Some fireworks at the UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II weigh ins today between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Abel Trujillo, and apparently it all started backstage. According to Nurmagomedov, he approached Abel backstage to tell him that he would be missing weight and to apologize personally. Nurmagomedov said he extended his hand and Trujillo wasn’t having it. When it came time for the two to square off, Nurmagomedov shoved Abel and was quickly taken off stage. Nurmagomedov was fined 20% of his purse for missing weight. You can watch the video below.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Via Twitter:

He disrespected me behind the scenes. But I’ll make him do it in the cage

— khabib nurmagomedov (@khabib13) May 25, 2013

Courtesy of the UFC:

The post Khabib Nurmagomedov Says He Was ‘Disrespected’ By Abel Trujillo (VIDEO) appeared first on Fighters.com.

For the past few months UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt has been focused squarely on his UFC 160 scrap with Junior dos Santos. However, the bout came close to being cancelled after the “Super Samoan” ran into problems obtaining a visa and ended up traveling from New Zealand to Las Vegas with less time to acclimate to the time different than he would have preferred.

Now Stateside, Hunt is ready to put the issue behind him and has no plans on bringing it up if he’s unsuccessful in his bid to beat Dos Santos. The knockout artist spoke to MMAJunkie about the matter, explaining…

“I just had to keep training because I knew I was going to get here at the end. For me, it was a matter of how much time I’d have to get used to this time (change). What are you going to say? There was nothing I could do about it – I was just in limbo, waiting. So I’d go home and I can’t do anything about it. You’re talking about the U.S. government.”

“This is the biggest fight for me, but it’s just another fight at the end of the day. Of course, this is the moment for me. And of course, we talk about acclimatizing. But I’m not going to use it as an excuse if I lose. I’m not going to use any excuse. I’m not that kind of fighter or person.”

SOURCE: MMAJunkie
PHOTO CREDIT: MMAWeekly

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When UFC heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva squared off against each other last year it took the current divisional king less than a round to dispatch of “Bigfoot”. However, when they collide tomorrow night at UFC 160, Velasquez doesn’t expect a similar result other than the end product of him having his hand raised.

The 11-1 Velasquez spoke to UFC.com recently about the rematch, explaining the past has little to do with his present predicament in terms of beating a hard-hitting opponent with high-level BJJ to back it up.

“This is a whole new fight. Obviously, we saw what Bigfoot can do in his last two fights, so I can’t take him lightly. He’s a tough competitor – really dangerous in the Octagon – so I’m not expecting anything less than a hard, grueling fight.

“That first fight between me and ‘Bigfoot’, I take a lot of stuff from it here and there, but this is a whole new fight. Anything can happen in this fight. He is dangerous, so I’m not taking this guy lightly.

“I’m envisioning a whole new belt, and it’s up to ‘Bigfoot’ and me to go out there and get it. It’s not that he’s coming to take mine away; this is a whole new one, and we’re both contenders for that belt, and we’re both equally hungry. That’s how I see it. This is a fight I have to win.”

SOURCE: UFC.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Undefeated UFC Heavyweight Daniel Cormier is hosting the UFC Fight Club Q&A ahead of the weigh in today at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II. Fight Club members will have the opportunity to ask the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner whatever is on their minds, and you can watch the whole thing right here on Fighters.com. The questions should start at 5 PM eastern.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones made a comment too a journalist in Russia yesterday that he would be fighting Alexander Gustafsson next after his toe healed. While UFC President Dana White has said multiple times that Lyoto Machida had earned his sport to face Bones for a second, its sounding more and more like Gustafsson is the one getting the main event bout with Jones.

Gustafsson posted:

Its on @jonnybones cant wait to get in that cage with YOU!!!

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 24, 2013

Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

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It all goes down tomorrow night at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II when Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez takes on Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in the main event at UFC 160 is Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday night. Yesterday we posted the Fighters.com undercard breakdown, and you can see how the main card stacks up right here.

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

While Cerrone tends to make bad decisions when things aren’t going his way in the octagon, he is still a very talented fighter. So far he has been the Michael Bisping the lightweight division. He seems to be good enough to get to the number one contender bout, but can’t close the deal. At 30 years old, Cerrone has plenty of time to shore up those holes, and he can’t start the ball rolling again with a win over Noons. This is his fight to win, and while it may be closer than some of the other pundits are making it, I do expect Cerrone to be the better fighter in las Vegas. Noons has a very straight forward style when he is fighting in MMA, and that’s basically what Cerrone is going to want him to do. Cerrone will look to take Noons later in the fight before he considers standing and trading with KJ, and will get the takedowns he needs too steal rounds.

Cerrone Via Split Decision

Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant

Everyone says the same thing after they fight Maynard, win or lose his opponent always ends up saying along the lines of ‘I didn’t think he would be that strong.’ It’s almost like the other fighters don’t listen to the people who have already fought him. If you are a UFC lightweight, Maynard is stronger than you. Grant has an aggressive grappling style, and has made a flawless transition to lightweight, but I still don’t think he has the strength of Maynard. Grant has been setting up submissions with his striking, that has been getting better and better, but I don’t think that movie is going to play out again against Maynard. Sometimes brute strength is what wins fights, and its going to win this one for Gray.

Gray Maynard via Unanimous Decision

Glover Teixeira vs. James Te Huna

Hard to pick against Teixeira in this bout. Everyone was waiting for him to get through his visa issues for a reason, and that reason is he is a great fighter with a lot of experience. Te Huna is gifted physically, but just doesn’t have the technical skill that Teixeira has. That said, this bout can change in a hurry with a guy like Te Huna is in the octagon, and if you have him listed in your easy-out list you need to correct yourself. Te Huna is capable of starching a good chunk of the division, but I just don’t think Teixeira is going to make the mistakes that Te Huna would need him to make to get the win.

Teixeira via Technical Knockout round 2

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Hunt is an amazing fighter who has put together one of the most improbable winning streaks in MMA, and his accomplishments to date should be applauded. After this fight, he will likely continue to knockout a good percentage of people he faces, but Junior dos Santos ends the party for him on Saturday. There is a lot going against him in the fight. Lets forget that he just got here from australia THIS week and is likely not acclimated to the US yet, and just focus on the pure hand speed advantage Junior enjoys in this bout. Junior isn’t going to fall for the slip and dip over-hand punches, and when it comes to those moments where both fighters throw punches at the same time, he is going to land first. With a guy who hits as hard as Junior thats bad news, and while I think it will be difficult for Junior to put away Hunt with strikes, I do see him getting the takedown after stinging him a few times. If Sean McCorkle can key lock Hunt than a Carlton bjj blackbelt should be able to lock something up on the dazed Hunt.

Junior dos Santos via Submission round 2

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

If you think Bigfoot is coming into this fight looking to do the same exact thing as he did last time, I am not sure what to tell you. No one more than SIlva knows that that game plan didn’t work, and to run out and throw leg kicks at the D1 wrestler was a bad idea. People have downplayed his abilities for a long time, and while he isn’t the alpha dog in the UFC, that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world.

Cain Velasquez was the guy we always heard about when we asked west coast locals who to look out for quite a while. His reputation in the sport preceded him, and he has lived up to all the hype. Every single person that worked or trained with him said the same thing, ‘this guy is a future champion.’ I dare someone to explain to me how he hasn’t fulfilled those prophecies and filled those shoes perfectly.

I think the end of the fight will look like the end of the first fight. I expect Cain to get the finish, and I expect him to get from ground and pound. I just think Bigfoot will be smarter in the octagon with Cain, and I think he can use his experience and durability to try and create more opportunities than he did the first time.

Cain Velasquez via Technical Knockout round 3

The post Breaking Down UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II Main Card appeared first on Fighters.com.

As four of the top ten heavyweights prepare to step in the octagon on Saturday night, UFC President Dana White sat down with the media to answer questions for almost an hour and you can watch it right here on Fighters.com White answered questions regarding Nate Diaz, Pat Healy’s marijuana punishment, the UFC’s stance on marijuana, and much much more.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot II takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. The two fought as potential contenders at UFC 146, but it was Velasquez who won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Courtesy of the MMAHeat

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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Earlier in the week on UFC Tonight, in what UFC President Dana White referred to as his most embarrassing interview he has ever done, he said he could do 15 pull ups if hopped  up on a pull up bar right now. Keyboard warriors took to popular MMA forums to declare that White couldn’t back up the claim, and Dana decided to be a good sport about the whole thing. In the clothes he was wearing at the UFC Media day for UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II, White went to the UFC gym and hopped up on the bar with the camera rolling. Check out what happened below.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sport

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While Brazilian heavyweight Antonio “Pezao” Silva shares a last name with Anderson, Wanderlei and Erik, they are of no relation.  His in-ring nickname, “Bigfoot”, comes from his size and pronounced facial features, both results of his battle with acromegaly, a disease involving tumors on his pituitary gland that cause an overabundance of growth hormone to be released into his body. It is this condition that his management contends caused the positive test for boldenone that cost him his EliteXC heavyweight title.

Brazilian by birth, Bigfoot made his MMA debut in England while training at Wolfslair, Michael Bisping’s camp. He won his debut via TKO 48 seconds into the first round. Shortly thereafter he was asked to leave Wolfslair over a monetary dispute in which both sides believed the other to owe them money.  After leaving Wolfslair, Silva drifted to Brazilian Top Team before finding his permanent home at American Top Team. Silva fought four more times successfully in England, winning both the Cage Rage Heavyweight Championship and the Cage Warriors Super Heavyweight Championship in the process.

He then travelled to Japan to fight for the HERO’s organization where he racked up two first-round stoppages over Tom Erikson and Georgy Kaysinov. The 7-0 Bigfoot experienced his first defeat at the hands of Eric Pele at BodogFight: USA vs. Russia. Three months later, he transitioned to the EliteXC organization, where he went undefeated in four fights under their banner, notably defeating former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez.  He also became their first and only heavyweight champion before a positive urinalysis resulted in a suspension and fine.

During his suspension, against the wishes of the California State Athletic Commission, he fought in Japan.  Whilst in Japan he scored two more wins over Yoshihiro Nakao and Jim York, both under the Sengoku banner.  The 13-1 Bigfoot made his return to fighting in America with a unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers in November of 2009.

Silva rebounded from the loss with a unanimous decision win over former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski.  The Arlovski decision was followed up by a second-round stoppage of Mike Kyle and a quarterfinal victory in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. A heavy underdog in the tournament, Bigfoot scored an upset victory over Fedor Emelianenko via second-round TKO. His semifinal opponent was supposed to be Alistair Overeem, but Overeem left the organization over contract disputes and was replaced by eventual tournament winner and former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. Cormier ended Bigfoot’s grand prix hopes within four minutes of the first round.

Bigfoot made his UFC debut against former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 146.  Velasquez took him down early in the round and unleashed a nonstop firestorm of ground and pound until the referee stopped the fight.  Silva managed to rebound from the two-fight losing streak with TKO stoppages of Travis Browne and Overeem.  The KO of Overeem, in what was supposed to be a tune-up fight for the Dutchman, put Bigfoot at the front of the line for the next title shot.  He will get his shot on May 25, 2013 at UFC 160 against the last man to defeat him, Velasquez.

The post UFC 160 Fighter Profile: Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC featherweights Dustin Poirier and Erik Koch are set to fight at UFC 164. Rumors began swirling about the fight early in the week, but now the fight has been confirmed for August 31 at the HMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Only one other fight is confirmed for the card as heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Brandon Vera are set to fight.

MMAWeekly was the first to report the fight. Stay tuned to Fighters.com events section for updates for all of the upcoming cards.

Photo Credit: Josh Holmberg-USA TODAY Sports

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Although a date hasn’t been set, UFC President Dana White announced today that middleweights Yushin Okami and Ronaldo Jacare Souza have agreed to fight. White made the announcement during a media scrum at the press function for UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II. Jacare is coming off of his co-main event win over Chris Camozzi at UFC On FX 8: Belfort Vs Rockhold while Okami is carrying a three fight win streak into the fight.

MMajunkie was the first to report the story. Stay tuned to Fighters.com for information concerning the time and place the two will scrap.

Photo PHOTO Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II takes place Saturday night, and the UFC has a full dance card of undercard battles to breakdown. The action kicks off on facebook, but as always a handful of fights will be televised on FX as well. UFC 160 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. Don’t forget to add your picks in the comment section below.

Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan

Things haven’t gone so well for Stephens at lightweight as he has dropped his last three fights. Now taking a crack at featherweight, Stephens is going to have his hands full with Payan. Payan is a strikeforce import making his octagon debut who has put together some decent wins in the promotions with his striking on full display. He seems to want to just fight in one direction, straight forward, and with a guy like Stephens, thats a bad idea. As long as Stephens handles the cut alright, he should pick up the win in the second frame.

Jeremy Stephens via Technical Knockout round 2

Brian Bowles vs. George Roop

Bowles is coming into the bout having not fought since November of 2011 while Roop is coming off of his UFC 158 win over Reuben Duran. Bowles will not only have to shake the cage rust off in the octagon, but he will also have to deal with the much larger Roop. With Roop back at bantamweight where he belongs, he should be able to put the screws to Bowles sometime in the third round. Bowles likely bit off more than he can chew for his first fight back.

George Roop via Technical Knockout round 3

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Stephen Thompson

After a memorable UFC debut, his first career loss, and having not fought since UFC 145, Thompson is going to have to get his groove going early in this fight against Burrell. Burrell will likely be looking to get Thompson to come forward to strike with him by goading him in with his hands, and Thompson will surely oblige him. Burrell has some slick transitions from flashing jabs and kicks that go right into takedowns, and Thompson is going to have to be on the lookout for those. Burrell has good enough hands to stand and trade with Thompson, but look for him to wear down Thompson in the earlier frames to take some sting out of the strikes of the ‘Wonderboy.’ Burrell takes this one into deep waters, and edges out the decision

Nah-Shon Burrell via Unanimous Decision

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

This is a confusing fight to me. Nurmagomedov is 19-0 as a professional, and he has finished 14 of those fights. Three of those wins have come inside the octagon to Thiago Tavares, Kamal Shalorus, and Gleison Tibau, and only the Tibau fight went to the score cards. Trujillo is no slouch in the cage, far from it, but it might be too soon for him to jump in the octagon with the guy who has won the worlds in combat sambo twice. Trujillo seems to have some flashy punches that keep his opponents occasionally confused, and while that may work with a one trick pony, Nurmagomedov has proven to be durable and always going for the win however he can take it. Nurmagomedov takes this one via submission at the end of round one.

Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission round 1

Robert Whittaker vs. Colton Smith

The TUF winners from season 16 and The Smashes throwdown in this one as Smith and Whittaker lock horns to decide which season has the tougher winner. In Smith’s fight over Ricci, Smith was able to mix up his takedowns and striking enough to drag a decision win out of the judges. Whittaker got his win over Brad Scott, but mainly by picking him apart. Smith is more than durable enough to go toe to toe with Whittaker, and he is slick enough to put his striking to use in order to get the takedowns.

Colton Smith via Split Decision

Max Holloway vs. Dennis Bermudez

Holloway will enjoy a four inch reach advantage, and a significant edge in the striking department. Bermudez will enjoy the advantage in wrestling, and in top control on the ground, as well as the momentum he has going with his fight of the year candidate bout with Matt Grice. Bermudez got the opportunity to put his striking on display against Grice, but look for him to rough up Holloway in this fight first on the ground or up against the fence. Bermudez does not want to have a stand up war with Holloway, but if he can take some of the steam out of Holloway’s engine with some early ground and pound, I expect him to put together enough damage to get the win in the second frame.

Dennis Bermudez via Unanimous Decision

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story

Rick Story is jumping in on late notice for Gunnar Nelson, who is coming off his UFC 158 win over Quinn Mulhern. Pyle has won 6 of his last 7 fights, and the last three have all been first round finishes via strikes. Even when he loses, Pyle has shown an ability to pace the fight the way he wants too, and if he can do that against Story a win is almost assured. The punches will begin to really add up for Story late in the fight, and Pyle will advance with another TKO win making it four in a row.

Mike Pyle via Technical Knockout round 3

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In the eyes of some, UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira is already an uncrowned champion. The well-rounded Brazilian is 20-2 in his career with a ton of finishes, eighteen straight wins, and some impressive outings in the Octagon including a recent outpointing of Quinton Jackson.

However, Teixeira’s opponent this weekend at UFC 160 – James Te Huna – is confident he can prove the masses wrong by beating the heavy-handed Brazilian. Te Huna spoke to UFC.com about Saturday night’s scrap, explaining Teixeira is not as untouchable as many may think.

“He is a very dangerous guy, probably one of the most dangerous guys in the light heavyweight division right now. But I’ve seen some holes in his game and I think I can take advantage of those mistakes that he does.”

“He’s pretty much a bully; that sums up the person that he is and the fighter that he is. He’s a bully, he pushes people back and that’s something that I don’t want to do and I don’t like taking a backwards step, so it’s gonna be a good fight for the fans.”

SOURCE: UFC.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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With the UFC’s annual Memorial Day pay-per-view less than a week away, most of the pre-fight talk is on whether or not co-main event participant Mark Hunt will be granted his work visa in time for the event. It was reported last Saturday that he has in fact gotten his work visa and will fight former champion Junior dos Santos at this weekend’s UFC 160 event in Las Vegas, leaving him about six days to fly out to Vegas for final preparations. All is well in the world again.

Because the bout was in jeopardy due to the issues mentioned above, one topic that was quickly pushed to the back seat was that this contest is expected to be a heavyweight title eliminator. Dos Santos is currently the favorite and should he win, he may be granted a title shot in the near future, perhaps even in his very next fight. Keep in mind that I am in no way overlooking Hunt – I’m simply taking a hypothetical look ahead should Dos Santos get past him. Realistically speaking, can Dos Santos become champion again?

The quick answer to that question is yes, of course. If the current champion, Cain Velasquez, retains his title this weekend, that’ll mean that Dos Santos may get another crack at Velasquez and we all saw what happened in their first bout in November of 2011. Should both of them win their respective bouts, UFC fans will be treated to only the second trilogy in UFC heavyweight history. However, after a rematch last December, we saw what Velasquez is capable of. He dominated Dos Santos for five full rounds, which in the eyes of many, was more impressive than the fashion in which he lost the title, a first-round knockout. Dos Santos is more than capable of winning back the title and since we’ve seen him do it once before, we have a general idea how he can achieve that second title reign. But as we saw in his rematch with Velasquez, it’s looking like another victory over the current champ is unlikely, considering how dominant Velasquez looked in that second bout. Can Dos Santos win? Sure he can, although it’s unlikely.

Perhaps another win over Velasquez is unlikely, but what if Velasquez loses the title to “Bigfoot” Silva this weekend? What then? If Dos Santos gets past the heavy-handed Hunt, what are his chances against Silva?

Knowing what we do about Dos Santos’ penchant for striking, we can assume that Bigfoot may have a more ground-oriented game plan. Besides being dominated by Velasquez in what was mostly a ground battle, we haven’t seen much of Dos Santos’ ground game. Keep in mind that his inferior ground game against Velasquez may have been a result of being softened up on the feet prior to going to the ground. He was stunned badly against Velasquez and that could very well have contributed to a subpar grappling defense. Barring a similar scenario, how well can Dos Santos do against an experienced grappler who is just as big as he is?

Even though Silva took out former K-1 champion Alistair Overeem, we can all agree that Dos Santos is the better striker in this equation. Overeem underestimated Silva’s power and paid for it with in full with the title shot as currency. But let’s not let that disguise the fact that Silva is not a great striker. He may have heavy hands, but a fight on the feet is the last thing Silva wants against Dos Santos. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Silva will need to take the fight to the ground to compete with JDS. Silva’s takedowns are most definitely not better than Velasquez, and because of that he will have a very difficult time taking the fight where he wants it.

After that brief analysis, we can say with a certain degree of assurance that JDS is definitely capable of winning the title once more. However, he stands a far better chance of taking the title from Silva than he does Velasquez. JDS will most likely be rooting for Velasquez this weekend in order for him to get another crack at the title from the person who took it from him, but after looking at all the facts, it may benefit JDS exponentially more if Bigfoot pulls off the upset. Can Dos Santos win the title back? Of course he can. Are his chances higher against the likes of Bigfoot as opposed to Velasquez? You better believe it.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The post Junior Dos Santos: Can He Be Champion Again? appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot II takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25, and on Friday the fighters will weigh in to make the fights official. UFC 160 will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. The two fought as potential contenders at UFC 146, but it was Velasquez who won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Weigh ins will take place at the MGM Grand at 7:00 PM EST, and Fighters.com will have complete coverage. You can watch the video below, and we will be updating the results as they happen.

Courtesy of the UFC:

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II

Main Card (PPV / 10:00 EST)

Cain Velasquez (240 lbs) vs. Antonio Silva (263 lbs) *
Junior dos Santos (239 lbs) vs. Mark Hunt (264 lbs)
James Te Huna (206 lbs) vs. Glover Teixeira (205 lbs)
T.J. Grant ( 155 lbs) vs. Gray Maynard (156  lbs)
Donald Cerrone (155 lbs) vs. K.J. Noons (156 lbs)

Preliminary Card (FX / 8:00 EST)

Mike Pyle (170 lbs) vs. Rick Story (169 lbs)
Dennis Bermudez (146 lbs) vs. Max Holloway (145 lbs)
Colton Smith (170 lbs) vs. Robert Whittaker (171 lbs)
Khabib Nurmagomedov (158.5 lbs) vs. Abel Trujillo (155 lbs)
Nah-Shon Burrell (172 lbs) vs. Stephen Thompson (170 lbs)
Brian Bowles (135 lbs) vs. George Roop (135 lbs)
Estevan Payan (145 lbs) vs. Jeremy Stephens (146 lbs)

* Heavyweight Title Fight

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UFC heavyweight Junior Dos Santos’ face has healed since the beating he suffered at the hands of champion Cain Velasquez late last December but the mental scars remain. After all, the lopsided decision was Dos Santos’ first stumble inside the Octagon after stringing together a number of impressive wins including success against Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, and Fabricio Werdum.

However, while the memory of the loss is still fresh in Dos Santos’ mind, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. In fact, as he made clear to the UFC’s website, he’s using it as motivation entering his UFC 160 match-up with Mark Hunt and future fights thereafter.

“I really want my belt back, and I am doing everything I can to make that happen. Having the belt means everything to me. My life now is all about becoming champion again.”

“Fans are going to see a lot of determination, precision, and they will see my hand raised again. I will hold that belt again before the year is over.”

SOURCE: UFC.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC Welterweight James Head knows all about the ups and downs that face every MMA fighter, but his community in Oklahoma has hit a major down. Earlier in the week, an F5 tornado ravaged the city of Moore, Ok and left it in a pile of sticks and mud. While Oklahoma is no stranger to tornadoes  and picking up the pieces to rebuild, the community has come together like no other time before. Head, an Illinois native, moved to Oklahoma City five years ago to train with Lovato Jiu Jitsu, and he is doing something spectacular to pitch in and help the community. Head has announced he will donate his fight purse to to the tornado clean up efforts that are going in Oklahoma.

Head told Fightline:

“I am planning on donating my next UFC fight purse to the victims of the tornado and I have partnered with Cage Fighter, who is selling a #Pray4OK t-shirt that will donate 100-percent of all profits from sales to the victims. More than monetary donations, I plan on getting my hands dirty and helping with cleaning up the mess that the tornado has left behind.”

“I have had several tornado ‘scares’ (in the last five years), but this is by far the largest, most destructive tornado that I have ever seen. The response (to the cleanup and rebuild) has been amazing – not only have the crews from around the U.S. showed up in full force, but I can’t describe the unity of the Oklahomans that have rallied around helping and giving wholeheartedly. I’ve never been more proud of a group of people in my life; the way that everyone is assembling together to help those affected by the storm is truly inspiring.”

“I am sure that the community will pool together and build the city back up from the rubble.”

Photo  Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez was octagon-side when the heavily favored Alistair Overeem fought Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. After showing no respect for the punching power of Bigfoot for two rounds, less than 30 seconds into the third round Overeem was finished with strikes and sent crumbling down to his feet. Velasquez was mic’d for the duration of the bout, and now that he is just days away from fighting him at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II, you can watch the whole thing right here.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot II takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. The two fought as potential contenders at UFC 146, but it was Velasquez who won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Courtesy of FUEL:

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When two knockout artists get into the ring, anything can happen. There is always a chance that the two strikers end up stalemating each other on the ground, but when you are talking about heavyweights like Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt, that isn’t a likely result. Everyone has their own angle for picking either fighter, but most agree that this will come down to a speed vs power scenario. Watch as UFC Commentator Joe Rogan breaks down the power equation in that will be on display in the co main event of UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II.

Courtesy of the UFC:

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UFC Heavyweight Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva is just days out from his Championship bout with Cain Velasquez, but earlier in his camp he made some time for some fun and some sun on a racetrack in Brazil. It didn’t go exactly as planned, part of the video reminds of the Chris Farley ‘fat man in a little coat’ scene, Silva did get to go on a ride he will likely remember for a long time to come. Silva fights this weekend at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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The United Kingdom has invaded Bellator MMA! Bellator Talent Development Director Zach Light tore through the UK, and he has brought back with him three British standouts to the roster. Martin Stapleton, Rob Sinclair and Paul Sass have all signed multi fight deals with Bellator MMA, and with all of this British talent it will be pretty hard for networks not to give Bellator weekly air time in the UK. According to Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn Rebney, thats exactly what they are doing as they expand into Europe.

Rebney explained in a press release received by Fighters.com, “Our talent development team does the best job in MMA by bringing hugely talented fighters to Bellator from around the globe. The number one question I get from fans is ‘when will a UK television deal be completed with Bellator?’ With these three signings, along with a roster already featuring the likes of Paul “Semtex” Daley, Ronnie Mann and Michael Page, we are setting the table for making Bellator an every week televised occurrence in the UK.”

While all the fighters are excited to get started in the Bellator cage, no fights have been announced for any of them to date, but you can expect that they will be making some announcements soon regarding their future opponents. Bellator’s summer series kicks off June 19 at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

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We are used to hearing UFC President Dana White talking about making fights, answering critics, and dealing with the hundreds of headaches the UFC throws at him in a week. Sure, you can tell White is enjoying the ride, but when the media has an opportunity to speak with him they are usually talking about the day to day goings on of the UFC. UFC Tonight hosts Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen recently did a different type of interview with the most outspoken President in sports, and you can watch it below.

Courtesy of FUEL TV:

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The post Dana White’s Most Embarrassing Interview (VIDEO) appeared first on Fighters.com.

Welterweight Nick Diaz (26-9) said he was done with MMA after losing a decision to champion Georges St-Pierre, leaving the door cracked open for his return to the ring if offered a second shot at St-Pierre or opportunity in the Octagon with middleweight king Anderson Silva. Though neither match-up is likely to materialize anytime soon if ever, it appears Diaz has another option at his fingertips and an intriguing one at that.

Carlos Condit (28-7), who beat Diaz in a somewhat controversial decision, recently spoke with MMAJunkie where he said he’d be happy to fight the Stockton scrapper again.

“I want to be in good fights with a lot of hype and a lot of buzz, and a rematch with Diaz and myself would interest a lot of folks.”

“The fight was a close fight. It was a decision. So I think we could put on a good show. It goes without saying that there was a lot of controversy after the fight. Just putting that to rest would be another reason I would like to fight.”

“I definitely think I have another title run in me. I’m looking at making the next year or two some of my best fights. I’m trying to cement my legacy, and we’ll see where I am after that.”

SOURCE: MMAJunkie
PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

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As it turns out, UFC Heavyweight Alistair Overeem will not be returning to the Octagon at UFC 164. It is now being reported that Overeem will meet Travis Browne at UFC On FOX Sports 1 on the main card. The report also made sure to point out that this will NOT be the main event of the UFC’s debut on the channel’s launch. Overeem is looking to rebound from his first loss since 2007 as he was brutally knocked out by Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva at UFC 159. Browne, who also has a technical knockout loss to Bigfoot, rebounded with a win over Gabriel Gonzaga at the TUF 17 finale and is looking to continue the momentum.

MMAJunkie reported the news. While rumors swirl about the main event, as of publication the card still doesn’t have one. The event will take place on August 17 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Announced bouts on the card include Matt Brown vs. Thiago Alves and Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt are both coming from very different positions entering the Octagon on Saturday. Dos Santos is coming off of the first loss of his career, a loss that cost him his championship belt to Cain Velasquez, and he is determined to do whatever it takes to get it back. Hunt is riding an improbable 3 fight winning streak that has left his last two opponents in a heap on the octagon floor before the halfway mark of the first round. The UFC followed the two contenders throughout their training camps for the Countdown To UFC 160 series, and you can watch it below.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot II takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. The two fought as potential contenders at UFC 146, but it was Velasquez who won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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The UFC has a ton of explosive action scheduled for the summer including a heavyweight title-fight between Cain Velasquez-Antonio Silva this weekend at UFC 160. However, the organization is keeping things equally hot outside of the Octagon thanks to a few of the lovely ladies associated with the world’s foremost MMA promotion.

Octagon girls Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer were joined by Kenda Perez for a recent UFC 360 photo shoot in Malibu. Fortunately, the folks at Ultimate Insider were nice enough to document the process, producing a feature advertised as “unlikely to disappoint.”

Check out the fun below…

SOURCE: Ultimate Insider
PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

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Slowly but surely, UFC 163 is beginning to come together as the announcements start to trickle out about the fight card. Welterweights, and “The Ultimate Fighter” semifinalists, Sergio Moraes and Neil Magny are scheduled to fight as the UFC returns to Rio. There has been no mention as to where the bout will take place on the card.

MMAJunke reported the story. UFC 163: Aldo Vs Pettis takes place on August 3 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. In the main event, Defending Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo Jr will take on Anthony Pettis is a five round title bout. Pettis, who is making his featherweight debut, will be looking to derail the 15 fight winning streak of Aldo. Seven of those wins have been UFC/WEC Featherweight title defenses.

Photo  Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II takes place this weekend, and of course the UFC is rolling out the red carpet to promote the event. Countdown to UFC 160 aired last night and yet again the UFC has followed the champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva throughout their training camp for their UFC 160 main event bout. The two heavyweights eat, sleep and train for one reason, and that one reason is going to be on the line when they step in the octagon on Saturday night.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot II takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between current Champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. The two fought as potential contenders at UFC 146, but it was Velasquez who won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Courtesy of the UFC:

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As reported earlier on Fighters.com, UFC’s Interim Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao has injured his foot and is out of his UFC 161 main event bout with Eddie Wineland. The UFC has also announced that Rashad Evans Vs Dan Henderson would be the new main event of the card and that they were still trying to figure out what to do with Wineland. The UFC has announced that heavyweights Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic have been added to the card as well. Nelson is riding a three fight winning streak going into the fight, while Miocic is coming off of his first career loss to Stefan Struve.

MMAJunkie was the first to break the story. UFC 161: Evans Vs Henderson takes place on June 15 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In the main event, Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans will take on former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson in a three round affair. UFC 161 will be the first time the UFC has held an event in Winnipeg.

Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

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Heavyweight Josh Barnett has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC and will once again be fighting in the octagon. As of right now, there is no announcement from the UFC as to when he will be back in the cage, or who he will be fighting against. Barnett had a 4-1 record in the UFC from 2000-2002 that included a win over Randy Couture that secured him the Heavyweight Championship strap. Months later it was learned that Barnett had tested positive for PEDs and was stripped of the belt, and left the promotion.

MMAJunkie was the first to report the story. Stay tuned to Fighters.com for more information on Barnett’s future as it unfolds.

Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

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Surrounded by good people, UFC Middleweight, and number one contender, Chris Weidman knew to make sure he dotted all his I’s and crossed all of his T’s when he was offered a multiple fight deal from Bellator in early 2011. He was all set to sign, and according to Weidman the pen was on the table and the celebratory dinner was planned, but he didn’t go to dinner as a Bellator fighter. Instead, the heartbroken Weidman decided not to sign the contract when his lawyer figured out that there was a way for the promotion to extend the contract over twice its length. Weidman perceived the fine print as sneaky, and decided to walk away from the deal altogether. As it turns out, it was one of the best decisions he ever made. Weeks later the UFC needed a middleweight and Weidman got the call. He has since gone undefeated in the octagon, and is now weeks out from a title fight against Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva set for UFC 163.

Weidman told the NYPost:

“I felt like I was betrayed by them. They never told me that. It was a little sneaky. I was so upset. I was so let down. I was excited to go to Bellator. Everything happens for a reason. Thank God I took my time and didn’t just rush into it.”

Photo  Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The post Chris Weidman: “I was excited to go to Bellator… I felt like I was betrayed by them.” appeared first on Fighters.com.

UFC Heavyweight, and number one contender, Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva understands why current champion Cain Velasquez won their fight. Silva says he has taken that knowledge into his last two training camps, and has used it to become a much better fighter. Now that he gets to do the same camp for a third time, Bigfoot says that means he will be even more dangerous on fight night. The Brazilian native also talks about growing up in Paraiba and how much he enjoyed going back there to teach Jiu Jitsu. Silva will have a chance to get back his only UFC loss and capture the heavyweight strap if he can beat Velasquez this Saturday night at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II. Check out his interview with Paula Sack below.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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With UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao officially out of a June 15 title-fight with Eddie Wineland at UFC 161, the question of how the company will handle the vacancy has now arisen. Whether Wineland’s contendership carry over to a future bout with Barao or the if the UFC would prefer to keep him on the card remains to be seen, but at least one fighter might be willing to step up on short notice if called upon.

According to a recent conversation between Urijah Faber and MMAMania, “The California Kid” is open to the idea as long as a win lands him a crack at divisional gold Wineland was set to receive.

“No one has reached out to me about filling in but if the opportunity comes knocking, I’ll definitely consider it,” said Faber. “I feel like in the rankings I’m number two. It’s kinda like waiting to see what happens. If an opportunity comes take it. That’s always been my mentality.”

Faber is 28-6 in his career and looked especially sharp in 2013 with submissions of Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen. Adding to his confidence, Faber picked up a decision win over Wineland in his UFC debut.

SOURCE: MMAMania
PHOTO CREDIT: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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As reported on Fighters.com, Renan Barao is out his main event bout with Eddie Wineland. The UFC has announced that light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson is the new main event of UFC 161 scheduled for June 15. The UFC has also announced that the bout will be a three round fight, and they are still uncertain if they are going to get Wineland another opponent.

Barao is out of #UFC161 with an injury. Main event for 161 is now Evans vs Henderson.

— UFC (@ufc) May 21, 2013

Photo  Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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The UFC has made it official. Over the UFC On FX 8: Belfort Vs Rockhold fight weekend in Brazil it was learned that Interim Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao had sustained an injury to his foot and his main event bout with Eddie Wineland was in jeopardy. According to reports, Barao has torn ligaments in his foot, and he will not be able to fight at UFC 161 which is scheduled for June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada.

MMAJunkie was the first to report the bout cancellation. The UFC has made announcement as to what plan B might be, or if they will choose to rely on the Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson bouts carry the card. Stay tuned to Fighters.com for any UFC 161 updates.

Photo  Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

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One of the things the fans love about Donald Cerrone, is the way he always comes forward and fights. However, his UFC 160 opponent KJ Noons doesn’t think the fight will go down like that. The two are scheduled to meet this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II, and Noons thinks Cerrone will be going in there to wrestle him early in the fight to make his arms tired. While that may be the case, and Cerrone’s prerogative  Noons says he will be ready for anything that happen this weekend.

Noons told Sherdog

“There’s only been one person that’s stood and banged with me. It was Nick Diaz. I don’t know if that’s the smartest thing … . I train for every aspect of the game because it’s MMA. It might look like it’s going to be a standup war, but people want to put it wherever it’s going to be the most to their advantage. I feel like the biggest advantage for me is standing. He’s probably going to be wanting to take it anywhere, make my hands tired, make legs tired. I’m ready for wherever the fight goes. I think it’s going to be exciting anywhere.”

“I thought right away it’s a great matchup, great fireworks. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy as a fighter … . He’s very well versed. He’s a very well-rounded fighter. He likes to stand and bang, and he can mix it up anywhere.”

“Stylistically, I believe I still have a lot of fights left. I’m an exciting fighter. I think that has a lot to play in what the UFC decides. … I’m pretty confident that my style of fighting is pretty exciting and people like to watch it. That’s what the UFC likes. They like exciting fights and what people want to see.”

Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC lightweight Donald Cerrone has come close to challenging for a belt on two occasions since joining the organization including a recent run ended by Anthony Pettis’ superior striking earlier this year. Though Cerrone is only 30 years old, his all-out approach to action both in and out of the ring have led to questions about how much longer “Cowboy” can continue to compete at a high level.

Cerrone isn’t one to look too far down the road, focusing on life as it unfolds in front of him, but he does have one long-term goal in mind – becoming champion. The 19-5 Cerrone will have a chance to make another trek towards top contendership with the first step coming on Saturday night when he faces K.J. Noons at UFC 160.

Cerrone spoke about the scrap, as well as his career, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website, explaining…

“K.J. is coming to throw down and I’m excited about it. He likes to stand up and let it go. Stylistically it is going to be a hell of a fight and that’s what the crowd wants to see. It should be interesting.”

“I’m confident all around in this fight. For this training camp, I’ve been working on my weaknesses and making them my strengths. Every time after a loss, you always try to focus on what you did wrong and what you need to improve on. I feel confident in my ground game but I like to stand, man. I like to throw down and that is what people love to see. I never ever want to go out there and get booed. People like to see fighters come out there and throw and that’s what I love to do.”

“A champion is something I want to be. You always want to be able to say you are the best in the world. That is the overall goal. But do I mind fighting a lot and being at the top of the pile? No I don’t. But I plan on being a champion before my day is done.”

SOURCE: UFC.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC President Dana White’s UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II video blog has been posted and you can watch the whole thing below. After introducing the video, White explains that the contents are all about the backstage happenings at UFC 159: Jones Vs Sonnen which turned out to be one of the strangest nights in UFC history. Make sure you keep it locked to Fighters.com for complete UFC 160 coverage.

Courtesy of the UFC:

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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During the UFC On FX 8: Belfort Vs Rockhold post fight press conference, veteran reporter John Morgan tried to ask main event winner Vitor Belfort about having to answer the TRT question all of the time, and that’s when things got weird. Before Morgan could even finish asking the question, Belfort decided he wasn’t going to answer it, and began to mock Morgan. Belfort spoke in Portuguese, but later Brazilian members of the UFC media pool translated the words. Basically, Belfort said he wasn’t going to answer the question, and even said someone should be beat up Morgan for making the query. Obviously word has gotten back to the fighter, and although the proper time to apologize was days ago, Belfort is now backpedaling on his words.

Belfort tweeted (message left whole with errors):

To all my fans and to all the reporters that was there on the after press conference I would like to ask for forgiveness the way I answer about TRT I RECOGNIZE THAT I ANWSER IN A IMMATURE WAY BUT WAS THE 10 th time that that reporter ask the same question. No excuse!! I made a WORNG call and I am here to ask for forgiveness God bless all you guys love to do what I do and I am keeping moving UP SEEKING GROW AS A MEN OF GOD AND AS A FIGHTER “DONT DOUT ME I WILL PROUVE U WORNG” PEACE

Photo Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

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Ultimate FIghter winner Uriah Hall received  a lot of text messages and emails when the main event ended on Saturday night. Hall wasn’t watching live, but he soon pieced together that Vitor Belfort had knocked out Luke Rockhold with same spinning back kick that he landed in the best knockout of TUF history. Hall spoke about what he thought of Vitor’s kick, what it was like being in the TUF house, and how UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey has impacted his career. Check out the video below.

Courtesy of Rick J Lee

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Vitor Belfort emerged victorious Saturday night when he took out Strikeforce’s last middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC on FX 8. Using an often seen but rarely effective spinning heel-kick, Belfort connected flush on Rockhold’s chin then finished him on the ground in typical Belfort-blitzkrieg fashion. In all of Belfort’s victories in this UFC stint, only one has been by submission, the rest have all been knockouts. Now this is something that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering who we’re talking about. Out of 23 wins, he has 16 knockouts, not to mention he started his career with four straight KO wins. That was then, and this is now. So what has changed since then? Besides an entire decade, Belfort has been on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for some time now.

He turned 36 early last month and in the fight game, he’s not exactly a spring chicken. Perhaps Belfort felt like he had a good enough reason to turn to TRT and for all we know, he probably did. But in doing so, he may have just tainted every victory from here on out, including his last several wins. His last two opponents, Michael Bisping and Rockhold, have spoken openly about their disapproval of Belfort’s use of TRT, calling it everything from “cheating” to “bullshit” and that Belfort is “lacking something”.  It should come as no surprise that Belfort has made himself a target not only for critics, but basically to every opponent on the way to a second chance at the UFC middleweight title. Fair or not, Belfort has, for all intents and purposes, tainted every victory since being on TRT – and he’s not getting any younger, which means he’ll most likely continue using TRT until the day he retires.

As long as Belfort continues to TRT, every opponent will use that as a sticking point on whether or not to accept the fight, and rightfully so. “The Phenom” tested positive for a banned substance back in 2006 and now he’s using testosterone. Realistically Belfort’s image has been tarnished and his current use of the hormone isn’t helping matters. Every opponent from here on out will think that Belfort is using TRT to gain an unfair advantage. His TRT was approved in his last two bouts, both of which occurred in Brazil. Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic commission Keith Kizer has said that it is unlikely that Belfort would be approved for therapeutic-use exemption due to his previous failed test, and because of that, it is likely that Belfort will continue to fight in Brazil, if not another state where he can be approved for therapeutic-use exemption.

Fair or not, in the back of all our minds, fighters and fight fans alike, Belfort’s use of TRT will always be questioned, especially since Belfort often avoids the topic like he has in recent interviews. It’s unfortunate, but as long as Belfort continues to use TRT, his victories will continue to be tainted.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC Light Heavyweight Chael Sonnen recently spent some time calling out Wanderlei Silva across all sorts of social media and to anyone who would listen. Sonnen even went as far as to say he would donate part of his purse to a charity if Silva agreed to fight him with in 24 hours of the post, and when Silva didn’t respond he let everyone know. Silva later said he was never given an offer by the UFC, and now Sonnen is saying he is no longer interested in the fight Silva. There is a very good possibility that this is just more lobbying from Sonnen to get the fight made on the Boston card.

Sonnen told MMAHeat:

“I’m not looking for it anymore, I don’t like to bully guys. I tried to fight him, he doesn’t want to fight. I’m not gonna stick a finger in a guy’s chest. If a guy says ‘no,’ I’m not gonna be a jerk about it.”

Photo Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC featherweight Nik Lentz piled up his share of dings and bruises, but what fans don’t know is that he got his most severe injury following the fight. As it turns out, Lentz was getting the hand wraps cut from his hand following his unanimous decision win over Hacran Dias at UFC On FX 8: Belfort Vs Rockhold, when the doctor made a mistake. Instead of just cutting the wraps off his hands, the doctor on hand managed to slice into Lentz’s hand with the scissors. Lentz posted a picture of the injury Saturday night after he got it stitched up.

Lentz via Twttier:

Hand is still bleeding a day after the doc cut it trying to get my hand wraps off!! Damn noob!! twitter.com/NikLentz/statu…

— Nik Lentz Ufc mma (@NikLentz) May 19, 2013

Photo  Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC middleweight Chris Weidman is the latest in a long line of competitors to express confidence entering an effort against champion Anderson Silva despite the Brazilian’s unbeaten mark inside the Octagon. However, Weidman’s words seem to have more weight considering the upside he’s shown in his young career and background as an accomplished amateur wrestler.

Weidman elaborated on his mindset entering their UFC 162 showdown in a recent conversation with MMAWeekly, saying his self-belief stemmed from a realization he had years ago before he was even in the UFC.

“I always thought I had better wrestling. I thought I had the length and athleticism to be aware on the feet to when I could strike for my takedowns and look to punch. And when I hit the ground, I always felt confident in my jiu-jitsu. So it wasn’t like I saw the Chael Sonnen fight and said, ‘Oh, my God! Look! I can beat him!’ It was way before that.”

“On paper I think I have him beat in more areas than he has me beat. I don’t think he’s ever fought a guy who has him beat in as many areas as I do. I’m young. I’m hungry. I don’t have the biggest name, so people are going to expect him to beat me. I think he knows being a smart guy and being around the MMA game that it’s not going to be an easy fight.”

SOURCE: MMAWeekly
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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Former UFC fighter Luke Cummo is still fighting, but instead of fighting other people, Cummo is fighting against MMA. Cummo has posted a video on youtube talking about the dangers of fighting, and how as a parent he would never let his children fight. Cummo says the business is a “mindless, stupid industry profiting from the spilled blood of the innocent.” Cummo left the UFC in 2008 and hasn’t fought as a professional since. He left the promotion 3-4 in the octagon after a unanimous decision loss to Tamdan McCrory. Check out the video below.

Luke Cummo Via Youtube:

Random Cage – Photo: John Petit

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Bellator MMA has officially announced that they have picked up former UFC welterweight Matt Riddle, and that he will fight in the season 9 welterweight tournament. Riddle would be a on a four fight win streak, but he has failed two drug tests for marijuana that has turned two of his victories into no contests. Things became heated between Riddle and the UFC prior to his final fight, and the positive test was all they needed to cut him from the promotion. Bellator MMA CEO Bjorn Rebney, who has said time and time again he doesn’t want Bellator to be depository for struggling UFC talent, said that when Riddle became available they took notice.

Bjorn Rebney said:

“Matt’s got all the tools to be a force in our welterweight division. When I saw Matt get released from the UFC coming off 4 straight wins including his dominant win over Mills in February, we took notice. We both realize that Matt will have a target on his back for his past indiscretions. But having discussed it with him, I’m comfortable that he’s in the right place to enter the Bellator cage this fall in what will be the most loaded Bellator Welterweight Tournament in the promotions history.”

Matt Riddle on the new deal:
“I had so many options after I left the UFC, but knowing that I was able to compete in a tournament against guys like Paul Daley, Ben Saunders, and Douglas Lima, signing with Bellator was an easy decision. This division is just so stacked, and being able to fight in a tournament makes it even better. Bellator is doing a lot of great things right now, and I want to be a part of it.”

“No questions asked, I want to win the next Bellator Welterweight Tournament, get my shot at the title and take my beautiful wife to the MTV Awards and meet Snoop Dogg. I’ve seen all the pictures of Bellator guys walking red carpets and it’s something I want to earn and be able to do. What could be better than that?”

Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC star Chael Sonnen is 36-year old, has a blossoming career in broadcasting, and is coming off back-to-back losses. However, Sonnen is determined to continue competing and understandably so considering his consecutive defeats came against two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA, champions Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

The most likely opponent for Sonnen’s next scrap appears to be Wanderlei Silva based on a constant stream of smack-talk between the two dating back to a confrontation a few years back that’s recently heated up. Sonnen took aim at Silva again over the weekend while offering commentary on Fuel TV for UFC on FX 8, though didn’t go so far as to say the tilt was set in stone at this point.

“At some point, my skills will diminish and my athletic abilities will go down. And when they do, I’ll either join the NFL or fight Wanderlei Silva. But at this point, I’m looking ahead and I don’t know what’s next,” said Sonnen.

The anticipated bout between Sonnen-Silva has been rumored to be taking place on August 17 in Boston at UFC on FS1.

SOURCE: Fuel TV
PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Once again the UFC will be testing the dexterity of the famed octagon when they pack it full of heavyweights on Saturday night at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II. In the main event, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will put his belt on the line in a rematch against Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva. Despite Mark Hunt almost not making it into the country, he has obtained his VISA and he will meet former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos in the co main event. All of the action takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand, and Fighters.com will be bringing you wall to wall coverage of the entire event.

You can keep up with the real time results here, and below you can follow the action round by round as the event unfolds. The first fight is scheduled to take place at 6:30 PM EST, and remember to refresh your page for the most current updates.

UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II

Date: May 25, 2013
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena

Main Card (PPV / 10:00 EST)

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva*
Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt
James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira
T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Preliminary Card (FX / 8:00 EST)

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story
Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway
Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Preliminary Card (Facebook / 6:35 EST)

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Stephen Thompson
Brian Bowles vs. George Roop
Estevan Payan vs. Jeremy Stephens

The post UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II Live Results/Play-By-Play (Saturday/6:30 PM EST) appeared first on Fighters.com.

There was a lot going on on Saturday night but you may have a missed a comment by Daniel Cormier where he said where he would like to fight next. Cormier told the panel of the UFC ON FX coverage that he would like to fight at the Boston card where the UFC will be kicking off the first day of UFC On Fox Sports 1. There has been no mention as to if he will in fact fight on that card yet, or who his opponent might be, but the UFC has promised that this will be the best free fight card they have ever done.

Cormier on FUEL TV:

“I want to fight on the first card on FOX Sports 1 in Boston on Aug. 17. And I hope my man Chael Sonnen is fighting Wanderlei Silva next to me. Put us on the card, boss!”

Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

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According to a tweet by UFC Heavyweight Mark Hunt, Hunt has obtained the VISA he needed to travel to the USA, and his fight with Junior dos Santos will take place as planned. As reported on Fighters.com, Hunt attempted to travel to the US about two weeks ago, but an issue prevented him from obtaining his VISA and he was turned away. Last Friday, the state of Nevada granted him a license to fight in the state next Saturday at UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Silva II, but they also granted Roy Nelson a license as well in case he couldn’t get into the country. Nelson won’t be needed afteral as Hunt is likely already enroute to get to the states.

Hunt via Twitter:    Thank u for my visa father

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