In an article appearing in the Sunday edition of the Boston Herald, UFC lightweight title contender Kenny Florian stopped short of accusing Roger Huerta cheating in their Aug. 9 clash at UFC 87. However, in quotes he made to the paper, he teeters on the edge of accusing Huerta of resorting to unfair competitive tactics:

“When I had him down on the ground I thought I was going to put him away but he was pretty slippery,” Florian said. “To me, he felt suspiciously slippery. I know the difference between sweat and other things. I didn’t see him do anything (illegal), but I thought it was a little weird for me to be sliding off his back like that.”

It is definitely possible that Huerta greased himself up, however, you’d think that an official would have noticed something during the pre-cage entrance pat down? It’s also possible that Huerta was sweating a lot.

Rumors have swept through the Internet in recent days that claimed a UFC lightweight bout between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson was on tap for a show later this year.

While bout agreements have yet to be signed, MMAWeekly.com reports that its sources have informed the site that both Florian and Stevenson have verbally agreed to the bout.

The proposed Florian vs. Stevenson matchup seems destined to be held on Nov. 15 during a yet-to-be announced UFC event expected to be titled “UFC 91” that will likely take place at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.

In addition to being top lightweight title contenders, both Florian and Stevenson are alumni of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television series on Spike TV.

Florian competed as a middleweight during the first season of TUF and made it to the finals against tournament winner Diego Sanchez. Since losing to Sanchez, Florian has gone on to win eight of nine fights in the UFC and most recently defeated Roger Huerta via unanimous decision at UFC 87 on Aug, 9.

Stevenson won the welterweight tournament for the second season of TUF, defeating Luke Cummo in the finals via unanimous decision.  He has a lifetime record of 6-2 in the UFC and is 29-8 overall. At UFC 86 in July, Stevenson rebounded from a January loss against B.J. Penn for the then-vacant UFC lightweight title when he submitted American Top Team’s Gleison Tibau in the second round.

Last night’s UFC 87 event from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. proved to be yet another strong showing from the UFC with very few negatives involved with the promotion and production of the show.

The event saw two of the promotion’s biggest stars walk away victorious in fights that went to the judges yet whose outcomes were never truly in doubt.

Lesnar, the former NCAA and WWE heavyweight champion, got off to an explosive start against Heath Herring, blasting him with an overhand right early in the fight that floored the former PRIDE veteran. Lesnar, who once spent training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, then exploded like a defensive end coming off the edge on a blitz and went in for the kill.

An over-zealous Lesnar landed out of position and was unable to finish Herring during the opening seconds of the fight. However, what proceeded was three rounds of dominance, with Lesnar showing he could take Herring down at will. When it was over, Lesnar evened his UFC record to 1-1 while improving his overall MMA record to 2-1. It is unclear who he’ll face next, but Lesnar showed all the ingredients of a future heavyweight champion during the unanimous decision victory.

While former NCAA wrestler Jon Fitch proved he was the number two ranked welterweight in the world last night with a gritty performance, UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre proved there is a strong gap between number one and two. Despite having no formal wrestling background in high school or college, St. Pierre proved to be Fitch’s equal on the mat.

On the feet, Fitch was no match for St. Pierre’s superior athleticism. Despite showing a strong chin and an amazing will to fight with less than his full faculties, Fitch was out-pointed in the standup aspect for virtually the full 25-minute duration of the contest. It was St. Pierre’s utilization of a stiff left jab, reminiscent of how B.J. Penn peppered Sean Sherk during their UFC 84 title fight in May, that appeared to have done the most damage. However, the standup exchange was not one-sided, as Fitch landed his shots as well, managing to open up St. Pierre in the process. But when the bout was done, it was evident by looking at the faces of both fighters that Fitch clearly sustained the most damage.

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Dave Meltzer, in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer, says that the UFC and Roger Huerta are “far apart” regarding contract negotiations. Huerta has one fight left on his contract after the upcoming fight with Kenny Florian this weekend. If he doesn’t renegotiate soon then there’s a very real possibility of missing out on a title shot should he win on Saturday. MMA Mania has the exact wording from Meltzer:

“Huerta, who has one fight left on his contact after the Florian fight, is far apart with UFC on terms for a renewal. Huerta, who has gotten a new agent, was asking for six-figures guaranteed per fight as well as points on the PPV, in negotiations that haven’t gone well for some time. That’s a better deal then [BJ] Penn, so he wasn’t going to get it. The UFC position is that they groomed Huerta and pushed him hard and were careful of his opponents, with the exception of Clay Guida….”

It’s really unbelievable to me that Huerta could possibly be asking for more money than B.J. Penn makes. Penn is not only the current lightweight champion but one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world with victories over some of the best in the game. Penn has earned the kind of money that he’s making right now. With the exception of Clay Guida, who is truly a lightweight gatekeeper, who has Huerta beaten to command that type of money? The answer is no one.

Now, should he beat Florian on Saturday then we might be singing a different tune. Florian is a great fighter who is on a roll and improves each and every time out. Right now, in my eyes, he is the number one contender for the title. A win over Florian for Huerta would go a long way in commanding top-dollar from the UFC and cementing his spot at the top of the lightweight division.

Huerta continues to talk about receiving a title shot, but if he’s not close to another deal then there’s no real possibility of him fighting for the title even if he wins. The UFC has made it abundantly clear that if you have one fight left on your contract then you are not fighting for the title even if you are the number one contender. They want fighters who are going to stick around and defend the title, not guys who are going to fight for the title, possibly win it, and then vacate it because they’re looking for more money. Huerta is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now and the only way out is to beat Florian on Saturday and that’s an extremely tall task.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Noons vs. Diaz appears to be definitely not happening according to Sherdog. Instead, Thomas “Wildman” Denny has been booked to fight Nick Diaz in Stockton, CA. on July 26:

The former King of the Cage champion has agreed to face resident troublemaker Nick Diaz in his hometown of Stockton, Calif. on EliteXC’s second CBS-televised card at the Stockton Arena on July 26. Contracts are expected to be inked Tuesday.

My feeling is that Denny is just a filler opponent before Diaz fights Noons for the EliteXC title. Denny is a fighter who likes fighting on the ground and doesn’t pose too much of a problem for Diaz on his feet. Diaz is better at every facet of MMA than Denny. As long as Diaz doesn’t take him lightly this shouldn’t be too much of a test.

I do, however, wonder why Noons vs. Diaz isn’t taking place. Gary Shaw trotted Diaz out to the center of the cage after Noons’ last victory to hype up a fight between the two and now all the hype they created has been killed by this fight announcement of Denny vs. Diaz. Hopefully some answers will come to light.

MMA Mania is reporting that a rumored bout between Nick Diaz and K.J. Noons for the EliteXC lightweight title is not happening on the July 26 “Unfinished Business” card, which is rumored to take place in Stockton, California, Diaz’s hometown.

Diaz is still expected to compete on the card but it’s not clear who he will face off against come July 26. Could EliteXC be saving this fight for another CBS card down the line? Too many titles on the line during one card? Stay tuned.

Nick Diaz is on the warpath, ladies and gentlemen. From Carlos Arias’ Keep Punching blog at the OC Register:

“I’m trying to fight (Hayato) Sakurai, I’m trying to fight K.J. Noons, I’m trying to fight Anderson Silva, I’m trying to fight everybody. I’m trying to fight Georges (expletive) St. (expletive) Pierre. I’m trying to fight … I didn’t mean to call Georges a (expletive), but I ain’t got no problem getting there and fighting the best people in the world. Georges is a nice guy. I’m trying to fight Jon Fitch, I’m trying to fight Silva, I’m trying to fight K.J. Noons, I’m trying to fight everybody. I’m trying to fight Takanori Gomi, Sakurai, I’m trying to (expletive) everybody up. (Expletive) this (expletive). This is (expletive) gangster (expletive) warfare. I don’t give a (expletive). You know what I mean?”

No, Nick, I’m not sure that many of us know what you mean. Gangster warfare? Calling out Jon Fitch and Georges St. Pierre? Diaz would never be able to hang with those guys. He’s a fighter with a ton of potential who has been plagued by mediocrity his entire career. And this has never been more evident than right now with a lackluster victory over Mike Aina, a loss to K.J. Noons, and a poor performance against Muhsin Corbbrey in his last three fights on American soil.

For all the trash talk, and it is entertaining, don’t get me wrong, there is very little substance behind it. Trash talk only goes so far, especially in MMA. The time will come when it’s either put up or shut up for Diaz.

The ever-controversial Nick Diaz had some words to say to his rival K.J. Noons regarding what happened inside of the cage after Noons’ impressive title defense against Yves Edwards. From Yahoo! Sports:

“I’m not a punk and I don’t start (expletive),” Diaz said. “They brought me to the cage to do an interview about the rematch. I was doing my job. I didn’t go in there like some crazy psycho (expletive). It wasn’t staged. But it was all because of this (expletive) poser.”

“My car pulled up in front of the hotel and he and his girlfriend and his mom and dad were there,” Diaz said. “Right away, he put his mug on me. He was staring me down and trying to give the impression that he’s hard core. I flipped him off, but he’s standing over there like he’s flashing. I go, ‘What the (expletive) are you doing? I’m not the one doing (expletive).’ I couldn’t understand why this guy is putting his mug on me, but he had to act like he was some kind of a (expletive) tough guy in front of his girlfriend and his Dad.”

“This is war, this is life, and I take this very seriously,” Diaz said. “I’m not the one bringing my family into the ring and showing them off. I’m not the one who (showed up to the pre-fight news conference) in a (expletive) suit trying to act like I’m some kind of tough guy (expletive) rich kid. This is war to me and we have a serious situation on our hands now.”

This is pure Nick Diaz gold. Statements like these are why the guy is so polarizing. Love him or hate him, he makes you want to watch any fight that he’s in. He’s created enough hype already for both Noons and himself combined. Without Diaz, this would just be any other fights. With Diaz, it’s a recipe for viewers. He can make a situation like Noons mean muggin’ him sound like Noons punched his mom in the face while she was making brownies.

K.J. Noons could be the real deal.

I’m not 100% sold on Noons being the real deal just yet but he is certainly making a case for himself with some high-profile victories. This win over Edwards was really jaw dropping and Noons showed the ability to take a hard shot, recover with power, and go for the kill when he smelled blood. There are things that we haven’t yet seen from Noons, though, and that’s his ability to deal with adversity in a fight as well as his ground game. Those are two big question marks that are still out there but overall he is coming along quite nicely. It was quite an impressive showing from the EliteXC lightweight champion and it seems that a rematch with Nick Diaz is the next thing in store for him as champion and I think it may be likely that we’ll see that fight on the July 26 CBS card considering the heat these two drew tonight.

Poor Yves Edwards.

He just can’t get over the hump. Whenever Edwards is poised to make that leap in his career, the one that will put him exactly where he wants to be and in a great position, he always seems to get knocked down. I really do feel for the guy. He trained his ass off for this fight and just got a little too aggressive when he thought he had Noons hurt. He certainly paid the price for it. I know there were a lot of people out there that wanted to see the Yves Edwards that knocked Josh Thomson flat on his ass but that was not meant to be. By no means do I think we’ve seen the last of Yves, but you can’t help but feel for the guy. MMA is a tough business and Yves is living proof of that.

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What: Elite XC: Return of the King
When: June 14th @ 10pm ET
Where: Blaisdell Arena; Honolulu, Hawaii

Here’s the latest on the EXC: Return of the King event:
Main Card

• KJ Noons vs. Yves Edwards (EXC Lightweight Title)
• Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey
• Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Tony Bonello
• Dave “Pee Wee” Herman vs. Ron “H2O” Waterman
• Rafael Feijao vs. Wayne Cole

Undercard (televised on ProElite.com after the SHOWTIME telecast)

• P.J. Dean vs. Dean Lista
• Mike Aina vs. Kaleo Kwan
• Mark Oshiro vs. Chris Willems
• Chris Bernhard vs. Lolohea Mahe
• Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Bubba McDaniel
  

Check out more EliteXC event content on 5 Oz. of Pain.

This summer is really heating up as far as MMA action goes. We’ve had almost a month now where every weekend there has been at least one event. This weekend is no different as there’s three MMA events (EliteXC: Return of the King, Adrenaline MMA, and DREAM 4).

EliteXC: Return of the King is featuring some pretty bangin’ fights like Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, heavyweight prospect Dave Herman taking on Ron Waterman, Rafael Feijao clashing with Wayne Cole, and of course the title fight between K.J. Noons and Yves Edwards. Oh, and don’t forget Kala Kolohe is fighting on the undercard as well so there should be some pretty damn good fights on this card. Here’s a little preview to whet your appetite.

KJ Noons had some choice words for the man that he beat to win EliteXC’s 160 lbs. title late last year at EliteXC: Renegade after a reporter asked him about the notion that he’s been dodging Diaz:

“But I don’t dodge anybody. As a champion, you can’t duck anyone. You only have one option. You fight the best. Whoever that is, that’s who I fight. Unfortunately, Nick’s not the best now. I have to fight the top guy as the champion. Right now that guy is Yves Edwards.

“Of course, it would be great to fight Nick in the future. It would be a great payday for me. (But) Nick is such a big crybaby. Let him rebuild himself and then we’ll fight again. I’d love an easy payday.

“It’s ridiculous what Diaz’ camp was saying. Why would they think I’m dodging him? I gave him plastic surgery on his face. That’s a fact. As long as he can get a doctor’s note, (I’m all for) round two.’’

And of course, Nick Diaz fires back:

“Noons is a little (expletive) and it doesn’t even matter what I am thinking about him because we are not fighting. Noons won on a cut. He is only a paper champion. His days are numbered.’’

Diaz is correct. Noons did win on a cut. But let’s not forget that Noons was completely outclassing him during the course of the fight. He beat Diaz up on the feet, stuffed all of Diaz’s telegraphed and sloppy takedowns and didn’t allow him any room to breathe. For Diaz to call Noons a paper champion is stepping over the line because even though the fight was stopped on a cut it was a completely legitimate stoppage and it wasn’t like Diaz was ahead on anyone’s scorecard. He was on his way to losing the figh and losing badly.

MMA Weekly is reporting that Drew Fickett has had to pull out of his June 14 welterweight title fight with Jake Shields due to a knee injury.

The news comes from EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw who was a recent guest on MMA Weekly radio.

From MMA Weekly:

“Obviously the back injury happened (to Shields) and the easiest thing to do was move him to Hawaii to fight Drew,” said Shaw in the interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “Unfortunately since then Drew Fickett has hurt his knee and he’s not going to be able to take that fight on June 14 and that will be rescheduled again.”

By “rescheduled again,” Shaw is referring to a scheduled March 29th bout between the two that didn’t go through due to Shields’ aforementioned back injury.

In addition to revealing Fickett’s injury, Shaw also announced five bouts for the June 14th show set to take place in Hawaii. The bouts are as follows:

• K.J. Noons vs. Yves Edwards (for EliteXC’s lightweight title)
• Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey
• Murilo Rua vs. Tony Bonello
• Wayne Cole vs. Rafael Feijao
• Dave Herman vs. Ron Waterman

Read more EliteXC content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

The Fight Network is reporting today that an EliteXC lightweight title fight between Yves Edwards and K.J. Noons has been postponed to June 14th:

Yves Edwards will have to wait a little longer for his shot at K.J. Noons and the EliteXC lightweight championship. On a three-fighting winning streak, the rejuvenated Edwards will challenge Noons for the 160-pound belt on Saturday, June 14 – not April 26 as previously planned – in Hawaii.

“I had started training for it,” Edwards said. “A few weeks ago, they told us it was postponed.”

FiveOuncesofPain.com has learned that not only has this bout been moved from April 26th to June 14th, but that the April 26th show in Hawaii has been canceled altogether.

MMA Weekly is also reporting in their rumors section that Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva may be scheduled to compete on the June 14th show in Hawaii as well.

In an exclusive interview with ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) on Wednesday afternoon, EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons fired back at the camp of Nick Diaz following a post on the web site GracieFighter.com that accuses Noons of turning down a proposed rematch against Niaz on April 26 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

GracieFighter.com, which is operated by Diaz’s long-time trainer, Cesar Gracie, posted the following:

KJ Noons has refused a rematch with Nick Diaz. Noons won the EliteXC title after defeating Diaz by doctor’s stoppage due to a cut. Diaz subsequently went in for plastic surgery after a specialist determined that the sharpness of the bones above his eyes would lead to more cuts and make it impossible for him to pursue a successful MMA career. The surgery was a complete success.

EliteXC suggested a rematch just as the UFC had when Vitor Belfort defeated Randy Couture for their title due to a cut, however KJ and his camp have now responded that they do not want anything to do with a rematch. Diaz will still be fighting at the event against another EliteXC fighter, most likely Muhsin Corbbrey (6-2).

Noons, normally calm and reserved, had already read the comments when contacted by ProElite.com and took great issue with the claims made by Diaz’s camp. They are claims he categorically disputed.

“First of all, I don’t dodge anybody,” Noons stated in an uncharacteristic stern tone. “Whoever is the best, I want to fight them. As champion, you can’t decline who you want to fight. You only have one option as to who you’re going to fight, and that’s the best. Whoever the best is, that’s who I have to fight. In regard to a rematch with Nick, that would be a great pay day for me. Unfortunately, he’s not the best.”

Noons continued to rebut GracieFighter.com’s statements, claiming that he has no incentive to dodge a rematch with Diaz because he considers it an “easy pay day.” He indicated that he felt if anyone was entitled to a rematch, he deserved one against Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett stemming from a knockout loss during EliteXC’s first-ever show last February.

“As for Nick, of course he’s going to get a rematch in the future,” Noons commented. “They created a weight division for this guy (and) he’s such a big crybaby. Eventually they are going to be able to rebuild him and of course he’s going to get a rematch but he’s not the best right now. So I’d love an easy pay day. If he deserves a rematch right now, what about my rematch with Krazy Horse? I’d love a rematch with Krazy Horse and I’ve won a few fights so I think I’m more deserving than someone like Diaz in regards to getting a rematch right now. As far as declining the fight, I don’t decline fights. You don’t get an option as champion to decline a fight. You’re only option is to fight the best.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

According to the website of American Top Team, new EliteXC fighter and former number one lightweight in the world, Yves Edwards, will face EliteXC’s current 160 lbs. champion, K.J. Noons for the EliteXC lightweight title on April 26th in Hawaii.

Edwards is coming off of a brutal knockout victory over Edson Berto at EliteXC: Street Certified and seems to have rejuvenated his career since making the move to American Top Team.

Noons is coming off of the biggest win of his MMA career over Nick Diaz due to cut stoppage at EliteXC: Renegade last November. Surprising to everyone, Noons dominated the fight against Diaz, peppering him with better boxing and standup skills and stuffing Nick’s weak takedown attempts.

Edwards vs. Noons should be one of the best fights that EliteXC has put on during their short tenure in the MMA world.

I was able to catch up with new EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons on Tuesday afternoon. Iasked Noons about Saturday’s controversial ending against in his fight against Nick Diaz and what’s next for the newly crowned champion:

Sam Caplan: After you beat Nick Diaz, how did you celebrate?

K.J. Noons: I showered up and we went out to a Fudrucker’s that my buddy owns in Corpus Christi. I had about 40 friends and family down there that drove from Houston and he re-opened up his restaraunt and (there was) an open bar. Open bar and food. It was kind of like a private party. It was fun.

Sam Caplan: You lived in Texas at one point, correct?

K.J. Noons: Yes, I went to high school out there. I graduated from a school in Houston. I lived there until I was about 21-years old and then I moved out to San Diego.

Sam Caplan: And you mentioned that you had 40 friends and family at the event?

K.J. Noons: At least.

Sam Caplan: Does that put any pressure on you or does it give you more motivation to go out there and put on a better performance?

K.J. Noons: If anything it gives me more motivation to put on a better performance. But I didn’t see anyone before the fight. I knew my family was in the crowd but I was just focused to win.

Sam Caplan: Going into the fight were there specific things that you worked on with the belief certain aspects of Diaz’s game could be exploited?

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG