Mixed Martial Arts

Featherweight Dustin Poirier will have his hands full tonight when he meets Chan Sung Jung in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 3. However, if he gets by “The Korean Zombie” many feel the 23-year old will solidify a shot at the divisional title. For his own part Poirier has remained noncommittal on his future plans, expressing interest in the belt while also saying he’d like more experience before accepting the challenge of fighting for it. When asked to shine some light on the matter in a recent interview, Poirier seemed to be leaning towards one more match-up after this evening’s affair and then a possible crack at the championship. As far as an opponent, Poirier pointed to Hatsu Hioki who is in a similar position rankings-wise. The Japanese competitor is currently scheduled to take on Ricardo Lamas on June 22 where, like Poirier, he will be looking to firm up a title-shot. ...

One of the most-hyped prospects on the UFC’s roster is undoubtedly Phil Davis, a 9-1 competitor coming off his first career loss after racking up wins inside the Octagon over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Brian Stann, and Alexander Gustafsson. Prior to a decision defeat to Rashad Evans this past January, “Mr. Wonderful” was on the cusp of challenging for the light heavyweight title. Now, in his next fight, Davis will face an opponent simply looking to fit in at 205 pounds. According to the UFC, Davis will face Chad Griggs at UFC on FOX 4. The bout will mark the Griggs’ first in the division after a heavyweight run featuring success against Bobby Lashley and Valentijn Overeem. ...

Welcome to another edition of By the Numbers.  Today, we'll be taking a look at the mid-week UFC event headlined by Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung.  It was no less than 18 months ago Jung was looking like a mid-card fighter following a knockout loss to George Roop and Poirier appeared a stepping stone to prepare Josh Grispi for Jose Aldo.  Today, Aldo still rules the roost at featherweight while Poirier and Jung are right behind him.  This headlining fight will likely determine the next #1 contender, or at worst, put the winner in position to fight for it (depending on what the UFC wishes to do with Hatsu Hioki should he defeat Ricardo Lamas). UFC on Fuel has become an interesting attempt at carrying on the mid-week tradition on a B-Network left behind by WEC events.  With ratings slowly declining for UFC's Fox events, and Fuel TV still unavailable in many markets, however, we'll have to see if this carries on. Until then, here's a look at UFC on Fuel 3 by the numbers. ...

  It’s already been six months since widely-respected light heavyweight Gegard Mousasi last took to the cage. Unfortunately it looks like it may be another six, if not more, before he does so again after tearing his ACL in training. Mousasi joins Georges St-Pierre and Dominick Cruz on the sidelines as notable fighters under the Zuffa umbrella out for extended periods of time due to the same injury. ...

Over the past few months it appeared as though the upcoming fight between UFC lightweights Jeremy Stephens and Donald Cerrone was all about business. In general, both men are known more for communicating with their fists inside the cage rather than trash-talk outside of it though neither has ever been afraid to speak his mind either. However, things remained civil during the build to their UFC on Fuel 3 co-headliner, or at least they did until this weekend when Cerrone took aim at Stephens’ skill-level in an interview with UFC cameras. “He’s a pretty good striker…okay wrestler, not very good on the ground…not like he’s well-rounded…he’s well-rounded for sh*tty guys, sure,” said Cerrone of the 20-7 Stephens. “He’s not very good, no.” ...

Few fighters have taken a path comparable to Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah. The affable welterweight entered the show without an official fight under his belt, coming out with the show’s title and a contract to compete inside the Octagon despite the season’s finale marking his professional debut. While Sadollah has had to learn on the job, racking up a 5-3 record over the past four years, he’s perfectly content with how his career has turned out and is excited about the continued progression he’s seen inside the gym. “I wouldn’t change anything,” said the 31-year old Sadollah in an interview with the UFC’s website. “I’m glad that I got to jump in the big leagues, and I’m proud of all my wins and losses in the UFC. It’s the big stage and you gotta be confident to be there, and I think that was best for me. My personality’s the same way. I want the challenge, and I want the high risk/reward. Of course it’s much harder to fight in the UFC than on the local circuit, but at the same time, if you can do it, you’ve got something to be proud of.” ...

In a move surprising few but disappointing many, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz was a no-show for a BJJ superfight with decorated blackbelt Braulio Estima. The match-up was supposed to take place last night at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo with a portion of his salary going to charity. Diaz did not offer an explanation for his actions though speculation on the matter has pointed to Estima’s failure to make weight on Friday night (though not technically required to do so until Saturday morning). ...

The three main MMA organizations will come together this Sunday night when fighters from Bellator, Strikeforce, and the UFC grace the Rebellion MMA Radio airwaves! Stopping by the show to join hosts Mitch Ciccarelli and Bryan Levick will be UFC welterweight Duane Ludwig, Strikeforce lightweight Isaac Valle-Flagg, and Bellator’s Josh Quayhagen. The trio are all scheduled for fights this month and will no doubt be itching to dish on all of their respective match-ups as well as a number of other topics. ...

The two key players involved in putting together an elite match-up for the UFC bantamweight championship both appear to be on the same page. Now the only remaining part of the equation is allowing the organization’s matchmaking team to hammer out terms. According to Renan Barao, a 28-1 Brazilian who hasn’t lost since his professional debut, he would be honored to fight Urijah Faber at UFC 148 in order to crown an interim title-holder in the wake of Dominick Cruz’s knee injury. ...

The ongoing season of the Ultimate Fighter came one step closer to crowning a winner with a pair of quarterfinal bouts on last night’s episode including one featuring an outstanding effort from Michael Chiesa. Chiesa, whose father passed away shortly after he initially won his way into the house, faced Dominick Cruz’s top pick – Justin Lawrence – and came out on top. In the match-up, Chiesa started out strong with his grappling prowess playing a role but was dropped in the second round with a perfectly placed body shot. Based on how close the first two frames were the judges ruled a third act was necessary. The final sequence of events came when Lawrence scored a takedown but was swept onto his back before being pounded out from mount. ...

Bellator featherweight Marlon Sandro did his best to earn a shot at redemption against current champion Pat Curran but came up short in the effort thanks to talented wrestler Daniel Straus. Though a competitive clash, Straus’ constant pressure and takedowns were the difference in the 145-pound tournament final and earned him the decision win. As a result of his success Straus received the final payout on a $100,000 prize as well as a crack at Curran’s title later this year. In other tournament action, BJJer Marcos Galvao again decided to stand and strike instead of rely on his grappling. Though a bit risky the approach paid off and earned him the judges’ nod, as well as a spot in the bantamweight field’s final. ...

Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir will enter his upcoming bout with current title-holder Junior dos Santos with a significant level of confidence despite the Brazilian’s reputation and record. While Mir understands Dos Santos is a threat to beat any adversary he also know he excels in an area “Cigano” arguably needs some work in – the ground. The 16-5 Mir is considered to be one of the division’s top grapplers with nine submissions wins under his belt including those over Brock Lesnar, Tim Sylvia, Cheick Kongo, and most recently Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Comparably, Dos Santos has only notched a single tap-out from BJJ-related means while his lone loss came via Armbar. ...

One of the most experienced athletes on the UFC’s roster will get another shot at notching a win inside the Octagon when John Alessio faces Shane Roller at UFC 148. The 32-year old Alessio has been fighting as a professional since 1998 though he’s failed to find success in any of his four UFC fights. The lightweights' July 7 match-up was confirmed on the UFC’s website. ...

After the success of TUF Brasil the UFC will continue the international expansion of the Ultimate Fighter brand with a stop down under for an upcoming season pitting Australia against the United Kingdom. Nicknamed “The Smashes”, the show will start taping later this year and is currently in the process of screening talent. No coaches have been named at this point though it’s likely each will hail from his team’s respective region. Weight-classes are also up in the air at this point though the UFC’s casting call states the company is looking for fighters between 135-170 pounds. ...

The first four fights for ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors, a show taking place in Kuala Lumpur on June 23, were announce this week; Renato Sobral vs. Tatsuya Mizuno, Masakazu Imanari  vs. Leandro Issa, Arnaud Lepont vs. Eddie Ng, and Adam Kayoom vs. Gregor Gracie. Sobral is a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and fought Chuck Liddell for the UFC title on two separate occasions. He will be looking to bounce back from his most recent loss to Dan Henderson when he takes on Mizuno in the main event. The Japanese fighter, who is has notched back-to-back wins in his last two outings, has faced more than his fair share of world class opponents like Mirko Filipovic and Melvin Manhoef. ...

Two of Strikeforce’s most scintillating stand-up artists are set to collide this summer at an event in Portland, Oregon in the form of a bout between middleweights Robbie Lawler (19-8) and Lorenz Larkin (12-0). Of their 31 combined victories 24 of the wins have involved some form of strike-based stoppage. The July 14 match-up was announced earlier today by Strikeforce officials along with confirmation of two previously rumored pairings featuring a headlining title-fight between 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold and top contender Tim Kennedy as well as Keith Jardine-Roger Gracie. A rumble between Nate Marquardt-Tyron Woodley, also linked to the show, was not. ...

It looks like Brock Lesnar is not the only former MMA champion with legitimate grappling credentials who has aspirations of drawing a paycheck from work as a professional wrestler. According to multiple reports, Muhammed Lawal has inked a deal with TNA Wrestling. However, “King Mo” will not forgo a career in Mixed Martial Arts to focus purely on sports entertainment and has also signed to fight under the Bellator banner. Both companies have broadcasting deals with Viacom meaning it is likely Lawal will work for both organizations simultaneously. ...

It looks like Jon Jones anticipated outing against legendary light heavyweight Dan Henderson has an official date! According to UFC President Dana White (via Twitter), “Bones” will battle Henderson on September 1 in Las Vegas. Though the show does not have a numerical label yet the card is expected to be UFC 151. ...

Coming out of the UFC’s third primetime FOX offering, many people are discussing Nate Diaz as the next title contender in the lightweight division after his dismantling of Jim Miller. However, looking a little bit closer at what Diaz has accomplished at 155 pounds, I find myself calling that distinction into question. Is Diaz truly deserving of a title shot after just beating the second Top 10 fighter of his career (with the other being Donald Cerrone)? Is this simply the case of Diaz being the most deserving guy in a division where nobody really stands out as a true title contender? And from that perspective, what does it take to earn a title shot at the lightweight belt in 2012? Let’s take a quick look at the division’s history in order to better understand where we stand today. Aside from the heavyweight division – which has always been an aberration when it comes to MMA – the 155-pound class has seen the least consistency when it comes to the criteria used to determine title contenders. In the earliest days of the division, Caol Uno made his UFC debut in a title shot; Dennis Hallman found himself challenging for the title in his first Lightweight UFC bout; and BJ Penn fought for the belt in only his fourth professional fight. After defeating Penn, Jens Pulver left the UFC and the infamous lightweight tournament that ended with no champion being crowned took place. That event caused the title not to be contested for another 44 months. ...

Next week top featherweights Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung will clash in headlining at action at UFC on Fuel 3 with a title-shot potentially on the line. While Poirier certainly respects Jung and appreciates his style, he’s not necessarily too concerned about anything “The Korean Zombie” offers as an adversary. “I think he’s a great opponent. He’s tough. He’s got a great chin. He’s a fighter’s fighter. He goes out there and walks forward, doesn’t back down. He’s fun to watch,” began Poirier in an interview on this week’s episode of UFC Tonight. “And I’m excited about that match-up. I like to fight guys like that. I do well against guys who push the pace and walk forward and fight.” ...

It’s amazing how much can change in a year. Last May, UFC welterweight Rick Story was seen by many as a top contender, possibly even the future of the division, after racking up six straight wins including success against Thiago Alves and Johny Hendricks. Fast-forward to today and the 27-year old will look to avoid notching his third consecutive defeat when he takes to the Octagon on June 22 as part of the UFC on FX 4 lineup. Story was initially scheduled to face Rich Attonito at the event. However, an injury to Attonito has forced the Ultimate Fighter alumnus out of the bout with Swedish grappler Papy Abedi stepping up to fill the vacancy. UFC officials have confirmed the change. ...

Leandro Issa is 9-2 and riding a six-fight winning streak but the Brazilian has had to bide his time since defeating Soo Chul Kim last September. That wait came to an abrupt end this week when it was announced that he would be facing the legendary Masakazu Imanari in a co-headlining clash at ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors next month. Imanari is the number one bantamweight in Japan and is coming off a first round submission victory over the previously undefeated Kevin Belingon at ONE FC's most recent show, the seventh heel hook win of his career. He has well and truly earned his 'Master of Leg Locks' nickname and is a second degree BJJ black belt with sixteen submission wins to his name. Issa is also packing a BJJ black belt and the Brazilian has won numerous competitions, most notably the Mundials. He has seven submission wins in MMA to his credit as well. ...

The Mile High City will host a match-up with equally tall expectations in August when UFC lightweight title-holder Benson Henderson puts his gold up for grabs against Frankie Edgar in the main event at UFC 150. The two met previously this past February with “Bendo” bringing home the belt by way of a closely-contested decision. Edgar received an immediate rematch based on how competitive the fight was in addition to outside factors including the division’s lack of a clear-cut contender as well as Edgar’s willingness to do the same against previous opponents Gray Maynard and BJ Penn. While the bout was already expected to take place this fall the UFC’s announcement of the August 11 date in Denver is the first official confirmation of the clash’s specifics. ...

A good ol’ fashioned slugfest has been booked for the UFC’s stop in Calgary on July 21 for UFC 149 after judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama was forced to withdraw from a scheduled scrap with Thiago Alves due to injury. Filling in for “Sexyama” will be Siyar Bahadurzada who made his Octagon debut last month en route to a knockout win over Paulo Thiago. News of the change was confirmed on the UFC’s website. ...

The remarkable Ronda Rousey will return to the ring against Sarah Kaufman as expected though unfortunately it appears the two won’t tussle for Rousey’s Strikeforce championship until August. Rousey won the belt in March by beating Miesha Tate in memorable fashion, twisting her arm awkwardly during an Armbar to earn the submission win. No date/location has been attached to the bout though it will likely take place in the latter half of August given the UFC’s schedule, as the two Zuffa-owned organizations are not likely to book cards on a conflicting date. Strikeforce currently has a show set for July but the featured portion has already been linked to a trio of tilts leaving little room for Rousey-Kaufman. ...

The MMA world took one on the chin last night when it was revealed UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz would be out for an extended period of time after tearing his ACL while training for a July 7 fight with Urijah Faber. While there’s nothing outside of H.G. Wells’ library that can change Cruz’s status, “The California Kid” has some ideas about what the UFC can do to fix the situation. Faber released a video in the wake of Cruz’s injury calling for an interim belt to be created based on the amount of time the title-holder is expected to miss and even has his own rankings the organization can go by the set things up. ...

The UFC bantamweight division became the latest victim of an injury setting the title-picture back after champion Dominick Cruz tore his ACL in training and has had to withdraw from a July defense against rival Urijah Faber. Cruz and Faber are currently coaching on TUF 15 meaning there’s a good chance more details will come to light this Friday night when a new episode airs. The UFC’s website has confirmed Cruz’s status as well as his removal from the July 7 bout. ...

The lack of depth on Strikeforce’s roster looks to be coming into play once again with the organization’s apparent decision to award another title-shot to a competitor who has never actually fought in the related weight-class. Recent examples of similar booking include Ronda Rousey and Keith Jardine who both got a crack at a championship in their divisional debuts. This time around the vacant welterweight belt will be on the line with unbeaten grappler Tyron Woodley taking on seasoned veteran Nate Marquardt. Though no date is confirmed it is expected the bout will take place in Portland, Oregon this July on the same card linked to Roger Gracie-Jardine and Tim Kennedy-Luke Rockhold. ...

The last time Keith Jardine stepped foot inside the cage he was making his middleweight debut after a respectable run at 205 pounds. This next time he does so it appears he will be mixing it up with an opponent in the same position, as “The Dean of Mean” has been linked to a July match-up with Roger Gracie, a submission-savvy competitor who will be dipping down from light heavyweight for the first time in his five-fight career. Though no official date/location is set yet the show will likely take place in Portland, Oregon on July 14 or July 28 based on other Zuffa programming. It is believed a middleweight title-bout between champion Luke Rockhold and popular challenger Tim Kennedy will headline the event. ...

UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar knows a thing or two about his respective weight-class. The 14-2 former title-holder has faced many of the division’s best including BJ Penn, Gray Maynard, Benson Henderson, Sean Sherk, and Jim Miller. As such, like countless fans, Edgar was caught off-guard by the way in which Nate Diaz handled Miller last night in headlining action at UFC on FOX 3. The submission loss marked the first time Miller had been finished in his career despite having taken on a number of top-ranked opponents. “Nate Diaz is a stud. He’s kind of a teammate, so I was happy for him, and man...it was a helluva performance,” said Edgar in an interview with Fuel TV after the event’s conclusion. “I know Jim’s tough as nails. I didn’t know what the outcome would be but I definitely didn’t think Jim would get finished so hats off to Nate. He’s a stud for sure.” ...