Bleacher Report - Articles by Joseph Bonsignore

Antonio Silva Defies CSAC, Gets His and Cornermen's Licenses Revoked

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:53:44 -0500

As you may remember, Antonio Silva tested positive after his fight with Justin Eilers (for the vacant EliteXC Heavyweight Championship) for the anabolic steroid Boldenone. He was suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission.

Rumors started circulating that Silva would go fight in Japan and defy the CSAC. Many told him not to do it in fear of what the CSAC might do. Well, according to Dave Meltzer, here is what they will do:

"The California State Athletic Commission will be putting the issue of revoking Antonio Silva's license for fighting earlier today at the Sengoku show while on suspension for failing a steroid test on its 2/10 agenda. There will also be disciplinary action coming on Monday for those who worked his corner. Bill Douglas of the commission will be notifying all commissions tomorrow morning regarding Silva and those in his corner who aided and abetted Silva."

So apparently his cornermen are getting a piece of this as well, which is unfair in many ways. While I don't feel like the CSAC has the right to tell a fighter where he can or cannot fight while they are suspended in California, Silva still knew there could be consequences for himself and those around him.

He still took the fight and now they are in just as much trouble as him. Vitor Belfort was in the same situation in the past and he was punished by the CSAC as well, just not to this extent.

Many top cards are held in California—cards that he will now be left off of when and if he decides to try to come back to America. If he had just waited out his suspension like most fighters usually do, then all of this could have been avoided.

Better yet, he shouldn't have even taken the steroids in the first place. Japan is known for rampant steroid abuse and not testing fighters, so maybe it's better for him if he wants to continue going down the cheating route.

Demian Maia vs. Top WEC Star Chael Sonnen Set For UFC 95

Joseph Bonsignore — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:01:49 -0500

The card that everyone in London is complaining about for not having any big fights just got sweetened a bit. According to Guto Maia on Brazilian Black Belt:

"Demian Maia has already confirmed his next opponent. He will fight in London, UFC 95 (February 21), against Chael Sonnen (which won the Brazilian Paulo Filho in his last fight)."

Maia is coming off of an utter destruction of Nate Quarry at UFC 91. Sonnen just transfered over during the WEC weight class merger. His last victory came over BJJ black belt and WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho. Filho never made weight for the fight though and the belt was never "officially" given to Sonnen.

You can look for Sonnen to be the heavy underdog for this fight card, but it may definitely be a bet that's worth taking. All three main event underdogs from UFC 92 this past weekend won their fights in incredible fashion. I'm going to go out on a limb and call Sonnen by decision.

Bleacher Report Note: Please get rid of this Getty Images search. It is just horrible.

UFC Continues To Bully Jon Fitch; UFC 94 Card Set

Joseph Bonsignore — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:12:21 -0500

First off, here is the lineup for UFC 94, which is set to take place on Jan. 31 (Super Bowl Weekend) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas:

Main Card

Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn
Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva
Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones
Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Nathan Diaz vs. Clay Guida

Preliminary Card

Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Gono
Manny Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares
John Howard vs. Chris Wilson
Jake O'Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer

Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Yes, you caught it. The No. 3 welterweight in the world is on the undercard. Now, this isn't the first time we've seen this. The UFC has already bullied around Fitch once by releasing him from his contract after he refused to sign away the rights to his likeness for the upcoming UFC video game.

When is the last time we have seen this? Let's take a trip down recent memory lane:

Yushin Okami is a former top contender to face Anderson Silva, as boring as he is, is still a top ranked MW. He was relegated to the undercard for his fight with Dean Lister after his injury that forced him out of the title picture.
Roger Huerta was not allowed to fight the last fight on his contract until he agreed to sign a new one with the promotion.
Pretty much all the American Kickboxing Academy fighters were threatened the same way Fitch was when it came to the video game deal. This included Josh Koscheck (top ranked welterweight) and Cain Velasquez (up and coming heavyweight). Dana White even went as far as to say that all current AKA members who want to make it into the UFC for the future may want to consider moving to another camp.

If you are going to take a fight off of the main card to switch, it would have to bee the Bonnar/Jones fight. Bonnar, while exciting, tested positive for steroids and hasn't fought in over a year.

Anyone that tests positive for steroids should automatically be relegated to the undercard for at least their first fight back as a further punishment. Not Fitch though, who has done absolutely nothing except give his all in the Octagon every time he's out there.

Joe Stevenson-Diego Sanchez Co Main Event UFC 95; Huerta-Fisher Possible?

Joseph Bonsignore — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:44:16 -0500

Looks like it could be a big start to the new year for the UFC lightweight division. Four of the UFC's top LW contender's look to be getting matched up already.

Roger Huerta, who hasn't fought since his unanimous decision loss to Kenny Florian in August, is looking to be paired up with Spencer "The King" Fisher. People are saying that Huerta was given a lesser opponent to keep building him up, but I have always been a fan of the Miletich fighter.

Fisher has proved to be no slouch over his UFC carreer. He is currently 8-3 as a UFC fighter with notable wins over Thiago Alves (next in line for WW title shot), Aaron Riley, and Matt Wiman.

Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (6-3 UFC) is the TUF 2 champion. He is one of those fighters that makes it to the top then falls down the hill, but not too far down it. He lost a championship fight to BJ Penn, then won one fight against Gleison Tibau to be in a No. 1 contender match with Kenny Florian. Stevenson lost that fight in the first round by rear naked choke, but instead of them throwing him a LW can, they give him TUF 1 winner Diego Sanchez. The bout agreement was just signed by Diego and will take place as a co-main event at UFC 95 on Feb 21st.

Diego Sanchez (7-2 UFC) is coming into his lightweight debut on a two fight winning streak. Impressive wins over David Bielkheden in March by strikes and Luigi Fioravanti in June by strikes, as well. The only two losses in Diego's 21-fight career came by decision to two top level fighters, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch.

It looks to be the third TUF champion vs. champion fight to add to the list behind Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans in November of '07 and Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans on the 27th of this month.

Black Belts, Contracts, And New Blood: UFC Lightweight Round Up

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:39:26 -0500

It's been a big week for UFC lightweights thus far. Over the weekend, Brooklyn's own and TUF finalist Phillipe Nover was given his black belt by Alexandre “Soca” Freitas. He had the following to say:

“My teacher Soca gave me my black belt today. It has been a long journey and I have finally arrived. I’ve been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for over 8 years. To me, obtaining a black belt brings the art to full circle. I will continue to train just as hard as I have been and will strive to the top.

"Thank you to all my training partners and teachers, especially Soca for believing in me! I only hope to make you all proud next week and bring home victory! I will keep this fire in me burning. My time is now!”

Nover gets this honor just days before he is presented with the biggest opportunity in his life, fighting in the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter". Everyone here in Brooklyn is pulling for you Phillipe, good luck.

Anyone remember Roger Huerta? Yea, the top ranked lightweight who was unhappy with his contract situation, then iced by the UFC for months until he re-signed with them. That day has come. Huerta inked a new five fight contract. His first opponent is rumored to be Joe "Daddy" Stevenson at UFC 95. Hopefully the UFC can put that one together. Both are ironically coming off of losses to the same person. That man of course is Kenny "I Finish Fights" Florian.

Diego Sanchez is leaving the welterweight ranks to join the 155 pounders. He had the following to say on his Myspace blog:

“So my account got hacked and it took a while to get it fixed, but I’m back. I’m training hard and will be dropping down to fight at 155. I will keep you all posted on the info of the fight! But I promise you all that I will do my best to win.”

Dana White confirmed the notion. Sean Sherk already has his eyes set on welcoming him to the lightweight division. Sherk commented:

“If he wants to drop to 155, I’d like to be the first guy that fights him. I think I match up great with him. I think his ground game is phenomenal, but so is mine. I know his conditioning is phenomenal. So is mine. His boxing…is okay. But I think it would be a great match-up. You get two guys that are really aggressive fighters who have great conditioning who are going to go and bang it out for 15 minutes.”

This just proves even further that the lightweight division is the most stacked in the UFC and we can expect nothing but good things from it in the near future.

The Ultimate Fighter 8: Who Got Face Time?

Joseph Bonsignore — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:14:08 -0500

This article actually started off as a normal conversation I was having with somebody over AIM. They said I should make an article out of it, and voila. Think of this as a small recap of ther season.

Light Heavyweights

Tom Lawlor (Team Mir) - Took shots and chugged urine.

Vinicius "Vinny" Magalhães (Team Mir) - Had an argument with Nogueira over comments he made about his BJJ style.

Eliot Marshall (Team Mir) - Also had a disagreement with Big Nog over something completely different.

Krzysztof Soszynski (Team Mir) - Played pranks in the house almost every episode.

Ryan Bader (Team Nogueira) - Teased a drunk Junie, got halfway pulled into a pool in one instance.

Jules Bruchez (Team Nogueira) - Hmmm....nothing? In fact, after he lost, he was given no face time for the rest of the season. I forgot he was on the show until I saw he was fighting on the final card.

Kyle Kingsbury (Team Nogueira) - Spunked the sushi after eating urine soaked fruit.

Shane Primm (Team Nogueira) - Got a glass mug thrown at him by Junie in final episode.

Lightweights

Rolando "Roli" Delgado (Team Nogueira) - Had his black belt questioned and was given a "McDojo" black belt by Junie, who then threw it to the ground and spat on it.

Efrain Escudero (Team Nogueira) - Sparred with Stanky for a round.

Phillipe Nover (Team Nogueira) - Fainted in the beginning of the season and ate urine soaked fruit.

John Polakowski (Team Nogueira) - There was an entire episode on how much he loved to hug people.

Junie Browning (Team Mir) - Threw two glasses at two different people (Kingsbury and Primm). Cutting Kingsbury with the first one. Pulled Bader into the pool. Jumped into the cage after Efrain beat Shane Nelson and complained about him being a boring wrestler. Apparently told Nogueira to get his [expletive] hand off of him as well. Also complained he wasn't getting enough mat time and got overall worse since being on the show.

David Kaplan (Team Mir) - Said he couldn't be knocked out, then was KTFO'ed by Tom Lawlor in the bathroom.

Shane Nelson (Team Mir) - Got drunk and picked a fight with Roli.

George Roop (Team Mir) - Severely injured his thumb.

As you can see, some people got little to no face time on this show. Junie hogged most of it but at the same time brought others onto the camera with him. Not necessarily in the way that they would have liked though. I spoke to a cast member from this season and said if you have the skills, that's great, step one completed. Spike TV though is looking for personalities. They decide if you get on the show or not. Sad, but true.

Brooklyn Is Back In The Ultimate Fighter Finals (Prediction)

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:18:31 -0500

That's right ladies and gentlemen. I called it in a previous article. Granted, Amir Sadollah was only born in Brooklyn and raised in Virginia, but my hometown hero Phillipe Nover ripped through everything and everyone that was thrown at him this season and will secure a spot with the UFC win or lose.

Dana White dubbed him as "The Next Anderson Silva" before the season aired on TV. He fights out of Team Insight in Brooklyn, NY where he was born and raised in Mil Basin (About 5 minutes away from me by car actually).

We didn't get to see much of him in the octagon on the show since all of his opponents were disposed of quickly, including the much favored Joe Duarte in his match to get into the house. He had the following to say:

"Dana initially underestimated me. First of all, Joe Duarte had a stacked resume. He had something like over 30 fights, mostly non MMA, but boxing and kickboxing. He was a really tough dude and he sold himself well. He told everyone how bad he was and other guys confirmed it. Here I am fighting this big bad ass and I’m this weak, registered nurse. I played that role from day one. There was no way I could change people’s mind other than showing them in the cage. So I just stayed quiet. The whole time he (Duarte) looked at me before the fight, I pretended to not be able to look back at him. I pretended to have this weak mentality. But as soon as the bell rang, that’s when I turned it on. I knew he wasn’t going to want to be in the cage with me. Dana called me “Fainting Felipe” and I really wanted to prove something after that."

- AtlanticMMA.com

Phillipe takes on Efrain Escuerdo, who is obviously no slouch. He is 10-0 in MMA with 9 submissions to his name (as well as 3 submission victories on the show). The fight will not be an easy task for Phillipe at all, but it is one that I feel that he can overcome. Phillipe is a brown belt in BJJ under his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teacher Alexandre "Soca" Freitas. He also scored 3 submission wins on the show. I expect a real battle on the ground with Phillipe securing a rear naked choke in the second round.

A special thanks to Phillipe for hosting the viewing parties for his fights over here for all of his fans. Can a Brooklyn born fighter conquer the show two years in a row? We shall see come December 13th.

Tim Sylvia Vs. Ken Shamrock Set for February?: Yes, You Read That Correctly

Joseph Bonsignore — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:33:43 -0500

Yes, you read it right. Tim Sylvia, the man who was recently paid $800,000 to fight the top Heavyweight in the world (Fedor Emelianenko) is now apparently taking a giant step down in competition.

He is set to face "The World's Most Dangerous Man" (a nickname that hardly fits anymore) Ken Shamrock at XP3, a small promotion in Texas. The fight was apparently supposed to happen on Dec. 20, but it was postponed until February.

Shamrock has dropped seven of his last eight fights and hasn't won since June of 2004. Those losses included three to Tito Ortiz and a first round KO at the hands of the relatively unknown Robert "Buzz" Berry in his last outing in March.

Shamrock was supposed to take on Kimbo Slice, but was cut open along his eyebrow on the day of the fight while rolling. This forced him out of the main event and we all know how that one ended.

So, why face a washed up Ken Shamrock after facing the like of Emelianenko, Nogueira, Vera, and Couture in his last four fights? You go from facing the best that the world has to offer in your division, to someone who lost his edge years ago.

I doubt it could be the money since it's a small show in Texas. Sylvia is only 32 years old. He has a lot of fights left in him. Affliction looks to have left him off of their upcoming second card, but he could be fighting for a show like Strikeforce or over in Japan somewhere and at least get respectable opponents.

Maybe one day we will see the old Tim come back. The Tim that was kicking Tra Telligman's head off. Or possibly the one who knocked out Andrei Arlovski in the first round? All I know is to get better, you need to fight people that are better then you, and that isn't going to happen fighting opponents like Ken Shamrock.

UPDATE: Shamrock says that his camp was approached with the fight and it was rejected, but Sylvia is still confident that it will happen on Feb. 7 at the Reliant Arena.

Co UFC Creator Unleashes XARM: Sets Combat Sports Back Ten Years

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:55:06 -0500

MMA and combat sports in general have come a long way since Art Davie (co creator of the UFC) held the first UFC just over 10 years ago. We all know that the UFC was sold to the Fertita brothers and Dana White. They expanded the UFC into an empire (or some may say a monopoly).

With this empire, they are gradually bringing the sport of MMA into the mainstream. Getting coverage on ESPN, selling around a million PPV's, and selling out stadium/arena's around the world.

Art Davie of course wants a piece of the pie that he got rid of, now that the pie is no longer his. In comes "XARM". What is XARM? Well in short...it's a bunch of heavyweights that arm wrestle, while tethered to a table in a belted harness and have their hands duck taped together. Three rounds that are a minute each. Oh, I forgot to mention that the object is to knock out, submit, or pin your opponents arm while tied to this post? That's right. Sounds extremely technical, right? Wrong.

If you go to XARM.com, you can see a fight for free. I honestly couldn't help but laugh at how poorly the sport was thought out. Between the color commentators calling Davie the "Godfather" of the UFC and saying that the sport could become bigger then MMA, I couldn't help myself.

Davie came up with a 10-point "must" system to try to make it sound more professional, but this sport will never be taken serious. If you remember MMA was called "human cock fighting" at the beginning. Prepare to have that phrase thrown out again very loosely once people realize just how bad the sport is.

They covered the sport on "Inside MMA" on HDNet and all of the panelists and hosts (Robbie Lawler, Cung Le, Mark Pavelich, Kenny Rice, and Bas Rutten) agreed with pretty much everything I put out there already, also saying that it looked like a sport that a bunch of drunk guys came up with one night. Anyone remember YAMMA Pit Fighting from the other original co-promoter of the UFC, Bob Meyrowitz? That was a complete failure and that's where I see this sport going as well.

If you want to check out the rest of the "rules" for this trainwreck, then head over to XARM Rules.

UFC 91 Draws Big Numbers, But Not 1.2 Million Worth

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:00:16 -0500

Were you one of the 800,000-850,000 (numbers courtesy of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer) people to tune into UFC 91 to watch Brock Lesnar become the new UFC heavyweight champion? I know I was.

Dana White and the UFC projected bigger numbers (around 400,000 more buys), but people are saying that it was just so they could get ESPN to cover the event. If that was the case, then it worked out perfectly.

The reports show that it looks to have beaten UFC 61 (Ortiz vs. Shamrock) but not UFC 66 (Ortiz vs. Liddell). At any rate, though, the No. 2 highest selling PPV of all time isn't bad at all considering the shape of our economy.

I have a feeling we are going to be seeing some numbers on par or possibly even bigger with some of the events coming up, as well.

UFC 92—Dec. 27

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans (for UFC light heavyweight title)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir (for interim UFC heavyweight title)
Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

UFC 94—Jan. 31

Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn (for welterweight title)
Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva
Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Gono
Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim

With the right advertisement, these two cards alone can be blockbuster successes. We'll see how Dana White and company handle these ones.

P.S.: All of my new articles from now on and other great MMA news can also be found over at Atlantic MMA.

Jon Fitch Gone from UFC, Dana White Declares War - The Full Story (UPDATED)

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:37:29 -0500

Yes, you read it correctly. Top welterweight prospect Jon Fitch (8-1 UFC) has been dropped from the UFC. Why, you ask? Well, that's an excellent question. Both sides are giving completely different stories.

Fitch said Wednesday the dispute was over his reluctance to sign a lifetime contract to allow his name and likeness to be used in a video game the UFC is planning with THQ (UFC Undisputed 2009). He went on to say that the dispute has nothing to do with money and that he never caused a problem during his time in the UFC.

Dana White had this to say to Carmichael Dave during “The Carmichael Dave” show on 1140 KHTK in Sacramento:

“No, no, no. It has nothing to do with an agreement,” White said, correcting Carmichael when the host began to imply that Fitch was released because of reports he wouldn’t sign an agreement that would give the UFC lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of making video games.

“It doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch, either,” continued White. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”

Later, when another Fitch quote about having to give up their whole lives in a contract without seeing any compensation to his family if he should die, White had this to say:

“What’s with this whole lives? Do you know how much Jon Fitch made for the Georges St. Pierre fight? Where the hell else could Jon Fitch go right now and make the money he made? He made $169,000 for that night for that fight. Where’s he going to make that kind of money in one night?”

Christian Wellisch (who recently suffered a first-round KO loss to rising UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin) was also released yesterday. Other stars from the American Kickboxing Academy that may be in trouble are Josh Koscheck and Cain Velasquez.

Koscheck is expected to be safe until at least after he fights Yoshida as the headliner of the "Fight For The Troops" card on Dec. 10, but Velasquez, one of the sport's rising stars, is clearly not on the best terms with White. White said Zinkin (management team) wanted standard language that is part of every UFC fighter's contract removed from Velasquez's deal.

"Can you believe that?," White said. "Chuck Liddell has that language in his contract. Randy Couture has it. Anderson Silva has it. And Cain [expletive] Velasquez, with two [expletive] fights, wants us to change it for him? That's [expletive] nuts. He can get the [expletive] out."

As you can see, White has basically declared war on the AKA and those represented by DeWayne Zinkin and Bob Cook. He warned prospects in AKA that are trying to get into the UFC that they are basically already on shaky ground just by training there.

I understand where both sides are coming from, but White seems like he is acting out of anger once again. We have seen him do things like this to Tito Ortiz, Andrei Arlovski, and Roger Huerta just to name a few. The Fertitas need to jump in a fix this situation immediately because other companies with weaker welterweight divisions like Affliction would love to grab UFC stars like Fitch and Koscheck to call their own. White honestly doesn't care, though:

"Listen, this is just like any other job," he said. "You don’t want to work for me? There are plenty of other opportunities out there. The t-shirt guys are trying to start their own business. Get in business with them. Do it with somebody else. If you don’t want to be in business with me? Then you don’t have to be in business with me. It’s simple as that.”

One fighter that dodged a bullet was Mike Swick. He reportedly called White and expressed interest in fighting for the UFC. White confirmed this during the interview.

This could also impact the rumored signing of Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, as he trains at AKA, as well. Frank and Lorenzo, once again, can you fix the mess that White has gotten the UFC into?

UPDATE: Jon Fitch is back in the UFC after signing a contract for the video game. He had the following to say

“Communication kind of broke down with Dana (White) so we talked with Lorenzo. (I) just got off the phone with him and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead and I’ll be back in the UFC. We’re going to sign off on the video game and I’m back.”

“It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”

As you can see, Lorenzo Fertita fixed this problem, and not Dana. One quote I've always lived by is "If you want things done right the first time, always go to the top monkey." Thank you Lorenzo for clearing this up and getting one of the best Welterweights in the world back in the Octagon.

Joe "Daddy" Stevenson Awarded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:11:56 -0500

UFC lightweight Joe Stevenson (29-8) was awarded his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a ceremony this past Saturday according to UFC.com.

He received the belt from grappling legend and trainer Robert Drysdale. This will be great momentum to take into his fight on Saturday night against fellow lightweight contender Kenny "Kenflo" Florian.

Stevenson started his MMA career ten years ago at the ripe old age of 16. He had to get his parents consent of course.

He has already won the welterweight division of the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and then dropped to lightweight. At only 25 years old, Stevenson got a title shot against one of the best lightweights in the world, BJ Penn.

He currently has a 6-2 record in the UFC with his only two losses coming to Penn and Josh Neer. Four of his six UFC wins have come by way of his favorite submission: guillotine choke.

One would be hard pressed to say that Stevenson hasn't done much by his current age. The fight outcome on Saturday will likely determine who gets the next shot at BJ Penn's title in 2009.

Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen Confirmed

Joseph Bonsignore — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:57:52 -0500

Chael Sonnen recently spoke with GracieMag.com and said the following:

“Yes, it’s confirmed. Once I’m in the UFC I’ll fight Anderson Silva. I think he’s a great fighter, but I’m only going to start thinking about that after my fight with Paulo Filho. If you want to ask me about it after tonight, I’ll be happy to answer.”

Apparently the interview was before his most recent fight with Filho. This is a good idea (even though it came completely out of left field) to merge the titles.

Sonnen is basically the WEC Middleweight champion after defeating Filho on Wednesday. Filho is mailing Sonnen the belt.

I still feel that this fight will be yet another walk through for Silva though. Why? Chael hasn't fought nearly the competition that Silva has fought (besides Filho). Silva has been facing top Middleweights since he has been in the UFC and ran through every single one of them (besides Cote, but that was more of a sparring session for him).

Silva has yet to speak on this match, but it will be a nice way to show the progress that WEC has made with their heavier divisions if he can stand toe to toe with the baddest man on the planet. Like every Silva fight, I very much look forward to it. I just hope Chael doesn't embarrass himself like so many middleweights have before against Silva.

Chris Leben Suspended Nine Months After Failing Post-UFC 89 Drug Test

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:01:37 -0500

Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports has reported that Chris Leben has been suspended by the UFC after testing positive for steroids (Stanazolol) on a post UFC 89 drug test. Leben will be suspended for nine months and fined a third of his undisclosed purse for the fight.

Stanozolol is a synthetic anabolic steroid derived from testosterone that is usually prescribed to treat anemia and hereditary angioedema in humans, though it's also available for veterinary uses. Big name MMA fighters such as Tim Sylvia, Phil Baroni and Kimo Leopoldo have tested positive for it in the past.

Dana White had the following to say about the incident:

“I am obviously disappointed with Chris, who has made great strides getting his life back on track. To his credit, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is accepting the punishment that has been handed down. But as always, the UFC puts the safety of its athletes first and foremost, and we won’t tolerate anyone using performance enhancing drugs in our organization.”

There is no formal athletic commission in England, so the UFC administers their own drug tests. They tested all 22 athletes on the card before and after the event. Leben is the only fighter who tested positive for illegal substances. This is Leben's first positive test and is yet another setback in career.

Leben was quoted saying that he will use his suspension time to speak to kids about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. Hopefully he can get back on track when he is allowed back inside the octagon next summer.

Phillipe Nover (TUF 8) Is the Next Anderson Silva

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:17:59 -0400

Does anyone remember Dana White saying the following before this season of The Ultimate Fighter started?

“I was going off when I saw this guy,” White said. “He’s 24 and he’s destroying people. It’s sick how bad ass he is. I’m getting goose bumps talking to you about him.”

He also said it's a LW fighter (155 lbs.). So if you haven't figured it out by now, it's most likely Phillipe Nover that he is talking about. Believe me, I did the research. Nover is 24 and fights out of my home city of Brooklyn, NY (Team Insight). He is a brown belt in BJJ and he could be the second Brooklyn fighter in a row to win The Ultimate Fighter.

He is the only one on the show left that matched the specs that White was talking about. Shane would have been the only other solid guess, but he was defeated by Efrain a few episodes ago.

Nover won his way into the house with a slick rear naked choke. They haven't showed much of him this season besides him fainting in the earlier episodes. He is currently 5-0-1 with three of his wins coming by submission.

If anyone is in the NYC area and would like to go to a viewing party hosted by Phillipe, he posted this on his weekly blog on fiveouncesofpain.com:

"Speaking of next week, come join me on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET in New York for a TUF 8 viewing party that I’m holding at Aviator Sports and Recreation. The place is enormous so bring as many people as you can find! We’ll be hanging out at the sports bar on the second floor so be sure to stop by show your support for 5 Oz.!"

"The bar serves food and the Aviator used to be a hangar for jets—which you’ll see when you drive along the airstrip. There’s even an airplane parked in the front. For more information, just click here for the Aviator’s website. See you there!"

Dana White Invites Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson to Join "The Ultimate Fighter"

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:55:18 -0400

It is no secret that Dana White doesn't think much of Kimbo Slice. He doesn't think that he is a real fighter or athlete for that matter. Most of the MMA world (or at least the purists), including myself, agrees with him. Dana has now gone as far as inviting Kimbo to a new season of "The Ultimate Fighter". He had the following to say to MMA.Fanhouse.com:

“What has the guy done to deserve to be in the UFC? Nothing. I don’t consider him a real athlete or anything. He won’t win The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). The offer is out there if he wants to take it and he won’t win it. I might [put a heavyweight show together just for him].”

Kimbo won't be making nearly as much money as he was making in EliteXC if he decides to accept Dana's offer, but if it is legitimacy he is looking for, this is his big shot. The UFC could actually rake in some gigantic ratings every Wednesday night by having Kimbo on the show.

It is pretty unlikely that Kimbo would accept Dana's offer. He tasted the high life in EXC with his $500,000 pay days and hand picked tomato can opponents. Only time will tell though.

Struggle for Supremacy: St. Pierre or Penn to Get Anderson Silva Next?

Joseph Bonsignore — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:21:34 -0400

Dana White recently spoke to SunSport and said that if Georges St. Pierre was to get by B.J. Penn on Super Bowl weekend, that he would get a fight with Anderson Silva next. B.J. Penn, on the other hand, will not get the same opportunity.

“If GSP beats B.J. then you’ll see Silva v GSP. Possibly at a catch weight. But if Penn beats GSP there’s no way I’d let him move up to 185 lbs, no way. He’ll f***ing fight, argue, and cry about it, but there’s no way. It ain’t gonna happen, I can tell you that right now, it ain’t gonna happen.”

- Dana White

If you have followed B.J. Penn's career, then you would know that he has already fought at the LHW division. Specifically, a 205-pound fight with Lyoto Machida in March of 2005 in the K-1 HERO'S promotion. If I know B.J. Penn's relationship with the UFC though, B.J. gets what B.J. wants. Dana will fold sometime down the line if Penn pesters him enough about it.

With Silva wanting to retire after his next six fights, Dana should be doing whatever he can to get all of those blockbuster fights from him. Silva is not the type to back down and neither is Penn. To be fair to the LW division though, have Penn give back his title. He has already proven supremacy in that division, much like Silva has in the MW division.

Dana White doesn't feel that Anderson will retire after his contract is up though. He had the following to say:

"You never know when a guy is going to say, ‘Hey, I’m done, I want to retire.'

“But is he really going to retire? I don’t think so. Why would he quit? He’s got an opportunity right now to make a lot of money—he’s making a lot of money.”

“The window of opportunity in this business is very small and you’ve got to ride it for as long as you can. Once you retire from the fight game, it’s very hard to make that kind of money ever again.”

Only time will tell where this situation will lead us. It will definitely lead to some great MMA action for the fans, though.

Fedor Emelianenko Signs Exclusive Contract with Affliction: Randy Fight Gone?

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:38:47 -0400

MMAweekly.com reports that Fedor Emelianenko has recently signed an exclusive contract with Affliction. His previous contract was also exclusive, but only in the U.S.

This of course dashes all dreams of seeing the coveted Fedor vs. Randy Couture fight. The UFC had been pursuing the fight for some time now, but just could not come to terms with Fedor's management.

M-1 Global CEO Joost Raimond had the following to say:

“The fact of the matter is that a loan-out is something that the UFC would not desire, they would never go for such a deal. And secondly, the way we have our program set up for the next years, and our event schedules set up, it's just not feasible to have a Fedor fight within the UFC.”

There is still strong speculation that Couture has a clause in his contract to face Emelianenko on the second fight of his three-fight UFC deal, but Raimond and Finkelstein assure us that it will not take place in the UFC.

“We are aware of what the rumors are on how that contract looks,” Raimond said. “If that is true, we will have to work with the UFC to find out how that can take place. But what we can say is that bringing Fedor under contract with the UFC for such a bout, that's something that's not going to happen.”

Looks like the UFC is forced to co-promote this one now if they still want to make it happen. Will Dana fold and let the fight happen? Probably not, but one can dream.

(All quotes courtesy of MMAWeekly.com)

Anderson Silva Confirms Retirement Talk

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:02:29 -0400

All of the Anderson Silva retirement talk started back in September. Refer back to my previous article to see the story started with an interview on Brazilian cable channel SporTV.

A video interview was posted on Sherdog.com, and Anderson Silva did in fact confirm that he wants to retire after the six fights that he has left on his current contract. He said he'll be done by June, 2009, but that seems extremely far-fetched.

Silva was asked if it bothers him that people like Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson, who aren't even champions, get paid more to fight.

"It has nothing to do with money because I'm a humble person who has an ordinary life," Silva said, translated from Portugese in a video by Sherdog.com. "Actually I never did it for money, As a matter of fact, I believe my time is over."

He feels he has done everything he could for the sport of MMA and now wants to help the new generation of fighters.

“I’m going to be fat, with a big belly by the side of the Octagon, eating popcorn behind the scenes, making my imitations and screaming for the fighters: 'Go there! Kick his face! Put him down!'” he said.

I think I speak for all MMA fans when I say that we are going to miss your highlight reel finishes and constant demolition of the world's top fighters, Anderson. I look forward to seeing what else you will give us to remember you by with your next six fights.

Frank Shamrock vs. Ken Shamrock Signed for Early 2009

Joseph Bonsignore — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:00:42 -0400

ESPN.com reports that a contract has been signed by the famous adoptive Shamrock brothers to square off in early 2009 (most likely April on an EliteXC card).

"We've both signed a contract to fight each other—Ken is down with it," Frank Shamrock told ESPN. "We talked about it two years ago, and we've agreed materially to fight."

Said Ken Shamrock: "Will the fight happen? Absolutely. He's got a butt-kicking coming to him. Everything I've learned, everything I have bottled up in me, is going to come out on him. I've still got love for Frank, but I'm angry at him."

The insults have gone back and forth for a while now between the Shamrock brothers. Ken has accused Frank of being "an ungrateful punk" who disrespected their father, Bob. Frank has recently fired back with steroid accusations against Ken.

It seems as though EliteXC is continuing the freak-show MMA trend. A good portion of their main events have no direct bearing whatsoever on the rankings (namely all of Kimbo Slice's fights). This fight just adds to the trend. The weight class for this fight wasn't mentioned, but there will probably be some sort of catch weight.

Whatever the case may be, it will just be yet another public execution of Ken Shamrock, hopefully the last one that we will see. Frank's skills have evolved far beyond his. The only thing that these two are on the same level with is their loud and brash attitude.

This event will attract another major audience because people want to see brothers beat up on each other. It's just interesting to see the two completely separate ways that the UFC and EliteXC are going with for their main events. Let's just see if Ken Shamrock will make it into the cage this time around.

UFC 100 To Be Held on July 4th: All Titles On The Line

Joseph Bonsignore — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:33:54 -0400

Apparently the UFC have a major ace up their sleeve for their "100th" show. The real 100th show was actually UFC 78, but who's counting anyway?

According to mmabay.co.uk, the UFC has named July 4th (Independence Day for all the American readers) the date and Las Vegas the location for the night of champions. All of the belts will be on the line in what may prove to be the most anticipated/highest grossing MMA card of all time.

Now there are a lot of things that can factor into this: Suspensions from injuries being the main thing. Will we not see any title fights in the months leading up to this event to ensure that everything goes to plan? Honestly, I don't think it would matter much anyway if there were no title fights. There are plenty of non-championship stars in each weight class to put on quality cards all year long.

Whatever the case may be, bravo UFC if you can pull this one off.

"True Life: I'm A Mixed Martial Artist" Is Great For The Sport

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:28:16 -0400

I was browsing through my guide to find anything interesting to DVR and came across an episode of the MTV True Life series. I have been a fan of the True Life series for awhile. I feel it is the only thing that MTV does do right these days. The episode chronicled three different fighters at different levels in the MMA game.

Ian Stonehouse was getting ready for his first professional fight and juggling full time college at the same time.

Kit Cope was on a previous episode of the series (I'm a Muay Thai Fighter). He is a former world champion in Muay Thai. He suffered from injury after injury, and when he tried to transition into MMA, he had to get a normal desk job to stay afloat. He is on a comeback to try to make it back to the UFC one day.

Frankie Edgar is an undefeated UFC LW and facing his toughest opponent yet in Gray "The Bully" Maynard and getting married 10 days later.

I saw Edgar's and Cope's fights before the show aired yesterday (10/6/08), so it kind of took away from the suspense, but it was still a very well put together show. Edgar talks about how MMA fighters aren't exactly millionaires, even at his level.

Stonehouse shows the struggles of a young fighter trying to make it professionally. Even going as far as sitting in his car with the heat on to make weight because there was no saunas in his area.

This episode is perfect for fans and perspective fans alike. If you have a chance, definitely check it out. Check your local listings for show times.

UPDATED: UFC 93: Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson & Shogun Rua vs. Mark Coleman

Joseph Bonsignore — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:57:22 -0400

UFC 93 just got that much more stacked? No, not the UFC 93 you think I'm talking about.

This event would take place in Dublin on January 17th, and not Super Bowl weekend. The S.B. Weekend would be renamed to UFC 94 if this event can go through.

Yahoo Sports announced details today about the upcoming event that would pit Rich Franklin against one of three opponents. Mauricio Shogun Rua, Chuck Liddell, or (most likely) Dan Henderson.

Now we all know that Henderson was strongly rumored to be a coach of the US team alongside Michael Bisping leading the UK team on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: US vs. UK. Filming is set to begin in January, but if there is a fight in January then he is the unlikely choice for the show.

The weight class for the fight is unknown at the moment. I am going to guess and say Light Heavyweight because Henderson said he doesn't want to fight at 185 anymore and Franklin is coming off of a win at 205 lbs against Matt Hammil.

The card could also feature the Welterweight clash between Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. The fight was originally scheduled for December of 2007, but Serra had to pull out with a back injury. Hughes has been sidelined recently with a knee injury suffered at the hands of Thiago Alves earlier this year.

At any rate, this card is off to a good start and so is the year 2009 for Mixed Martial Arts.

UPDATE: The UFC has just confirmed Coleman vs. Shogun and Franklin vs. Henderson for the UFC 93 event in Dublin on January 17th. Chuck Liddell reportedly turned down the proposed fight with Franklin. This is a gigantic start to the new year.

MMA's 10 Commandments

Joseph Bonsignore — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:55:56 -0400

10.) Thou Shalt Not Lay n' Pray

We have all seen amazingly boring fights—Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian for the vacant LW title. Watching someone continuously take someone down and lay on them for 15-25 minutes is just horribly boring MMA. Effective, but boring.

9.) Thou Shalt Not Be Machidaesque

This goes hand-in-hand with Lay n' Pray. Machida's run-'n'-gun style makes for some of the most boring matches I have ever seen. The only reason I watch Machida lately is because I want to see someone actually catch and knock him out.

Some people disagree and love his fighting style. To each his own. While it is effective, I can guarantee you that his style is the reason why he hasn't gotten a title shot yet.

8.) Thou Shalt Not Starnes

If you don't understand where I'm getting this from, then go watch Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry. Kalib ran away from Quarry the whole fight. I don't mean Machida-type running, either.

I mean sprinting away from Quarry when he would come at him to the point where he was boo'ed unmercifully and mocked by Quarry at the same time. Starnes was released from the UFC the day after that fight. He said he requested to be released from his contract, but I have my sneaking suspicions.

7.) Thou Shall Make Weight

This should be a no brainer, but some fighters just don't understand it. Travis Lutter will be kicking himself for the rest of his life for missing weight in his fight against Anderson Silva. If he had made weight, then it would have been a title fight.

Once you miss weight and lose a shot like that, there is no chance that you're going to fight the same in that particular fight.

It also reflects poorly on your character. It will be quite a while before he gets back to the top of the ladder in his weight division, even if he was on a hot streak. Thiago Alves is another one who did it recently in a big fight with Matt Hughes. One can argue that he would have gotten a title shot sooner if he hadn't slipped up.

6.) Thou Shalt Not Use WWE Practices in MMA

This is the MMA purist in me talking, but let's be real here for a second. This isn't professional wrestling. Organizations like EliteXC cannot have someone the likes of Kimbo Slice headlining over a title fight or Andrei Arlovski.

Kimbo has proven absolutely nothing and will continue to prove absolutely nothing when he faces a washed up Ken Shamrock. I understand that he is their main freak-show attraction at the moment, but putting him anywhere on the televised portion of the card is going to get you ratings.

Take notes from the UFC and what they did with Brock Lesnar. They didn't give him easy opponents at all and he was No. 2 on every card he was on, right behind the title fights. I don't feel he deserves a title shot yet, but money is money. And that is just what Couture vs. Lesnar is going to make.

5.) Thou Shalt Not Count Out Randy Couture

This one is self-explanatory. If you have ever watched a biography on Randy Couture or followed his early career, you'd know that he was an underdog in pretty much every fight. Even when he became champion, they still counted him out against Pedro Rizzo twice.

How many people do you know come back to the sport of MMA at the age of 43 to defeat the heavyweight champion and then defend it against a Brazilian monster named Gabriel Gonzaga? None.

He didn't just defeat these two behemoths; he dismantled them. I have faith that Randy will do away with Lesnar in November, and I know I'm not the only one.

4.) Thou Shalt Not Leave A Fight Decision In The Judges Hands

Countless times we have seen fighters get completely screwed over by the judges. A perfect example was the fight in London between Matt Hammil and Michael Bisping. Hammil won two of the three rounds without a shadow of a doubt, and the judges gave the fight to Bisping.

I could also reference last night's episode of TUF, but I won't post any spoilers (Season Eight, Episode Two). If you want to win a fight, then get it done within the time limit so your fate is in nobody's hand but your own.

3.) Thou Shall Expect The Unexpected

Matt Serra, Rashad Evans, and Gabriel Gonzaga. What do all of these people have in common? They shocked the world with the outcome of their fights.

Matt Serra defeated Georges St. Pierre (the #1 Welterweight in the world) with a blistering barrage of punches early in the first round after he won the title shot on a reality TV show.

Rashad Evans became the first person to truly knock out Chuck Liddell with one punch. It will be showed on highlight films until the end of time because of its brutality. And Gabriel Gonzaga?

Well let's just say that he "Cro Copped" Cro Cop. The same vicious head kick that Cro Cop made famous in PRIDE was what Gonzaga used to defeat the former PRIDE Open Weight GP Champion.

Never count anybody out in the sport of MMA.

2.) Thou Shall Uphold the Sport's Integrity

MMA already gets a bad rap. It has since the very beginning. Amongst other things, it has been known as "Human Cock Fighting." The sport has evolved from the no-holds barred days when groin stomps were still allowed. It is a legitimate sport, and we need to prove that to the world.

I'm not going to name names for this one, but fighters with their drug problems and brushes with the law do nothing but shed bad light on a sport that is trying to become accepted. Show them that MMA fighters aren't the common thugs that they are portrayed to be. They are professional athletes in one of the most demanding sports in the world.

1.) Thou Shall Keep The Fans Happy

You are making money and gaining fame as a MMA fighter because of the fans. People like Dana White and the Fertitas may be signing the checks, but the money from those checks comes from the fans of the sport. You could be one of the worst fighters on the roster and still have legions of fans because you put on a great fight every time and give the fans their money's worth.

Be that fighter and your career will continue to flourish.

Latest UFC 91 Card: Rampage Jackson Moved To December Card (UPDATED)

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:29:19 -0400

The UFC 91 card just took a major blow with the removal of one of bigger fights of the night that pitted former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson against Wanderlei Silva. It would have been the third match in their storied rivalry, with Wanderlei being up, 2-0, from their PRIDE days.

The match is now said to be the co-main event on Super Bowl weekend. Sharing the spot with the welterweight championship fight between BJ Penn and Georges St. Pierre.

The UFC 91 card is by no means lacking, though, as you can see below:

Champ Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar (for UFC heavyweight title)
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson
Nate Quarry vs. Demian Maia
Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory
Nick Catone vs. Amir Sadollah
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks
Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Joe Doerksen vs. Travis Lutter
Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

There is more then a fair share of talent on this card, and the main event alone should make it the top pay-per view draw of all-time.

Maybe the UFC realized that they shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket and spread out the superfights a bit. Nonetheless, we have a great few months of MMA headed our way.

Update: Jackson's return to the octagon was originally rescheduled for UFC 93, but has now been bumped up to UFC 92 on New Years Eve Weekend because of his legal problems. Jackson told Setanta Sports the following:

“I fight on December 27 and I’m hoping it’s against (Silva) and if it is I’m going to be ready to steamroller him. It doesn’t matter if he’s beaten me twice before, it matters on the night. But the UFC have approached a few people to take the fight and a couple of them have turned it down.”

More updates as they come along.

UFC Champion Anderson Silva WILL NOT Retire Within the Year (UPDATED)

Joseph Bonsignore — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:41:05 -0400

That time that we have all dreaded may be finally here. One of the greatest fighters in MMA history may be hanging up his gloves, possibly to pursue a career in professional boxing. Anderson Silva told Brazilian cable channel SporTV the following:

"I'll retire next year; I already gave my all. I don't need to prove anything for anyone, and within one year I'll put my gloves aside."

That was just an excerpt from the conversation, but apparently he mentioned retirement several times. It boggles my mind that he would want to leave in the prime of his fighting career, but I very much doubt that he is going to stay in it for the money and risk his legacy much longer.

Why not go out on top and be known as the top p4p (pound-for-pound) fighter on the planet and the most dominant middleweight of our time?

When all the dust is cleared, though, nobody will doubt Anderson's achievements. He has single-handedly came into the biggest MMA promotion in the world (the UFC) and cleaned house.

Currently 7-0 as a UFC middleweight, many believe he will run through his next opponent (Patrick Cote) to push his mark to 8-0. Astonishing if you look at the caliber of fighters you see in the UFC these days.

At any rate, we will miss you, Anderson Silva, if you do actually decide to retire. You have given us many highlight-reel moments, and we hope to see some more before you decide to hang up your gloves.

UPDATE #1: Now according to SunSport, Silva will keep fighting until he gets granted a Green Card by the United States government. He also states that he is unhappy with the fights he is being given and wants to fight around 6 times per year. UFC president Dana White had the following to say:

“He wants to fight six times a year. It makes my job harder but I love it. This guy and Chuck Liddell don't care, they'll fight whoever you put in front of them."

UPDATE #2: Ed Soares (Silva's manager) dismissed any claims that he would be retiring within the next year. According to mma.tv, he had the following to say:

“Dana hasn't done anything to f*** over Silva,”

“It's the complete opposite. Dana has been very good to Anderson.”

“I can guarantee you Anderson will not be retiring within the next year. He still has 6 fights on his contract.”

Seems as though we can put our fears to rest for now.

Demian Maia vs. Nathan Quarry Adds to an Already Stacked UFC 91

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:36:27 -0400

Is it just me, or is this card getting better and better by the day?

Not only do we have Couture/Lesnar, Rampage/Wanderlei, and Stevenson/Florian on the card, but now we have this solid fight as well. The fight is not 100 percent confirmed yet, but Maia has already started training for it.

"I didn’t study his fights yet, I’ll receive a DVD with his fights, but I only watch my opponents’ fights when the fight gets closer. I’m training a lot my stand up game like for the last fight, but every time I can I do some BJJ trainings”

- Maia (tatame.com)

Maia has also recently helped Frank Mir and his team out on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter. He was his BJJ coach.

Current UFC 91 Fight Card (If all goes as planned.)

Champ Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar (for UFC heavyweight title)
Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson
Demian Maia vs. Nathan Quarry
Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory
Nick Catone vs. Amir Sadollah
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks
Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael dos Anjos

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: US vs. UK Details Announced

Joseph Bonsignore — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:31:06 -0400

So if you caught last night's Fight Night on Spike, you probably know this already. But for those of you who missed it, or skipped over it while you were fast-forwarding your DVR, the new season of TUF (the next one, not the one that just started) will be US vs. UK.

Weight classes for it will be 170 and 185 pounds (welterweight and middleweight, respectively). No coaches were announced, but a natural choice for the UK team would be Season Three winner Michael Bisping.

Rumors are going around about the coach of the US team. Some names that have come up are Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt, Kendall Grove, Mike Swick, and Nate Quarry.

If there is anyone here who is looking to get on next season, the talent search will kick off soon with the traditional application process at UFC.com and SpikeTV.com. Additionally, optional (but oftentimes helpful) open tryout dates are set for Oct. 20 in London, England, and Oct. 27 in Chicago, Ill.

More information when it comes available.

Dustin Hazelett Awarded BJJ Black Belt

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:23:13 -0400

If you have been paying attention to MMA recently, you saw the wizard armbar (submission of the night) with which Dustin Hazelett caught Josh Burkman.

He is already making a gigantic splash in the world of MMA at the ripe old age of 22. No, that isn't a typo. It took him around five years and 10 months to achieve the honor, and Jorge Gurgel awarded him with the black belt on Tuesday.

"It was pretty surprising. Usually when you get promoted, you reach a point where you're like, 'Man, I really deserve it.' And then you get your ass kicked, and you're like, 'Man, I probably really don't deserve this.' And then you reach a point where you're like, 'Well, it'll come when it comes,' and you stop worrying about it.”

—Hazelett

"I'm very stingy about giving belts. Dustin has gotten to the point where he is world recognized for his jiu jitsu. He's only 22 years old. His work ethic is incomparable. It's literally incomparable.

“I only give belts—after the purple belt—I only give belts by competition standards, by winning competitions and by smoking everyone else, by showing true Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills...in the UFC and in outside competitions.

“Dustin got to the point where I could not, even if I wanted to, I couldn't hold him back. He earned the belt. He deserved it."

—Gurgel

Gurgel has only awarded four black belts to date, making the honor that much sweeter. Hazelett has his UFC career off to a good 4-2 start with an impressive showing against Josh Koscheck to date.

Expect big things from this kid in the future.

MMAJunkie.com is credited with all quotes.

Affliction: Day of Reckoning Postponed - Fedor Announced To Appear On Card

Joseph Bonsignore — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:38:33 -0400

Affliction is supposed to make a "major announcement" on Saturday. It is supposed to be regarding the future of the organization, including the postponement the Day of Reckoning (with a main event of Andre Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett) until January 17, 2009. This event will now take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA instead of Las Vegas, NV.

This only adds fuel to the rumors that the Affliction brand is in financial trouble. Payroll from the first event Banned topped $3.3 million. This included the $800,000 that Tim Sylvia was paid for his 36 seconds of work. Oddly, tickets for the Oct. 11 event can still be purchased.

In my opinion, if the pay cuts don't come for the now January event, Affliction will be lucky to get to a third PPV event. Randy Couture is UFC property now. There is a rumor that he has a clause in his contract to have the Fedor fight in any organization, but I don't know how true that is.

If Randy loses to Lesnar in November, most of the prestige will be lost from the Randy/Fedor fight. Affliction and EliteXC will be the next two mainstream MMA organizations to go down the tubes.

UPDATE: Fedor Emelianenko is scheduled to appear on the card in January now. It looks like Affliction knew the card was lacking without him, so they penciled him into the new one. Smart move.