AFL: Bulletproof Results

Last night saw the conclusion of the AFL's newest event, AFL: Bulletproof.

The event saw some exciting fights, including the crowning of a new AFL Welterweight champion. In this match up, heavy underdog Brent Weedman shocked everyone, including his opponent Douglas Lima, by submitting him in the second round, taking the win, and the title.

Here are the results from the fights:

Brent Weedman defeated Douglas Lima via submission (arm bar) in Round 2 for the AFL Welterweight Title
Torrance Taylor defeated Junior Assuncao via unanimous decision
Diego Saraiva defeated Josh Cate via TKO (punches) in Round 1 for the AFL Lightweight Title
George Lockhart defeated George Allen via unanimous decision for the AFL Middleweight Title

Dan Christison defeated Sam Holloway via submission (arm bar) in Round 1
Ethan Garrison defeated Willie Smalls via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 1
David Curby defeated Robi Ramey via TKO (strikes) in Round 3

Bobby Lashley Makes Move To MMA

Last night the American Fight League announced that former WWE Pro Wrestler Bobby Lashley has signed a contract with their promotion.

The announcement was made at AFL:Bulletproof, which took place last night (Results for this event can be found here: )

Lashley's transition from pro wrestling to MMA has been rumored for the past few weeks, but it wasn't until last night that his destination was made clear. Lashley has been training at the American Kickboxing Academy, with notable UFC fighters such as Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick and Jon Fitch.

No date has been set for Lashley's MMA debut, but it is expected to be sometime in the near future. We will keep you posted on any further updates.

UFC Release Gate and Attendance Figures

The UFC have once again put on a successful show, with the figures speaking for themselves.

Keith Kizer, of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, stated that the overall paid attendance for UFC 84 was 13,448, alongside complimentary tickets of 1,325, for a total attendance of 14,773. The gate receipts totaled $3,732,000.

Kizer also stated that the base fighter purse for the event stood at a little over $1,000,000. This doesn't include fighter bonuses such as fight of the night, or any pay per view shares. For example, Tito Ortiz will have received a percentage of the pay per view totals.

Elite XC Weigh In Results

There was once again drama at an Elite XC weigh in, thanks to Gia Carano. Whilst most fighters made weight successfully for the event, Gina missed her target weight of 140lbs by 4.5lbs. She was told to cut 3.5lbs in an hour, as is madatory in this situation, but was then advised by a doctor that she couldn't do this, as her health would be at risk.

Carano's manager had contacted Elite XC officials aproximately two hours before the event, explaining that they didn't expect that Gina would be able to cut weight quicky enough, so a contingency plan was already in place.

Gina's opponent, Kaitlin Young, was given the option to withdraw from the fight, keeping her "show" pay, or to fight regardless of the weight difference, and receive 12.5% of Carano's pay on top of her pay. Young chose the latter, leaving Carano 12.5% down on her base pay.

All other fighters weighed in successfully, and the card is set for tomorrow night. Here are the official weigh in results:

Kimbo Slice (235.5) vs. James Thompson (257)

Robbie Lawler (184.5) vs. Scott Smith (184.5)

Gina Carano (144.5) vs. Kaitlin Young (140.5)

Jon Murphy (260.5) vs. Brett Rogers (263.5)

Phil Baroni (185) vs. Joey Villasenor (184.5)

Carlton Haselrig (263) vs. Carlos Moreno (261)

Jim Bova (160.5) vs. Chris Liguori (161)

Matt Makowski (171) vs. Nick Serra (167)

Wilson Reis (140.5) vs. Justin Robbins (140.5)

James “Binky” Jones (154.5) vs. Calvin Kattar (155.5)

Zach Makovsky (135) vs. Andre Soares (134)

Mike Groves (154) vs. Joe Sampieri (155)

Cage Rage 27 Fights Announced

English promotion Cage Rage have announced half of the fights for their July 12th card today. The event will be held at Wembley Arena in London.

The main event so far is a heavyweight bout between Robert "Buzz" Berry and Neil Grove. The card also features a heavyweight bout between Mustapha Al Turk and James McSweeney for the currently vacant Heavyweight title.

Here is the card as it stands:

Robert "Buzz" Berry versus Neil Grove

James McSweeney versus Mustapha Al Turk

John Phillips versus Tom Watson

Scott Jansen versus Joe Mac

Dave Legeno versus Kev Sims

Ziggy versus Michael Sidwell

UFC 84 Suspensions Issued

In the aftermath of UFC 84,the Nevada State Athletic Commission have issued medical suspensions to the following fighters:

Sean Sherk has been suspended until July 7 with no contact until June 24 due to a laceration to his right cheek.

Keith Jardine has been suspended until Nov. 21 for a nasal fracture. Jardine can be cleared by a doctor before the November date, but cannot compete earlier than July 24, with no contact until July 9.

Tito Ortiz was suspended for six months or until he gets his left hand and wrist x-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor.

Wilson Gouveia was suspended for six months or until he gets clearance from a doctor for a broken nose and possible cheek. Gouveia also suffered broken ribs in his TKO loss to UFC newcomer Goran Reljic.

Kazuhiro Nakamura was medically suspended for six months or until he gets clearance from a doctor due to a broken nose suffered in his TKO loss.

Jason Tan was suspended for six months or until he gets his broken nose cleared by a doctor.

Elite XC Weigh Ins Announced

Elite XC have announced the weigh in details for Saturday's event.

The weigh ins will take place tomorrow outside the Prudential Center in New Jersey at 2PM. Here is the card for the event, which will be aired live on CBS:

Kimbo Slice vs. James “The Colossus” Thompson
Elite XC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs. Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith

Joey Villasenor vs. Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni

Gina “Conviction” Carano vs. Kaitlin Young

Brett “The Grim Rogers vs. Jon Murphy
Carlos Moreno vs. Carlton Haselrig

Chris Liguori vs. Jim Bova

Nick Serra vs. Matt Makowski

Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins

James “Binky” Jones vs. Calvin Kattar

Zach Makovsky vs. Andre Soares

Mike Groves vs. Joe Sampieri

Mark Hughes To Make MMA Return

In an interview with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, we learned that Mark Hughes is looking to make his return to the Octagon in the near future.

Hughes stated that his brother was planning to sign an exclusive contract with the UFC, possibly opening the door to fight cards featuring both brothers. Mark Hughes fought for the UFC when it was run by SEG Sports, but left the fight game shortly after, and has never competed since.

Mark fights at middleweight in order to avoid a potential match up with his brother. He could be a powerful addition to the middleweight division, if his former fight style is anything to go by. He has a similar style to Matt Hughes, and could provide some very interesting fights. Matt has stated that he hopes to compete on the same card as his brother some time in the near future.

Paulo Filho Out Of Rehab And Ready To Fight

WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho has been released from rehab in Brazil, after he admitted himself due to a drug problem.

Filho is now reported to be ready for action, and is already back in training. The WEC have issued this statement:

"As I mentioned before, we supported Paulo. He obviously did the right thing, and we hope that he's taking care of his personal issues and he gets better and gets back in to the cage."

The WEC hope that Filho will be back to defend his title before the end of this year.

CWFC World Title On The Line

On June 8th, the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship Bantamweight Title will be fought for at Quannum Fighting Challenge 3 event.

The current champion Paul "Metabolic" McVeigh will take on Steve McCombe in an attempt to defend his belt. This fight will mark McVeigh's third defence of his belt. He is coming off a loss to former Shooto Featherweight Champion Masahiro Oishi at a Cage Force event in Japan. McVeigh's pro record is 12-5. He is well known to UK fans as being CWFC's first CWFC Featherweight champion by defeating Chin Weakasingh. Weakasingh is also the unlucky opponent that McVeigh defeated for his current title.

Steve McCombe holds a record of 7-3, and comes from the UK based EFR Fight Team. The pair will meet at The Frontier Noghtclub in Batley, West Yorkshire on June 8th.

Tito Officially Leaves The UFC

There has been lots of speculation recently regarding Tito Ortiz and his future in the UFC.

After his last fight at UFC 84, Ortiz stated that he was unsure of his future with the UFC, and didn't know whether he would continue with the company. Since then, Ortiz has stated that he is most definitely leaving and going to a new promotion. Which promotion, he is not sure.

Elite XC and Affliction have both been mentioned as possible promotions, but Ortiz isn't making his decision yet. As soon as we hear which promotion he decides on, I will let you know.

Another Change To UFC 85

The UFC match makers are surely tearing their hair out over the number of injuries and other issues surrounding the UFC 85 card.

Once again, they have been left to ring round looking for a last minute replacement for an injured fighter. This time, British fighter Neil Wain has pulled out of the event due to a broken nose, leaving Antoni Hardonk without an opponent.

Heavyweighgt fighter Eddie Sanchez has agreed to step in as a replacement, less than two weeks before the event, despite the fact that the event is to be held in a completely different country. Sanchez is 8-1 in his professional career, and 3-1 in the UFC. His only career loss came to Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 67.

The event will take place on June 7th at the O2 Arena in London, England, featuring a main event of Matt Hughes versus Thiago Alves.

Castillo To Replace Crunkilton At WEC 34

With Rich Crunkilton out of WEC 34, Danny Castillo has stepped in to take his place.

This will be Castillo's first time fighting for WEC. He currently holds a professional record of 5-0, and will look to make it 6-0 when he faces Donald Cerrone.

Cerrone is 7-0 in his professional career, and made his WEC debut in September 2005. He won his fight against Kenneth Alexander, but later tested positive for a banned diuretic and his win was overturned.

The two will meet at WEC 34 on June 1st. Also featured on the card is the main event of Urijah Faber versus Jens Pulver for the WEC featherweight belt.

Ryo Chonan Out Of UFC 85

Former Pride fighter Ryo Chonan is reportedly out of UFC 85, although no reason has yet been given.

The UFC have drafted in Kevin "The Fire" Burns to replace him. This will be Burns' first time in the UFC, and has little under two weeks to get himself in shape, and travel from Iowa to the UK.

Burns holds a record of 4-1 and has stopped his opponents in all four of his wins, three of them by submission. Credit has to be given to Burns for taking the fight on such short notice. His opponent will be Roan Carneiro, who has a professional record of 12-6 and is 2-1 in the UFC.

Vitor Belfort To Affliction?

Former UFC fighter Vitor Belfort has announced that he has signed with new promotion Affliction.

Whilst this information may be true, it is difficult to beleive he will be fighting for them any time soon. Vitor was found guilty of using anabolic steroids by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was banned from fighting for a year. Under these rules, a fighter who is banned is not allowed to fight anywhere in the world. Belfort defied this ruling by fighting on a Cage Rage card in England.

So Affliction may have signed Belfort, he will have to convince California State Athletic Commission to give him a fighters license. This is highly unlikely, and may cause problems for both Belfort and Affliction.

Cro Cop To Fight At DREAM 4

We have recently learned that former Pride and UFC fighter Mirko Cro Cop will compete at DREAM 4.

The match will not be an MMA match, but instead will be a grappling match under ADCC rules. His opponent will be Ralek Gracie. Cro Cop was originally slated to face Jerome Le Banner at DREAM 4, but an injury forced the match to be pushed back to DREAM 5.

DREAM 4 takes place on June 15th in Japan. Check out our DREAM 4 section to see other news for this event.

Doug Marshall Signs With PFC

Former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall has signed a on fight deal with Palace Fighting Championship.

The WEC fighter is still signed by WEC, and has apparently been given permission to fight for the organisation. Marshall will fight for PFC on July 18th at PFC 9 in California. His opponent is currently unknown.

We will bring you any further updates as we learn them.

Adrenaline To Feature On HDNet

Mark Cuban's HDNet has announced it's intentions to air Adrenaline MMA's first three fight cards on their channel.

Adrenaline is the new promotion run by fighter manager Monte Cox. Their first event will take place at the Sear Center Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on June 14th.

HDNet have recently stated that they are looking to strike deals with new MMA promotions to air their shows, and Adrenaline is the newest addition to the station.

UFC 84 Payroll Released

The fighter wages for all who took part in UFC 84 have been released today. There are some high paid fighters on here, and also some low ones. These figures do not include any locker room bonus, but are inclusive of win bonuses. All figures shown for winning fighters are worked out at half the total for showing, and half again for winning, with the exception of Wanderlei Silva. Silva earned a flat $150,000 fee.

B.J. Penn ($250,000) def. Sean Sherk ($35,000)
Wanderlei Silva ($150,000) def. Keith Jardine ($10,000)
Goran Reljic ($6,000) def. Wilson Gouveia ($18,000)
Lyoto Machida ($100,000) def. Tito Ortiz ($210,000)
Thiago Silva ($50,000) def. Antonio Mendes ($4,000)
Rousimar Palhares ($10,000) def. Ivan Salaverry ($20,000)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou ($80,000) def. Kazuhiro Nakamura ($20,00O)
Rich Clementi ($40,000) def. Terry Etim ($10,000)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida ($12,000) def. Jon Koppenhaver ($8,000)
Dong Hyun Kim ($40,000) def. Jason Tan ($3000)
Shane Carwin ($12,000) def. Christian Wellisch ($10,000)

Frankie Edgar Confirms UFC 87 Bout

UFC Lightweight contender Frankie Edgar has announced that he will fight at UFC 87 in August.

An opponent for Edgar has not yet been named, but Edgar has announced it will be finalized in the next few days.

Edgar currently holds a pro MMA record of 8-1, and is 3-1 in the UFC. Edgar's last fight was against former TUF cast member Gray Maynard, to whom he suffered the only loss of his career, via unanimous decision. Edgar is looking to rebound from this loss with his next fight.

The event takes place on August 9th, with a main event of Georges St-Pierre versus Jon Fitch.

New Bout Added To Strikeforce Card

Strikeforce have announced a bout between Billy Evangelista and Nam Phan to be added to their June 27th card.

Billy Evangelista currently holds a pro MMA record of 6-0, four of which have been won by stoppage. He is mainly known as a Muay Thai fighter.

Nam Phan is a Jiu-Jitsu ace with as pro record of 14-4. Here is what Phan had to say on the subject:

"It should be a great matchup. I know [Evangelista's] pretty good at wrestling and OK at jiu-jitsu, and he's got great Muay Thai. I think his striking is better than mine, but my strength is jiu jitsu. I always prefer jiu jitsu and submitting opponents."

The event takes place on June 27th at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.

Bruno Versus Wilson Moved To UFC 87

Chris Wilson and Steve Bruno were originally supposed to meet at UFC 86, but this has now been changed.

The pair are likely to meet instead a tUFC 87 in August. This news was posted on Wilson's official website. At the moment, it is unclear why the bout has changed.

This fight is the most recent addition to the already stacked UFC 87 card, scheduled for August 9th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Penn - GSP Fight Not Out Of The Question

After BJ Penn's knock out victory over Sean Sherk this weekend, BJ wasted no time in asking for a fight with Georges St-Pierre. Now, if you know your UFC, you will know that this would mean one of them changing weights.

BJ Penn has never been shy about the fact that he wants to go up to welterweight. He ahs fought there before and feels comfortable. BJ has also stated that he wants to hold belts in more than one weight class, so the move to welterweight seems perfect for him.

UFC president Dana White has previously told Penn that he needs to clean out the Lightweight division before he will let him move up a weight. Many people, including Penn, beleive that with a victory over Sherk, the division has been cleared. Dana White appears to be close to agreeing with this.

In response to Penn's request, this is what Dana had to say:

“I think there’s one more interesting fight for him (at lightweight), but it isn’t something I wouldn’t talk to him about.”

The one fight that White refers to is almost certainly a fight between Penn and the winner of the Huerta - Florian fight scheduled for August 9th at UFC 87.

Danzig Versus Guida Signed For UFC 87

Mac Danzig and Clay Guida have been signed to fight at UFC 87 in August.

Former King of the Cage Lightweight Champion Mac Danzig is best known to UFC fans for his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, where he beat off all competition to become the overall season winner. He is currently 2-0 in the UFC.

Guida holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, winning his last fight against Samy Schiavo by submission. Guida has lost to notable opponents: Din Thomas, Tyson Griffin and, most recently, Roger Huerta.

The two will square off at UFC 87 in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 9th.

Gamburyan Versus Emerson Added To UFC 87

A battle between former TUF 5 cast mates Rob Emerson and Manny Gamburyan will take place at UFC 87 on August 9th.

Gamburyan got to the finals inTUF 5, only to be beaten by Nate Diaz due to injury. Gamburyan's current MMA record is 8-2, and he is 2-1 in the UFC. He will be looking for his third win in a row, following submission wins over Nate Mohr and Jeff Cox.

Emerson is currently 1-0 in the UFC after a decision victory over Keita Nakamura. He has actually fought twice in the UFC, but his first bout was ruled a no contest as he couldn't continue due to injury, but his opponent Grey Maynard knocked himself out at the same time.

The pair will face off in August at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Headlining the card will be Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch in a battle for the Welterweight Title.

Andre Arlovski To Hold Media Day

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and free agent Andre Arlovski is holding a media day at his gym tomorrow.

At this event, Arlovski is expected to announce his future plans, whether they lie with the UFC, Affliction or any other promotion. He will also be holding a training session at this event, with his boxing coachFreddie Roach and his conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Many members of the press are expected to attend this event, and we will bring you an update as soon as we can on Arlovski's future.

UFC 84 Fight Bonuses

It is common knowledge amongst fans that the UFC awards fight bonuses to four fighters that performed exceptionally well at an event. Here are the awards from UFC 84 for Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night and KO of the night:

Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia received $75,000 each for Fight of the Night. The fight was fast and furious from start to finish, with both fighters looking as though they were close to ending it on more than one occasion. In the end it was Reljic who caught Gouveia sending him crashing to the mat, and proceeded to rain down punches and hammer fists until the fight was stopped.

Wanderlei Silva received $75,000 for his knock out of Keith Jardine. The fight was over in 36 seconds and was fast and furious from start to finish. Silva hit Jardine and dropped him with a punch and proceeded to ground and pound him until the fight was stopped. Jardine was unconscious on the mat for a few minutes but was able to walk out under his own steam in the end.

Submission of the Night was given to Rousimar Palhares for his very slick arm bar. Ivan Salaverry did a great job of defending multiple rear naked choke attempts before Palhares transitioned into a perfectly executed arm bar.

Fighter purses have not yet been released for the event, but we will let you know as soon as they are.

UFC 84: Ill Will Results

Here are the results from UFC 84 last night.

Shane Carwin def. Christian Wellisch by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at :44 seconds, R1

Dong-Hyun Kim def. Jason Tan by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at :25 seconds, R3

Yoshiyuki Yoshida def. Jon Koppenhaver by submission (Anaconda choke) at 0:56 seconds, R1

Rich Clementi def. Terry Etim by unanimous decision (29-28 on all 3 judges' cards) R3

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def. Kazuhiro Nakamura by TKO (referee's stoppage between rounds) at 5:00,

Rousimar Palhares def. Ivan Salaverry by submission (armbar) at 2:36, R1

Thiago Silva def. Antonio Mendes by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at 2:24, R1

Lyoto Machida def. Tito Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27 on all judges' scorecards) R3

Goran Reljic def. Wilson Gouveia by TKO (Strikes on the ground) at 3:15, R2

Wanderlei Silva def. Keith Jardine by KO (Strikes on the ground) at :36 seconds, R1

B.J. Penn def. Sean Sherk by TKO (referee's stoppage) at 5:00, R3

I will give a more detailed report after I have viewed the event, which airs in the UK at 9pm tonight.

UPDATE: Heath Herring Confirmed as Coleman's Replacement

We reported yesterday that the UFC was looking to arrange a fight between Brock Lesnar and Heath Herring for UFC 87. (See original story here http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/05/rumor-herring-possible-replacement-for.html)

It has been confirmed today that they have, in fact, signed this deal. UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was originally scheduled to fight Lesnar, but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury.

The bout will take place at UFC 87 on August 9th in Lesnar's home state, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

UFC 84 Weigh Ins

Weigh ins for UFC 84: Ill Will took place tonight. The results are posted below. Tito Ortiz once again caused some friction by wearing a T-shirt reading "Dana White is My Bitch". Dana was not present at the weigh ins, and so made no comment to this gesture. It is also worth mentioning the stare down between Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia. It was very intense, and Reljic lunged forward in a threatening manner before breaking away. I'm not sure if there is any type of hatred between the two, but it was quite suprising to see.


B.J. Penn (155) vs. Sean Sherk (155) (This bout is for the UFC Lightweight Title)
Keith Jardine (205) vs. Wanderlei Silva (205)
Lyoto Machida (203) vs. Tito Ortiz (205)
Thiago Silva (205) vs. Antonio Mendes (203)
Wilson Gouveia (205) vs. Goran Reljic (205)
Rousimar Palhares (185) vs. Ivan Salaverry (185)
Kazuhiro Nakamura (206) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (204)
Rich Clementi (155) vs. Terry Etim (155)
Jon Koppenhaver (170) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170)
Dong-Hyun Kim (171) vs. Jason Tan (170)
Shane Carwin (252) vs. Christian Wellisch (230)

Fight Announced For TUF 7 Finale

The UFC have announced a fight to be added to the TUF 7 Finale, featuring Rob Yundt and Alessio Sakara.

The event takes place in Las Vegas on June 21st. This will be Yundt's second fight in the Octagon. His first fight was booked on just a few days notice, where he lost to Ricardo Almeida by submission. He is looking to avenge this loss at TUF 7 finale.

Sakara is 3-4 in the UFC, and dropped down to middleweight in March, where he fought Chris Leben. He lost that fight by TKO in the first round.

Wanderlei Silva Considering Move To 185

UFC fighter and Former Pride Veteran Wanderlei Silva has once again expressed a desire to move down to 185lbs, and possibly to face the Middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Here is what Wanderlei had to say on the subject:

"Maybe it's possible after this fight to fight at 185. The guys in my division are much tall, and it's hard. The guys are stronger, but I've fought in the division many times, many years. Here, the guys are much stronger. Maybe I'm going to fight next time at 185. I don't know. As long as they have good opponents for me at 185 too, maybe next time I go down. I don't know."

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Added To Affliction Card

Less than a week after Affliction announced they had signed Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, they have added him to their first card, Affliction: Banned.

Nogueira's opponent is due to fight UFC veteran Vernon White on July 19th. Here is the card as it stands:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Vernon White
Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens
Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young
J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle

DREAM Middleweight Tournament Match Ups Announced

With just three weeks left until the event, DREAM have announced their match ups for the quarter finals of the middleweight tournament.

The event takes place at DREAM 4on June 15th at the Saitama Super Arena. Also featured on the DREAM 4 card will be the Lightweight Tournament bout between Shinya Aoki and Kazuhiko Nagata. The tournament will conclude on September 23rd, with both the semi finals and finals being fought on the night.

Here are the match ups:

Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1)
Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) vs. Dong Sik Yoon (4-4)
Ronaldo "Jacare" de Souza (8-1) vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (21-5)
Zelg Galesic (8-3) vs. Taiei Kin (3-2)

*It is worth noting that Melvin Manhoef is featured in the tournament as a replacement for Kiyoshi Tamura who had to pull out of the contest due to injury.

New Music Ahead For The UFC

Fans who have long been enthralled by UFC's sound track will be shocked to hear that the promotion has enlisted a new band to produce some fresh new theme's for the shows.

The current music, performed by Stemm, has been used for at least the past five years, for both live events and TUF show recordings is due to be axed, and replaced by music by a band called Hard 8.

Hard 8's music is said to be a mixture of style and a genre all of it's own. Only time will tell how this will work for the promotion.

Kimbo Slice Could Get His Dream Rematch By Year's End

Elite XC Heavyweight star and internet ledgend Kimbo Slice could be facing the rematch he has always longed for by the end of 2008.

Sean Gannon, Boston Police Officer and two time MMA fighter, faced Slice in a street fighting bout that was aired on You Tube, with Slice emerging as the victor. This was a contraversial fight, with many people believing Gannon won. Sean Gannon now has a choice to make. He would love to return to MMA but needs the approval of the Boston Police Force. Or he could give up his job and become a full time MMA fighter. Here is what ESPN magazine had to say on the subject:

"A six-time New England Golden Gloves champ, Gannon still trains at a Boston MMA gym to stay sharp. He’s been a cop for 12 years and likes his job. But when the money is right—and insiders expect an agreement by year’s end—he’ll hope for permission to meet Slice in the cage, arguing that Boston cops have received approval to box. If told no, Gannon faces a decision: fight and deal with the consequences, or quit his job and chase an MMA career."

RUMOR: Herring Possible Replacement For Coleman

Yesterday we announced that Mark Coleman had to pull out of his August match up with Brock Lesnar due to a knee injury (See here for original story http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/05/mark-coleman-out-of-ufc-87.html)

We have heard from a few sources that the UFC is attempting to secure Heath Herring as a replacement for Coleman. Herring has a professional record of 28-13, and is currently coming off a win against Cheick Kongo via split decision at UFC 82. This fight took place in March this year, meaning that Herring will have had a five month lay off if he takes this fight.

We are currently working to confirm this rumor, and will let you know as soon as we do.

Welterwight Title On The Line At UFC 87

Newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre will put his title on the line at UFC 87 in August.

St-Pierre's opponent for this fight will be Jon Fitch. Fitch has a professional record of 17-2 with 1 NC, and is currently riding a staggering 15 fight winning streak. He is 8-0 in the UFC and is long overdue for a title shot. In a statement from the UFC website, Fitch had this to say:

“The whole goal is to get the belt and be in the position where guys can’t duck me, run away, or say they don’t want to fight me. If I have the belt, there’s no excuse, and if you say you’re the best, then we’re gonna fight. This is gonna be a tough fight, but I’m gonna make sure I’m sharp that night, and wherever the fight needs to go, that’s fine with me.”

This fight takes place at UFC 87 in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 9th. Also featured on the card is a contendership bout between Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian. A fight between Mark Coleman and Brock Lesnar was scheduled to take place, but Coleman was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. The UFC have announced that they are currently searching for a replacement for Coleman. We will bring you updates as they happen.

Mark Coleman Out Of UFC 87

The UFC is once again hit by injuries as they announce the loss of Mark Coleman from UFC 87.

Coleman has reportedly suffered a knee injury, forcing him to pull out of the card. Coleman was scheduled to take on Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 in August, in Lesnar's home state of Minnesota. This bout marked Coleman's return to the UFC, after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The UFC have not announced a replacement for Coleman, but we would expect them to do so within the next few weeks. It is hard to imagine the UFC leaving Lesnar off the card when it hits Minnesota.

RUMOR: Two Possible Fights For UFN 14

Legendary striking coach Jeff "Duke" Roufus has announced two possible match ups for September's Ultimate Fight Night 14.

The first match up currently under negotiation features Houston Alexander facing Eric Schafer. Alexander is coming off two consecutive losses, and will certainly be looking for a win in this fight. Schafer is making his return to the Octagon after fighting two fights in a smaller organisation. This fight is surely make or break for both fighters?

The second match up that Roufus announced is between Ed Herman and Alan Belcher. Ed Herman is currently 3-1 in his last four fights. In his last fight at UFC 83 last month, he was choked unconscious by Demian Maia. Belcher is also coming off a loss to Jason Day, again at UFC 83 last month.

No venue has been given for this event, and details are still sketchy at this point.

Elite XC Plans Heavyweight Title

Elite XC President Gary Shaw has announced that the promotion plans to crown their first ever Heavyweight Champion sometime this year.

Shaw is confident in his Heavyweight division, claiming Antonio Silva, James Thompson and Kimbo Slicce as his top fighters. Shaw plans to have the belt awarded by the end of 2008. It is possible that the winner of the Slice/Thompson bout on May 31st may be in line for a title shot.

No further information is known at this time, but look out for updates in the near future.

Brian Stann Returns To Defend Title

WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann returns to the cage on August 3rd to defend his title for the first time.

Stann won the belt in March by defeating the then champion Doug Marshall. He will make his first defence against Steve Cantwell. This fight will be a rematch between the two fighters. Their first fight took place in March last year. Stann won the fight, handing Cantwell his first and only loss.

The August card hasn't been officially announced yet, but according to Stann it will take place August 3rd. A venue has not been named.

Replacement Added For WEC Card

Yesterday WEC officials announced that the fight between Eric Schambari and Tim McKenzie had been cancelled due to injury.

Schambari had to pull out of the bout due to injury, and a replacement has now been found. Stepping up with only 2 weeks to go is Jeremy Lang. Lang is a newcomer to the WEC and has a perfect 12-0 record.

This middleweight fight will be featured on the undercard of WEC 34: Faber versus Pulver, which takes place on June 1st.

UPDATE: New Opponent Confirmed For Carlton Haselrig

Last week we reported that Joe McCall was unable to fight Carlton Haselrig at Elite XC: Primetime on May 31st due to an illness in the family. (See here for original story http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/05/update-joe-mccall-out-of-may-31st-fight.html)

Elite XC have now announced a replacement for this bout. Haselrig will now take on Elite XC newcomer Carlos Moreno. Moreno was, in fact the fourth person Elite XC had arranged to fight Haselrig. The first was Bobby Jones, former Giants offensive linesman. Jones was forced to turn down the fight due to a neck injury. The second, Jarrod Bunch, agreed to the bout but then refused to sign due to a financial dispute. The third was Joe McCall, who pulled out last week due to family illness, leaving Moreno to take the fight.

Dana White Answers Criticisms Over Roster Cuts

UFC President Dana White has answered criticisms from some fans regarding roster cuts at a UFC 84 press conference today.

White responded to comments by explaining that UFC fighters are the best in the worl;d, so people who start to lose need to go and prove themselves and come back again with a few wins under their belts.

Here is a quote from Dana:

"It's nothing abnormal at all. At the end of the day, the UFC, like I say all the time, it's the place where all the best fighters in the world fight. And after you lose a few, or whatever, you have to go back down and get some wins and come back.The guys who are really dedicated to this sport, and they make the cut, they go and get more wins under their belt and end up coming back. I can't keep everybody under contract because the way that we do our contracts, depending if you're one of our big stars, we'll have you locked up for six or eight fights, or whatever it might be. They're under long-term contracts.Other guys that are trying to make their way up to be Sean Sherks or B.J.s, or whatever it is, they're under a three-fight deal, or a two-fight deal. Some of them are under one-fight deals. It depends."

Thanks to MMA Weekly for this quote.

First Fighter For UFN 14 Announced

Sources close to Josh Neer have advised fight fans that he will be returning to the Octagon at Ultimate Fight Night 14, scheduled for September.

Neer currently hold a pro record of 24-6-1, winning his last fight against Din Thomas via unanimous decision. This fight took place in April at UFN 13. After what will be a five month lay off, Neer is ready to return.

Prior to his fight with Thomas, Neer had not fought for the UFC in 2 years, instead taking time out to fight in smaller organizations. This may be due to the two back to back losses he suffered at the hands of Josh Burkman and Nick Diaz. Neer is back on his winning track and is looking forward to his next fight. His opponent has not yet been named.

Cage Force Announce Card

Greatest Common Multiple's Cage Force 7 has been announced for June 22nd in Tokyo, Japan.

This card will feature the semi finals and finals for the Cage Force Bantamweight Tournament. They are also expected to arrange the semi finals for the Cage Force Featherweight Tournament on the same night, but that is yet to be confirmed.

Here are the bouts announced so far. We will bring you more as they are released.

Cage Force Bantamweight Tournament Bouts:

-Katsuya Toida vs. Tetsu Suzuki

-Takeya Mizugaki vs. Daichi Fujiwara

Expected to Participate:

-Takeshi Yamazaki

-Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura

-Antonio Carvalho

-Yuji Hoshino

Affliction Announce TV Deal With FOX Sports

Affliction officials announced a deal between the company and FOX sports network yesterday, at a press conference for the event.

Fox Sports have agreed to show the undercard of Affliction's first show Affliction: Banned. The main card will air live on Pay Per View.

In other news from this press conference included the signing of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and the addition af Aleksander Emelianenko and Paul Buentello to the card. Things are going well for the promotion. According to Tim Ryan, president and CEO of the Honda Center, the stars are lining up for the show, with $250,000 in tickets sold within the first 30 minutes of going on sale Tuesday morning.

California State Athletic Commission executive director Armando Garcia confirmed that a 3.5 million dollar bond had already been posted for the show, clearing the way for ticket sales to the public. The bond ensures, among other things, that fighters are guaranteed their purses.

Confirmed Fight Card For UFC 85

With the removal and rearranging of so many fights for UFC 85, I thought I would repost the card as it stands. The UFC have confirmed that this is the final draft.

Matt Hughes (42-6) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Michael Bisping (15-1) vs. Jason Day (17-5)

Mike Swick (11-2) vs. Marcus Davis (14-3)

Nate Marquardt (26-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)

Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-3-1)
Martin Kampmann (15-2) vs. Jorge Rivera (15-6)

Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)

Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-8)

Jason Lambert (23-7) vs. Luis Arthur Cane (7-1)

Jess Liaudin (12-9) vs. Paul Taylor (8-3-1)

Neil Wain (4-0) vs. Antoni Hardonk (6-4)

UPDATE: Evans Bout Scratched From UFC 85

Yesterday we announced that Rashad Evans would be fighting Luiz Cane at UFC 85, after James Irvin broke his foot in training, (See here for original story http://mmatrivia.blogspot.com/2008/05/james-irvin-out-luiz-cane-in-at-ufc-85.html)

In an update from the UFC, it has been revealed that Evans has been removed from the card altogether. Luiz Cane will now fight his original opponent, Jason Lambert. No reason has been given for the last minute change, but it is suspected that Rashad didn't want to fight someone with such a different style to his original opponent. This would mean he would have to change his training significally, and with the fight being less than three weeks away, it would be a very tough thing to do.

The UFC 85 card, set to take place on Saturday June 7th at London's O2 Arena, has only 11 bouts on the card, instead of it's original 13.