Bleacher Report - UFC

Josh Barnett Rejoins UFC, Signs Multi-Fight Deal

Joe Chacon — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:33:52 -0400

The age-old philosophy that "time heals all" appears to be flowing freely within the UFC. Dana White and Josh Barnett have come together once again.

According to USA Today, Barnett has signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC and will be fighting in the Octagon later this year. An official announcement from the promotion is expected within the next couple of days.

Barnett is best known for his powerful wrestling, charismatic persona and unfortunately, a career marred by failed drug tests. "The Warmaster" has a career record of 32-6 (4-1 in the UFC), but has not fought inside the Octagon since 2002 when he beat Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Barnett was later stripped of the title for testing positive for multiple banned substances.

The 35-year-old didn't let the mishap from the UFC detour his fighting aspirations. Barnett went on to a successful Pancrase and Pride career before showcasing his skills more recently in Strikeforce.

While fans have been clamoring for Barnett to get back with the UFC for quite some time, things didn't look so good based on what White had to say in this 2010 interview with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting (emphasis mine):

All of us are going to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you deal with those mistakes. You take a guy like Josh Barnett. This guy's tested positive three times and denies every time that he's taken steroids, okay? He comes out with an interview last week basically saying, 'I don't care about anybody else; the only person I care about is myself. I got some fans out there and thanks for following me or whatever, but I'm not fighting for you. I'm fighting for me and I'm doing everything for me.' This is a guy who single-handedly put a company out of business -- single-handedly put a company out of business for doing what he was doing and has zero remorse for it. Couldn't care less. [He's like,] 'I don't care that you bought tickets to that fight and were planning on going. I don't care that Fedor flew all the way in from Russia to fight me and trained and spent his own money to do this. I don't care that this company, Affliction, believed in me and was allowing me to make a living and I put them out of business. All I care about is me. Those are the guys that I have zero tolerance for. And that's why he's not in the UFC and never will be.

Gradually over the last few years since White made these comments, it became evident that there was at least a window of opportunity for Barnett to come back. Now that a multi-fight deal has been made with the former "Baby-Faced Assassin," UFC fans will see exactly how he stacks up with the best heavyweights the world has to offer.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Ken Shamrock Says UFC 'Misused' Brock Lesnar, Forebodes Downfall of Chael Sonnen

Jordy McElroy — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:44:18 -0400

If the UFC gave him ample time to grow, Brock Lesnar could have been the best fighter in MMA history, according to Ken Shamrock.

In an exclusive two-part interview with Sportnet's Joe Ferraro, the MMA legend claimed the UFC missed out on a golden opportunity by throwing Lesnar to the wolves too soon:

I think Brock mentally got beat, but I always thought that they didn't treat Brock right either. I thought they threw him in too soon. He's fighting guys that had 20 fights in his second fight because he's so massive and so impressive. It wasn't fair to him. If he would have got groomed properly, he could've been the best fight in any weight class, best pound-for-pound ever.

Upon entry into the UFC, Lesnar made it clear that he didn't want any easy fights.

The UFC obliged his request by matching him up against former heavyweight champ Frank Mir. After an impressive start, Lesnar's inexperience caught up with him in the end, as Mir latched on a kneebar for the first-round submission finish.

Lesnar would eventually bounce back and capture the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture along with avenging his loss to Mir. After losing to Alistair Overeem in December 2011, he officially announced his retirement from MMA with a 5-3 professional record.

Many believe his decision to hang up the gloves was based primarily on his constant battle with diverticulitis, an intestinal disorder. Shamrock, on the other hand, thinks there were other contributing factors that lead to Lesnar's early exit:

I'm not sure that [the diverticulitis] is everything. I know that's a big part of it, but what if he was training properly? Would that have even been a factor? I don't even know. I'm just saying this guy had an opportunity to be great, and I just saw him mentally get dwindled down because he was thrown right into that.

There's no use crying over spilt milk, especially now that the UFC has seen the emergence of pay-per-view juggernaut Chael Sonnen.

The Oregon native's persistent trash talking is often frowned upon by his peers, but he has certainly earned a warm spot in the heart of UFC President Dana White. Since nearly upsetting Anderson Silva at UFC 117, Sonnen has quickly grown into one of the UFC's biggest stars.

His ability to play off the media and hype fights is unrivaled in MMA. It isn't just about the trash talking. Sonnen is a perennial middleweight contender who has challenged Silva twice for the UFC title. Their blockbuster rematch at UFC 148 is widely considered as the biggest event in UFC history.

He also received an opportunity to compete against Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 159.

For Shamrock, it's all about respect, and he believes Sonnen's style of trash talking is a major turnoff. He has no problem with Sonnen throwing verbal jabs at opponents. The problem lies in the talk being aimed at random individuals:

I don't think [Chael Sonnen] even realizes that the minute his market goes away, he's done. ... He just mouths off at things that don't matter. Mouth on to something that's going to make you money, not something that's not going to make you money.

Right now it's working for him, but when it's over, it's like a Mike Tyson syndrome. When it's over, they're gonna step on your head, the same people you're talking trash about are the same ones you're gonna meet on the way down, and they're gonna help you down faster.

With all of the people Sonnen has upset in his MMA career, there should be quite a line awaiting his arrival at the pearly gates.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Nelson Faces Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 After Main Event Scrapped This Week

Damon Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:04:10 -0400

UFC 161 took a hit this week when interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao was forced out of his fight against Eddie Wineland, which scrapped the main event for the upcoming card in Winnipeg on June 15.

The UFC moved quickly to shift the light heavyweight fight between Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans to the headline slot, but it left a bit of an open hole on the card with one less marquee featured bout.

With time running out and less than a month to go until the show takes place, the UFC appears ready to call on heavyweight Roy Nelson to potentially step in and fill the vacancy on the card.

According to a report from UFC Tonight on Tuesday, the UFC has contacted Nelson about possibly stepping into a featured bout on the UFC 161 card.

Nelson was on call already for UFC 160 when heavyweight co-main event fighter Mark Hunt had visa issues and was unsure if he'd be able to gain entry into the United States by the necessary time to fight this weekend. Luckily for Hunt, he got cleared for travel on Monday and arrived in Las Vegas for his scheduled fight against Junior Dos Santos.

Now, with a spot to fill on the UFC 161 card, the promotion is again calling on Nelson to potentially step in and help save the show.

Nelson's manager Mike Kogan spoke to Bleacher Report on Tuesday night and stated that it was "realistic" that the former Ultimate Fighter winner could end up on the UFC 161 card, although no opponent has been confirmed at this time.

Nelson is coming off of his third straight knockout victory—the latest coming at UFC 159 in April when he finished off Cheick Kongo in the first round.

Finding the right opponent and compensation could ultimately decide Nelson, or any fighter's involvement, with a new fight being put together on less than a month's notice.

It's likely the UFC will try to make a decision in the next few days to give Nelson and any potential opponent as much time as possible to prepare for a June 15 bout.

UPDATE: Nelson will in fact compete on the card and it will be against Ohio native Stipe Miocic, as the two heavyweights have agreed to meet on the card according to UFC President Dana White who confirmed the news with MMAJunkie.com on Tuesday night. Miocic was already scheduled for the card against Soa Palelei, but now he will get pulled to face Nelson instead.

There's been no word on a replacement to step in and face Palelei yet.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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Gegard Mousasi: Top 3 Fighters Like Belfort and Okami Lead Wish List

Damon Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:29:43 -0400

Gegard Mousasi may not be able to fight again until the end of the year following knee surgery, but he's already eyeing potential matchups including the top fighters in the middleweight division.

It's been almost five years since Mousasi last fought at middleweight, and at the time he conquered the best of the best while competing in DREAM, including his grand prix tournament final against current top-10 ranked UFC fighter Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

Following that fight, however, Mousasi said the weight cut to middleweight was getting pretty tough, so he was going to try his hand at light heavyweight and heavyweight instead. Mousasi went on to win nine out of his next 11 fights while picking up victories over notable names like Mark Hunt and Renato "Babalu" Sobral.

Now just one fight into his UFC career, Mousasi is re-assessing things and believes that a move back down to middleweight could bring him very close to a title shot with just a single fight in the division.

"I really feel there is a big chance I will go to middleweight," Mousasi told Bleacher Report on Tuesday. "Of course we have to talk to the UFC, but I think it's all about matchups. It depends on who I get. Say I get a top guy in the middleweight top three, maybe No. 2 or 3 it would be the best thing to fight at middleweight. If I get maybe get a guy in the top three at light heavyweight, that could be a fight that would intrigue me. I don't have any problem fighting at 205, but I believe at 185 I will have more success.

"It's all about matchups. I want the big matchups so I can go for the title."

Mousasi admits that he's fighting with a bit of a chip on his shoulder since moving to the UFC, because, despite plenty of history and wins over some of the best competitors in the sport, since those fights weren't in the Octagon, he's not being shown the same level of respect as some other fighters. He holds wins over many top-rated fighters, but since it didn't take place in the UFC, he feels he's being overlooked somehow.

Beating a top-three middleweight would certainly erase any doubts.

"People always underestimate me. Other fighters, they always get credit, but somehow they always judge me like I'm overrated or I'm not good enough," Mousasi stated. "I believe I should get more credit like other fighters. Other fighters lose and they still say oh he's great, but I lost once and people still give me s—t about that. That's why I want to fight the big names."

When looking at the top of the middleweight rankings currently, according to the UFC, the three names listed as the upper echelon include Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami. Mousasi says sign any of them up, and he'll happily knock them down.

"As long as it's a top-three guy," Mousasi said about his middleweight wishlist. "I think I can matchup very well against any middleweight. Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, (Yushin) Okami, I want to fight guys I haven't fought. I've fought a lot of guys outside the UFC and people don't get me the credit. Somehow you have to prove yourself in the UFC, I believe against well-known UFC fighters. Anyone would be just fine."

The end goal for Mousasi by next year is to get into a position where he can battle for the UFC middleweight title. There is something special about that belt because, since 2006, Anderson Silva has been the one clutching the gold and defending it with ruthless aggression.

Like a lot of fighters, Mousasi knows being the person to finally take the crown from Silva's head would be special, but he's just about getting the title no matter who holds it at the time.

"Everyone wants to fight Anderson Silva. I think that's the problem. For me it's all about the title shot. If I can beat him, I get the title," Mousasi commented. "That's my goal, winning the title. To get that opportunity that's what I want. I want the big fights."

Before he can get those big fights, Mousasi first needs to finish rehabbing his injured knee, and then once he's cleared to return to training, he and his management will discuss their options for his next fight. No matter who it is, Mousasi is ready to face the best, and the top fighters better be ready because he's coming for them.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva 2: Odds and Predictions for UFC 160

Sean Smith — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:31:34 -0400

Cain Velasquez is back on top of the heavyweight division and will look to successfully defend his championship for the first time at UFC 160.

Attempting to dethrone Velasquez on Saturday will be Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Silva earned a rematch with Velasquez by upsetting Alistair Overeem. In his first meeting with the heavyweight champion, Silva was taken down and pounded en route to a first-round finish.

Only 12 months after that disappointing UFC debut, Silva will now have a chance at redemption. However, he'll have to overcome significant odds to do so.

Heading into UFC 160, let's take a look at the current betting favorites and underdogs for all the main card fights.

Begin Slideshow

Velasquez vs Bigfoot 2 Fight Card: 3 Fights You Don't Want to Miss

Matt Juul — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:30 -0400

Is your head still spinning after Vitor Belfort's phenomenal head kick knockout last week? Well, make sure to get your head on straight soon, because this weekend's stacked UFC 160 card is set to be just as exciting.

Headlining Saturday's event will be a super-sized main event battle between heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and challenger Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. The two monsters of MMA previously faced off at UFC 146 where Velasquez brutally took out the Brazilian via TKO in the first round.

Also on the card will be another heavyweight scrap as former champ Junior dos Santos takes on everyone's favorite Kiwi, Mark Hunt, who finally got his visa issues resolved. Whew, that was close.

With so many interesting fights scheduled for Saturday night, let's take a look at three bouts you'll definitely not want to miss.

Begin Slideshow

Mark Munoz Tells Us What Bigfoot Silva Needs to Do to Beat Cain Velasquez

Trent Reinsmith — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:59 -0400

UFC 160 is just a few days away and as with every UFC fight card, one of the hot topics of discussion is who is going to have their hand raised in the evening’s main event. Top billing on the May 25 event will go to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Saturday will mark the second meeting between the fighters. The first, which occurred at UFC 146, ended after 3:36 with Velasquez walking away with the TKO win.

How will the rematch end? That’s what we asked UFC middleweight Mark Munoz.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Interview: TJ Grant Discusses Huge Fight Against Gray Maynard

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:56:44 -0400

Since dropping to the lightweight division, Canadian fighter TJ Grant is undefeated.

Grant's last two victories came against Evan Dunham and Matt Wiman. They were wins against very tough and durable fighters, and the victories propelled him to the biggest fight of his career.

Grant takes on Gray Maynard this Saturday at UFC 160, and the winner will face Benson Henderson for the lightweight championship.

Bleacher Report recently sat down with Grant to discuss the technical details of the battle with Maynard, where he feels he has an advantage over him, and his prediction for how the fight will go down.

Check out the video above, and then leave your prediction for the outcome of Maynard vs. Grant in the comments below!

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Dan Henderson vs. Rashad Evans Set as New Main Event for UFC 161

Damon Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:35 -0400

With Renan Barao now officially out of UFC 161 due to injury, the promotion has bumped up one of the featured bouts on the undercard to main event status.

The UFC announced via Twitter on Tuesday that the light heavyweight bout pitting former champion Rashad Evans against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson will now take the main event slot at UFC 161.

UFC officials also confirmed with Bleacher Report that the new main event will be a three-round fight. Typically all main events (even non-title fights) are scheduled for five rounds, but because Henderson and Evans are bumping up to the headline spot on short notice, their fight remains a three-round bout as scheduled.

Barao suffered torn ligaments in his foot that forced him out of his scheduled title fight against top contender Eddie Wineland, and it left the UFC in a precarious position with less than a month to go until UFC 161 takes place on June 15 in Canada.

The UFC has now turned to the co-main event on the card to fill the headline slot with Evans taking on Henderson in a light heavyweight showdown.

Evans returns to action at UFC 161 following back-to-back losses in his last two fights with his eyes set on redemption. The former UFC light heavyweight champion suffered a defeat at the hands of his former teammate Jon Jones at UFC 145 last year, and followed that up with a lackluster performance against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in February as well.

Now Evans has a chance to get back on the horse again and return to his winning ways with a main event bout against a legendary multi-weight class champion.

For many years, Dan Henderson has been considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet with a willingness to literally take on all challengers. He was both the middleweight and light heavyweight champion when Pride Fighting Championships was bought out several years ago, and went on to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight title as well.

Henderson even managed to bump up to heavyweight for a bout against iconic heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, and the Team Quest fighter won by knockout in the first round.

Following a disappointing loss in his last fight to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157, Henderson now hopes to jump right back into title contention with a win at UFC 161.

He'll face Evans in the new main event for UFC 161, which goes down on June 15 from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The new co-main event for the card is expected to be another light heavyweight fight pitting former champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Vitor Belfort Apologizes for 'Immature Way' He Handled Questions About TRT

John Heinis — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:59:00 -0400

UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort scored his second consecutive headkick knockout this weekend at UFC on FX 8, taking out former Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold.

Prior to that, "The Phenom" stopped perennial contender Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7 in January.

So why is the Brazilian getting overwhelmingly bad press?

During the UFC on FX 8 post-fight press conference, MMA Junkie's John Morgan decided to make the first move about bringing up Belfort's testosterone replacement therapy usage.

Belfort was less than thrilled with the line of questioning, as Morgan explained to his followers on Twitter:

Well, it's safe to say Vitor does not want to talk about testosterone. I was shushed for bringing it up. Sorry. I tried.

— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) May 19, 2013

As a matter of fact, the former UFC light heavyweight champ called for someone to beat up Morgan for his persistence:

Belfort asked someone 2 beat @mmajunkiejohn for asking about TRT. Rockhold says TRT doesn't teach 2 kick. Belfort refuses to answer Johns Qs
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) May 19, 2013

As controversy continues to swirl around this hot button issue, Belfort decided to apologize for the way he handled the situation via TwitLonger, a social media platform that allows Twitter users to write a message that goes beyond 140 characters:

To all my fans and to all the reporters that was there on the after press conference I would like to ask for forgiveness the way I answer about TRT I RECOGNIZE THAT I ANWSER IN A IMMATURE WAY BUT WAS THE 10 th time that that reporter ask the same question. No excuse!! I made a WORNG call and I am here to ask for forgiveness God bless all you guys love to do what I do and I am keeping moving UP SEEKING GROW AS A MEN OF GOD AND AS A FIGHTER 'DONT DOUT ME I WILL PROUVE U WORNG' PEACE

Morgan took the apology in stride, noting that he never had any intention of putting the 36-year-old on the hot seat.

I appreciate @vitorbelfort's acknowledge of incident and don't hold any ill feelings toward him. We've all said something we later regret.
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) May 21, 2013

My goal was not to ask @vitorbelfort about legality of TRT, why he's on it, etc., but to hear about how he handles fan backlash and critics.
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) May 21, 2013

While many notable fighters including Chael Sonnen, Frank Mir, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt have all received TRT exemptions in the past, Belfort receives the majority of TRT-related criticism.

Perhaps the reason being is that Belfort failed a post-fight drug test for steroids in 2006 and steroid abuse is a known reason why the body does not produce enough testosterone naturally later in life (via MMA Weekly).

Additionally, Belfort has not competed on American soil since knocking out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 in August 2011.

Each of his four contests since then have taken place in either Brazil or Canada and Belfort has never confirmed when he began using TRT.

This is all relevant information since Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer told Bleacher Report in March that he couldn't see Belfort getting a TRT exemption in the United States.

With all that information in mind, is it a legitimate possibility that Belfort competes for UFC gold one more time before he calls it a career?

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

MMA's Great Debate Radio: T.J. Grant, Mike Pyle and John Cholish

Damon Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:32:32 -0400

MMA's Great Debate Radio returns with a stacked show for Tuesday including UFC 160 fighters T.J. Grant and Mike Pyle as well as recently retired UFC lightweight John Cholish.

With a title shot on the line in his fight at UFC 160, T.J. Grant stops by to talk about his rise to the top of the lightweight division since dropping down from 170 pounds.

Grant will discuss his upcoming fight against Gray Maynard, and the possibility of facing Benson Henderson next.

Also on today's show, veteran fighter Mike Pyle will talk about his resurgence lately where he's knocked out three opponents in a row. Can he make Rick Story the fourth victim? Pyle speaks about the fight and his place in the UFC's welterweight division.

The final interview of today features former UFC lightweight John Cholish, who retired over the weekend following his fight against Gleison Tibau at UFC on FX 8.

Cholish has made a splash since his retirement announcement, speaking out about fighter pay issues. On today's show, Cholish expands on that conversation by breaking down dollar by dollar what it costs to be a UFC fighter.

The debate on today's show heats up as well with several hot button subjects being discussed, including Vitor Belfort's latest win, Nate Diaz's controversial tweet and much more.

Today's debate topics include:

—Vitor Belfort wins again, but the questions about TRT continue to cloud his performances. Will those questions ever die down or will it continue to haunt him forever?

—Should Vitor Belfort get the next shot at the UFC middleweight title?

—Nate Diaz fined and suspended for tweeting homophobic slur but shows no remorse for action. Do you agree with Diaz's stance?

—John Cholish spoke out about fighter pay problems in the UFC. Do you think this is a widespread issue fighters just aren't talking about?

This is MMA's Great Debate Radio for Tuesday, May 21, 2013

(If the embeddable player doesn't work, please click HERE to listen. Also, don't forget to subscribe to the show via iTunes or listen via Stitcher Radio)

Podcast Powered By Podbean

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UFC Champion Renan Barao Injured and out of UFC 161 Main Event

Damon Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:15:54 -0400

UFC 161 is currently without a main event after interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao suffered a foot injury in training that will force him out of his scheduled bout against top contender Eddie Wineland.

The news of Barao's injury first surfaced on Saturday during UFC on FX 8, which took place in the champion's native country of Brazil.

At the time, UFC officials were hesitant to count Barao out of the fight just yet until he had a chance to visit with doctors on Monday.

As of Tuesday, however, UFC representatives confirmed with Bleacher Report that Barao is officially out of UFC 161. UFC President Dana White initially confirmed the news with MMAJunkie.com, stating that Barao's injuries were severe enough that he would be unable to fight Wineland on June 15.

According to White, Barao suffered torn ligaments in his foot and had to be pulled from the show due to the injuries.

It leaves the UFC with a tough spot to fill seeing as the UFC 161 card is less than a month away now, and options would seem few and far between to replace the entire main event.

Two featured light heavyweight bouts are on the card already with former champion Rashad Evans taking on Dan Henderson, while Mauricio "Shogun" Rua faces Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a rematch of an epic battle the two Brazilians had while competing under the Pride banner.

As of Tuesday, White was unable to confirm if the UFC had an alternate plan in place for a new headliner for UFC 161 or if the current card would move forward with either of the light heavyweight fights moving up to take the main event spot.

Barao's injury also muddies up the UFC bantamweight division even more because while he is serving as the interim title holder, 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz remains on the mend following back-to-back knee surgeries that have kept him out of action for more than a year.

It's unclear when Barao will be able to return to action, and Cruz's timeline has not been determined either until he gets doctor's clearance to get back into full training following the two difficult surgeries.

Meanwhile, it leaves top contender Eddie Wineland in a difficult position as the top contender with no fight as of now. If Barao's injuries are not too severe he could potentially return and face Wineland later this year, which would also give Cruz more time to heal up before unifying the titles when he gets back in the cage.

Either way, right now, UFC 161 stands without a defined main event with Barao out due to injury and no word on a fight that could fill the space instead.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

'EA Sports UFC' on Xbox One: Can It Do for UFC What 'Madden' Did for NFL?

McKinley Noble — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:10:55 -0400

After several months of rumors, reports and hype, the Xbox One console has finally been revealed to the public, along with a list of games for its debut.

For MMA fans, of course, the most interesting title is none other than EA Sports UFC.

It's now been officially confirmed for the Xbox One and will most likely be announced later for the PlayStation 4 at E3 2013.

To put it mildly, this is huge for the world's largest MMA promotion.

EA Sports Ignite

As EA Sports' Andrew Wilson detailed on Tuesday during Microsoft's Xbox event at its Seattle headquarters, EA Sports UFC is part of the developer/publisher's new "EA Sports Ignite" game engine, which will also power the tech behind FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25 and NBA Live 14.

That's already a good look for the UFC, since EA has put it on the same pedestal as its top-selling franchises.

Back in the era of the UFC Undisputed series from publisher THQ, a move of UFC's video game franchise to Electronic Arts would've been unthinkable due to a previous dust-up between the two companies, but cooler heads prevailed in the end.

Now, with EA Sports UFC confirmed for Microsoft's next-generation console, the real question is how (and if) it can expand the UFC brand further than it's already reached.

Make no mistake, the move to EA was the best-case scenario for the UFC.

Not only is EA still one of the biggest video game publishers in the market, but its pedigree with EA Sports makes it the best possible candidate to improve upon the UFC Undisputed formula.

It's All in the Marketing

But that's just scratching the surface.

What may be most important is the marketing that EA can provide for EA Sports UFC—especially with the combined crossover it'll likely see from Fox, FX, Fuel TV and Fox Sports.

In the lead-up to the release of EA Sports UFC, you can count on seeing an exhaustive amount of TV ads, billboards and other promotional materials hyping up the game, in addition to a great deal of branding on pay-per-view events.

To sum it up, you'll see the game everywhere.

That kind of public push is an area where EA shines best, something that's been more than proven with the ad campaigns behind games like Mass Effect 3, Dead Space 3 and, of course, the blockbuster Battlefield series.

Millions and Millions

But after all the marketing and hype is over, the real success of EA Sports UFC will boil down to two things: review scores and sales.

Although UFC Undisputed 2009 surprised many outlets with its runaway success, EA Sports UFC will have be more than a sleeper hit to justify itself as the "Madden" of MMA games.

But no matter how highly the game is rated by the gaming press, it has to outdo the UFC Undisputed franchise by a comfortable margin.

For reference, here's how the UFC Undisputed series sold on PS3 and Xbox 360 (via VG Chartz):

UFC 2009 Undisputed (X360) -- 2.01 Million
UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3) -- 1.71M
UFC Undisputed 2010 (X360) -- 1.26M
UFC Undisputed 2010 (PS3) -- 1.33M
UFC Undisputed 3 (X360) -- 0.71M
UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3) -- 0.77M

Despite running for a good three installments with evolving gameplay, UFC Undisputed still peaked with the first title at 3.72 million units sold between the Xbox 360 and PS3.

So with the wider spread and influence of EA Sports (combined with the UFC on Fox push), one would expect EA Sports UFC to sell at least 4 million copies between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One—although EA brass will assuredly be expecting a minimum yield of 5 million copies sold for a respectable return on its investment.

Final Thoughts

It's arguable that the UFC's growth in 2009 and 2010 was partially aided by the mass appeal of UFC 2009 Undisputed, and if EA Sports plays its cards right, the same push can happen with EA Sports UFC.

Despite the demise of THQ and the rise of new MMA games from other developers, there's no competitor poised to challenge EA Sports' new UFC title. There couldn't be a more favorable situation for the UFC to make a whole new wave of fans. Now we just have to see if lightning strikes twice.

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

EA Sports UFC: First Glimpse of the Next-Generation UFC Game

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:54:36 -0400

UFC fans around the world got their first-ever glimpse at the next-generation Ultimate Fighting Championship game during today's reveal for the new Xbox One gaming system from Microsoft.

The announcement took place at the Xbox campus in Redmond, Washington.

During the official EA Sports presentation, we were shown interview clips from UFC stars Jon Jones and Anthony Pettis, along with Lionel Messi, Robert Griffin III and Kyrie Irving.

Jones and Pettis spoke eloquently about the fight game in short sound bites, but the cool stuff came next: We got our first official look at the next generation of EA UFC games (powered by a new engine called Ignite) with a short clip of an unknown fighter walking out in a wire-framed arena.

After the interview presentation, a trailer for four next-generation EA Sports games was shown: Madden, FIFA 14, NBA Live and UFC.

In the EA UFC game clips, which were interspersed between rapid-fire clips from the other games, we were shown a familiar scene: Anthony Pettis running towards UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. In the next clip, we saw Henderson backing away and Pettis beginning his ascent up the cage wall. And in the final clip, Pettis unleashed a beautiful Showtime Kick (in a UFC cage, not the WEC version) that sent Henderson's face comically sprawling about in all different directions.

The clip looked like pre-rendered art, but EA Sports representatives noted that it was what the final UFC game would look like while running on the Xbox One.

EA Sports UFC has no scheduled release date, but is not expected until after April 2014. All four EA Sports games shown during today's media event will be released within the next 12 months, with FIFA and Madden titles expected at launch.

MORE ON EA UFC:

EA Sports UFC on Xbox One: Can it do for the UFC what Madden did for the NFL? My colleague McKinley Noble checks in with a very informed look at what the new UFC game might be able to do for the UFC's worldwide brand.

This post will be updated with more information on EA Sports UFC as it becomes available.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Thiago Silva Addresses Marijuana Use: 'It Doesn't Change Your Performance'

Craig Amos — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:04:31 -0400

The role of marijuana as a performance-enhancing drug (PED) has garnered much attention since Pat Healy lost a fortune (and a win) for testing positive after his victory over Jim Miller at UFC 159.

Thiago Silva, a UFC fighter who knows a little something about being disciplined for marijuana consumption, recently spoke to bjpenn.com to add his two cents to the discussion.

The light heavyweight combatant, who is scheduled to welcome Rafael Cavalcante to the Octagon on June 8, provided the following perspective:

You know, it’s very complicated what to say about that. A lot of guys, they like to drink, you know; I don’t drink, I like to smoke. I don’t smoke any more, because I really can’t, but I used to like a lot because it helps me to relax. It’s not like a drug like everybody say[s]. So actually, it’s legal in California, you know. To be honest, I don’t think it’s fair, you know, because it doesn't change your performance.

Silva's sentiments echo those of handfuls of fans and fellow fighters who recently came to Healy's defense. While the legality of marijuana varies from location to location, many feel that its impact on athletic performance is negligible and that testing for it in MMA is arbitrary and pointless.

Counter arguments focus on the safety of the user, citing slowed reflexes and general lethargy as effects of consumption. Other arguments claim that marijuana use dulls pain, granting the user an unfair advantage in a sport where pain is so prevalent.

Many offending parties claim that they consume marijuana weeks before a fight, but since urinalysis does not identify when consumption occurred, all cases must be met with uniform discipline.

The discussion is very much in vogue right now, and Silva is unlikely to be the last fighter to sound off on it, just like Healy is unlikely to be the last fighter busted for usage.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Does testing for marijuana have a place in MMA, or does it lead to pointless discipline for choices fighters make in their personal lives?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Sean Sherk: 'I'd Like to Be Recognized as a UFC Hall of Famer'

Craig Amos — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:12:42 -0400

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk has been out of the Octagon for nearly three years, but he maintains that he has not retired from mixed martial arts.

At 39, one must wonder how much "The Muscle Shark" really has left to offer the sport and how well he will be able to add to his legacy moving forward.

According to Sherk himself, who recently spoke with bjpenn.com, the question of legacy is irrelevant at this point, as he believes he has already done enough to earn the honor of immortality via entrance to the UFC Hall of Fame.

"I want to be known as one of the best fighters in the world during my era," he proclaimed. "I think I did make my mark, I fought the best of the best. I've fought for world title in multiple weight classes."

For much of his UFC career, Sherk was forced to compete at welterweight, though his diminutive frame regularly put him at a marked size disadvantage. He was often able to overcome the handicap, earning a title shot opposite Matt Hughes in 2003.

After losing to Hughes, Sherk bolted from the promotion but returned in 2005, splitting contests with Georges St-Pierre (loss) and Nick Diaz (win).

In 2006, Sherk became the first champion of the UFC's refurbished lightweight class, defeating Kenny Florian in a bloody five-round affair.

Sherk successfully defended his belt one time, but he and and opponent Hermes Franca both tested positive for PEDs in their post-fight screenings.

During Sherk's suspension, B.J. Penn captured the vacated lightweight strap. When Sherk returned to action, he was thumped by Penn, who concluded their bout via TKO at the end of the third round.

After failing to regain his title, Sherk posted a 2-1 record in the Octagon before a laundry list of injuries put a halt to his career. He last competed in September of 2010.

All in all, Sherk's UFC career is most certainly an impressive one. He overcame a size disadvantage to post impressive results before winning a title at a more natural weight.

But his 8-4 record with the UFC is unspectacular, if good, and the positive PED test somewhat mars his accomplishments.

Still, Sherk remains steadfast in his belief that he should be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

"I think I did create myself a legacy as being one of the best in my era," he reaffirmed. "I'd like to be recognized as a UFC Hall of Famer."

What do you think? Did Sherk do enough in the Octagon to ticket himself to the Hall of Fame? Or was he good but just not good enough to join such elite company?

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Sorting Out Next Number One Contender in Each UFC Division

Riley Kontek — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:33:26 -0400

The UFC currently has a few divisions where there is a logjam for top contenders to the respective titles. There are a number of top guys who could get the title shot if a number of different scenarios go to plan.

Of course, title shots are often about timing and luck. If you remember, Erik Koch was set to get a title shot last year before an injury took him out of that spot altogether. For Koch, timing was more of his friend than any sort of impressive streak, even though he was on a roll.

Here is a look at the next top contender after the current man (or woman) fighting for the title moves out of the way.

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UFC 160 Preview: Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Sean Smith — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:32:27 -0400

Junior dos Santos has not competed since losing the heavyweight crown to Cain Velasquez, but he could earn himself a chance to reclaim the belt with a win over the surging Mark Hunt at UFC 160.

After losing six straight fights, Hunt has resurrected his career with four consecutive wins and is now a legitimate contender in the heavyweight division. With a victory over a former champion like Dos Santos, Hunt would be more than deserving of his first UFC title shot.

Aside from the title shot implications this fight carries, a matchup between Dos Santos and Hunt promises an entertaining stand-up battle and high potential for a knockout finish.

Before these highly ranked heavyweights step into the Octagon, let's take a look at which fighter is more likely to walk away with the win.

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4 Reasons Strikeforce Fighters Are Faring so Well in UFC

Steven Rondina — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:23:23 -0400

When Zuffa first bought out Strikeforce in 2011, fans and media alike wondered aloud how well Strikeforce fighters would fare in the UFC. When Derek Brunson first took on Chris Leben, it started a still-ongoing display that the guys fighting out there in San Jose were in no way the slouches some dismissed them as.

While the California-based promotion's former middleweight champ, Luke Rockhold, just suffered a brutal loss to Vitor Belfort, the Strikeforce alumni have still been performing admirably on the whole.

So why is this? What factors have contributed to this storm?

Find out right here!

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The Career-Defining Moment of Each UFC Middleweight Champion

Adam Hill — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:03:28 -0400

In 2000, the New Jersey Athletic Control Board started regulating mixed martial, arts instituting stricter rules and more weight classes. The UFC added the new divisions, including middleweight, starting with UFC 31 back in 2001.

For the better part of a decade, Anderson Silva has lorded over the UFC's middleweight division.

However, prior to "The Spider's" domination, there were four other men who had the distinct honor of holding the middleweight title.

These fighters have all made an indelible impression on the landscape of the middleweight division.

This is a list chronicling the defining moment of each champ's career. These are the moments that not only epitomize the fighters' determination, but also their warrior spirit.

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3 Questions We Have About Glover Teixeira Ahead of UFC 160

Joe Chacon — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:53:44 -0400

UFC 160 is now just a few days away and features plenty of exciting fights (on paper). In addition to Cain Velasquez versus Antonio Silva and Junior Dos Santos taking on Mark Hunt, we will be treated to a potential brawl between Glover Teixeira and James Te Huna.

Teixeira is in the midst of an 18-fight winning streak and is 3-0 within the UFC. Yet, with 22 professional fights on his record, there are still plenty of questions we have about him.

As Teixeira continues his climb the ladder toward a title shot, let's take a look at the three most pressing questions we have as he heads into his fight on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

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Nate Diaz's Manager Fighting a Losing Battle Regarding Diaz's Offensive Tweet

Trent Reinsmith — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:15:00 -0400

Totally and utterly baffling, that’s the only way to describe the manner in which Nate Diaz’s manager is handling the suspension and fine that were handed down to his client late last week.

On Thursday Diaz decided it was a good idea to throw the below tweet out there (since deleted):

I feel bad for pat Healy that they took a innocent mans money and I think the guy who took the money is the biggest Fag in the world ..

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 16, 2013

The tweet was directed at Bryan Caraway, the fighter that benefited, to the tune of $65,000, when Pat Healy’s “Submission of the Night” award from UFC 159 was stripped away after Healy failed his post-fight drug test. (via MMAJunkie.com)

On Friday the UFC decided that Diaz’s use of a homophobic slur was a violation of the promotions code of conduct and that it was worthy of a 90-day suspension and $20,000 fine.

In a statement on the UFC website, the promotion spelled out the reasons for the penalty. That statement said, in part, “The language used in his tweet was regrettable, offensive and inconsistent with the values and culture of the organization, and is not tolerated.”

On Monday Diaz’s manager, Mike Kogan appeared on the MMA Hour (via MMAFighting.com) and did what a manager is supposed to do: He defended his client. The problem with the defense was that it totally missed the point of why Diaz was punished for his tweet. Kogan told MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani:

Nate doesn't feel remorse for what he said. I don't feel remorse for what he said. I don't feel remorse for defending what he said or elaborating on what he said. Because it was not a homophobic statement. It was not intended to offend homosexuals. We weren't even talking about homosexuals. One can debate the multiple uses of this term.

Kogan can defend Diaz’s use of the particular slur all he wants, but as Aaron McQuade, director of news and field media at GLAAD, wrote in a Twitter exchange with Yahoo.com’s Maggie Hendricks,

When you use an anti-gay slur, even not to describe a gay person, what you tell all gay people is “my subconscious wanted to find the worst insult it could, and what it came up with ... was you.” Those slurs are almost never intended to actually hurt gay people, but they do.

Kogan is probably correct, Diaz probably didn’t mean it as a homophobic statement, but it was, and McQuade’s tweets explain in perfectly plain language exactly why it was homophobic and hateful.

Kogan also seemingly questioned the UFC’s reasoning behind the code of conduct, saying, “The mere fact that there is a protocol to deal with these crisis situation implies its lack of sincerity."

The code of conduct is there to avoid situations that make the UFC look bad in the court of public opinion. In other words, the UFC is acting like every other major sport, in that it wants their athletes to represent the promotion in the best possible light. Everything a UFC fighter does reflects back on the promotion. When a UFC fighter calls refers to another individual in a derogatory manner the general public will remember that. No business that is trying to grow needs that. No sports league would tolerate that.

Kogan has the option to file an appeal, but the odds of he and Diaz winning that appeal are slim; after all the tweet violated two clauses in the code of conduct:

Derogatory or offensive conduct, including without limitation insulting language, symbols, or about a person’s ethnic background, heritage, color, race, national origin, age, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

Inappropriate physical, verbal, and online behavior (such as inappropriate statements made via e-mail, text messaging or social networks).

Kogan’s defense of his client is admirable, it’s also not going to help him in any way. The best thing Kogan and Diaz can do at this point is pay the fine, have Diaz serve the suspension and move on.

To think that there will be a lesson learned here for the Diaz camp is probably too much to ask for, but hopefully at least one fighter will see what happened with Diaz and realize the UFC means business with its code of conduct.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Info and Predictions for Velasquez vs. Bigfoot Silva 2

Scott Harris — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:38:50 -0400

Knockouts! Knockouts! Knockouts! Do you like knockouts? I like knockouts. Knockouts, knockouts? Knockouts knockouts.

If you happen to be a member of that every-fight-fan-in-the-world contingent, you probably enjoy an occasional belt of the leather. Ergo, you'll probably want to fire up the DVR or GIF machine for UFC 160, which goes down this Saturday from Las Vegas and appears primed and ready to deliver some heavy artillery.

Contained in this slideshow are information capsules on each fight, including predictions and viewing coordinates. As implied above, there may be one or two knockouts this weekend. Keep your head on a swivel.

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Uriah Hall Talks About the Influence Ronda Rousey Has Had on His UFC Career

Damon Martin — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:58:11 -0400

Former Ultimate Fighter finalist Uriah Hall had a mountain of expectations following him into his finale fight against former teammate Kelvin Gastelum last month in Las Vegas.

Hall came up short in his efforts and he was accused of not taking Gastelum seriously, letting the hype of the show go to his head, and all manner of problems that cost him the fight.

Needless to say, Hall didn't buy any of that and just chalked it up to a bad day for him and a good day for Gastelum

After the fight, Hall was ready to immediately jump back into training to try to forget the bad memories of the loss he just suffered, but instead, UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey offered him some sage advice and he took it.

"After the finale, she convinced me to come down there and just take some time off," Hall said about Rousey. "I was actually ready to go back to training. Just hanging out with her and watching how her mindset is with a lot of things, and it motivated me to get back in there and just push even harder."

Following his exit from his old gym at Team Tiger Schulmann's in New York, Hall has landed at Mark Munoz's Reign Training Center for now while he's on the West Coast to pick up some training.

While there, he discussed several hot topics, including Vitor Belfort's dramatic spinning head kick knockout from over the weekend that mimicked Hall's own finish while on The Ultimate Fighter. He also talks about his time on the show and much more.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

Rory MacDonald Says He's 100 Percent, 'Overtrained' for Carlos Condit

Scott Harris — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:48:11 -0400

Rising UFC welterweight contender Rory MacDonald said Monday that he is fully recovered from a neck injury that derailed his ballyhooed rematch with Carlos Condit.

"My neck and back is not an issue anymore. It doesn’t bother me at all," MacDonald said Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast.

The bout, originally scheduled for March 16 at UFC 158, was cancelled in February after MacDonald sustained the injury. He also was unable to train for about a month.

The news disappointed fight fans, who were excited to watch the 23-year-old MacDonald (14-1, 5-1 in UFC) try to take revenge against the only man to defeat him in his professional MMA career.

Back in 2010, at UFC 115, many viewers and pundits believed MacDonald was headed for a decision victory when Condit scored a TKO with seven seconds remaining in the contest. The UFC deemed the effort to be the Fight of the Night for UFC 115.

Apparently, MacDonald was pretty excited by the opportunity himself. On Monday, he chalked up the injury to overtraining for Condit, who MacDonald personally called out in December.

"I’m just going to try to train similar to the fight against B.J.," MacDonald said, referencing his December thrashing of B.J. Penn. "I think I was too anxious when they announced I was going to fight Carlos...Sometimes I overtrain. And sometimes I just have to settle down."

After MacDonald pulled out of UFC 158, Condit instead faced Johny Hendricks. Condit fought well but lost by unanimous decision.

Condit (28-7) does not currently have another announced opponent. Hendricks is now expected to fight next for the UFC welterweight title, currently held by Georges St-Pierre.

MacDonald, meanwhile, is set to face another contender in Jake Ellenberger, who is on a two-fight win streak and is known for dishing out big knockouts. The two will fight on July 27 at UFC on Fox 8.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 160 Preview: Fun Facts and Stats on Velasquez vs. Bigfoot Silva 2 Fight Card

Trent Reinsmith — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:47:49 -0400

The UFC will return to Las Vegas for Memorial Day weekend, presenting UFC 160 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 25. Headlining the fight card will be a heavyweight title bout. Cain Velasquez will look to defend his crown against a fighter that is making a habit of defying the odds, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

The winner of the co-main event will most likely be the next fighter to compete for the heavyweight crown as former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos squares off against Mark Hunt.

But wait, there's more. Two of the top lightweights will also square off at UFC 160, as Gray Maynard faces T.J. Grant. The winner of that bout will earn a fight date with UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

UFC 160 will feature 12 contests in total. Read on for some background stats and facts as fight night nears.

**All stats via Fightmetric.com

Begin Slideshow

UFC 160: Rick Story Looking to Bring the Fight to Mike Pyle

Duane Finley — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:38:47 -0400

Rick Story has something to prove.

After breaking through into the upper tier of the welterweight division after defeating Thiago Alves at UFC 130 back in May of 2011, the Vancouver Wa.-based fighter experienced a bit of career turbulence.

The six-fight win streak that carried him into the top 10 rankings was snapped after a chaotic opponent shake-up at UFC on Versus 6 when Charlie Brenneman stepped in for Nate Marquardt after the former middleweight contender failed to received medical clearance for the bout due to elevated levels of testosterone.

Facing a new opponent on 24 hours notice is a difficult adjustment for any fighter to make, and the end result was Story coming out on the losing end of the affair.

The 28-year-old would go on to lose three of his next four showings. Suddenly, the fighter who handed Johny Hendricks the lone loss of his MMA career and appeared poised to make a title run, looked as if he may never regain the footing to get his career back on track.

When the Team Brave Legion fighter stepped into the Octagon to face Quinn Mulhern at UFC 158, the pressure was on Story to perform. He was determined to not only face the doubt head on, but stop his backslide once and for all. It was a challenge Story answered in brutal fashion as he battered the Strikeforce veteran to earn a first-round stoppage victory.

"It was pretty awesome in the fact that I was able to make that happen," Story told Bleacher Report. "To have it in your mind and actually going out and doing it are two different things. That fight made it clear in my mind that I have the ability to do it and that I just have to go out there and get it done.

Looking to keep the momentum alive, the Tacoma native will step in for an injured Gunnar Nelson to face Mike Pyle this Saturday at UFC 160. The savvy veteran is also looking to break through into the welterweight division's upper-tier, and Story will try to bring Pyle's current three-fight win streak to an abrupt halt.

"In all of his fights, Pyle is pretty much the same guy," Story said. "He's always sticking and moving. It doesn't matter if it is me fighting him or someone else; it is probably going to be the same Mike Pyle. My style is hard nosed and straight forward. That's what he's going to see.

"He's definitely sharp and has really good counter punches. I have to be ready for everything. His striking is sharp and I definitely have to respect it. He's also shown in the fights that he's lost that he doesn't take punishment very well. And I'm going to try to deal out some punishment to him. Fans can expect to see a tank out there."

Where trying to work his way up the ladder in the quickest possible fashion once led Story's career path astray, he's confident in his steps going forward. The opportunity to fight Pyle may have come on shorter notice than a typical fight-cycle, as there was still plenty of time available for him to fully prepare for the challenges the 37-year-old presents.

This is where he gives credit to his coach Pat White and his Brave Legion Fight Team. With a camp dedicated to making sure Story is ready for what Pyle brings to the table, he believes he'll have all the tools necessary when the cage door closes in Las Vegas.

"I never really sit and dwell too much," Story said. "When the opportunity is there, I jump all over it. That's been the same deal as it's always been. I never turn down a fight. I want to continue this momentum. It isn't a three-week turnaround like it was before when I was supposed to fight [Nate] Marquardt. I had more time to prepare. I still had a month off and time to regather my senses and then start training camp. It wasn't rushed.

"It is a great opportunity for me to catapult myself back into contention. Pyle is a very formidable opponent. He's well known and has been around for a long time. He's defeated tough opponents and it's an opportunity for me to show once again that I belong up at the top of the division."

A victory over Pyle this Saturday would make a strong case for Story to regain the ground he lost since defeating Alves at UFC 130. Nevertheless, he's not willing to look too far ahead and has his total focused locked on his opponent this Saturday.

For Story, the ultimate goal is to become a UFC champion. That being said, the past has taught him that steady progression isn't a bad route to travel, and he's willing to take his climb back up the ladder one step at a time.

"I'm not getting ahead of myself," Story said. "I'm not looking past anyone. Getting the victory in my last fight was something I definitely needed to do in order to get my mind right and to take that step in the direction of contendership again. But anytime I start getting ahead of myself, I end up eating my words. I felt good about the last performance. I felt great about it and it provided extra motivation in this training camp to prepare for Pyle.

"I really don't think that I am," Story replied when asked if he feels overlooked in the welterweight picture. "I think because of who I've beat and how I've performed in the past, that respect is there. Some of my performances were not as good as they could've been and I think it's caused people to wonder which Rick Story is going to show up. If it's the destructive Rick Story...look out. But if it's not, then it's not going to be that exciting. That's the way I look at it.

"My last fight was an eye-opener. Something clicked in that fight. It's like riding a bike where once you've done it, you never forget. I guess we'll find out in my next fight if that is true or not. But I plan on trying to lay some punishment on Pyle."

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

'EA Sports UFC' Game Reportedly Getting First News Update During Xbox Event Day

McKinley Noble — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:55:19 -0400

Several months have passed since the last UFC game, and despite a promising announcement last year, EA Sports UFC has been nowhere in sight.

That's going to change, with EA confirming on the video game's official Facebook page that the "first news" would appear on Tuesday.

Coincidentally—or not—Tuesday is also the same day that Microsoft is expected to reveal the successor to their Xbox 360 console, commonly dubbed the "Xbox 720" by both gaming industry journalists and fans.

Given the timing, it's fair to assume that EA Sports UFC will be announced for the next Xbox console, either as part of Microsoft's event, or during a separate reveal from EA.

UFC Undisputed 3 released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in February 2012 to wide critical acclaim, but various things have changed since then—most notably, the bankruptcy and dissolution of the game's original publisher, THQ.

Ironically, EA had a previously contentious relationship with UFC president Dana White prior to the release of THQ's first UFC installment, when White detailed his first meeting with the company to seek them as a potential publishing partner (via MMA Junkie):

It's easy to sit on the other side of the table and judge me on how I react to stuff like this. But let me tell you what – I've been in the trenches for almost 10 years, and I've been dealing with all these businesses, and EA was one of them.

EA Sports told us, 'You're not a real sport. 'We wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.'

We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world. We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That's not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.

You told us you'd never be in business with us. They wouldn't even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them. This wasn't a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn't they?

After the success of UFC Undisputed 2009, EA further drew the ire of White by releasing EA Sports MMA, which mainly featured Strikeforce fighters like Nick Diaz and Fedor Emelianenko, with an added controversy over the inclusion of then-UFC fighter Randy Couture.

However, the two companies saw fit to patch things up immediately after EA bought out THQ's license to the video game series.

In a surprise move, White even traveled out to Los Angeles on late notice in order to take the stage at E3 2012, helping announce EA Sports UFC during EA's conference keynote at E3 2012.

Microsoft's Xbox event starts at 10:00 a.m. PST on Tuesday (May 21) and will be viewable both on the official Xbox.com website and the "Live Events" hub on Xbox Live—more updates will likely be found on the Xbox Twitter account.

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.

Read more UFC news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Rankings for Each Weight Division Following UFC on FX 8

Sean Smith — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:39:25 -0400

Vitor Belfort could be looking at his third UFC title shot in as many calendar years after scoring his second straight knockout win in the UFC on FX 8 main event against Luke Rockhold.

The final Strikeforce middleweight champion, Rockhold would have been a strong candidate for a title shot of his own had he defeated Belfort in his UFC debut. However, after finishing Rockhold and Michael Bisping before him, Belfort is now at the top of the heap of 185-pound contenders.

Heading into Saturday's fights, Belfort was ranked No. 2 in the middleweight division behind upcoming title challenger Chris Weidman. Did that change with the results from UFC on FX 8?

With UFC on FX 8 in the books and UFC 160 ahead, let's take a look at the latest official UFC rankings.

Begin Slideshow

Bros, Booze and Boos: Are Americans the Worst MMA Fans in the World?

Jordy McElroy — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:35:31 -0400

We've all seen that one person at every MMA event randomly booing, yelling out profanities and fist-pumping in a tight, armpit-soiled flaming skull and cross T-shirt.

In America, this type of individual is typically referred to as a bro or "that guy."

Unfortunately, the movement is spreading in the world of MMA. There is no longer that one guy boozing it up while feigning to be the toughest man on the planet. "That guy" has quickly become "that girl," which has recently spread to "that group" and "that city." There is just one lingering question.

Are there any educated and respectable American MMA fans left in this world?

The posed question is admittedly a bit overdramatic. Educated and respectable American MMA fans do exist, and some are reading this article right now. Unfortunately, their representation is only a minority in comparison to the countless casual fans.

A lack of understanding and a refusal to become enlightened is one of the primary roadblocks hindering the progress of American fans. MMA mirrors real life so much that even the most uneducated fans feel like they understand fighting. No one put it better than UFC President Dana White during his interview with Forbes:

"At the end of the day, we're all human beings, and fighting is in our DNA, man. We get it, and we like it."

The average person couldn't fathom dunking a basketball like Michael Jordan or making a spectacular one-handed catch like NFL receiver Randy Moss. Most human beings can easily relate to the concept of punching another person in the face. In MMA, everyone feels like an expert.

For those in doubt, go to your local pub and listen to the "experts" break down and compare themselves to top UFC fighters. Yours truly has even had the pleasure of watching an inebriated individual stand up and shadow box in front of an entire restaurant in an attempt to showcase his "world class" skills.

It doesn't take much these days to convince a man that is 20-0 behind a local fast-food establishment that he's ready for the big leagues.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has already gone on record to express his resentment towards American fans. During an interview with ESPN UK, he called American fans "the most negative MMA crowd ever."

"I would honestly say the American crowd is the most negative MMA crowd ever," said Rampage.

"Look at Junior Dos Santos, he put on a great fight [against Cain Velasquez] and he got booed. They cheered him when he walked in there and then booed him after a great fight. I don't understand that."

The UFC 155 championship rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez represented American fandom at its worst.

Dos Santos, who was completely dominated by Velasquez, never wavered in the face of adversity. Despite taking a severe beating early in the fight, he stood his ground and put on a heartfelt and gutsy performance that should have been celebrated by the masses.

Instead, Dos Santos was booed out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., after laying everything on the line and losing the UFC title.

"Why are you guys doing that? Why," Dos Santos asked in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

There isn't a complex answer to Dos Santos' question. Fans were booing simply because they could.

American fans buy into the UFC product and forget that there are actual human beings competing in a dangerous sport. There is no gratitude or understanding. It all comes back to the hard-earned American dollar. After spending money, people believe they have a right to do whatever they want.

Sadly, these individuals aren't wrong. Tickets and pay-per-view prices for UFC events aren't exactly on the cheap side. When they buy into the product, fans have a right to cheer or boo whenever they want, but is it always right?

It wasn't right in Dos Santos' case, and it certainly wasn't right in Benson Henderson's case, either.

At UFC on FOX 7, fans were infuriated by Henderson's decision victory over Gilbert Melendez. After the fight, an act non-related to MMA took place that usually brings about joy and excitement.

Henderson got down on one knee and proposed to longtime girlfriend Maria Magana. Unfortunately, the champ's life-altering moment didn't quell the boo birds, as a chorus of boos showered both him and his soon-to-be fiancée during the proposal.

Respect is the only thing separating American fans from the rest of the world. In the States, fighters are booed for taking the fight to the ground and needing breaks for accidental eye pokes or shots below the belt. Foreign fighters are sometimes booed for the inability to speak English.

Perhaps boos are better than the random, Hacksaw Jim Duggan-like "USA" chants that tend to break out from time to time. There is nothing wrong with being patriotic, but it is a bit disconcerting when nationalities are confused and chants occur in bouts between two Americans or a pair of non-American fighters.

In countries like Japan, a pen dropping can be heard in an arena during a fight. They have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the sport. It boils down to culture as well. American sport fans are typically loud and amped up for events, which isn't always a bad thing.

This kind of fandom makes events seem larger than life by breathing excitement and emotion into the atmosphere. People can literally see the excitement jumping out at them from a TV screen within the comfort of their living rooms.

Like every other country, American fans have their issues, but it wouldn't be fair to call them the "worst MMA fans in the world." Most UFC events take place in the States, which tends to distort the negative impressions.

There have been plenty of quality American crowds during live UFC events, and other countries have had their share of blunders. In the end, it all comes down to the individual, and certain people are going to act out regardless of what country they live in.

So don't be afraid to throw on a signature T-shirt, pop open a cold one and boo alongside your fellow bro at a UFC event. This is 'Merica, and as long as you've paid your hard-earned dollar, you have the right to boo whoever the hell you want.

We only ask that you do so respectfully.

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