UFC 102 Payouts

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: $400,000 ($250,000 to show, $150,000 to win) def. Randy Couture: $250,000

Thiago Silva: $58,000 ($29,000 to show, $29,000 to win) def. Keith Jardine: $55,000

Jake Rosholt: $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 to win) def. Chris Leben: $30,000

Nate Marquardt: $80,000 ($40,000 to show, $40,000 to win) def. Demian Maia: $28,000

Brandon Vera: $70,000 ($35,000 to show, $35,000 to win) def. Krzystzof Soszynski: $8,000

Aaron Simpson: $18,000 ($9,000 to show, $9,000 to win) def. Ed Herman: $24,000

Gabriel Gonzaga: $120,000 ($60,000 to show, $60,000 to win) def. Chris Tuchscherer: $10,000

Mike Russow: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) def. Justin McCully: $15,000

Todd Duffee: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win) def. Tim Hague: ($7,000)

Mark Munoz: $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win) def. Nick Catone: $5,000

Evan Dunham: $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win) def. Marcus Aurelio: $13,000


Total disclosed payroll for UFC 102: $1,285,000


Fight of the Night Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Knockout of the Night Nate Marquardt
Submission of the Night - Jake Rosholt

Each fighter received $60,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries. The highly anticipated event drew 16,088 fans for a $1.92 million gate.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/8/30...re-vs-nogueira
[Reply]

I'm glad to see Vera put together two really good fights back to back. I thought his ugly battle with Jardine was going to set him back, but hes run off two in a row and I think he can take a step up in the ranking soon. I know Hamill would have given him a much more difficult and different challenge, but a win is a win, and he looked pretty good.
[Reply]

That card was a little better than I thought it was. I like how Chris Leben decided to just get choked out..

I'm glad Jardine lost too.

The next fight night with Diaz as the main looks weak. I hope Guillard wins.
Huerta is usually fun to watch.
[Reply]

Seems Jardine always loses to the people he is supposed to beat but really steps up when he fights the guys he is not supposed to beat. His nickname needs to be changed to "Mr. Inconsistent".


Dana White explains he has no interest in five round non-title fights

http://mmabay.co.uk/Story%2002507.html

UFC President, Dana White has revealed that he’s not about to change the landscape in the UFC by having non-title main events to be contested over five rounds, saying he prefers to reserve those kind of fights for when a title is on the line.

Speaking to MMAJunkie.com prior to UFC 102, Dana said:

“I was saying [last week] I wish this was a five-round fight, Nogueira and Couture, and there’s been other fights, too, that I've wished were five rounds. But I’m a purist, man. Title fights are five rounds. When you fight for the title, it’s five rounds.”

“You know how many times I’ve been ringside and said, ‘God, I wish this was a five-round fight’”. I did it [on Sunday]. (UFC heavyweight champion) Brock (Lesnar) and I were watching the fight together, and we both said we wish that fight with Nogueira and Couture was five rounds.”

“But, I think that’s what's so special about fighting for the title. You fight for the title, and it’s a five-round fight; you don’t, it’s a three-round fight. So if everything could be five rounds, what's the point in having title fights at five rounds? Should we do title fights as seven rounds and regular fights (at) five rounds? It just doesn't make sense to me, even though as a fan myself I’d like to see some fights go five rounds that aren’t.”

Keith Kizer, the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s executive director backed up the lack of interest from the UFC.

“The UFC has specifically told us they’re not interested, so I doubt you'll see that from them.”

Many fans have wanted to see certain fight in UFC history continue into the fourth and fifth rounds, for instance Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 99) & Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 99) only to be left disappointed by the premature end to a thrilling encounter. Looks like this will continue to be the case, especially in the UFC.
[Reply]

We may need to rethink this. I like the card though I didn't think it was worth the PPV, but look at the 104 card. Besides Machida Shogun I'm just not at all interested. It's not that I don't think it does't just have enough strength to, I just have no interest.

It was a good fight, Nog just controlled too much of it. Before the fight I was pretty sure Randy wouldn't be subbed, but damn, after Nog put him in a couple submissions I was amazed at how Couture worked his way out of them.

I'm still grinning seeing Maia get shutdown so fast.
[Reply]

Yeah whatever, I'd love to see a rematch, Maia needs to stick to BJJ not kickboxing.

I guess Bitetti Combat on Sep 12th is the next big MMA event. It seems to be a showcase of Brazilian talent for the most part. It has Paul Filho, Jeff Monsoon, Pedro Rizzo, Lil Nog, and the return of Ricardo Arona.
[Reply]

Yeah, exactly what I was thinking once he started throwing kicks. He's been criticized for his weak standup game, but that wasn't the time to try and show off your skills.

I'll give him credit for not making excuses and taking the loss well and getting back to training.
[Reply]

Amir Sadollah set to take on Phil Baroni at UFC 106


Following an unsuccessful outing against Johny Hendricks at UFC 101, Amir Sadollah is set to act as a welcome home party for Phil Baroni, as the pair are set to square at UFC 106 on November 21st.

According to Inside Fights, sources close to both camps have revealed that Ultimate Fighter season 7 winner Amir Sadollah will square off against “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni at UFC 106 in Las Vegas on November 21st.

Baroni last saw UFC action when he fought fellow New Yorker Pete “Drago” Sell at UFC back in 2005, and after a hard fought battle, lost via Guillotine choke late in the third round. Only time will tell whether Baroni can make this next run in the Octagon more successful.

http://mmabay.co.uk/sadollah%20vs%20baroni.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randy Couture is looking to lighten his load.
by Loretta Hunt


The UFC Hall of Famer said he’s leaning toward dropping from heavyweight back down to the UFC’s light heavyweight division, where Couture clinched the title (and its interim version) on three separate occasions.

“Maybe this year, or maybe the first of next year,” said Couture of his next bout. “I haven’t really looked at the cards and the shows that they have. What’s on the schedule, I don’t know, but I’m especially leaning towards dropping down. I’m pushing in weight. It would be easy for me to make 205 and there’s more interesting fights there right now.”

The choice appears to be Couture’s to make. UFC President Dana White told reporters Saturday following UFC 102 that he’d welcome bouts for the 46-year-old legend in both divisions, though White made his preference clear.

“I’d love to see him at light heavyweight, but he proved he can hang with heavyweights,” said White. “He’s had probably the best fight against Brock Lesnar, other than Heath Herring, since Lesnar’s been in here. I think he’s a monster at light heavyweight. It’s up to him, to be honest with you. Whatever he wants to do, I’m in.”

Couture announced on Saturday that he’d renewed his contract with the UFC for seven bouts over 28 months. The new contract was drafted and signed hours before Couture’s 20th Octagon appearance, and included the Nogueira bout. Sources have indicated to Sherdog.com that Couture’s new deal pays him six times more per fight guaranteed up front, along with a percentage of the pay-per-view sales profit.

Couture would not comment on the figures.

“They’re taking care of me very well, and they have since I came back,” said Couture, who left the promotion for 11 months in 2007 over a contract dispute. “The pay-per-view deal that I had, with this last contract, was good and took care of me as well. I don’t have any complaints there.”

Couture weighed in at a relatively svelte 220 pounds for his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last Saturday at UFC 102 in Portland, Ore. Nogueira knocked Couture down in the first and third rounds and tied the veteran wrestler up with an array of submission attempts en route to a unanimous decision.

The move would be Couture’s fourth between the heavyweight division, where he began his career in 1997, and the 205-pound ranks. Couture, a three-time All-American for the famed Oklahoma State University, wrestled at 190 pounds and competed internationally at 198 pounds for 16 years.

A plethora of potential matchups await Couture in the division, from Keith Jardine to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to champion Lyoto Machida.

The decision might also ensure the four-time Olympic alternate never rematches Lesnar, who finished Couture with second-round ground strikes at UFC 91 last November to earn the heavyweight title in only his fourth career bout.

“I kind of got moved off that track losing the decision Saturday anyways,” said Couture. “I don’t know how realistic it is to think I’m going to be the guy in line to fight Lesnar after dropping the decision Saturday night.”

The only obstacle for Couture now might be his flourishing acting career.

Couture said he’s under consideration for two action film projects, either of which could materialize with an offer in the next couple for weeks.

“That would put me in work very quickly this month or next month,” said Couture.

In that scenario, Couture said he would aim to fight again in the beginning of 2010.

Couture also has a supporting role alongside action stars Jason Statham and Jet Li in Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables,” due out in April.

“It’s a constant juggling act with all the stuff that I’m doing, so I’ll have to get plenty of notice for fights and when I get a fight that comes on the radar that’s interesting, I shut everything else down for that nine or 10-week period,” said Couture. “Right now, none of the movie deals are inked, so I don’t know what’s going to be real and happen and what’s not.

“I realize at this stage in my career that I can’t fight forever, so it’s not logical for me to put the movie stuff on hold,” added Couture. “I have too many opportunities and options right now.”

sherdog.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shogun considers weight change


Before Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has even had a chance to compete for the UFC light heavyweight championship on October 24th, he's already considering the possibility of moving up a weight class. Shogun recently stated that he would consider the move if the money were right.

Source: FightLine.com
[Reply]

As much as I hate Baroni my first instinct is that he'll win that bout. Anyone agree? I just haven't seen enough out of Sadollah to really make an educated guess.
[Reply]

I would have to disagree. Baroni hasn't been good for a while. He has lost to people he probably shouldn't have lost to. Sadollah is very good and I think he will sub Baroni. I think the only reason Baroni was signed by the UFC is so he couldn't be picked by Strikeforce.
[Reply]

At this past weekend's UFC 102 event at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore., the groin shot hurt plenty badly. Plenty badly.

But even more frustrating for UFC newcomer Chris Tuscherer was the lack of answers he received from Oregon State Athletic Commission officials after opponent Gabriel Gonzaga tagged him with one of the worst groin shots in MMA history.

On today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Tuscherer, who ultimately suffered a brutal knockout via head kick and follow-up punches, said that lack of information eventually led him to the disastrous decision to continue in the fight.

Early in the heavyweights' preliminary-card bout, Gonzaga caught Tuscherer, a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy fighter and teammate of Brock Lesnar's, square in the family jewels. While many such kicks ultimately graze the groin area and are intended for an inside leg, Tuscherer said the fighters' positioning led Gonzaga's to being a "straight up punt kick" to the junk.

"It's the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life," the 33-year-old said. "I'm still sore, but I'm luckily not getting worse."

Most infuriating, though, was what Tuscherer said was a complete lack of information about the fight's status. In a pivotal promotional debut, Tuscherer knew he needed to impress or risk getting cut from the UFC's roster. But even if he decided to continue and fight through the pain, which initially left him sprawled out on the canvas and dry heaving, Tuscherer didn't know if he'd be tagged with a loss, if the fight would be declared a no-contest, or if Gonzaga would suffer a disqualification defeat (something he said he absolutely didn't want happening).

"No one knew what was going on," he said. "Right now I think about it, and it's really screwed up because no one could tell me what was going on ... between the doctor and the referee. No one could tell me a straight answer on if I couldn't finish what would be the result. So I was out there and didn't know what to do."

"I asked the doctor many times what would happen if I can't continue. 'Is it a no-contest? What happens here?' And the doctor and the ref couldn't tell me. They kept passing the buck on to each other out there, so no one could tell me what was going on."

About that time, Lesnar came cageside to check on Tuscherer. The heavyweight champ first inquired on his training partner's health, at which time Tuscherer told him he thought, "My testicle is up inside my body."

Ouch.

Ultimately, he felt like he was rushed into a decision.

So then the doctor is standing there and asking me if I can continue," said Tuscherer. "I'm like, 'What happens if I can't continue? I feel like my testicle is up inside me.' The doctor said to me, 'Do you want to go in the back and look at it?' I'm thinking to myself, 'What the hell is this guy talking about? Does that mean we go in the back and check it out and come back and fight?' He couldn't tell me what would happen if I couldn't continue. So I'm sitting there thinking the worst. I don't want to take a loss because I can't continue, and you've got all these emotions going on, and it's your first UFC event. I'm a tough guy, and I have a stubborn head, but with it being my UFC debut, I didn't want to go out like that.'

"So basically, I got pissed off and said, 'Let's just do it.'

But even before that conversation, Tuscherer could be seen wrestling with officials. He said it was indicative of his frame of mind soon after the brutal kick first landed.

"I was passed out for whatever amount of time it was, and I had come to, and what I remember is that I thought I was on the ground fighting," Tuscherer said. "That's the part where you kind of see me going wild there. That was me coming to and thinking I was still fighting, and basically whoever was in front of me was who I was going after."

A couple minutes later, after the in-cage antics and decision to continue, Gonzaga picked up his third win in four fights and blasted a still-ailing Tuscherer with a kick to the head. The TKO stoppage came mere moments later.

Looking back, Tuscherer knows he should have never continued.

"All I was wondering was if it'd be a no-contest," he said. "Would that have been the deal? If someone could have been telling me ... it would have been a no-contest, I think my mind would have thought a little different that way. I would have thought to myself, 'Hey, we're not fighting on some small show here. This is a huge fight. I'm fighting a guy who's a top-10 heavyweight in the world. I've got to be a 100 percent if I'm going to be out here.'

"That's probably what would've went through my head."

Now stuck with just his second loss in 19 professional bouts, Tuscherer is just hopeful he'll get another shot in the UFC. After five years of professional fighting to get him to MMA's biggest stage, the former two-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler just wants another shot to prove he belongs here.

"I talked to a few of the UFC guys on the night of that fight, and they apologized that it was done that way and that the Oregon State (Athletic) Commission didn't really know what was going on, that it was the first time the UFC had been out there," he said. "I don't blame the UFC at all. I blame the other guys for not knowing what was going on. That's out of their hands, so I can't blame them.

"So I'm hoping they'll give me another shot so I can prove again that I do deserve to be out there. "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josh Neer Replaces Sherk at UFC 104


Josh Neer will replace an injured Sean Sherk in a lightweight bout against Gleison Tibau at UFC 104 on Oct. 24 in Los Angeles, according to a source close to the matchup.

Sherk, 36, suffered a shoulder injury in training that will keep him out of the gym for approximately four weeks, according to his manager Monte Cox. The injury is a setback for the former lightweight champion, who is 1-1 in his last two Octagon appearances since failing to recapture the crown from B.J. Penn at UFC 84 in May 2008.

Neer dropped a tough decision to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 in August and is 2-2 in his last four UFC performances. The tough-as-nails Iowan submitted Mac Danzig in a memorable tilt at UFC Fight Night 17 last February.

Tibau returns to action after a close split-decision loss to Melvin Guillard at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale in June. A wrestler fighting out of Florida’s American Top Team, Tibau had defeated Jeremy Stephens and Rich Clementi before dropping the bout to Guillard.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/nee...-ufc-104-19457
[Reply]

Former UFC and PRIDE champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has claimed that Vaseline played its part in Randy Couture surviving the head triangle in the first round when the two met at UFC 102 this past weekend, suggesting that it prevented him from getting the kind of grip he is used to.

Speaking to MMAWeekly.com, Nogueira said:

“In the head triangle I thought I was very (close to finishing him) you know but I had too much Vaseline. I don’t know whether it was from his eye or my eye. It was on the glove from the hit in the face so I couldn’t hold, that was for real man. He escaped good also, he stepped back and start to push.”

Nogueira also goes on to talk about his desire to face UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, saying he will box with the 280 pound monster and if he ends up getting taken down he will play with him in his guard.

http://mmabay.co.uk/Story%2002529.html
[Reply]

Hughes re-ups with UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championships has signed a new contract with the man who has more title defenses than anyone else in the promotion's history.

Matt Hughes, facing camera, has seven successful UFC title defenses, with the last one coming against BJ Penn in September 2006 at UFC 63.

Welterweight former champion Matt Hughes has a new multifight deal with UFC, he announced on his blog today. Hughes described the agreement as "much like my last contract."

That previous deal ended with Hughes' fight against Matt Serra at UFC 98 in May.

Hughes last held the 170-pound division's belt in 2006. He has gone 2-2 since losing the title to Georges St. Pierres in November of that year, but Hughes remains a formidable presence — the USA TODAY/SB Nation rankings currently list Hughes in the No. 4 spot.

UFC's new agreement with Hughes marks the promotion's second move in less than a week to lock up a former champion. Last Saturday, six-time champion Randy Couture signed a deal that added six more fights to his UFC tenure, following his UFC 102 bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

The new contract with Hughes apparently gives him room to pursue some outside interests.

"I also brought up the fact that I wanted to do a hunting show and they thought that would be a good thing," Hughes wrote on his blog.

His next opponent hasn't been determined yet, although UFC officials mentioned the possibility of "a person I've never fought before," Hughes posted.

That leaves a wide range of names. Among the 19 UFC fighters in the consensus top 25, more than a dozen have not fought Hughes, who started his mixed martial arts career in the late 1990s, years before UFC's current owners got into the business.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...ups-with-ufc/1
[Reply]

Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans Fight At UFC 107 Canceled

One of the most heated rivalries may remain unsettled . . . at least for the time being. As noted earlier today, UFC president Dana White officially announced that the light heavyweight championship bout between champion BJ Penn and top contender Diego Sanchez will be taking place at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee. MMABay.com is reporting that the bout will be replacing the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson - Rashad Evans bout as the main event of the show.

The fight has been scrapped due to Rampage's commitments to filming "The A-Team". Rampage plays B.A. Baracus in the movie, a role immortalized by Mr. T, and will be working alongside cast members Liam Neeson and The Hangover’s Bradley Cooper who will be playing Col. John "Hannibal" Smith and Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, respectively. Starring in the big-budget Hollywood feature would have left him with no time to adequately prepare for Evans.

Jackson and Evans will be opposing coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, and the show was supposed to lead into UFC 107, whick takes place in Rampage's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. White had noted that the hatred between the two had developed into one of the craziest seasons of the show yet.

“Anytime these guys got within two inches of each other at the show, it’s bad,” White recently noted. “They really don’t like each other and these two really want to fight. Season 10 is probably some of the best television we’ve ever done. It’s crazy.”

Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter premieres September 16th on Spike TV. The season features former EliteXC star Kimbo Slice and a slew of ex-NFL heavyweights, who will be competing for the title of “The Next Ultimate Fighter” and a six-figure contract with the UFC.

Meanwhile, fans will probably have to wait until next year before they can see Rampage and Evans finally clash.

http://www.fightline.com/news/mma/20...on/index.shtml

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15 M-1 Fights to be Streamed Free on Saturday

M-1Global.com users will be treated to a free 15-bout card Saturday night when the M-1 Selection returns to Russia.

The 15-bout card, which is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 local time and will be streamed live on M-1Global.com and Mixfight.ru, will feature home town fight gym Gorec defending its turf against Russia Legion. In addition to Gorec vs. Legion, there will be a second best-of-five team challenge matchup between Red Devil and Sochi Star, along with five “ratings” fights.

The M-1 Selection is a year long competition featuring the top fight gyms in Russia vying for the right to represent its home country in the 2010 M-1 Challenge. Two of the more notable fighters to be featured during tomorrow’s stream are Radmir Gabdullin and Kirill Sidelnikov of Red Devil.

Both Gabdullin and Sidelnikov are veterans of the M-1 Challenge and are frequent training partners of former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko.

Gabdullin, 4-2, is coming off a recent loss in July to USA West middleweight Giva Santana. Despite being one of the most talented up-and-comers training in the Red Devil gym, Santana capitalized on his experience and submitted Gabdullin at 3:47 of round 1.

Sidelnikov, 6-3, is often referred to as “Baby Fedor,” a nickname bestowed upon him as he is viewed as one of Red Devil’s future stars. Despite being just 20 years of age, Sidelnikov made his United States debut this past January during Affliction “Day of Reckoning.” Facing former Strikeforce title challenger Paul Buentello, Sidelnikov was TKO’d at 4:18 of round 3.

Below is the complete lineup (along with weigh-in results) for tomorrow’s free M-1 Selection stream, courtesy of our Russian-language partners at Mixfight.ru:


Ratings Fights:

1. Shamil Abdulragimov vs. Alexander Volkov
2. Oleg Belenky vs. Alexander Kosarev
3. Shahbulat Shamhalaev vs. Radzha Hizriev
4. Evgenie Solonsky vs. Ahadov Aloes
5. Michael Tigunov vs. Shahmurad Shamhalaev

Team Challenge Fight #1: Sochi Star (Left) vs. Red Devil (Right):

6. Magomed Aliomarov vs. Dzhamal Kurbanov
7. Pasha Bamatov vs. Alexey Nazarov
8. Magomed Rabadanov vs. Radmir Gabdullin
9. Rasul Magomedaliev vs. Victor Nemkov
10. Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Kirill Sidelnikov

Team Challenge Fight #2: Legion (Left) vs. Gorec (Right):

11. Zagalav Mahachev vs. Shamil Abdulkerimov
12. Alexander Tokarev vs. Gasanali Gasanaliev
13. Ruslan Hashanov vs. Magomed Sultanahmedov
14. Rasul Magomedov vs. Hanilav Hanilaev
15. Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov vs. Ibragim Magomedov

http://www.m-1global.com/lang/en/200...-m-1globalcom/
[Reply]

Kinda pissed about the Rampage/Evans thing getting pushed off. After the 'Page/Jardine fight I was hoping Evans and Quinton would just throw down, now we have to wait another 6 months or so.
[Reply]

Upcoming elbow surgery to cost Anderson Silva rest of 2009 fight season!

Anderson Silva's next middleweight title defense will have to wait until next year.

The UFC's longtime title-holder and one of MMA's top pound-for-pound fighters will soon undergo elbow surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2009 fight season.

ESPN's "MMA Live" mentioned the injury in a recent Twitter message, though Silva's manager, Ed Soares, didn't go into details when speaking to MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) on Friday.

A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com earlier in the week that UFC officials at least briefly considered the idea of Silva taking the headline spot at UFC 105, an event that takes place Nov. 14 in Manchester, England. The show airs via tape delay on Spike TV, and a Silva main event (whether against Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt or another opponent) would have likely scored huge ratings for the cable station.

Silva, though, will shut down for the rest of 2009, though details of the surgery were not immediately known. He's targeting a likely early 2010 return to the cage.

Silva (25-4 MMA, 10-0 UFC), undefeated with a record 10-fight win streak in the UFC, most recently topped Forrest Griffin in a lopsided UFC 101 co-main-event fight. Silva battered the former light-heavyweight champion in a non-title fight and has now posted stoppage victories in 12 of his past wins.

When he does return to competition, Silva is likely to face either Henderson or Marquardt. While both basically have been promised title shots, a fight between the two top contenders could be a possibility while Silva is sidelined.
[Reply]

During the online broadcast of Friday night's "American Top Team vs. The World" event, Shine Fights promoter Dorian Price announced that former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga will make his mixed martial arts debut at the next Shine Fights event against "a big surprise opponent."

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/9/5/...e-broadcast-of

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CRO COP CLEARS THE SMOKE ON PAST UFC DEALINGS
MMAWeekly.com

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is a company man. At least, he comes off that way.

“I made my career in Japan. I liked Pride more than anything, but those days are gone and UFC is the main on the MMA market today. I think my place is to fight in the UFC and that is it.”

That’s a far cry from the tornado of uncertainty that swirled following his win over Mustapha Al-Turk at UFC 99 in June.

That fight was the only time UFC president Dana White did a one-fight deal over the phone. As soon as it was over, it appeared that White got played for a mark.

A report by Yahoo! Sports reporter Kevin Iole noted that Cro Cop opted not to live up to a verbal agreement with White and instead would bolt back to Japan, returning to the Dream organization he left behind six months prior.

White even responded in the report, saying, “Isn’t that a dirty (expletive) thing to do? The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal and he (expletived) me.”

Cro Cop is now back in the fold, the ink dry on a new three-bout deal – courtesy of a personal visit from UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta in the fighter’s home country of Croatia – and fighting Junior Dos Santos on Sept. 19 in Dallas.

During a media conference call for UFC 103 on Tuesday, the one time Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion talked of his decision to sign with the UFC, hoping to lock down talk of the controversial dealings squarely in the past.

“We make the deal for the Germany event. It was a single fight, but I told Dana that I want to keep fighting and that everything was pretty much clear,” recounted the Croatian.

“Then so many kinds of rumors came from Internet, this that, this that, but there is no truth to any of this. I was able to choose. I was free on the market and I wanted to go in the hardest and the only global organization today, it's UFC. I think that every true fighter should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely the only worldwide organization today.”

There was interest from Dream, but Cro Cop insists he was nothing but fair to all parties involved.

“Dream was interested in me to keep fighting there,” he said. “I was fair with Dana White, talking with UFC. I was fair with Dream and I told Dream I would accept better deal, better challenge for me, and UFC is definitely for fighters (a) better chance and that's all. There is no mystery in that. And of course, I decided to take UFC offer.”

And with that, the smoke clears. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is a UFC fighter once again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed Soares: Anderson Silva Didn't Get Elbow Surgery

It came out a few days ago that Anderson Silva informed the UFC of his decision to get elbow surgery, and that he would be out until early 2010. A new report from Kevin Iole casts doubt on this story. In his weekly mailbag, in response to a question about a potential Couture-Silva superfight, Iole dropped this bombshell:

I spoke to Ed Soares, Silva's manager, and contrary to published reports, Silva has not had surgery on his elbow and is not in any way incapable of fighting in November if he's offered a fight. Soares said he hasn't spoken to Silva about fighting Couture yet, and stressed that such a fight has never been discussed with the UFC. But he did say, "Anderson wants to fight the biggest and the best fighters out there and Randy Couture falls into that category. After Anderson saw the way he fought Rodrigo Nogueira, he said he became an even bigger Randy Couture fan."

I assume we'll get the surgery issue cleared up in a few days. Perhaps it was just a case of wrong information, or perhaps Anderson didn't want to fight overseas? I don't know the answer, and even the latter explanation doesn't really make sense. If he really is healthy, I suspect they are saving Anderson for the New Year's show, and can't afford to give away another main event in November.

The prospect of a Randy Couture fight is absolutely frightening and intriguing at the same time, and it may be the kind of big gun they're willing to pull out if Rampage and Rashad are delayed for longer than expected. Couture would be (at least) a +400 underdog, but then again, maybe that's the best way to sell a Randy fight. I heard him on Sherdog radio on Wednesday saying he wants to fight Anderson Silva.

Another interesting theory is they're holding Anderson out to fight on a rumored "unannounced" card that they supposedly intend to put up against Fedor Emelianenko's Strikeforce debut. Is it possible that BJ Penn moving to December 12th had nothing to do with the death of a network deal, and that Anderson will main event the extra rumored show? If Anderson really is healthy it really makes you wonder what is going on.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/9/9/...ilva-didnt-get
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanchez Signs 8-Fight Deal

Diego Sanchez signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC on Tuesday, clearing the path for a lightweight title bid against B.J. Penn at UFC 107 in Dec. 12 in Memphis, Tenn.Sanchez’s representation, Jeff Clark of NCFC Management, confirmed the fighter’s re-signing with the promotion.

Once bout agreements are signed, Sanchez vs. Penn is expected to co-headline the December pay-per-view event. A main event pairing Rashad Evans against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to conclude their turns as rival coaches on Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 10” has been postponed. A replacement bout has not been announced.

The winner of season one of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Sanchez is on a four-fight winning streak with the promotion. The 27-year-old fighter dispatched Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 last February and Clay Guida, via a close split decision, at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale in June.

Sanchez has only two losses on his docket to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, both by decision in 2007. In his 23 career bouts, Sanchez has never been stopped.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/san...ght-deal-19573
[Reply]

Paul Filho supposedly said that he would fight Mousasi for free outside the cage to prove he is not a good fighter. I guess the brazilians are gunning for Mousasi since he beat one in devastating fashion. Could make for some good fights.
[Reply]

The fight order for SENGOKU X was announced today. In the main event, as expected, Hiroshi Izumi will take on Antz “Notorious” Nansen. The semi main-even spot has been given to Antonio Silva and Big Jim York.

SENGOKU X
Date: September 23rd, 2009
Place: Saitama Community Arena in Tokyo, Japan

Single Fights (3×5):
8. LHW: Hiroshi Izumi vs. Antz “Notorious” Nansen
7. HW: Antonio Silva vs. Big Jim York
6. WW: Makoto Takimoto vs. Lee Jae Sun
5. LW: Kazunori Yokota vs. Ryan Schultz
4. LHW: Ryo Kawamura vs. Fabio Silva
3. WW: Dan Hornbuckle vs. Nick Thompson
2. MW: Takenori Sato vs. Joe Doerksen
1. LW: Maxi vs. Tetsuya Yamada

Opening Fights (2×5):
-1. LW: Ikuo Usuda vs. Baek Woo Hyun
-2. FW: Shigeki Osawa vs. Kim Ki Hyun
-3. BW: Ryosuke Komori vs. So Jee Hyun

http://nightmareofbattle.wordpress.c...der-announced/

Also announced today were the three first participants of the November 7th SENGOKU XI at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago, Featherweight GP runner-up Michihiro Omigawa, and Kevin Randleman will all be returning to the SENGOKU ring.

The opponent of Randleman could be King Mo according to a new report by Sherdog.

Update: It looks like Satoru Kitaoka, Akihiro Gono, and Eiji Mitsuoka have a good chance to participate at SENGOKU XI

http://nightmareofbattle.wordpress.c...ants-revealed/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buentello Out of Strikeforce, Likely to UFC

Paul Buentello has secured his release from Strikeforce and is negotiating a return to the Octagon, the former UFC heavyweight title contender told Sherdog.com.

Strikeforce President Scott Coker confirmed the news in an e-mail sent via company representative Mike Afromowitz.

“We offered Paul a six-figure contract to fight Fedor, but he turned it down,” Coker said. “His decision is understandable considering Fedor's level of skill but, at the same time, Paul didn't really fit into our plans. He's been a solid journeyman fighter and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

The “Head Hunter” informed Sherdog.com that the UFC would honor his Affliction contract -- which has one fight left -- and that they are negotiating an extension as well.

Buentello (27-10) has run up a 12-2 record over the past six years with his only defeats coming in title matches against Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem. The 35-year-old Texan was 3-1 in his first stint in the UFC.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/bue...y-to-ufc-19624
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four wins, seven losses.

It's a record that would be less-than-desirable for any professional fighter over an 11-fight stretch.

But for a man once known as the uncrowned champion of the UFC's lightweight division, it's simply unacceptable.

"I don't want to go out like the last two or three years," Yves Edwards recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I want to leave something behind, something that I can remember, something that I can be proud of. I think that kind of got away from me for a while. I'm just trying to get that back."

Edwards entered this past Friday's "Shine Fights 2: American Top Team vs. The World" on a two-fight losing streak and with the aforementioned less-than-desirable stretch.

Edwards entered the bout looking to turn things around, but even that didn't come easy. A last second change of opponent complicated the challenge.

"It's one of those things where I got a text that said, 'Your opponent got changed; it's James Warfield, and he's 15-3,'" Edwards said. "I was like, 'Oh, OK.' I just looked him up on Sherdog for his record and pulled him up on YouTube to see if he had any fights on there.

"I really wanted to fight. I saw a few of his fights, and I saw his record. He had a lot of knockouts, and I saw one or two of his fights, and he looks like he hits hard. He swings for the fences."

Despite the difficulties of facing a heavy hitting brawler, Edwards felt the matchup was perfect for his goals.

"I think it was the perfect fight to get back in the groove simply because it was a dangerous guy, and you've got to stay focused," Edwards said. "I felt rusty. I felt like everything wasn't as smooth as I would want it to be.

"My timing felt off. I felt like I was rushing things. And with a dangerous guys like that, that made me stay a little more focused, I think. I could have fell asleep and get caught with something."

While Edwards admitted he still didn't feel 100 percent in the cage, the Texan was able to weather an early onslaught from Warfield and secure a triangle choke in the second round. The UFC, PRIDE and Strikeforce veteran said it wasn't his best performance, he felt it was a necessary step

"Most guys don't really remember much about the fight, but my memory is usually petty good," Edwards said. "I don't remember 100 percent of things, but after watching [the fight with Warfield], it was like one of my first fights where I'm like, 'Oh, that happened.' I don't remember much about it at all.

"There were so many parts of the fight like that for me. I feel like it had something to do with my timing. It will be good because I've got another one coming up pretty soon and I'll get another chance to knock a little bit more of the rust off or see if it's all been knocked off by Warfield."

The win was Edwards' first since February 2008, and it snapped a two-fight losing streak.

Unfortunately, it's also just Edwards' fifth win in 12 fights. But the soon-to-be-33-year-old was encouraged by what he saw, and he believes now is the time to return to the form that saw him defeat Hermes Franca, Josh Thomson, Nick Agallar, Rich Clementi and Aaron Riley, among others.

And to do it, Edwards wants to return to the sport's biggest organizations.

"I want to fight the best guys in the world," Edwards said. "And yeah, there's a lot of really good guys outside of those organizations, but when you get to the absolute best guys in the world, you look at guys like B.J. Penn, Gray (Maynard), these guys are some of the best guys in the world. I love to compete against guys like those."
[Reply]

That's because there's a good possibility Filho blood isn't so clean; don't have to test for the street. {I have no real proof, just funny how he's avoiding the States} I'd like to see Mousasi smash him.
[Reply]