy Couture knows a thing or two about Hall of Fame credentials after being inducted into the UFC’s a few years back based on his accomplishments inside the Octagon as well as his transition into a mainstream star. He also has some intimate knowledge of Brock Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight who stopped Couture with strikes in 2008 to become divisional champion. The two topics collided this week on UFC Tonight when Couture was asked if he felt the 5-3 Lesnar deserved a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame despite only having fought seven times under the organization’s banner. Rather than shy away from Lesnar’s success in a short span of time Couture actually embraced the notion, stating Lesnar was absolutely worthy of the honor. ...

The opinions on UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones have been non-stop since the 24-year old title-holder was involved in a one-car accident early Saturday morning and arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence at the scene. Now UFC President Dana White is sharing his thoughts on the matter and rather than express any anger the outspoken executive instead showed concern for his budding superstar. White, who labeled his mood as being “super-disappointed and bummed out” in an interview with the Boston Herald, said he would be meeting with Jones in the near future to figure out exactly how far he hopes to go in MMA. ...

UFC welterweight Mike Swick is ready to return to the Octagon after more than two years away from competition due to injury. According to the organization, the 32-year old welterweight will face fellow Ultimate Fighter alumnus DaMarques Johnson in August at UFC on FOX 4. Swick holds an overall record of 14-4 including nine wins inside the Octagon such as those over Joe Riggs, David Louiseau, Marcus Davis, and Ben Saunders. He was last seen in February 2010 where he was choked out cold by Paulo Thiago, marking a second straight loss. He was on the verge of fighting twice in 2011 before a series of injuries struck and have sidelined him since. ...

The same controversy surrounding Chael Sonnen’s previous meeting with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva has reared its ugly head again though this time around the colorful contender won’t be at risk of a suspension. As many fans undoubtedly recall, Sonnen showed an elevated level of testosterone in his system after a 2010 meeting with Silva he nearly won and was sidelined for a year as a result. Sonnen met with the Nevada Athletic Commission yesterday where he was granted an exemption for testosterone use in conjunction with TRT where the substance is injected into males who have a naturally low amount in their bodies. However, despite the bi-weekly treatments, Sonnen will be tested numerous times leading up to his July 7 bout with Silva as well as after the collision’s conclusion. ...

UFC President Dana White has confirmed the world’s foremost MMA organization will start screening its athletes for performance enhancing drugs in the immediate future. The outspoken executive’s interest in making sure the athletes on the UFC’s roster test clean was kicked into overdrive last month when top heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem was suspended for an elevated T:E ratio connected to testosterone use and pulled from a heavily-advertised tilt with champion Junior dos Santos slated for this weekend. “The steroid/PED thing affects the whole sport,” explained White in an interview with the L.A. Times. “The key is to make sure these guys never get on it, because once they do, they change.” ...

Many years ago, an unknown heavyweight named Junior dos Santos wanted nothing more than to hold the UFC title. Now that he’s achieved his goal he wants nothing more than to hold it for many years to come. Dos Santos will get one step closer to fulfilling that quest when he takes on submission-specialist Frank Mir this Saturday night in the main event at UFC 146. Mir has won his last three fights including a gruesome finish of Dos Santos’ friend/mentor Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while “Cigano” is coming off a knockout of Cain Velasquez and hasn’t lost in nearly five years. “My dream was to become champion and now I’m the champion. Now I wanna break records, keep this belt for a long, long time,” said Dos Santos in an extended preview for the show. ...

Any hopes of UFC welterweight Nick Diaz beating the rap for a failed drug test and returning to the ring rather than remain retired were dashed earlier today when the Nevada State Athletic Commission reviewed his case, shrugged off his team’s arguments, and threw the book at him for their trouble. Diaz, who has been at outspoken proponent of marijuana use and receives it legally in California, was popped for “marijuana metabolites” in his system after a February fight with Carlos Condit. As a result of the NSAC’s findings Diaz will be suspended from competition for a year and was fined 30% of his purse from the bout (equating to $60,000). ...

With the recent arrest of Jon Jones for suspicion of DUI the MMA world has been reminded that its favorite athletes are far from perfect when it comes to behavior outside of the Octagon. In honor of Spike TV’s World's Wildest Police Chases airing tonight (Monday May 21) at 11:00 PM, we wanted to look back on some of the wildest moments in MMA's history featuring a police presence. ...

Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has broken the relative silence surrounding his arrest this past Saturday for suspicion of driving under the influence. The UFC star was picked up by police near his home in New York after driving his Bentley into a utility pole. He is not believed to have suffered any serious injuries in the wreck. Jones surfaced with a message on Twitter over the weekend praising God before addressing things in more detail today by way of Facebook where he admitted he “screwed up, big time” and expressed appreciation to fans who have offered their support in the wake of his troubles. ...

Rafael dos Anjos has had plenty of up and downs in his UFC career, losing his first two fights, winning his next three and then suffering a broken jaw in the third round of his clash with Clay Guida. Last week was definitely one of the highlights of his nine-fight stint in the UFC as he submitted Kamal Shalorus with a Rear-Naked Choke in a little less than two minutes. The submission was set up with a perfectly timed head kick which dropped the Iranian and, as he explained in an exclusive interview with Fighters.com, Dos Anjos feels that this stand up has improved dramatically since he first burst onto the international scene. “When I first came to the UFC, I only knew Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and some Boxing but training at Evolve MMA in Singapore has given me the high level Muay Thai. The trainers there have 300 professional fights each, there are so many world champions there to teach many things.  For sure, I learn a lot with this team," he explained. ...

Two talented featherweights who are both in serious need of a UFC win will meet on August 4 in Los Angeles, as the organization has revealed Michihiro Omigawa will face Manny Gamburyan at UFC on FOX 4. Both men can claim impressive victories in the past but have struggled as of late with each coming off a losing performance. UFC on FOX 4 is headlined by Brian Stann’s scrap with Hector Lombard and also features Joe Lauzon-Terry Etim, Travis Browne-Ben Rothwell, and Ryan Bader-Lyoto Machida. ...

Last night marked one of final heavyweight fights under Strikeforce’s banner and the evening’s participants certainly lived up to expectations by turning in a fantastic five-rounder featuring blood, brawling, and apparently a few broken bones. After the match-up both Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier came forward to reveal they’d suffered hand injuries in the opening round of their headlining rumble and expected to be out for an undetermined period of time to recovery. “I stopped throwing it for a while,” said Cormier of his right hand. “In a fight, you must be able to use all your weapons, so I punched, kicked, kneed, elbowed.” The former Olympian also added he didn’t feel it was as bad as when he’d broken it last September against Antonio Silva and expected to take to the cage two more times in 2012. ...

It’s a busy week in the MMA world between UFC on Fuel 3 and Strikeforce Grand Prix Final but Rebellion MMA Radio hosts Mitch Ciccarelli and Bryan Levick aren’t taking a break to bask in all the caged glory. This Sunday night the show welcomes two talented competitors who call the UFC home in the form of lightweight Shane Roller and featherweight Dennis Bermudez. Also set to offer up some insight, BloodyElbow/Wrestling Observer writer Josh Nason will call in to reflect on the sport’s current landscape. ...

After an exciting build the final fight in Strikeforce’s ambitious heavyweight Grand Prix arrived tonight with Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett representing the two remaining competitors from an original field featuring the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Sergei Kharitonov, Alistair Overeem, and Fedor Emelianenko. Cormier was undefeated entering tonight’s bout at 9-0 and kept his perfect record intact after a brilliant showing against Barnett featuring takedowns, stiff shots, and a head-kick leaving Barnett wobbled. ...

The reputation of UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones took a major hit earlier today when the 24-year old was arrested in New York on suspicion of DUI after crashing his Bentley into a utility pole. “Bones” is not believed to have suffered any damage in the crash other than that to his standing as the organization’s previously flawless poster-boy. “While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time,” wrote Jones’ manager (Malki Kawa) in a statement circulated to media members. ...

Last night’s lineup for Bellator 69 featured a bout pitting two of the most talented females in MMA against each other and the result most certainly didn’t disappoint! In the end it was Jessica Aguilar who came away with a decision win over decorated veteran Megumi Fujii, only the second time “Mega Megu” had been beaten in her 30-fight career. Comparably, it was the fifth straight win for the 14-4 Aguilar who likely solidified a spot for herself at the top of the 115-pound division with the victory. Other bouts delivering on the promise of action were tournament offerings from welterweights Karl Amoussou-David Rickels and middleweights Maiquel Falcao-Andreas Spang. Both fights went to decision and could have been scored for either competitor though ultimately Amoussou and Falcao emerged with a victory in tow. ...

Strikeforce holds one of its final cards with heavyweight matches tonight with the event marking the conclusion of the end of the Heavyweight Grand Prix.  It seems like so long ago that the idea of a gathering of some of the best heavyweights outside of the UFC was a good one.  Names like Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko ran our collective imaginations rampant with possibilities. However, few could have predicted what really happened from injuries to upsets to the organization's heavyweight roster being absorbed by the UFC. Some fun facts about the Grand Prix dominate this abbreviated edition of By the Numbers: 0 - A bit unrelated to this event, but of Strikeforce's 59 events none have left the United States.  One of the missed opportunities for Strikeforce has been attempting to cater to the globalized Mixed Martial Arts market.  While focusing on capturing large American audiences through through numerous broadcasting arrangements (including the CBS events,) Strikeforce has never left American soil to reach out to the International markets.  In comparison, fighters from six different countries have held Strikeforce gold in their various divisions. ...

Former featherweight title-contender Chad Mendes has been given an opponent and date for his return to the Octagon after suffering a knockout loss to champion Jose Aldo in January. The defeat was the first of Mendes’ career. According to the UFC, the 11-1 Mendes will welcome Cody McKenzie to the 145-pound division at UFC 148. The fight will mark the first for McKenzie at featherweight after racking up a 2-2 record inside the Octagon as a 155 pounder. ...

Hope was kindled around the MMA community this week when news broke surrounding a potential bout between Josh Koscheck and iconic former champion BJ Penn. According to Koscheck, the UFC offered him a fight with Penn, he’d accepted, and the ball was now in Penn’s court. Unfortunately, it appears Penn is still content with his decision to call it quits at an age many would say was premature. The 33-year old hung his bloodstained gloves up last October after suffering a one-sided decision loss to Nick Diaz, citing an interest in spending time with his family rather than training like a world-class fighter. ...

As the cage door shuts behind Jessica Aguilar and Megumi Fujii tonight at Bellator 69 it is the culmination of different roads traveled entwining to bring two of the sport's greatest ambassadors together to battle. For Fujii, the chance at retribution inside a Bellator cage.  Fujii's only career loss came at her last Bellator appearance in a split decision to Zoila Gurgel.  Fujii returned to her native Japan, and. after looking unbeatable in three appearances since, returns to the United States to face Aguilar. For Aguilar (or "Jag" as she is known otherwise,) the consensus #2 strawweight fighter in the world, a dream comes true on Friday -  The opportunity to become recognized as the world’s best. ...

With a little more than a week remaining before UFC 146 unfolds from Las Vegas the UFC has been forced to make a last-second change to the show, inserting heavy-handed slugger Lavar Johnson into a recently available spot against Stefan Struve formerly held by fan-favorite Mark Hunt. Though no specifics are available on his condition, Hunt was apparently injured while training for the May 26 match-up and will be out for an undetermined period of time. News of the change was confirmed by the UFC. “Struve is a great fighter,” said Johnson when asked about his recently announced adversary. “He’s a skilled guy with a lot of heart but I am not worried about his size. His reach is 83 inches and mine is 82, and he doesn’t use his height. He always gets the crap beat out of him, he refuses to quit, then his opponent gasses or has to let up and Struve comes back to win. I am a fan of his actually, and I’ve cheered for him because of his heart. The only way to beat him is to put him out cold. That’s what I have to do next week and I will do it.” ...

When former featherweight champion Cristiane Santos makes her way back into the Strikeforce cage it seems she’ll be focused on an eventual face-off with current bantamweight title-holder Ronda Rousey rather than reclaiming the belt she once held at 145 pounds. Santos was stripped of her strap after testing positive for steroid use and is currently serving a suspension until December. However, when her time on the sidelines expires she’ll be ready to go again but at 135 pounds this time around. Santos revealed her intention on Twitter when asked about the slimmed-down physique she exhibited on a few pictures she’d posted. ...

UFC heavyweight Frank Mir has made his gameplan clear when it comes to his crack at divisional champion Junior dos Santos in a little over a week - set up a takedown with some strikes, drag action to the mat, and score a submission win. Interestingly enough, Dos Santos has also decided to remove any shroud of mystery surround his intentions at UFC 146 and they involve separating Mir from consciousness. Dos Santos recently spoke about his May 26 bout with the former title-holder where he explained he’ll be ready for Mir’s ground-game and aiming for the knockout. ...

Strikeforce lightweight Josh Thomson has plenty on his mind already considering his match-up this weekend against divisional champion Gilbert Melendez. However, he recently had to focus his attention on a different challenge after an entirely new set of issues came up thanks to a group of his teammates at American Kickboxing Academy (including Daniel Cormier) who decided to pull a prank by moving his car, then tricking him into believing he’d parked it illegally. “My car’s totally covered,” says a semi-relieved Thomson while on the phone with presumably his insurance company after thinking his truck had been stolen. ...

UFC featherweight Chan Sung Jung impressed all in attendance last night at UFC on Fuel 3, as well as those watching at home, with his relatively one-sided showing against Dustin Poirier. Apparently his effort also caught the attention of a few UFC executives as well. Jung’s D’Arce Choke finish of Poirier was named the show’s Submission of the Night and netted “The Korean Zombie” an extra $40,000 on top of his regular salary. ...

The UFC decided to give fans a mid-week treat to tantalize their MMA-oriented tastebuds before this weekend’s Strikeforce event in the form of UFC on Fuel 3, a show headlined by a clash between featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung, and delivered a delicious event in the process. "The Korean Zombie" came away with what would many consider an upset win, finishing Poirier in the fourth round to snap a five-fight winning streak. The stoppage was the latest from Jung who racked up bonus-winning finishes in his last two outings. ...

UFC welterweight Nick Diaz is not necessarily the most eloquent individual, often cracking under the pressure of media attention similarly to the way he breaks opponents inside the Octagon. However, coach/mentor Cesar Gracie has no such problem penning a thoughtful statement laced with objectivity, not profanity. Gracie did just that last night regarding Diaz’s decision to no-show a scheduled BJJ superfight with Braulio Estima. And, while the renowned instructor certainly defended Diaz in the public plea, he also made it clear he wasn’t happy with how the 28-year old handled himself either. “Nick is not without fault by any means. His lack of communication with his team and coach was inexcusable. This will be addressed privately,” wrote Gracie after revealing a number of situations behind-the-scenes had lead to Diaz’s behavior. ...

Over the past few months UFC featherweight Ross Pearson has gotten a glimpse at what it takes to be a coach on the Ultimate Fighter as part of Dominick Cruz’s staff on the current season. He also knows what it’s like to be a contestant on the long-running reality series as a former competitor who won his respective go at a TUF title. Now it appears he’s in line to come full circle by serving as a team-head on the show’s upcoming run in Australia. According to a report from British publication The Telegraph, Pearson is being targeted for TUF: Australia vs. UK with fellow former TUFer George Sotiropoulos serving as the other squad’s leader. Auditions for fighters are currently ongoing with lighter weights being targeted for the season (135-170 pounds). It is unknown if the two will fight each other after the show as has been the case on past versions of TUF, though Sotiropoulos is currently a lightweight while Pearson – a former 155er – competes at featherweight. ...