“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.

After the group of troublemakers finally lets him in on the joke a laughing Thomson added, “They tried to punk ‘The Punk’. Evil…evil…”

Highlights from the Strikeforce Conference Call Featuring Thomson-Melendez

Check out the full clip below and make sure to catch Thomson-Melendez this Saturday night on Showtime:

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

In addition to the visual goods, watch below as the witty Kaitlyn explains how she’s managed to avoid the horror of Neck Crabs:

This time around Pacquiao has taken aim at United States President Barack Obama in light of the nation’s chief executive coming out to support gay marriage.

“God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other,” said Pacquiao in an interview with the National Conservative Examiner. “It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old.”

Pacquiao Fighting Tim Bradley on June 9

Pacquiao’s recent shift in attitude regarding religion is said to have been brought on after having a spiritual awakening connected to his wife filing divorce papers last November, stating she was done with him unless he abandoned the jet-setting lifestyle of a superstar athlete. Since then he is said to have severed his ties with the gambling industry and spends most of his downtime reading the Bible.

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.

Were that not enough, the headlining clash was awarded Fight of the Night honors as well, giving Poirier an additional $40k and driving Jung’s total take-home from bonuses to $80,000.

Jung Conflicted as a BJJ-Based Brawler

Knockout of the Night went to birthday boy Tom Lawlor after the colorful competitor left Jason MacDonald facedown in the opening minute of their match-up. The win marked his third by way of strikes and fourth inside the Octagon. Similarly to the other two event-specific bonuses Lawlor’s distinction scored him $40,000.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“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.

Other notable match-ups scheduled for airwaves included Amir Sadollah-Jorge Lopez, Tom Lawlor-Jason MacDonald, Kamal Shalorus-Rafael dos Anjos, and Jeremy Stephens-Donald Cerrone.

Check out a full list of results below:

Francisco Rivera def. Alex Soto via Unanimous Decision
Johnny Eduardo def. Jeff Curran via Unanimous Decision
Rafael dos Anjos def. Kamal Shalorus via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke)
T.J. Grant def. Carlo Prater via Unanimous Decision
Cody McKenzie def. Marcus LeVesseur via Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke)
Brad Tavares def. Dongi Yang via Unanimous Decision
Tom Lawlor def. Jason MacDonald via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes)
Igor Pokrajac def. Fabio Maldonado via Unanimous Decision
Yves Jabouin def. Jeff Hougland via Unanimous Decision
Donald Cerrone def. Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision
Amir Sadollah def. Jorge Lopez via Split Decision
Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin Poirier via Technical Submission Round 4 (D’Arce Choke)

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.

According to Gracie, the company behind the match misrepresented the situation by presenting Estima as an opponent without aspirations to compete as a Mixed Martial Artist. Feeling as though the Brazilian would likely use a BJJ victory over Diaz as a means of promoting himself in the MMA arena, Gracie and Diaz were initially inclined to pull out of the bout sooner but felt obligated to perform based on Renzo Gracie’s financial investment in the WJJE (where the bout was to be held).

UFC President Dana White Reacts to Diaz’s No-Show

Another issue arose when Estima failed to make an agreed upon weight the night before the clash was to take place. This was apparently the final straw for Diaz who left town the morning of the match and went home without telling anyone.

Read the full statement from Gracie below:

“My decision to write an account of what happened this weekend is not to answer to the detractors of myself or my team, as no explanation is owed them. It is instead based on my acknowledgement and respect to our fans and supporters. I never thought I would be answering for something that happened at a grappling tournament, however with the worldwide popularity of the sport and my team increasing, I understand that our supporters need answers.

Below is a compilation of events in chronological order. I included the behind the scenes problems we had to let you, our supporters, know how things deteriorated.

Facts

In the month of February I was contacted by a Brazilian named Junior asking me if I wanted to participate in an Expo\Jiu-jitsu tournament. The goal was to put one of our team’s stars in the event to attract sponsors and ensure it was successful. The event was not that far away and they desperately needed exposure. Junior stated that he was working with my uncle Rilion and my cousin Renzo on this project and they were in fact partners. Rilion and Renzo are 2 people that I greatly admire and respect and I was more than happy to partner up with them. I discussed the idea with Nick Diaz and he readily agreed to enter in the black belt gi division. He did not seek any reimbursement. Junior thought it better for Nick to do a super fight as he thought this would be more of a spectacle and bring in more attention.Nick was not as enthusiastic but agreed on the condition that whoever was picked to go against him was not a MMA fighter. He knew even a mediocre MMA fighter would try to use a match and/or victory over him to further their career in MMA. Nick believes a reputation as a fighter should only be earned in a ring or cage.

I relayed this to Junior and he agreed to arrange for a strict jiu-jitsu competitor.

In March I received the disturbing news from Rilion that Junior had broken his agreement with him. Rilion stated to me that Junior was registering all World Jiu-jitsu Expo names under his name alone and was no longer taking his phone calls. When contacted by me, Junior stated that he would no longer honor his financial obligations to Rilion because “Rilion was doing nothing and treats me like one of his clerks”.

He then went on a tirade about Rilion which I interrupted and reminded him that Rilion was my family member and I would not listen to someone speaking negatively about him.

This rift left me in a dilemma. My instinct was to sever ties immediately. Rilion was my original jiu-jitsu instructor and his reputation as an honest person was impeccable. On the other hand we had already committed Diaz and Caio Terra. Our removal would destroy an event Renzo provided all of the funding for.

I consulted with Rilion who advised me to move forward with the event. He was the one that had brought Renzo into this project and convinced Renzo to fund it. He also still believed in the idea of an American tournament that paid the best BJJ guys on the planet to showcase their skills. We agreed to move forward without him since at this stage Junior had entrenched himself and his removal was impossible. Lastly Rilion warned me that Junior was not to be trusted and would undoubtedly try to cheat me and Renzo.
In early April I got the call from Junior asking what I thought of a Braulio Estima vs Nick Diaz matchup. I had heard of Braulio and knew he was a formidable jiu-jitsu practitioner. I was under the impression that Braulio competed in the close to 200lbs weight category.

When I asked Junior he assured me that Braulio could weigh in as little as 175 lbs right before the match.

I presented his information to Nick who accepted the matchup and seemed happy to go against the top BJJ player in the world at that weight. Nick started training for the match and I brought up several BJJ black belts to compliment his training.
Looking through some of Estima’s YouTube videos, it was soon discovered that he had in fact been planning on entering upon a career in MMA. We wondered if the match with Diaz was a way to create a buzz around him and get him signed with a prominent organization.

I called Junior who assured me Estima would not be fighting in MMA and that he had spoken with him and been assured he had given up on the idea of ever fighting. Junior reiterated, “Cesar I spoke with Braulio, the guy is in his 30?s, he has a family and doesn’t want to live that type of life at this stage in his life…etc”

I repeated this info to Nick. A week or so later it was all over the Internet that Braulio had joined the “Blackzillians” and was training for a MMA fight. We had been lied to. Furthermore it was evident that Nick’s sole condition that he not go against a wanna be MMA guy was violated and this was in fact an attempt by Braulio to ignite an MMA career.Nick was to have been accurately portrayed as a fighter returning to his BJJ roots. He had even agreed to give his entire purse to charity; St Jude’s Children’s Hospital for kids with cancer. If you know the story of Ralph Gracie’s son you would understand why this charity was chosen. Nick’s name having been added to this event had saved it but now it was clear he was to be the patsy, not respected but used.

Despite all of this Nick was still going to compete. He brought up Kron Gracie and prepared himself. Around this time I was informed by Junior that Braulio wanted to weigh in the day before and not right before the match as is the custom in IBJJ competitions and Abu Dhabi. At the time Nick was about 186lbs so I consented to both guys weighing in at 180lbs the night before.

Nick boarded a plane on Friday for Long Beach having cut 6 pounds for the weigh in that night. On his way there I got a call from Junior telling me Braulio would not be making weight! ”Cesar Braulio is complaining about the weight cut. Can we have him weigh in tomorrow? He can’t make the weight tonight how about 185 in the morning?”
Nick arrives in Long Beach to the news that there will be no weigh ins that night. As a professional with over 30 fights this was the final straw. The disrespect and total lack of professionalism given him convinced him he was at a circus not a professional event.
At 3:20 in the morning I received a text from Junior that Braulio would in fact make the 180lbs weight class at 10:00AM. With no other option available I said fine I’ll check with Nick in the morning. At 10:00AM Braulio did weigh in at 180lbs but by that time Nick had already left.

Opinion

As a Brazilian I love Brazil but not all things Brazilian. In the last decade I have witnessed Brazilian cronies running the IBJJF and making it impossible for Americans to get a fair shake when competing against their Brazilian countrymen. These cronies have instituted rules to where if you miss weight by even half a pound you are disqualified and not refunded your entry fee. They gladly keep your money and treat you like crap in your country because they can. One of these cronies (Junior) decided to bend all the rules for Braulio Estima and treat Nick Diaz like crap. Sorry that didn’t work out here.

As for Braulio I still respect him as a great BJJ artist. As far as calling Nick out for a MMA fight, he knows that is impossible because Nick is signed with the UFC and in MMA you have to make weight when they want you to. Not when you want to. If Braulio ever finds success in MMA then he can mention Nick’s name for a fight. Right now he should respect the man.

Nick is not without fault by any means. His lack of communication with his team and coach was inexcusable. This will be addressed privately.

Renzo and I have spoken and we are committed to continuing with this otherwise awesome event….without the services of Junior.

It should be noted that Nick paid to St Jude’s Children’s Hospitable the sum of what would have been his entire purse.

Thank you,
You have my apologies and my respect
Cesar Gracie

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

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.

Pearson Arrested for DUI

Sotiropoulos holds an overall record of 14-4 and was at one point on the cusp of title-contendership but has last his last two. He was last seen in July and hasn’t fought since for health-related reasons. However, the 34-year old is one of the few fighters on the UFC’s roster who hails from Australia and he certainly enters the cage with a wealth of knowledge.

Comparably, Pearson is 13-5 but coming off a win over Junior Assuncao in late December.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

“I think it would be perfect timing to be honest with you,” said Poirier in a conversation with Fightline. “The Hioki fight is a month after mine and it would give me the opportunity to take some time to rest up and prepare properly. I want get back in the Gi and have fun training some jiu-jitsu and relax a little bit, not from training, but from the stress of preparing from a fight.”

“A lot goes into training for a fight, it’s not just physical, it’s emotional, and I put all of myself into it. Sometimes it’s nice to take some time and just get better as a fighter,” he concluded.

Poirier Not Convinced Hioki is as Dangerous as Advertised

Fans can catch Poirier-Jung on the 8:00 PM EST broadcast to see if Poirier’s interest in Hioki remains relevant. Poirier holds an overall record of 12-1 and has won his last five fights including four straight inside the Octagon.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

Davis Ready to Show Off What He’s Learned After Suffering First Career Loss

Griggs holds an overall record of 11-2 with all eleven wins involving some form of finish. Comparably, Davis has only ended five of his foes’ nights inside the allotted time period with four decisions to his credit.

UFC on FOX 4 is headlined by Stann scrapping with former Bellator champion Hector Lombard with other bouts on the August 4 lineup including Lyoto Machida-Ryan Bader and Joe Lauzon-Terry Etim.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

0 – The number of UFC losses for both Poirier and Jung.  In the six outings between them since the UFC/WEC merge, they share three submission victories (Poirier over Pablo Garza and Max Holloway; Jung over Leonard Garcia.)

1 – Since his quick submission victory over C B Dollaway at UFC 100 in 2009, Tom Lawlor has won only once in an injury riddled 34-month span.  In fact, Lawlor has fought only once since his 2010 victory to Patrick Cote in a losing effort to Chris Weidman last November.  Lawlor will be seeking redemption and building toward his previous success when he faces Jason MacDonald.

2 – The number of teased retirements coming into this event by Jeff Curran and MacDonald.  MacDonald has been vocal about the possibility of retirement, previously citing UFC 149 as the event in which he’d like to retire given his Canadian heritage and the show’s location in Calgary.  Curran has hinted that this run in the UFC is his last attempt at “big show” success.  Curran has had one of the toughest runs to the UFC, previously fighting Matt Serra on less than ten days notice and taking tough fights in the WEC while he was trying to establish Curran MMA in Illinois.  Win or lose, if this is the last time we see both of them in the cage, it will be the end of two eras full of entertaining moments, and undeniable achievement.

3 – A strange fact, but three of the fighters on this card (Rafael Dos Anjos, Lawlor and Amir Sadollah) were on the last UFC card held at the Fairfax Center in Virginia.  The venue was been kind to them all.  Dos Anjos and Sadollah walked away with unanimous decision victories, while Lawlor earned Fight of the Night honors, his only one to date.

4 – Though we are almost at the halfway point of 2012, only four (Poirier, Carlo Prater, Kamal Shalorus and Francisco Rivera) of the 24 fighters have fought in this calendar year due to various means (injury, inactivity, etc.)  Even Donald Cerrone, one of 2011′s most active fighters took a small step back after his loss to Nate Diaz and has yet to fight this year after his 45 day medical suspension from UFC 141.  Despite the increased number of UFC events, a larger roster has allowed fighters to enjoy full training camps, and those previously injured are able to properly rehabilitate without the possible pressure of having to rush back.  A rib injury has made Fabio Maldonado the longest layoff.  He has not fought since the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, resulting in a 347 day absence overall.

5 – The number of non-debuting fighters on the card seeking their first victory.  While Curran, Shalorus, Alex Soto, Johnny Eduardo and Jorge Lopez have all tasted victory (often in dominating fashion) outside the UFC, a win inside the Octagon still eludes all of them.

6 – Following suit with the previous two UFC on Fuel cards, this one will also feature a six fight main card.  In his headlining spot, Poirier continues to be a trailblazer of sorts for the UFC.  After being in the first live televised featherweight UFC bout the UFC’s history (UFC 125 against Grispi) and in the first fight ever booked for a FOX card (against Garza at the first FOX show) Poirier will be in the first featherweight TV headliner in the seventeen-month lifetime for the division.

7 – Of the 23 UFC vets on this card (Marcus LeVasseur is debuting,) only seven are coming off victories – a staggering 29%.  Only Prater and Poirier’s wins fall within this calendar year. However, TJ Grant and Jeff Hougland‘s returns have been delayed due to injury.  Prater’s win was a quick controversial disqualification win over Erick Silva following strikes to the back of the head.  Rivera returns to the UFC after a one fight stint having won two in a row.

8 – Different hailing countries represented by the 24 fighters on this card from Mexican born Soto to Iran’s Shalorus.  UFC on Fuel TV’s cards have proven to be amongst the most, if not the most, multiculturally diverse of the UFC series’ in their history.  In the first three Fuel TV cards alone, fighters born in 20 different countries have fought on the card.

14 – The highest number of knockout victories of any one fighter on this cardheld by Jeremy Stephens.  Stephens, a three-time recipient of the Knockout of the Night award, has yet to submit anybody in his lengthy UFC tenure.  His opponent Cerrone is a near polar opposite.  Cerrone has thirteen submission wins to his name with just one knockout (his victory over Charles Oliviera at UFC Live 5 in August 2011).  Cerrone also carries a three-fight bonus streak, being one of the only fighters to obtain Knockout, Submission and Fight of the Night in successive fights.  In all, every fighter appearing has at least one career knockout stoppage victory and all 24 fighters combine for 111 wins overall.

15 – This is the fifteenth appearance in the Octagon for Stephens, the most by anybody on this card.

19 – The number of submission victories in the careers of Curran and MacDonald.  Both accomplished grapplers with BJJ pedigrees, MacDonald and Curran have employed a variety of submissions to subdue their opponents.  MacDonald holds a Submission of the Night performance against Jason Lambert as well.  This card has seven fighters with more than ten career submission victories, and of the 22 fighters with at least one, they combine for 157 career submission wins.  Only Lopez and Rivera have yet to win by submission.

39? – Shalorus’ true age is still shrouded in mystery.  Shalorus was born in a rural region of Iran without a birth certificate, and his parents gave him his older brother’s who had passed away before Shalorus was born.  Shalorus’ age on the UFC website and shown during the tale of tape is 39, as it’s the only verifiable age attached to his name.

155 – The incredible win streak of LeVesseur in his NCAA Wrestling career. A four-time national champion, LeVesseur’s win streak stretched back another 141 times including a high school win over current Bellator champion Ben Askren.  After turning pro, LeVasseur won his first eight MMA fights before an injury loss in 2007.  Fighting upwards three times times a month while an up and comer, LeVesseur replaces Aaron Riley to face Guillotine phenom Cody McKenzie on the Facebook prelim card.

As a reminder, this card is free and will air on Fuel TV starting at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST.  Facebook prelims will kick off a few hours earlier.  Canadians can watch the event on the Rogers Sportsnet network.

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.

The 26-year old revealed his condition over the weekend on MMAJunkie Radio where he assured fans, “The operation was successful. The recovery is doing very well. I will be back 100 percent again, but it will just take time.”

He also announced he had extended his deal with Strikeforce a few months back and was contracted for 6-7 more fights. However, he still has his eye on an eventual run inside the Octagon, saying he’d “love” to fight Jon Jones at some point down the road.

Mousasi Open to Middleweight Drop, Fight with Anderson Silva

“The Dreamcatcher” holds an overall record of 32-3 with 28 stoppages and past wins over Mark Hunt, Ronaldo Souza, Renato Sobral, and Hector Lombard.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“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.”

Adding some credit to Cerrone’s assessment, fourteen of Stephens’ wins have involved a strike-based stoppage while nearly half of his losses have involved a submission. Then again, with wins over Sam Stout and Cole Miller, as well as a razor-thin decision defeat to Anthony Pettis in his previous outing, Cerrone’s criticism is not necessarily fair either.

“Lil Heathen” Looking to Knock Cerrone Out on Tuesday Night

Check out Cerrone’s full take on Stephens below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“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.”

Sadollah’s next test will come on Tuesday night when he faces Jorge Lopez at UFC on Fuel 3. Lopez is 11-2 and has had his hand raised in ten of his last eleven outings. Their fight has been in the making for six months after an originally scheduled meeting between the two was cancelled for health-related reasons. During that span Sadollah has kept busy in the gym and continued to blossom as a result.

“It was unfortunate that I was injured, but the upside of all that is that training for the period that I was able to and then going into this camp, I noticed all these, not shortcuts, but things I was doing efficiently and doing well in my camp, and things that historically I had stressed about, I wasn’t stressing about anymore,” Sadollah explained. “It showed me that maybe I’m starting to get the hang of this.”

“I’m starting to feel like these lessons are accumulating and I’m starting to learn the tricks. I’m far from being a master, but I think I’m definitely past being green,” he concluded.

A Closer Look at Sadollah’s Last Fight

Fans can catch Sadollah’s attempt to put practice into action when the UFC on Fuel 3 broadcast fires up at 8:00 PM EST. In addition to Sadollah-Lopez the card features Jeremy Stephens vs. Donald Cerrone and Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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).

Diaz Ready for Return to Competition

Things unfolded in real time publicly as Estima walked out onto the mat prepared to grappler. Shortly thereafter it was announced Diaz was nowhere to be found. A potential replacement was named though Estima refused, stating he had trained specifically for Diaz.

No word has come from Diaz or his camp on the matter as of this report.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

Ludwig faces Dan Hardy at UFC 146 in hopes of bouncing back from his stumble against Josh Neer. “Bang” is not only a hard-hitting fighter with more than 20 wins to his credit but also owns the distinction of notching the fastest knockout in UFC history.

Meanwhile, Valle-Flagg puts his ten-fight unbeaten streak on the line next weekend when he takes on Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante at the Strikeforce Grand Prix Final event, while Quayhagen is 3-0 thus far in his young career and looks to keep his perfect record intact on May 18 at Bellator 69.

Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).

Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys will offer their own unique takes on all-things MMA.

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.

It would be great,” said an excited Barao when asked about facing Faber in an interview with TATAME. “Actually, I fight any guy UFC tells me to. I’m prepared and I can fight anyone.”

Barao is currently scheduled to mix it up with Ivan Menjivar at the July 7 show where Faber was originally paired with Cruz. When Cruz’s status was revealed last week “The California Kid” immediately released a video pointing to Barao as the most deserving competitor out there. Apparently he wasn’t alone in his assessment.

Faber Talks Barao

“People on Facebook and Twitter want me to be in this fight and Faber himself pointed me out. The champion got injured and Faber is fighting. I’d be really glad to confront him. That’s all,” explained Barao, adding, “They haven’t said anything to me.”

UFC President Dana White announced Faber’s opponent would be revealed next week when discussing the matter on the most recent episode of TUF 15 meaning Barao, along with the rest of the world, will have his answer sooner than later.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

“I expected a lot more from Lawrence and I underestimated Chiesa,” said UFC President Dana White after their bout. “It wasn’t that Chiesa’s more talented or outworked Lawrence, it was the size of his heart. Lawrence defended the takedowns for a while and did a good job but then Chiesa finally got him down. There was no doubt and no denyingthat if Lawrence kept it on his feet he would have won. Lawrence basically gave up tonight. When you go to that sudden victory round you see who wants this fight and who wants to continue in this competition – who really wants it! Chiesa went out there and took it.”

In the other clash, James Vick used his superior striking and takedown defense to pick up a Unanimous Decision win against Joe Proctor.

The final two quarterfinal fights will feature Chris Saunders-Vinc Pichel and Andy Ogle-Al Iaquinta.

TUF 15 Season Summary:

Cruz’s Team: Justin Lawrence, Sam Sicilia, Myles Jury, Mike Rio, James Vick, Vinc Pichel, Chris Tickle, Jeremy Larsen

Faber’s Team: Al Iaquinta, Cristiano Marcello, Daron Cruickshank, Joe Proctor, Michael Chiesa, John Cofer, Andy Ogle, Chris Saunders

Team Records: Faber 6, Cruz 4

Advancing to Semifinal: Michael Chiesa, James Vick

Eliminated: Daron Cruickshank, Cristiano Marcello, Myles Jury, Jeremy Larsen, Chris Tickle, John Cofer, Sam Sicilia, Mike Rio, Justin Lawrence, Joe Proctor

When it comes to ex-Columbus Blue Jackets’ player Jody Shelley, the fact his first/last name have a feminine ring to them may not have anything to do with his toughness, but the tenacity with which he takes out the Minnesota Wild’s Jesse Boulerice in this clip seems to lend credit to the message behind the classic Johnny Cash tune Boy Named Sue.

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.

Read below for a full list of Bellator 68 results followed by highlights from the event:

Fracois Ambang def. Gregory Milliard via Split Decision
Anthony Leone def. Claudio Ledesma via Split Decision
Aung La Nsang def. Jesus Martinez via TKO Round 1 (Strikes)
Don Carlo-Clauss def. Jacob Kirwan via Split Decision
Marcin Held def. Derrick Kennington via Submission Round 1 (Heel Hook)
Marius Zaromskis def. Waachim Spiritwolf via TKO Round 2 (Doctor’s Stoppage)
Marcos Galvao def. Travis Marx via Unanimous Decision
Daniel Straus def. Marlon Sando via Unanimous Decision

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

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.

“I don’t think it’s any secret – he has no chance of winning the fight if it goes to the ground. The only time that I’ve ever seen him take a shot is if he’s pretty handily winning the fight and I think he just does it just for maybe a change of pace, to throw something out there,” said Mir in an interview with Inside MMA. “But as far as when you see people engage him, he’s a throw-punches-and-run kind of guy. He doesn’t wanna sit there and get grabbed and taken down and he’s not gonna fight that battle. If he was capable of doing it, we probably would’ve seen it already. Fact is, he avoids it like it’s poison.”

Mir Thinks His Submission Win Over Nogueira is in Back of Dos Santos’ Mind

Mir-Dos Santos will mix it up on May 26 in headlining action at UFC 146.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The lightweights’ July 7 match-up was confirmed on the UFC’s website.

Alessio holds an overall record of 34-15 with 24 stoppages to his credit. He initially returned to the UFC after an extended absence from the organization, agreeing to face Mark Bocek at UFC 145 on short notice after racking up a trio of consecutive wins prior to the bout. Among the numerous notable opponents Alessio has beaten in his career are War Machine, Luigi Fioravanti, Pete Spratt, and Ryan Healy.

A Closer Look at Alessio vs. Bocek

By comparison, Roller will likely be fighting for his job against Alessio after coming up short in his last three outings including two finishes. The former All-American wrestler holds past victories over Thiago Tavares, Anthony Njokuani, Danny Castillo, and Jamie Varner while also scoring stoppages in nine of his ten total victories.

UFC 148 is headlined by middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s rematch with Chael Sonnen and is also expected to feature an interim title-fight between Urijah Faber and a yet-to-be-named opponent (likely Renan Barao).

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

“Australia and the UK have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC’s Octagon,” said UFC’s Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik. “The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the UK, with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do – The Ultimate Fighter is going give to him that opportunity. We’re going to discover the UFC’s future stars, you can bet on it.”

Notable competitors on the UFC’s roster from Australia include Kyle Noke and George Sotiropoulos while a number of British Mixed Martial Artists also call the promotion home such as Brad Pickett, Dan Hardy, and Michael Bisping.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

The co-main event is also a battle between Brazil and Japan with leg lock wizard Imanari taking on BJJ world champion Issa. Both men are coming off ONE FC wins and the winner will be a strong contender to challenge for the bantamweight belt when it is introduced.

Meanwhile, Ng is one of the most famous fighters in South East Asia and has had a remarkable twelve months in which he has won two fights for ONE FC and seen his reputation soar. He will be up against France’s Lepont, a highly aggressive fighter who recently made a name for himself fighting for DARE Championship in Thailand.

Finally, the fourth fight announced is the one which will be of most interest to Malaysians because it features one of their own, Kayoom, going up against BJJ legend Gracie. Kayoom might not be as well known internationally as his opponent but he has a black belt in BJJ and is a former Muay Thai world champion who will have the overwhelming support of the crowd in the 10,200 capacity Stadium Negara behind him.

Fighters such as Phil Baroni, Yoshiyuki Yoshida,  Rolles Gracie, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Manhoef have all appeared on recent shows meaning a card of this caliber can only cement ONE FC’s status as Asia’s leading MMA promotion. More fights are expected to be announced over the course of the next week.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

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.

Lawler, who is coming off a win over Adlan Amagov, has long been considered one of the hardest hitting middleweights in MMA though he has struggled in the past against grapplers.

Fortunately for him, Larkin likely won’t be trying to take him down at any point given his past performances. The 25-year old was last seen suffering a TKO loss to Muhammed Lawal but saw the outcome overturned after “King Mo” tested positive for steroid use.

A Closer Look at Larkin-Lawal

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

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.

The official announcement is set for this afternoon with Sherdog initially reporting the news.

Lawal holds an overall record of 8-1 in MMA and held the Strikeforce light heavyweight title for a time. Owning past wins over stand-out competitors such as Roger Gracie and Gegard Mousasi, the 31-year old was last seen taking out Lorenz Larkin in January but failed a post-fight drug test and had the victory changed to a No Contest.

The result stemmed from Lawal’s use of a since-banned over-the-counter supplement. He was released from Strikeforce in the wake of the controversy in addition to having called one of the NSAC officials a “racist bitch”.

“King Mo” Apologizes for Behavior Relating to Inappropriate Tweet

No word has surfaced on when he will debut in either organization though he is suspended on the MMA front until early September.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Besides being a good way to stretch storylines between Lesnar’s few contractually mandated appearances, Heyman’s return provides an eloquent mouthpiece to talk up Lesnar’s meanness while reducing the risk of Brock slipping and saying something racist. Heyman managed Lesnar as a WWE rookie, and the two have remained friendly. There have probably some awkward hunting trips.

Lesnar Breaks HHH’s Arm on RAW

Check out footage of Heyman’s return and a brief backstage interview:

PHOTO CREDIT – WWE

In this clip, the New York Rangers’ Colton Orr and Ottawa Senators’ Brian McGrattan mix it up. However, in the sequence, Orr is actually the aggressor while McGrattan doesn’t seem to want to drop his gloves at first. Apparently, based on the end result, his hesitance was not a matter of fear but rather concern for Orr’s health.

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.

When the 29-8 Henderson gets around to facing Jones he will have been out of action for ten months with his last bout coming this past November. However, his absence has been intentional rather than health-related as “Hendo” has been holding on to the title-shot he earned in that victory rather than risk it in the interim. The 41-year old icon is currently on a four-fight winning streak including victories over Renato Sobral, Fedor Emelianenko, and most recently Mauricio Rua.

Henderson Taking His Career Year-by-Year, Not Fight-by-Fight

Comparably, Jones is 16-1 with his only stumble involving an unnecessary disqualification. He has successfully defended the divisional title three times since winning it from Rua with all of the wins coming against former champions (Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson, and Rashad Evans).

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

When the belt was re-instated the legitimacy of the title challengers was inconsistent to say the least. Here is a list of each contender’s streak at the time of their title shot, as well as their UFC record:

Sean Sherk (UFC Lightweight Debut – 1 fight winning streak)

Kenny Florian (2-0 as a UFC Lightweight – 3 fight winning streak)

Hermes Franca (5-2 as a UFC Lightweight – 8 fight winning streak)

Penn (6-1-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 1 fight winning streak)

Joe Stevenson (4-0 as a UFC Lightweight – 4 fight winning streak)

Sean Sherk (2-0 as a UFC Lightweight – 3 fight winning streak)

Kenny Florian (8-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 6 fight winning streak)

Diego Sanchez (2-0 as a UFC Lightweight – 4 fight winning streak)

Frankie Edgar (6-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 3 fight winning streak)

BJ Penn (10-2-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 0 fight winning streak) – Immediate Rematch

Gray Maynard (8-0 as a UFC Lightweight – 8 fight winning streak)

Gray Maynard (8-0-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 0 fight winning streak) – Immediate Rematch

Benson Henderson (8-1 as a Zuffa Lightweight – 3 fight winning streak)

Frankie Edgar (9-2-1 as a UFC Lightweight – 0 fight winning streak) – Immediate Rematch

Obviously these two statistics don’t tell the entire story of each of these title contenders (especially considering all of the recent immediate rematches), but even from looking at these numbers you can see that the trend has moved towards more experienced and accomplished fighters as the division has progressed. Even looking at some of the lightweights who have been passed over for title shots in recent years this is apparent. Miller was on a seven-fight winning streak in the UFC at one point and was deemed unworthy of a title shot. The same applied to Australian George Sotiropoulos. All of these numbers point towards an extended run in the division being required to earn a title shot, yet the recent talk of Diaz being awarded a title goes completely against this trend.

Diaz is now 9-3 in the division, which seems like it fits in with the remainder of the title contenders, but that record consists of five-fight winning streak from 2007/08. Currently, Diaz finds himself on a three-fight run, and while he has looked impressive in those victories, he only garnered his second Top 10 win this past weekend. So the question is: what has happened to the lightweight division that makes Diaz such a strong candidate for a title shot?

First, the fact that after Henderson/Edgar 2 takes place rematches will have made up three of the past five title shots has put the division on an extended hold for the past two years. In that time we’ve seen fighters like the aforementioned Miller and Sotiropoulos enter and leave the title contention discussion. In addition, names like Tyson Griffin, Sherk, Evan Dunham, Melvin Guillard, Joe Lauzon, Clay Guida, Dennis Siver, Cerrone and most notably Anthony Pettis have all spent time in or around the Top 10 over that period of time. None ever received a title shot. That kind of stagnancy atop a division forces challengers to fight each other, and inevitably knock each other out of contention.

Aside from the problem of challengers being needlessly wasted, this also sets an exceedingly high bar for future contenders to match in order to be deemed worthy of a title shot. If Miller and Sotiropoulos’ seven fight win streaks aren’t enough to warrant a title shot, why should Diaz’ three fight streak be? Shouldn’t he have to fight someone else before being awarded a title shot? And what if he loses? Then the division loses another potential contender.

The option of having Diaz fight again to solidify his status as the top contender is extremely dangerous due to the nature of the lightweight division. We hear ad nauseum that 155-pounds is the deepest talent pool in MMA, and it is one of the few divisions where a fighter who may not even be in the Top 25 can beat a Top 10 fighter on a rather regular basis. Even if Diaz is given a “tune up” fight to keep him busy while Henderson and Edgar sort out their business, there’s no guarantee he wins it.

The other option then is to put Diaz in a title eliminator fight against the likes of Pettis, in which case one of them is bounced from title contention anyways. Moving past Henderson/Edgar and the winner of a potential Diaz/Pettis bout, where would the next contender come from? Are people really clamoring for the winner of Maynard/Guida to be next in line for a title shot at this point? The division is in quite the quandary when it comes to the title picture right now, and contenders can’t afford to be disposed of as they have in the recent past. While no one will point to a dearth of quality fighters in the division, are there really many title contenders at this point?

I certainly understand the case for Diaz receiving a title shot based on who else is out there at the moment, and I as much as anyone would like to see the division finally move forward, but should it do so at the expense of the quality of title contender we’ve come to expect in the lightweight division? This isn’t the fledgling division that could get away with Penn getting a title shot in his fourth fight, it is supposed to be the best division in the sport. As such, the title contenders should reflect that.

The best solution to this problem lies right in the UFC’s reach, and it is a solution that wouldn’t serve to upset any fan or fighter I can think of. Hell, Diaz even brought it up in his post-fight interview. Gilbert Melendez was touted by his Cesar Gracie teammate as the top lightweight in MMA right now, and rather than be mired in Strikeforce, he deserves the chance to prove if he is that good. Plus, it buys more time for the division to develop more worthy challengers. If Melendez were to challenge for the title towards the end of 2012 or in early 2013, a Diaz/Pettis fight would make perfect sense, as the winner of that bout would be positioned well as the next title contender, and it would still allow for others to earn their shots over the next year.

There is nothing left for Melendez in Strikeforce, and nobody who truly stands out as a top contender in the UFC, so the timing is perfect for this fight to happen next.

Unless Edgar wins a close decision against Henderson… then we’ll get another rematch, and you can just shoot me now.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“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.”

Though both men have a handful of submissions to their credit, come showtime Jung will likely be more reliant on his grappling than Poirier based on the 23-year old’s powerful, precise stand-up. After all, Jung only has three knockouts on his record and the stoppage he notched in his last outing was his first involving strikes since 2008.

Unfortunately for fans of Jung, Poirier doesn’t envision any difficulties dealing with Jung’s wrestling/submissions either when they mix it up on May 15.

“I really see him having a tough time of getting him down so I think that’s gonna be up to me. I think I might be able to use my wrestling a little bit better than he can to dictate where the fight takes place,” explained Poirier before referring to Jung’s memorable finish of Leonard Garcia last year. “Just because a guy does a Twister, I’m not 100% convinced that he’s a brilliant jiu-jitsu practitioner. I’ll find out when we get in there and start moving around.”

Poirier Fends Off Zombies to Prepare for Fight Against Jung

Watch the full interview with Poirier below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

The 13-5 Story is coming off decision losses to Charlie Brenneman and most recently Martin Kampmann. However, the stumble against Brenneman came with less than 48 hours notice after his original adversary was pulled at the last second for drug-related reasons. All five of his losses have involved the judges’ scorecards meaning Story has never been finished.

A Closer Look at Story’s Stumble Against Kampmann

Abedi will likely be fighting for his job against Story after suffering two opening round losses in his only two UFC appearances. Prior to his debut he had racked up an 8-0 record including seven stoppages.

UFC on FX 4 is headlined by Clay Guida-Gray Maynard with other in-ring appearances from Dan Miller, Brian Ebersole, Sam Stout, Hatsu Hioki, and Ross Pearson.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

WWE has been leaning on fake injury storylines to help provide a little vulnerability to some of their most imposing stars and they’ve indicated that that they’ll continue to use them in the future. Right now, Sheamus, John Cena, and Beth Phoenix are all casualties of battles with such unstoppable submission specialists as Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, and Nikki Bella respectively. If it means they could get precious and frequently life-saving time off from the grind of traveling and working constantly with cuts and bruises and worse, I’d be thrilled with each wrestler getting one mandated fake injury leave of 3-4 weeks per year at least.

A Look at Other Highlights (and Lowlights) from Smackdown

Of those three, Cena hasn’t had to do much in the way of ring work after getting his arm wrenched by a Kimura, higlighting the viciousness of the attack without it having to affect Cena’s offense. Phoenix is actually good enough at selling for the likes of Kelly Kelly or Eve Torres that, when done properly, they almost seem like an even athletic pairing if you squint and her current storyline injury was acted well enough that I was legit worried for a while.

But Sheamus has trouble with this, which is fair for someone who’s generally been booked as a wrecking ball. During his matches with Bryan on Smackdown he displayed periods of about ten seconds at a time where he seemed to remember he was hurt, followed by going back to punching and suplexing with the same arm as if nothing. No one’s asking him to pinball across the ring like Dolph Ziggler every time he aggravates his hurt shoulder, but the least he could do is remember it’s supposed to be not that fun if you, say, launch yourself off the top rope, bad shoulder first. If Sheamus can’t reliably display any vulnerability he should just say “f*ck it” to trying to turn such an unlikely underdog into one and let himself be as indestructible as he wants. That, or the commentators need to back him up a bit with some crappy line about an adrenaline rush or working through the pain or give him some blatant ripoff Sheamusmania Running Wild gimmick where his HP and MP are fully restored mid-match via a series of head shakes and hand gestures.

Bryan-Sheamus matches sandwiched the show, and while I can nitpick and criticize the ending which featured a fairly straightforward and clean pin of Bryan, that can’t bode well for his rivalry with Punk given the chemistry the two of them have when allowed more than eighteen frigging seconds makes for energetic back-and-forth matches with each coming off as dangerous offensive masterminds. They bring out the best in each other, in particular a neat Texas Cloverleaf-styled thing Sheamus has pulled out to match up with Bryan’s submission skills.

They’re getting away from each other and steering Sheamus toward Alberto Del Rio for a while, which is for the best though I’m worried about how many times Ricardo Rodriguez will get kicked in the face during that feud. Still, Bryan returning for a rematch down the road will make for compelling TV.

Speaking of Ricardo I couldn’t move on without highlighting  his latest moment of greatness: in full ring announcer formal wear,  Rodriguez interfered in the first Bryan-Sheamus match with a textbook perfect top rope flying crossbody to the plain piece of drywall that is Sheamus’s torso. It is by far the most athletic non-James Bond thing I’ve ever seen anybody do in formal wear.

Other stuff:

• Brodus Clay beat Jack Swagger again. The Funkazoic Era continues.
• Divas’ Champion Layla used her Layout Neckbreaker to beat Natalya in a short but quick-paced match. Natalya’s offense may be the hardest-hitting among WWE women (one very large and hopefully returning exception), with an array of submissions and a sweet Discus Clothesline. While not yet as skilled as Phoenix or Natalya, Layla is athletically a huge step up from Kelly or Eve or the Bellas in that she doesn’t look terrified of the ropes. (Full disclosure: I would run through interstate traffic for even just a cup of coffee for both Layla and Nattie)
• The tag team division showed some signs of life when new champs Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated embarrassing stereotypes Hunico and Camacho in what had to be the busiest night of Camacho’s career so far. The whole thing had a classy touch with former champs Primo and Epico watching from the stage alongside managers Rosa “Dad, why aren’t you letting me see the pretty lady dance?” Mendes and the considerably less sexy AW. It’s almost like people… want the tag team titles? Huh? You live and learn.

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.

However, he has never faced anyone of Imanari’s caliber but still believes he is ready for the challenge and is looking forward to what will be the biggest fight of his career in front of 10,000 fans at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur,

“He’s a great fighter, very dangerous on the ground and I am very happy to have this chance to test myself against such a famous fighter. I saw him fight at the last ONE FC and he is very dangerous with submissions so I will have to take care,” said Issa in an interview with Fighters.com.

As chance would have it, the two actually share a teammate in common as Issa has been training with Shinya Aoki in Singapore and Imanari used to be part of the same team as him in Japan. The Brazilian believes that having such highly skilled training partners at Evolve MMA could make the difference for him in this fight,

“At Evolve MMA we have BJJ world champions, Muay Thai word champions and now we have Heath Sims who is many times wrestling  national champion. All in the same place so it is easy to train, in Brazil it would be maybe impossible to find different trainers like this and you would have to travel to many different places,” explained Issa of his camp.

In his last fight he showed some much improved stand up, which he attributed to the decorated team of Muay Thai trainers at Evolve MMA, but was disappointed not to be able to finish Kim after dominating much of the fight,

“To be honest I didn’t like  my last fight because I lost some positions. but it was a great experience for my career to fight three round on such a big show with so many people there. I have fought on many different shows in Brazil and the US and China but I never see so many people watch MMA before,” he admitted.

Although Issa has not competed for a while he has not been taking any time off and is constantly training and looking to improve as a fighter even when he doesn’t have a fight. The trainers and athletes at Evolve MMA are all full-time, salaried staff meaning they continue to work together all year round, and as a result he thinks he thinks that come June 23 he will be a different fighter from the one who scored a decision over Kim.

“I am eight months without a fight but during that time I always training at Evolve Academy to improve my techniques and get better everywhere,” stated the 28-year old. “I’m always training to be able to improve because I think we learn new techniques when we are off season but but I can’t wait to fight again.”

Without having the ability to dictate where the fight takes place it is difficult for a BJJ practitioner like Issa to impose his ground game on an opponent and he says he has been working hard on his wrestling recently, saying, “I believe the wrestling is very important  in MMA and will help me a lot to work my ground game. Heath Sims is very good coach and  he has a lot experience in MMA and wrestling so he help Evolve Fight Team a lot. I’ve been training hard at Evolve MMA everyday and trying to improve on all my weaknesses.”

After spending most of his career at featherweight Issa recently made the drop down to 135 pounds and will have a significant size advantage against Imanari who is four inches shorter than him. It could be that in this contest he chooses to use that wrestling ability to try and keep the fight standing because he probably has superior stand up skills to the Japanese fighter but regardless of the outcome he says he will be staying in the bantamweight division.

“It is not very difficult for me to make the weight but I have to have discipline. I always fought for the featherweight but it was very easy to make weight and I felt small for featherweight so now I will make my career in bantamweight and I want to be champion, if ONE FC give me a chance I’m going to try to get the belt.”

Issa’s Evolve MMA team mate Yodsanan Sityodtong, a former WBA Super Featherweight champion, suffered the first defeat of his career when he was submitted by Jiang Long Yun at ONE FC: War of the Lions this past March. Issa already holds a 2010 win over the Chinese fighter and says he has been working with the Thai fighter to help him improve his ground game, revealing, “Me and Jak (Yodsanan) fight in same weight and we train together so he help me a lot doing Muay Thai and boxing and I help him on the ground game. Life here in Singapore is great, I live here three years and a half already and I feel at home. The training at Evolve MMA is amazing and I can learn so much, mark my words Evolve MMA will be the best MMA academy in the world soon.”

The bantamweight division is dominated by Brazilians with anything from three to five in the top ten depending on which set of rankings you use. After fighting in three different continents this is Issa’s opportunity to make his presence felt among them by beating the best bantamweight in all of Asia.

PHOTO CREDIT – ONE FC

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.

Henderson is 16-2 with four wins inside the Octagon including those against Jim Miller and Clay Guida. The 28-year old has finished ten of the opponents he’s beaten and has only been stopped himself a single time with the stumble coming more than five years ago.

“Bendo” Ready to Beat Up All-Comers

“The Answer”, who holds an overall record of 14-2-1, has a reputation for tenacity and a slew of impressive victories as well to his credit featuring names like Maynard, Miller, Penn, and Sean Sherk.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the change was confirmed on the UFC’s website.

Bahadurzada holds an overall record of 21-4-1 with seventeen finishes to his credit including eleven via TKO. He is currently on a seven-fight winning streak with six involving a strike-based stoppage.

“Siyar the Killer” Wows in Debut

Though Alves hasn’t had Bahadurzada’s success over the past few years a good portion of the reason has to do with the level of competition each has faced over the span. “Pitbull” is only 2-4 in his last six outings, most recently falling to a submission in the last minute of a bout he was winning, but is 19-9 in his career with success against the likes of Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck. Similarly to Bahadurzada he has earned eleven of his wins by way of TKO/knockout.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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.

MMAFighting was first to report the bout/month.

Rousey has established herself as a legitimate star in the sport despite only having five professional fights. The bantamweight queen has emerged victorious in all of them by way of first-frame submission, adding to her profile by playing up her sex appeal while also speaking her mind regardless of what others think.

Rousey Says She’s the Most Dangerous Unarmed Woman on Earth

Meanwhile, Kaufman is a seasoned veteran at 15-1 and is on a three-fight winning streak including an exciting clash with Alexis Davis earlier this year. Ten of her victories have involved a strike-based stoppage.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Sandow made his first live appearance on Friday’s Smackdown for a match against NXT mainstay Derrick Bateman, a Grass/Fighting-type Pokemon with high Speed and Sp.Atk ratings. Sandow was unveiled to a spotlight and a “Hallelujah!” Chorus that he casually air-conducted as he walked along holding a microphone like a wine glass, and that was the thirty seconds or so it took to get me to hop on the Sandow Bandwagon.

In order to teach a lesson to the ignorant masses in the crowd, Sandow elected to walk away from this match until such a time when an opponent more worthy of his considerable intellect can be produced. The affable Brillo Pad, i.e. Bateman, has been a blast to watch on NXT (his highlights include a memorable double date with Daniel Bryan and the Bella Twins), which is sort of like the Great Lakes Avengers to RAW and Smackdown’s X-Men, but with more kidnapping and something called “redemption points.” So it was great that Bateman and his just-this-side-of-copyright-infringement superhero tights that he had his first moment of mic time on real-life TV, but, more foreboding was the answer to his open challenge. Holy Ryback, Bateman:  Ryback wins with his usual power moves. Bateman managed the slightest bit of offense.

He’ll have more time to establish himself, but I don’t really get Ryback yet. I didn’t get him when he was beating down unknowns after they cut a three-second heel promo, as though those crowds being dissed by the 150-pound jobbers were really foaming at the mouth for someone to vindicate them and were all like YEAH RYBACK YOU TELL THOSE JERKS HOW WE DO IT IN GRAND FORKS. He’s getting a series of monstrous wins out of it that could lead to something over time, and maybe his squash of Bateman indicates he’s moving up to actually wrestling guys on the roster. But others including Lord Tensai and Brodus Clay are getting very similar pushes, yet the motivations behind those monsters are much more clear (Tensai: serving John Laurenaitis to be near the main event, Clay: romping, stomping, wrapping up this match as fast as possible to dance with the Funkadactyls and possibly children). Why is Ryback on TV asking for more when he could just feed himself fighting all the drunk d-bags at a bar after 3:00 AM?

AJ needs outlets for her anxiety besides slapping Kaitlyn. I suggest cuddling with me and a puppy.

The team of Randy Orton and Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes and Kane in a match of four people who desperately need to spend some time away from each other for a while. After putting clumsy-ass Big Show into a table in the most hilarious and conniving way possible at Extreme Rules, Rhodes had a rough time of it this week, being on the receiving end of Show’s WMD punch.

I’ll be back soon with a few more notes, odds, and ends on Smackdown last week.

Check out video from these matches on Smackdown and exclusive footage from Sandow, AJ, and Rhodes:

Today’s submission comes from 1981 and features the Washington Capitals’ Alan Hangsleben colliding with the New York Rangers’ Chris Kotsopoulos. The quality of the video may be a bit gritty but then again so is the scrap!

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.

“I’m thinking an interim title fight. He has been out almost a year and a half now. Once this surgery goes through it’s going to be another nine months,” began Faber in the clip. “I’m hoping for a top contender. Renan Barao, in my opinion is next up with Michael McDonald after that and Ivan Menjivar after that. I’m just waiting to see. I know as much as you guys do, but I’m ready to scrap on July 7. And, as far as I’m concerned, that’s when it’s going down.”

“Don’t worry guys, me and Dom will scrap soon,” he concluded.

Barao, who is 28-1 and on an incredible winning streak, also happens to be scheduled for action at UFC 148 where Faber was set to fight Cruz.

Check out the full video from Faber below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The UFC’s website has confirmed Cruz’s status as well as his removal from the July 7 bout.

An Update on TUF 15

As chance would have it, 28-1 contender Renan Barao happens to be scheduled for a scrap on the same card opening the door for a match-up with Faber, possibly even for an interim title depending on how long Cruz is out. No timetable has been mentioned for his return though it is likely he will miss more than six months due to the severity of the injury.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Neither Brock Lesnar nor Triple H is likely to show up in person tonight, but I bet we’ll see dramatic video of Lesnar’s Kimura lock that has H sidelined with a broken arm. Four times. At least. Probably interspersed with that soundbite about Lesnar making people piss and sh*t themselves.

Dueling Johns, Laurinaitis and Cena that is, will push their upcoming match while Hungry Hungry Hippo Lord Tensai looks on menacingly. Today in YES! news, Daniel Bryan will be around after becoming #1 contender to CM Punk’s WWE Championship on last week’s RAW, a sentence that should thrill my fellow online wrestling nerds. The new tag team champs, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth, may debut a groaningly awful team name like R-Boom or King Truth or Jimmy Bounce. Kane and Randy Orton don’t know how to quit each other yet. Vickie Guerrero will excuse herself. And maybe this week I’ll be right about Kharma returning?

Keep checking Fighters.com for updates!

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.

MMAWeekly was first to report the match-up as being verbally agreed to by both parties.

The majority of Marquardt’s success has come at 185 pounds as a member of the UFC where he beat the likes of Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann, Dan Miller, and Rousimar Palhares. The 31-10 Marquardt has been out of action for more than a year after being cut based on an elevated level of testosterone, then signing with British promotion BAMMA despite never actually having an opportunity to fight for them.

Marquardt Discusses Re-Signing with Zuffa

Woodley is 10-0 with eight of his wins coming under the Strikeforce banner. He has been on a particularly impressive run as of late with victories over Tarec Saffiedine, Paul Daley, and Jordan Mein.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC