The welterweight was originally set to face Bobby Voelker but an injury forced Voekler out. Of course, the opponent doesn’t really matter to Burrell – he just wants to fight.

“We got a chip on our shoulder out here,” said Burrell of Philadelphia in a recent interview with Strikeforce’s website. “Not a lot of people take us seriously. We don’t have a lot of good wrestling gyms or big MMA gyms out here, so when you hear that you’re fighting somebody from Philly, you think, ‘What’s out there, who do they have, he must by corny.’ That’s how I feel about it, so every time I leave Philly, I’m putting Philly on my back.”

Burrell-Spang will be part of the Showtime card also featuring the final of the Heavyweight Grand Prix and Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez defending his title against Josh Thomson.

In Melendez, Burrell sees someone who has what he wants for himself – championship gold.

“I see myself always getting better and I see myself as a future champion,” Burrell said. “Sometime soon.”

PHOTO CREDIT – ALLELBOWS.COM

In that vein, the pain on Dustin Poirier’s face during a post-fight interview on Fuel TV was not related to the damage he sustained in last night’s exciting main event match-up with Chan Sung Jung but rather the utter despair of coming up short in such an important outing.

“He was just as tough as I expected. I expected a good fight and…I’m just upset with myself,” said an emotional Poirier of his performance. “When it got to those later rounds he hit me with some good shots in the fourth round. I was never completely out of it but whenever came back to realizing what was going on…I was in the D’Arce position. I felt it but I just didn’t defend it right. I’m upset about that.”

“I’m trying not to get emotional,” continued the 23-year old, pausing to take a deep breath and collect himself. “I just care so much, man, I let myself down. I deserved to win. My wife deserved for us to win.”

Fighting back tears as bravely as any adversary he’d faced in the cage, Poirier summed things up on a positive note, concluding, “I made some mistakes but I’m gonna go back to the gym, work on it, and come back and get a ‘W’,” before heading off to handle the agony of defeat in a private setting rather than in front of the world.

Check out the heart-wrenching video below (and grab a Kleenex just to be safe):

According to Santos, she is using her time away to polish up her ground-game as well as to slim down and come back at 135 pounds where Rousey holds the Strikeforce title.

“Surprise,” Santos responded via Twitter when asked by Five Ounces of Pain about the possibility based on some recent photos she’d posted.

In addition to holding divisional gold, “Rowdy Ronda” has been extremely critical of Santos since coming on the scene, even going so far as to question her gender. The move also makes sense beyond their personal issues based on the relatively low number of legitimate contenders competing at 145 pounds.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

However, any good faith earned may have been wiped clean in light of Estima’s own take on the situation. The decorated submission-specialist took to Twitter yesterday where he outlined a few points pertaining to Gracie’s account.

“When (the promoter) approached me to offer me the fight I was actually training at the Blackzilians at the time so obviously I was training MMA,” wrote Estima. “I never fought before so (he) said it was fine & why (not) cancel the fight before if this was really an issue??”

“Nobody has ever bended no rules for me,” he continued, turning to Diaz’s problems with his weight. “Because there was no rules set to start off with. It wasn’t going to be a UFC match but a superfight on a BJJ Expo so the whole point here was for us to show a fight. Has Nick signed a contract that stated the date time and weight that we both need to reach? I didn’t… Besides when did Nick actually weigh in? And who witnessed that if we are being so strict and professional?”

“You are saying Nick had left by 10:00 AM Saturday morning? Why you never said anything then? I even asked you I’d like to see him and his weight and you said he’s not gonna come down because he ate already and wouldn’t make the weight anymore,” stated Estima. “Nobody at any point had mentioned he could have left. Leaving me believing we would fight till the very last minute…You’re talking about lack of professionalism in the organization of the superfight and this was very professional behavior right?”

Ultimately, Estima summed things up saying he was frustrated by the way things had unfolded and adamant about Diaz being largely to blame.

Read the full statement from Estima below:

1st- When Junior approached me to offer me the fight I was actually training at the Blackzilians at the time so obviously I was training MMA. Junior told me about Nick not wanting to fight an MMA fighter. I never fought before so [Junior] said it was fine & why [didn't you] cancel the fight before if this was really an issue..??

2nd- Nobody has ever bended no rules for me. Because there was no rules set to start off with, it wasn’t going to be a UFC match but a superfight on a BJJ Expo so the whole point here was for us to show a fight.. has Nick signed a contract that stated the date time and weight that we both need to reach? I didn’t. And since this whole thing was going to be a friendly event I really don’t see any issue here even if Nick turned up 10lbs overweight. Still when asked I went and dropped the weight to meet the requirement. Actually to put things straight it was myself that called Junior around 10pm Friday to check if there is going to be a weigh in at all. He kept contacting you and got back to me saying I need to be 180 that time, of course I said I can’t for the simple reason I was away in Irvine and it was already late at night but I said sure no problem I’ll make it first thing in the morning if needed, even if it would put me in a bigger disadvantage I didn’t care I just came to fight. Junior had actually called me back no later than midnight that he spoke to you and confirmed the weigh in for 10am.

Besides when did Nick actually weigh in? And who witnessed that if we are being so strict and professional?

3rd – You are saying Nick had left by 10am Saturday morning? Why you never said anything then? I even asked you I’d like to see him and his weight and you said he’s not gonna come down because he ate already and wouldn’t make the weight anymore. And Lana, after speaking to you, called his room and said he was actually there sleeping. Nobody at any point had mentioned he could have left. Leaving me believing we would fight till the very last minute, now you’re talking about lack of professionalism in the organisation of the superfight and this was very professional behaviour right?

There is many more points here that I don’t agree with but I am just fed up of this whole situation and don’t agree for anyone to ever release the blame from Nick for whatever reason, we were there to fight and that’s what should happen no excuses, we are both professional athletes and should respect one another no matter what. And this is inexcusable.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

The 27-year-old won five fights in the UFC and has a career record of 12-5. Kelly, who lost to Cerrone via submission, was defeated by Ryan Healy earlier this year in India at Super Fight League 2.

The Liverpool Echo first reported Kelly’s arrest on Monday in a report.

Kelly has now taken to his own Twitter account to update the story, saying, “Just to clarify yes my house was raided by Mersyside Matrix Division who found no drugs or anything of any criminal nature…no drugs no cash no sting!!!”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Meniere’s disease is a condition where fluid in the ear gets too high, causing issues with balance and hearing. It resembles a severe case of Vertigo.

“First fight I will miss in 11 years an it is killing me,” White wrote on his Twitter account Tuesday. “I have to have surgery in L.A. tomorrow or trust me I would be (at the card).”

White has been able to go from state-to-state and even country-to-country to make events, but obviously his health and well-being is more important than even this streak. However, it’s not to say the outspoken executive wasn’t feisty as a fan sitting at home watching things unfold on TV even going so far as to call out a few of his coworkers and demand they show fighters’ entrances in the future on all televised events.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Jung’s finish of Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fuel 3 was named Submission of the Night with the match-up also being announced as the card’s Fight of the Night. His success came after Poirier had seemingly battled his way back into contention, weathering an early storm in the scrap’s opening two rounds to do damage in the third, making the stoppage particularly exciting given the apparent shift in momentum.

Each honor was worth $40,000 giving “The Korean Zombie” an additional 80k on top of his regularly contracted rate. Poirier too received $40,000 for his role in the rumble.

In another feel-good story, Tom Lawlor celebrated his 29th birthday in style by scoring Knockout of the Night with a beautiful blow to Jason MacDonald’s temple sending the Canadian crashing down to the mat. Similarly to the other bonuses the distinction was worth $40,000.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The card was headlined by collision between featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier (12-1) and Chan Sung Jung (12-3). Each entered the bout on a streak of impressive performances and could earn a shot at the divisional title with a win. In the end, Jung exited with the victory after an extremely exciting affair seeing him notch a submission in the fourth frame. The finish marked the first time Poirier had been stopped in his career.

Also scheduled for scraps, Donald Cerrone-Jeremy Stephens did their best to live up to Fight of the Night hype based on their fan-friendly approaches inside the Octagon, though ultimately Cerrone outclassed Stephens in stand-up to earn a decision win, while on the opposite end of the entertainment spectrum Ultimate Fighter winner Amir Sadollah took on Wanderlei Silva student Jorge Lopez in a forgettable co-headliner.

Read below for a complete breakdown of UFC on Fuel 3 winners/losers:

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)

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The Telegraph was first to report Pearson-Sotiropoulos were being targeted to lead the squads.

Pearson (13-5) is a former TUF champion, claiming the crown in Season 9. He was recently arrested for DUI in Las Vegas, but the UFC doesn’t appear to be punishing him for the offense. The Brit is currently set to face Cub Swanson at UFC on FX 4 in June.

Sotiropoulos, who is Australian, was looking like a future title-contender but is now on a two-fight losing streak after defeats to Dennis Siver and Rafael dos Anjos. He is also former Ultimate Fighter, reaching the semifinals on Season 6, and has racked up wins inside the Octagon against Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino, and Joe Lauzon.

TUF: Australia vs. UK is holding tryouts for fighters between 135-170 pounds.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“He’s not a man,” said the normally reserved Brazilian during a dinner conversation with mentor Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera. “He gives up. Against Shane Carwin, he pretended he was hurt. He’s full of it.”

The ill will also apparently carried over to Nogueira who labeled Mir’s ground game as “simple” and stated he doesn’t feel his former adversary deserves to be called a champion.

Mir-Dos Santos fight on May 26 in Las Vegas. A new episode of UFC Primetime will air this Friday night after TUF 15 concludes.

Check out the full video of last week’s feature below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Tom Lawlor (7-4) vs. Jason MacDonald (25-15)

“Filthy” Lawlor is back after he took a nap in the cage at the hands of one Chris Weidman. The always-funny wrestler has had a rough time lately inside the Octagon and needs a win here tonight. MacDonald is nearing the end of his career so he’ll the Canadian submission specialist will be out to close things out with a win tonight followed by an even bigger win at UFC 149 in Calgary.

Unfortunately for “The Athlete”, I think his opponent has other plans. I expect Tom to impose his will and use his wrestling to grind out a decision.

Winner – Tom Lawlor defeats Jason MacDonald via Unanimous Decision

Fabio Maldonado (18-4) vs. Igor Pokrajac (24-8)

This fight could be fireworks. Maldonado hits hard and man does he loves to throw rib roasters. While he’s not necessarily the most consistent fighter, he’s tough and can bring the pain. Pokrajac hits hard as well – just ask Krzysztof Soszynski. The tough-as-nails Croatian fighter hopes to be the next big thing to come out of that country but he has mighty big shoes to fill.

The biggest factor in this fight, for me, is that fact that of his eight losses, Pokrajac has lost by TKO four times. When facing a heavy handed foe such as Maldonado that spells trouble.

Winner – Fabio Maldonado defeats Igor Pokrajac via TKO Round 1

Jeff Hougland (10-4) vs. Yves Jabouin (17-7)

Jabouin looks for his third straight win tonight, hoping to make a splash in the always-changing bantamweight division. He takes on Hougland, who, despite a rough start to his career, has put together one hell of a winning streak. This bout could set one of these men up for a Top 10 opponent and put said individual one step closer to fighting for the coveted UFC belt.

I like both of these fighters, but this fight seems pretty clear cut to me. Hougland is good, but in Jabouin he faces an experienced, solid fighter who is likely to have his way with him even though it could be very close.

Winner – Yves Jabouin defeats Jeff Hougland via Unanimous Decision

Jeremy Stephens (20-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (17-4)

I don’t imagine I have to say too much about these men. Cerrone likes to kick some ass. Stephens likes to kick some ass. Both men need to get back on track and this fight is sure to be violent.

It will likely be the best fight of the night, and I imagine a brawl is what we’re going to see, but Cerrone is just too good and Stephens does not fair well against the upper echelon of the division. As such, Cerrone will pick him apart and finish him late in the fight.

Winner – Donald Cerrone defeats Jeremy Stephens via Submission Round 3

Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2)

TUF winner Sadollah returns to the Octagon for his ninth career fight. You’d think he’d have more, but we all seem to forget how green Sadollah is. While he has some good and bad fights in the UFC, he’s really coming into his own and he’s doing pretty well for himself in one of the toughest divisions in the sport. Lopez was touted as the next big thing though the Wanderlei Silva protege underwhelmed in his most recent appearance. While he’s still young, and the sky may very well be the limit, to quote Georges St-Pierre I have not been impressed by his performance.

For those reasons, I have to pick Sadollah. He has faced plenty of adversity, and I just don’t see what Lopez can throw at Amir that he can’t handle. This one isn’t going to be pretty.

Winner – Amir Sadollah defeats Jorge Lopez via Unanimous Decision

Chan Sung Jung (12-3) vs. Dustin Poirier (12-1)

“The Korean Zombie” enters the octagon after starching Mark Hominick back in Toronto. The skilled Korean Top Team fighter, who often throws caution to wind in favor of a brawl, is a surprise success story in the division and looks to keep up that momentum tonight. He takes on one of the hottest featherweight prospects in 23-year old Poirier. Poirier came onto the scene and immediately started making his opponents look silly. Simply put, the young, ever-improving future title contender has the skills to end any opponent’s evening whether standing or on the ground.

Jung is about to be just another name on Poirier’s record. Personally, I don’t believe the hype surrounding “The Korean Zombie”. Is he tough? Yes, yes he is. Is he a great fighter? Far from it. Beating Leonard Garcia and knocking out a guy who gets dropped by any glancing blow are not enough to make me believe he stands a chance tonight. Poirier will dominate this fight from start to finish.

Winner – Dustin Poirier defeats Chan Sung Jung via Submission Round 2

The main card gets started at 8:00 PM EST on FUEL TV and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. If you happen to miss any of the action, the 5 OZ family has you covered, as we’ll have live results as the fights happen.

Enjoy the action!

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

This week, White hammered home just how successful UFC on FOX 3 was. While some outlets reported the ratings numbers as being drastically down from previous shows, the brash boss of the UFC is standing by his claims that the show was a relative success in the big picture.

“You get these reporters who go out there and say all this (expletive) about the ratings without knowing all the facts,” said Whit, in a recent video blog. “Well, I’m going to layout the facts for all you guys who don’t know a lot about television ratings.”

The reported number – 2.4 million – initially drew the interest of White in this installment of his normally-fun-loving blog, pointing to a number of factors including the Cinco de Mayo holiday and viewership in general being down by ten million that night.

Check out the complete four-minute tirade below:

Since no one apparently knows this card is happening, I might as well break it down for you, right? Here’s a look at the prelims…

Francisco Rivera (7-2) vs. Alex Soto (6-1-1)

Fresh of a very successful stint in Tachi Palace Fights, “Cisco” Rivera is back under the ZUFFA banner, and hoping to make a big statement tonight. H takes on Soto, who, while being a solid fighter, was thrown to the wolves when he took on Michael McDonald.

I expect this fight looks similar to Cicso’s last two bouts. He’s taking Soto’s head off.

Winner – Francisco Rivera defeats Alex Soto via TKO Round 1

Jeff Curran (33-14-1) vs. Johnny Eduardo (25-9)

Relative of apparent world-beater Pat Curran, “The Big Frog” looks for his first UFC win with his badass submission skills. Across the cage is highly touted Eduardo. Eduardo is a solid, experienced fighter, who looks to make his own impact in the UFC.

The only place where Eduardo may struggle, is on the ground. Unfortunately for him, Jeff thrives there.

Winner – Jeff Curran defeats Johnny Eduardo via Submission Round 3

Rafael dos Anjos (15-6) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-2-2)

Speaking of awesome grapplers, Dos Anjos is back! With always improving striking, and some slowly, but surely developing wrestling skills, Dos Anjos is quickly developing into a complete fighter. He takes on the heavy-handed Shalorus who has some damn good wrestling skills but rarely uses them. Kamal hasn’t faired well in the UFC, after a fairly good showing in WEC.

While Kamal is good, he’s also getting older, and as seen in his last few bouts, he’s slowing. Jim Miller seemingly broke Shalorus in their fight and I think Dos Anjos’ grappling might keep Shalorus from engaging him in that department,  thus, I am going with Dos Anjos in a boring fight.

Winner – Rafael dos Anjos defeats Kamal Shalorus via Unanimous Decision

T.J. Grant (17-5) vs. Carlo Prater (30-10-1)

Two former welterweights clash in a lightweight bout, as Grant returns to the Octagon after a short layoff due to injuries. He takes on the crafty Brazilian Prater who looks to get his first legitimate win in awhile, as his last “victory” came due to a questionable disqualification at the hands of Erick Silva.

I expect this is a good fight, and an even better fight for Grant, who will impose his will, and dominate Prater for 15 minutes.

Winner – T.J. Grant defeats Carlo Prater via Unanimous Decision

Cody McKenzie (12-2) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (21-5)

The master of the McKenzietine returns to the Octagon and looks for his first win in far too long. The proficient grappler who specializes in nasty guillotine chokes has dropped the silly gimmick of being a happy-go-lucky guy from Alaska and has taken to the gym to improve himself as a fighter. His opponent, the always dangerous LeVesseur, is a solid wrestler who even holds a win on the mat over Ben Askren and has some violent striking.

This is bad match-up, stylistically, for McKenzie and he risks getting picked apart and finished if he stands with LeVesseur. I think Marcus has a pretty damn good chance of winning, but I am a fan of McKenzie and I’m going with my heart, not my head.

Winner – Cody McKenzie defeats Marcus Levesseur via Submission Round 2

Dongi Yang (10-2) vs. Brad Tavares (7-1)

After a ten-month layoff Tavares is back and ready to scrap. The former TUF finalist has been left behind in a quickly changing division and a win tonight could solidify his standing at 185. Meanwhile, his opponent – “The Ox” – hits hard. REALLY hard.

The bottom line is I just don’t have enough faith in Tavares’ abilities nor do I think he can take Yang down. In fact, I think “The Ox” pounds the hell out of him and makes it a quick night.

Winner – Dongi Yang defeats Brad Tavares via TKO Round 1

The preliminary card goes down today at 5:30 PM ET on the UFC’s Facebook page. Check back a little later for my main card breakdown, and as always, enjoy the fights!

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Chad Griggs

If Phil Davis has anything to say about it, Griggs’ light heavyweight debut will result in a similar outcome.

UFC officials confirmed on Monday Griggs and Davis will meet at UFC on FOX 4. The card is set for August 4 from Los Angeles.

Prior to his loss against Browne “The Grave Digger” had been on a six-fight winning streak with his only other defeat coming in 2007 to Shane Ott. Likewise, Davis (9-1) will also be looking to bounce back from defeat, as former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans handed “Mr. Wonderful” his first professional loss earlier this year.

UFC on FOX 4 is scheduled to be headlined by Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann. Where Griggs-Davis will be placed on the card is unknown at this time.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

While Gracie expressed disappointment in a written statement published late last night he also made it clear he understood where his star pupil was coming from given the lack of professionalism he received from the organization hosting the bout.

According to Gracie, the issues influencing Diaz’s decision related to opponent Braulio Estima being presented as someone with no interest in a MMA career as well as the Brazilian’s weight-related demands. Originally Diaz’s camp had been told Estima was purely focused on grappling as a means of quelling their concerns about a BJJ-based win being used as a means of self-promotion in the MMA field. When they learned he had started training for an eventual MMA debut a red flag went up. Estima also failed to make an agreed-upon weight the night before the match-up, adding to Diaz’s displeasure with how things were being handled.

However, that doesn’t mean Gracie let Diaz off the hook for his role in the matter.

“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.

Gracie also added Diaz donated a sum equal to that of his purse from the event to St. Jude’s Hospital as he’d planned to do with his winnings.

The full body of Gracie’s statement can be found 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 – HDNET/STRIKEFORCE

“Fans can expect everything from me on Tuesday night, even the kitchen sink,” said an excited Poirier in a recent interview with FightLine. “It’s going to be a war; it’s going to be an incredible 25 minutes. I’m excited to test myself and I know this will make me a better fighter. We’re going to go in there and rise to the occasion. I’ve been watching video of him every morning, he’s an animal. I love his aggression when he gets hit he wants to hit you back twice. He keeps moving forward. We are the main event for a reason and I plan on showing the UFC they made the right decision placing me in this position.”

After the fight, assuming he wins, Poirier would also be open to facing fellow contender Hatsu Hioki later this year if his 145-pound peer gets by his own challenge in the form of Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4 in June. Both are considered frontrunners to face the winner of Jose Aldo‘s upcoming title-defense against Erik Koch.

“I think it would be perfect timing to be honest with you,” stated Poirier of a possible pairing with Hioki. “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 continued, adding he wasn’t counting out the possibility of Lamas grinding out a decision.

Fans can catch Poirier-Jung going at it tomorrow evening on Fuel TV with the main broadcast starting up at 8:00 PM EST. Poirier is 12-1 with five straight wins to his credit while Jung holds a career mark of 12-3 including consecutive finishes of Leonard Garcia and Mark Hominick.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 34-year old recently took to Twitter to announce he had hung up his gloves for good due to an undisclosed injury. Wilks will now focus his time on teaching at his gym (Lightning MMA in Laguna Hills, California).

Wilks hasn’t fought since an October 2010 loss to Claude Patrick at UFC 120. The stumble dropped his overall record to 7-4 and 2-2 inside the Octagon. He emerged as a talent to watch on TUF 9, winning the show by submitting DaMarques Johnson in the opening round of their bout at the finale.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“The operation was successful. The recovery is doing very well. I will be back 100 percent again, but it will just take time,” said Mousasi in an interview on MMAJunkie Radio, adding he hadn’t spoken about his status before because “no one asked”. The talented light heavyweight didn’t go into detail on how the injury occurred but mentioned he would fight before the end of the year assuming his rehabilitation went as planned.

With Mousasi out for another six months it’s difficult to know exactly what type of promotion he’ll be returning to given Strikeforce’s issues drawing attendance and relative lack of overall depth. However, Mousasi plans to honor the deal he signed and will continue competing under their banner until told otherwise.

“I had one fight left. Then I was hoping maybe to go to the UFC after that, but then they offered me – they said we’re going to give you a new contract. So I signed for another six fights. Now I have a six (or) seven-fight deal, I believe, in Strikeforce,” explained Mousasi. “(Zuffa) said the Strikeforce fighters were going to stay with Strikeforce. And that’s the thing that it was, so we signed again.”

For reference, Mousasi has only fought for Strikeforce five times since initially inking a contract in 2009. However, when he makes his way back to the organization his presence will certainly be welcome as often as possible given his success in the ring including past victories over Mark Hunt, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Ronaldo Souza, Renato Sobral, and Hector Lombard.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

One person whose jaw didn’t drop at the notion of Diaz flaking was UFC President Dana White, citing his own experiences with the former Strikeforce champion in a post on Twitter addressing the situation.

“No, not shocked and I’m surprised u people are! He no showed a Las Vegas press conf to a fight he was gonna make HUGE $ and title,” wrote White in reference to Diaz’s actions leading up to UFC 137 where he was supposed to fight Georges St-Pierre. Diaz missed two press conferences, the latter of which was in Las Vegas, and was replaced in the bout by Carlos Condit.

“People are f***in nuts and braindead to be OUTRAGED and SHOCKED that Nick no showed something,” White added candidly.

Independent of his aspirations on the mat as a submission-grappler it also remains to be seen if Diaz will ever return to the Octagon. He is currently facing a possible suspension due to marijuana use and has stood relatively firm on his surprising retirement a few months back.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC

According to Stephens, he’s looking forward to testing that durability, especially based on Cerrone’s willingness to stand against opponents even in situations where doing so may not be the best strategy. If “Cowboy” follows that trend next week, Stephens is confident he’ll become the first to stop Cerrone by means other than a submission.

“I don’t hit like a normal ’55er. I probably knock guys out at 170 and above,” explained Stephens in an interview with USA Today. “Once he starts feeling that power, I’ve got a feeling that he’s going to try to resort to the ground game…I feel like he’s going to make the attempt. I’m going to shut that down and keep it standing and knock him out.”

“Cowboy’s a guy who likes to pressure guys, like to bully them. When he has that momentum, he’s very dangerous,” Stephens continued on Cerrone. “When I come forward, we’re definitely going to collide. It’s going to be who’s coming forward and who has the lack of respect for each other’s power. I can tell you right now, I don’t really care for his kicks. I couldn’t care less about his kicks. I couldn’t care less about his punching power. And I’m going to break him.”

Both men should be ready to deliver fireworks come showtime as each has recently suffered a hard-fought decision loss. Cerrone was last seen falling to Nate Diaz while Stephens came up short against Anthony Pettis this past October.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC