Bellator Season 4 155-pound final set as Chandler and Freire both make weight
Bellator Fighting Championships is poised to crown a second Season 4 Tournament champion tomorrow night in Atlantic City when lightweights Patricky Freire and Michael Chandler duke it out for a six-figure paycheck and the right to face 155-pound title-holder Eddie Alvarez later this year. Both finalists, in addition to the fourteen other athletes scheduled to scrap at Bellator 44, stepped on the scale... [Read More...]
More changes made to UFC 131 in wake of main event mix-up as Herman, Beltran get new opponents
The ripple effect from yesterday’s shocking news regarding Brock Lesnar’s health and inability to compete in a scheduled bout on June 11 against Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 has resulted in a slight reshuffling of the card’s line-up after Shane Carwin, originally scheduled to face debuting grappler Jon Olav Einemo, was handed the headlining spot opposite Dos Santos. Einemo will now face another... [Read More...]
Brock Lesnar’s diverticulitis forces him out UFC 131, replaced by Shane Carwin
The UFC continued to steal headlines this week with another major announcement on the heels of having already expanded fighter insurance to cover injuries sustained outside of the cage. Minutes ago, in a conference call with media, UFC President Dana White dropped a bomb in explaining former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar‘s diverticulitis had returned and would no longer be able to compete... [Read More...]
Jacob Volkmann vs. Danny Castillo added to UFC Live 5 line-up
A pair of streaking lightweights will meet this August in hopes of taking another step towards contendership, as Danny Castillo and Jacob Volkmann have been booked to face off at UFC Live 5 in Milwaukee with one of the two talented 155ers exiting the event with a loss after compiling a trio of consecutive wins. News of the scheduled match-up was announced through the UFC’s website. Castillo was... [Read More...]
5 Oz. MMA Link Club
Welcome back to another ediition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of offerings from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy… Quinton Jackson Gives Fans a Look Behind the Scenes as He Prepares for Matt Hamill (Lowkick.com) Tyson Griffin Confident About Featherweight Future (NBCSports.com) A Closer Examination of Regulatory Issues in New York (MMAFighting.com) Maiquel... [Read More...]
Strikeforce Challengers returns in June with talent-rich event
Strikeforce is headed back to the Pacific Northwest next month with one of the promotion’s deepest Challengers cards to date. Set for June 24 in Kent, Washington, Strikeforce Challengers 16 features submission specialist Caros Fodor taking on Cung Le protégé James Terry in headlining action, as well as in-ring appearances from undefeated prospects Ryan Couture and Lorenz Larkin plus much more! An... [Read More...]
The Ultimate Fighter 13: Episode 7 Wrap-Up
Team Lesnar Head Coach: Brock Lesnar Assistant Coaches: Luke Richardson (Strength/Conditioning), Marty Morgan (Wrestling), Erik Paulson (Jiu-Jitsu), Rodrigo Medeiros (Jiu-Jitsu), Greg Nelson (General) Fighters: Len Bentley, Charlie Radar, Tony Ferguson, Clay Harvison, Myles Jury (Injured), Chris Cope, Nordin Asrih, Chuck O’Neil Team Dos Santos Head Coach: Junior dos Santos Assistant Coaches: Lew... [Read More...]
Mike Brown back in action at UFC 133 against Nam Phan
Former WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown is set to return to the Octagon for the third time this year after back-to-back appearances in January left him nursing a torn finger ligament and an inability to fully train due to repeated cases of lactic acid build-up. Brown has since healed up and, according to an announcement by the UFC, will face TUF 12’s Nam Phan at UFC 133 in August. Both fighters... [Read More...]
Dan Hardy booked for bout against Chris Lytle in August
British welterweight Dan Hardy looks to have gotten his wish in regards to facing an opponent who won’t be afraid to strike with him after being repeatedly taken down and controlled in his last fight by Anthony Johnson, a solid wrestler with powerful hands who had promised to keep things vertical in the lead up to their match-up this past March. According to statement on the UFC’s website,... [Read More...]
Grappling with Issues – 5/11/11
How do you view Nick Diaz‘s decision to box? Do you want to see “Cro Cop” give it one last go against “Minotauro”? What’s next for the Zuffa after this week’s announcement regarding fighter insurance? Is it time to change the structure of rounds? Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature... [Read More...]
Igor Pokrajac replaces injured Anthony Perosh at UFC 131
In a match-up likely to leave spell-check in fits and fans on their feet, the UFC has announced well-rounded Croatian Igor Pokrajac will be filling a vacant slot opposite Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131 after the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 alumnus’ original opponent, Anthony Perosh, was forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained while training for the June 11 bout. Though Pokrajac has yet to find... [Read More...]
Chute Boxe original Michael Costa joins Bellator roster
Bellator Fighting Championships continued to inject new blood into its welterweight division this week after the recent addition of Douglas Lima with the signing of Michael Costa, a BJJ blackbelt who also happens to be the head Muay Thai instructor at Wand Fight Team in part due to a relationship he established with Wanderlei Silva while the two trained in Brazil under the Chute Boxe banner. News of... [Read More...]
Jim Miller vs. Ben Henderson expected for UFC on Versus 5
The lightweight division might be a bit of a mess thanks to the postponement of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III but that hasn’t stopped Joe Silva from doing his job. A huge lightweight clash is on the horizon as top contenders Jim Miller and Ben Henderson are set to clash in August at UFC on Versus 5. News of the bout was first reported by The Asbury Press and has since been confirmed by the... [Read More...]
Jonathan Brookins out, Danny Downes in against Jeremy Stephens at TUF 13 Finale
It’s definitely been a week to remember for Danny Downes. This past Friday, he picked up a first round submission victory over Tory Bogguess and today he found out that he’ll be making his UFC debut in June. Downes has been tapped to replace Jonathan Brookins, suffering an eye injury, against Jeremy Stephens at the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale. UFC made the announcement earlier today. This... [Read More...]
Pablo Garza reflects on path leading him to spectacular submission
Every Mixed Martial Artist’s course through the sport is unique though many share common traits outside of technique. Some grow up with an intense desire to duke it out regardless of their environment. Others stumble into martial arts, eventually finding an unexpected passion for the competition and discipline coming with the territory. So, while rising UFC featherweight Pablo Garza may be among... [Read More...]
Stephan Bonnar meets Karlos Vemola at UFC on Versus 5
Fans of exciting fighters will be pleased to know that Stephan Bonnar will be back in action this August. “The American Psycho” will look to put together his first three fight win streak since 2006 but he first must get past former heavyweight Karlos Vemola. The fight is scheduled to take place at UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee. Bonnar confirmed the fight via his TrashTalkinKids Twitter... [Read More...]
Bellator adds talented finisher Douglas Lima to welterweight roster
Though Bellator champion Ben Askren and Season 4 Tournament winner Jay Hieron currently have their sights set on each other and a future title-fight, when things are said and done this fall the winner’s attention may very well lie with the latest welterweight to join Bellator’s growing 170-pound roster. According to a promotional press release, Bellator has signed former MFC champ Douglas Lima... [Read More...]
Zuffa Summit Conference Call Highlights
Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President Dana White are in the process of discussing the company’s new policy in relation to doling out additional insurance to fighters, as well as a handful of other topics, on a conference call in conjunction with today’s summit in Las Vegas. Read below for highlights from the call: - Fertitta said the groundwork was laid three years ago after sitting... [Read More...]
Conclusion to Edgar vs. Maynard trilogy postponed due to injuries
Injuries to fighters are a fairly common occurrence in terms of springing up at the wrong moment to cause a late cancellation but rarely do they affect both of the bout’s participants let alone an event’s headlining contest. Such a perfect storm has unfortunately appeared on the forecast for May, as UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard have both been sidelined with damage... [Read More...]
Zuffa providing additional insurance to contracted fighters
When Zuffa meets with UFC/Strikeforce employees this week as part of the company’s annual summit in Las Vegas one of the recurring themes throughout will undoubtedly involve the discussion of organizational policies. However, the policy drawing the most attention from fighters this go-round may very well be one completely unrelated to anything occurring inside of the cage – an insurance policy. “Our... [Read More...]
