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Rumors/Fights/and other News

Bellator CEO says bring on Gilbert Melendez

Strikeforce Lightweight Champ Gilbert Melendez was recently on HDNet’s Inside MMA and threw down a challenge to Bellator’s Lightweight Champ Eddie Alvarez.  In a press release, Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney by saying that he wants to make that fight happen.  I interviewed Gil Melendez a couple weeks before his bout with Shinya Aoki and I told Melendez that I would love to see that bout and he responded in kind. I would really love to see this fight.  The bout between Melendez and Alvarez would be the biggest Lightweight bout outside of the UFC and may pave the way for more inter-promotion bout to see who is the best in the world.  I know the UFC will probably never go along with the inter-promotion bouts, but if the bout between Melendez and Alvarez does happen and is a success…the UFC may need to rethink its position on not allowing inter-promotion bouts.

He’s BACK.  Fedor will be fighting in San Jose, CA on June 26th

After all the drama of the renegotiations, M-1 and Strikeforce have finally reached an agreement and the consensus #1 Heavyweight in the world will be headed back to the Strikeforce cage to defend his legacy against Fabricio Werdum.  The date will be June 26th and the place will be the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.  No details have been released on the change in the contract between M-1 and Strikeforce, but with all the rumors that were running wild on the net about M-1 signing with UFC very soon looks like the certain reporters were very wrong and need to learn to deal in facts and not what they think is fact when Dana White is yanking their chain.

Let the fallout begin from Strikeforce: Nashville

A rumored match-up and prime fighting real estate has been denied due to the brawl after the Jake Shields/Dan Henderson main event at Strikeforce: Nashville on April 17th.  The rumored match was Jason Mayhem Miller facing Robbie Lawler on June 16th in Los Angeles.  Because Mayhem has been denied that match-up, Lawler has been slated to face Renato Babalu Sobral in a catch weight bout of 195lbs.  And the prime fighting real estate…Nick Diaz was hoping to be part of the June 26th card that is suppose to feature Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum.  According to MMA Junkie quoting Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, no fighter that was involved in the brawl was scheduled to fight in June, but if they were…Strikeforce will be waiting for the Tennessee Athletic Commission to complete its investigation and issue its ruling.  Nick Diaz is scheduled to compete at DREAM 14 in May, but returning to the Strikeforce cage in the states will be determined by what the Tennessee Athletic Commission decides to do.

Strikeforce to hold mid-week card

Strikeforce has been flirting with the idea of holding a mid-week event in Los Angelas, CA during the E3 gaming expo.  The flirtation has turned into a relationship.  MMA Junkie is reporting that the Strikeforce event will be on Wednesday June 16th at the Nokia Theater and will feature Bobby Lashley, Robbie Lawler and K.J. Noons.

Check out the promo video for UFC 113: Machida vs Rua 2.

Another opportunity for the unsigned fighter

Hey Fighters!!!!  Bellator Fighting Championships wants you.  Bellator is holding its 3rd open tryout of the year on Tuesday May 4th at the Sityodtong Academy in the Boston area.  The Sityodtong Academy is located at 100 Broadway in Somerville, Mass. Registration begins at 12 noon with tryouts starting promptly at 1 p.m. Both male and female fighters are invited to attend. All fighters must have an MMA.com federal I.D. and must bring their own gloves.

If anyone who reads this blog goes to the tryout, please take some pics and let me know how it went for you.

Mousasi not headed to UFC anytime soon

One of the best Light Heavyweights in the world will not be headed over to the UFC for at least another 2 years.  MMA Junkie is reporting that Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi has signed a 2 year extension with Strikeforce.  In recent interviews Mousasi stated that he was very happy with Strikeforce and was thankful for the ability to continue fight for DREAM.  This contract would continue to allow Mousasi to compete in both promotions.

I really hope this story is not true.

I got a text today from a colleague asking me if I heard anything about Mike Whitehead.  I had not.  The colleague pointed me to the Cagewriter Blog on Yahoo Sports and I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  This story was being reported from a Twitter post…Former UFC fighter Mike Whitehead is wanted by the Las Vegas Police Dept. for alleged sexual assault and in connection to a marijuana growing operation.  I did called the TV station that the Twitter post took its information from and did get a confirmation from them.  I will be calling again on Tuesday to confirm the allegations further and see what other information I can.  Will probably be calling the Las Vegas PD as well.  I really hope Whitehead is caught up in something that he had nothing to do with.  Come on fighters, let’s clean up the act.

Bellator 14 fight card set

Bellator released the final version of the fight card for its 14th show.

Here are the match ups for the main card and pre-lims:

MAIN CARD

• Shad Lierley vs. Wilson Reis (featherweight tourney first round)
• Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs. William Romero (featherweight tourney first round)
• Ben Askren vs. Ryan Thomas (welterweight tourney first round)
• Pat Curran vs. Mike Ricci (lightweight tourney first round)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Jeff Curran vs. Bryan Goldsby
• Felice Herrig vs. Jessica Rakoczy
• Ryan Sturdy vs. Louis Taylor
• Jonatas Novaes vs. Daniel Straus

Strikeforce Challengers 8

Matt ‘The Law’ Lindland will headline the upcoming Strikeforce Challengers 8 event in Portland, OR on May 8th.  No opponent has been named as of yet.  The other featured bouts named for the May 8th card are Tyron Woodley vs. Nathan Coy and Kerry Vera vs. Julianna Pena.  I would like to thank Strikeforce for showing a bit more forethought in announcing its events further in advance, but would like to see a 2 or 3 month buffer between announcement and when the event is to take place.

Nick Diaz will face Hayato Sakurai at DREAM 14

There was talk after Nick Diaz won the Strikeforce Welterweight title that Diaz would defend the title against Hayato Sakurai. Diaz will face Sakurai at DREAM 14 on May 29th, but the Strikeforce Welterweight title will not be on the line. I think Strikeforce and DREAM need to start booking fights that make sense and lead to title fights. Sakurai is a legend in the sport, but is on a 2 fight losing streak. Diaz is on a 6 fight win streak and has not lost since facing KJ Noons via TKO because of cuts received in the fight. DREAM….Strikeforce…Please start building fighters and working toward fights that fans will want to see. At least US fans will want to see.

Tulirinta out, Duarte (above) in for the Bellator Lightweight Tournament

The Bellator Lightweight tournament hasn’t started yet and it has its first casualty. Janne Tulirinta has been forced to pull out of the tournament due to an issue with his visa and has been replaced by San Diego native and former Army Ranger Joe Duarte. Duarte (5-1) will face Carey Vanier (7-2) on April 8th at Bellator 13 which will take place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Who will face Rua in North Carolina?

Shine Fights has lost its Middleweight bout between Falaniko Vitale and Murillo Ninja Rua slated for May 15th at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is being reported that a knee injury has forced Vitale out of the fight. A replacement for Vitale is being looked for to face Rua. With the bout 6 weeks away, should not be a problem to find someone to face Rua.

Will Fihlo actually make the bout with Lombard?

Breaking news out Bellator Fighting Championships. Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard will be facing off with former WEC Middleweight Champ Paulo Fihlo. The Super Fight will take place on May 13th live on Fox Sports Net and will be replayed on May 15th on NBC and Telemundo. No word on where the bout will take place as of yet, but expect an announcement on the venue very soon.

(UPDATE) Bellator has announced the venue where the Super Fight between Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard vs Former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Fihlo.  The city is Monroe, LA and the venue is the Monroe Civic Center.  Again, you can catch the fight live on Fox Sports Net on May13th or on May 15th on NBC and Telemundo.

Good news for fans that were not able to see some of the prelims from UFC on Versus 1. Spike TV will be airing Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty and Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley. Plus, Jeremy Stephens VS Justin Buchholz from UFN 19 and Dennis Siver VS Paul Kelly from UFC 105. This special UFC Unleashed will air tonight at 9pm eastern time.

Craziness in Arizona. Reports are that Ryan Bader, CB Dolloway and Aaron Simpson have left Arizona Combat Sports. No details on the reason why they left. Whether they were asked to leave or they left on their own. Responding to an inquiry by MMAMadness.com, Aaron Simpson responded via text saying, “It’s all up in the air right now. I can’t say exactly, but I’m hoping to have news in a couple of weeks.”

Another member of the ACS team former WEC Lightweight Champ Jamie Varner posted a statement on the Underground forums on mixedmartialarts.com said, “I’ve been at AZ combat for 6 years now this gym builds fighters from the ground up! None of those guys would be where they are with out there training partners and the Lallys! Some douche bags like to talk shit but our gym is battle tested and proven! When Riggs left he started losing and got cut from the UFC. When Fickett got kicked out he started losing and got kicked out of the UFC! I’m very interested to see what happens with those guys I wish them nothing but the best in there careers, but they made a HUGE mistake!”

I will keep an eye on this story as more news breaks.

Antwain Brit, in an interview with MMAFighting, says that he will be facing Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante at the upcoming yet to be officially announced Strikeforce card in May and Brit believes that the bout will be on the televised portion of the card. Cavalcante trains with Anderson Silva and the Nogueira brothers and if you saw Strikeforce: Evolution back in December, Feijao is a beast and should not be taken lightly. Feijao is 8 and 2 and stopped Aaron Rosa by TKO in the second round. Brit was on the undercard of Strikeforce: Evolution beating Scott Lighty by TKO.

There is an article on BleacherReport.com that is asking if Randy Couture is saying that Fedor Emelianenko is ducking top level opponents? From what I gathered from reading the article is the Couture believes if Fedor is considered the best, he (Fedor Emelianenko) needs to start facing more top 10 fighters. Couture has a bit of a point. If you look at Fedor’s time in Rings and Pride, a good number of bouts were against name fighters, but some of those name fighters were near the end of their careers. Fighters Fedor did face during his Pride days…Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Heath Herring, Mirko Cro Cop (when Cro Cop was destroying opponents) and Mark Coleman. The most recent opponents are not to bad themselves. Former 2 time UFC Heavyweight Champ Tim Sylvia, Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Andrei Arlovski (Arlovski was on a 5 fight win streak before running into Emelianenko) and Brett Rogers. And Roger was undefeated and had taken less than 30 seconds to knock out Arlovski when Fedor waited until about 3 or 4 minutes into the fight to knock Arlovski out.

Now I agree with Couture with the fact that there is higher level of competition for Fedor to face outside of Strikeforce. That being said, the competition in Strikeforce in the heavyweight division is not bad and Strikeforce has a bunch of up and coming talent. Shane Del Rosario, Bobby Lashley and Lavar Johnson could be future opponents for Fedor.

I would like to see Fedor face all the top level fighters in the UFC that he has not faced already, but until M-1 and Fedor are willing to drop the co-promotion stipulation it is very unlikely we will ever see Fedor Emelianenko fight in the UFC.

After all the speculation of Kevin ‘Kimbo Slice’ Ferguson facing James ‘Lights Out’ Toney at the hastily put together April 17th Ultimate Fight Night, Slice’s original bout with Matt Mitrione is made official for UFC 113. So, who will get the first crack at James Toney? I am going to guess that Toney will not be in the Octagon for a couple of months at least. Toney has much to work on and I hope that he is like an athletic sponge. As all of you know, boxing is just one part of Mixed Martial Arts competition. The fighter that I feel will get the first crack at Toney and is available to fight…Antoni Hardonk. K-1 level kickboxer with a tiny bit of a ground game. Hardonk is huge in comparison to Toney. 6’4″ and 245lbs. Who do you think will get the first shot at James Toney?

What the F? First, Alistair Overeem confirms that he will finally get back into a Strikeforce cage against Brett Rogers on May 15th. Now, MMAFighting is reporting that the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ has scheduled a K-1 bout for April 3rd.  Might not be a good idea to not be completely focused on Brett Rogers.  While Overeem is a stud and is very capable, taking a fighting only 5 or 6 weeks before a bout with a fighter with the power that Rogers has could lead to a very short night.  Also, Brett Rogers may take the fact that Overeem is not respecting Rogers’ ability.   Umm, Alistair, might not be a good idea to not be completely focused on Rogers.  He can and will crush you.  Look at what Rogers has done to opponents before he ran into Fedor Emelianenko and look how he faired against Fedor.  Did fairly well until the middle of the 2nd round when he got caught.  Rogers is focused and ready to get back in the mix.  Are you, Alistair, really ready to face a top 10 MMA fighter?  The MMA fighters you have been facing as of late are not anyway near Rogers’ level…sorry, ranting a little bit.

MMAWeekly is reporting that Wanderlei Silva has a plan for his next 2 fights.  Wanderlei is quoted as saying that his next fight will be against Yoshihiro Akiyama.  No date was mentioned for the bout.  The following bout announcement surprised me a little bit.  Silva said that after he beats Akiyama, Silva’s previous opponent will get a rematch.  Yes, Silva said that he wanted to give Michael Bisping a rematch their UFC 110 match-up that Silva won by unanimous decision.

Looks like KJ Noons will be making he return to MMA, not in a Strikeforce cage, but at DREAM 13 in Japan. Sherdog.com is reporting that Noons will be facing Andre “Dida” Amado on March 22nd. Noons holds wins over notable fighters Yves Edwards and Nick Diaz. I would expect if Noons gets past Amado and wins one more fight in a Strikeforce event and Diaz still holds the Welterweight belt for Strikeforce, a rematch between Noons and Diaz would be a huge sell for a future Strikeforce event. I like the thought of it. Bad blood between opponents usually leads to fireworks in and out of the cage.

As I expected, Josh Barnett has signed to fight in Japan for DREAM. I highly doubt that Barnett will fight again in the states due to testing positive for banned substances. The other problem that Barnett might have securing a license in the states is that he has not appeared at the appeal hearings that he and his lawyers have requested from the California State Athletic Commission for his most recent positive test just before the canceled showdown with Fedor Emelianenko on August 1st, 2009. Now, I am not saying that Barnett will never fight in the states again, just seems very unlikely to me.

Check out this statement from Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva. “They called me to fight on March 22, but that would be really cutting it close. It would be against Josh Barnett and left it up in the air. The focus remains on April, at Strikeforce (against Brett Rogers or Andrei Arlovski), which is likely to go down.” From sources that I have, I know that Brett Rogers is scheduled to fight in April. Now if Arlovski does get signed, his future in Strikeforce and possibly MMA might hinge on a victory over Silva. I think a bout between Big Foot and the Pit Bull would be a good fight for both. A victory for Silva would move him into contention and possibly 2 or 3 fights from a title shot. And for Arlovski, a victory over Silva could put the Pit Bull back on the map after 2 losses in a row.

(UPDATE) Andrei Arlovski has sighed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce.  The Pit Bull finally has a home after 9 months since his loss to Brett Rogers.  Good to see you back in the mix Andrei.

One other bit of news for Strikeforce, seems that there is a rift between Strikeforce and M-1 Global. Details are a bit scarce, but M-1 is claiming that Strikeforce has not honored its contract with the world’s top heavyweight. I have an email out to Strikeforce for comment, but I have a feeling comments might be a bit scarce. Fedor will not be fighting, at least that is the word as of now, on the April 17th card in Nashville, TN and possibly Fedor will not be on the May card as well. Because of the contract dispute, M-1 is calling for a new contract. I have a feeling life for Strikeforce will get very interesting very soon.

(UPDATE)  I just got an email from Strikeforce in regard to Strikeforce/M-1 Global issues.  Here is the quote: “This claim is 100 percent not true.”  Expect more to come very soon.

The Brock Lesner camp has responded to comments made by Frank Mir in an interview Mir did with Mark Madden. Mir had said that he wanted to break Lesner’s neck and have Lesner be the first person to die in the octagon. Mir soon apologized for the comments. As you can guess, Lesner is not happy about the comments. And happy is an understatement. The statement made by Lesner’s camp said basically, that Mir had made Lesner more angry than last time and Lesner hopes that Mir will triumph over Shane Carwin. And we thought the trash talking was bad last time. If Mir wins…Oh Boy.

Big change in proposed opponent for Pat Berry and Mirko Cro Cop. Pat Berry was originally suppose to face Gilbery Yvel and Cro Cop was finally going to face Ben Rothwell. But according to MMAWeekly.com, the first change was Pat Berry would be facing Cro Cop. This match-up plays into both fighters strengths. Both are dynamic strikers and this fight is very unlikely to go to the ground unless someone gets caught and the other follows down to finish the fight. With the change, Rothwell no longer had an opponent and the UFC decided to add Yvel to the mix. Again, another fight that will most likely not go to the ground. Good match-ups for all 4 fighters and should be very exciting fights as well. Leather will be flying in these 2 match-ups. Let’s hope for no injuries or illnesses and the fight come off without a hitch.

Crazy things continue to happen in the world of the UFC. This time Vitor Belfort had to pull out of his bout with Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi due to a shoulder injury. The announcement hit the web ways Thursday night. Much speculation was made on who would replace Belfort. The UFC killed all speculation today announcing that Jiu Jitsu ace Demian Maia will get his shot at UFC Middleweight gold and the chance to solve the puzzle that is Anderson Silva.

My picks for UFC 109:

Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman: Couture…Randy Couture has fought at a higher level for a much longer time than Coleman.  Coleman is an elite athlete, but I feel that Couture is on another level.

Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen: Marquardt…although, with recent comments made by Sonnen, I wouldn’t mind seeing Chael get a shot at Silva.

Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago: Swick.  Both are on a mission to get back in the title mix, but I think Swick will get there first.

Demian Maia vs Dan Miller: Maia…Demian Maia will be looking to show that his loss to Marquardt was a momentary blip on the radar.

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg: Serra…Trigg will be leaving town.

Who do you have for UFC 109?

MMAJunkie is reporting that the world will finally get an update on Brock Lesner’s health and whether the UFC heavyweight champ will be returning to the cage and if so, when. The big day is Wednesday January 20th. I am sure all MMA eyes will be in Las Vegas waiting with great anticipation. Probably some pro wrestling eyes as well. Let’s hope that all is well and Lesner can return and defend his championship.

The Predator Patrick Cote is slated to return to the octagon at UFC 113. His opponent will be Alan Belcher. Another one of those fights that will not hit the ground unless someone is being followed down after a big punch. Last time we saw Cote compete was at UFC 90 for his shot at Anderson Silva and the UFC Middleweight title. And if you remember, Cote blew his right knee out at the beginning of the 4th round. I am glad to see Patrick Cote back and hope he can get back to the top of the middleweight division.

MMAJunkie is reporting that Frankie Edgar has been named as the next contender for the UFC Lightweight title. Edgar looks to be the last man standing of those that might be a contender in the division. Penn has taken out Sherk, Florian and Sanchez. While Edgar is on a 3 fight win streak since losing to Gray Maynard in April of 2008. I would expect Maynard might get a shot if he can beat a top ten fighter in his next bout. But Maynard’s shot may depend on what happens between Takanori Gomi and Kenny Florian if a fight between Gomi and Florian is officially signed.

Da Spyder, Kendall Grove looks to be headed to the Middle East to compete for his next bout. Grove made the announcement on his Twitter account. The place is Abu Dhabi and UFC 112. Grove did not state who his opponent will be. Expect more to be announced about the Abu Dhabi event in the very near future.

The runner up for The Ultimate Fighter Season 10, Brendan Schaub, is about to make his way back to the octagon. The rumor right now is that Schaub will be facing Chase Gormley at UFC Fight Night 21 in March. Source tell MMAJunkie that both fighters have verbally agreed to the fight, but nothing has been signed as of yet.

There is a rumor running around the net right now that Robbie Lawler will be facing Melvin Manhoef at Strikeforce: Miami. Lawler has been scheduled to fight in Miami and Manhoef recently confirmed that would also be fighting in Miami. I like this match up. The fight will most likely not go to the ground and both of these guys can end the fight with a single blow. If the fight is a go, expect it not to last past the first round.

Jeff ‘The Snowman’ Monson has a home. Monson had been jumping from promotion to promotion over the last couple of years with no long term contract, but reports are that he has signed a multi-fight contract with Florida based Shine Fights that will allow him to still take fights outside of the promotion. It is good to see the Snowman finally have a promotional home base of operations. And this is the latest of some major name signage for Shine Fights. Ninja Rua, Roan Carneiro and boxing great Ricardo Mayorga to name a few.

The New York Bad Ass Phil Baroni will be taking some time away from MMA to rest and re-evaluate his approach to fighting. He is currently in Hawaii. Check out this article on MMAWeekly.com. Baroni, while a bout with Marcus Davis has been rumored, is not sure when he will get back in the cage.

Strikeforce has announced 2 title fights for their Miami, FL event that will take place in January. The Welterweight and 145lbs Women’s title will be on the line. Nick Diaz will face Marius Zaromskis for the Welterweight strap and Cris Cyborg Santos will face Marloes Coenen for the Women’s title.

Looks like the Vancouver City Council will approve a 2 year trial Mixed Martial Arts sanctioning. The UFC is hopeful to hold an event in the city of Vancouver by summer.

The UFC has signed NCAA Division 1 National Wrestling Champ Phil Davis. Davis is 4 and 0 in his MMA career. The Penn State Alum fought once in the Ultimate Warrior Challenge and Palace Fighting Championships. All 4 of his wins coming by first round stoppage.

Looks like Big John McCarthy is facing some long odds to get back and referee in the state of Nevada. According to Keith Kizer, the executive officer for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, McCarthy’s on a list with 40 other people and no openings at the moment. Kizer says that once an opening becomes available that the stack of applications will be looked at. Kizer also says an opening could come up in a month or 3 years. I would really like to see Big John back in a cage reffing where he belongs.

Robbie Lawler has had the worst time keeping an opponent for Dec 19th. First, Benji Radach pulled out of the fight. Now, Trevor Prangley is out due to injury. The big question is will Strikeforce be able to find an opponent for Lawler. Not sure, but I do know that Melvin Manhoef will be in San Jose for a press conference. Will they ask Manhoef to step in and fight? Will be trained and ready to fight I think would be the big question?

Here is a trailer for the upcoming MMA Documentary, Fight Life. The filmmakers are looking at May 2010 for release. There are several fighters in here that you will recognize. Check out the website.

With the future of Brock Lesner still in doubt, UFC President Dana White says that the Heavyweight Title picture will be decided in 6 weeks. The bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez on February 21st may have the Interim Title attached to it. For more, click the link above.

Dong Hyun Kim has pulled out of his UFC 110 bout with Chris Lytle due to a knee injury. No replacement has been made as of yet.

Brock Lesner’s trainer, Greg Nelson, on how Lesner was recovering from his illness and when Lesner might possibly return to training and the octagon.

MMA Junkie is reporting Carlos Condit has been forced to pull out of his UFC 108 bout with Paul Daley.

Controversial clothing line Hoelzer Reich has been banned from the UFC and WEC cage. Fighters will not be allowed to wear any clothing from the company due to the use of Nazi Germany style art used on the clothing…UPDATE…Strikeforce has also banned the controversial clothing line.

CB Dolloway and Goran Reljic expected for UFC 110.

Rampage says he is on his way back to the UFC for 2 reasons. To shut Rashad up and to shut Dana up..

Former UFC champ Tim Sylvia is hopeful for New Year’s Eve fight in Japan and could he be Strikeforce bound?.

This is not a rumor…Gilbert Yvel is set to face Junior Dos Santos at UFC 108.

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