In mother Russia, rumor spreads you.
Not since Mikey's stomach exploded from drinking soda with Pop Rocks has a man been the subject of so many recurring rumors. Today it was "reported" by LifeSports.ru that famed Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko had his contract terminated by Zuffa.
Which sounds like quite a feat considering his contract belongs to the Showtime network.
That means that Strikeforce is stuck with "The Last Emperor" until 2014 when the Showtime agreement expires -- or until Emelianenko satisfies the remaining fights in his current deal (whichever comes first).
Zuffa, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), recently became the new owners of Strikeforce and everything that came with it in a blockbuster acquisition that went down earlier this month.
That includes the relationship between Strikeforce, Showtime and M-1 Global.
Simply put, Fedor is here to stay. M-1 Global's Evgeni Kogan explains why (via Bloody Elbow):
"It's unfortunate that the site (LifeSports.ru) has shown little to no journalistic integrity; this is also not the first time their writers have fabricated a story to create attention. Quite simply, it should be ignored. Should there ever be a change in Fedor's status, rest assured that M-1 would provide an official position."
Despite a somber and premature post-fight retirement speech following his Feb. 12 shellacking at the hands of Brazilian "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva, Emelianenko is expected to return to the Strikeforce cage this summer.
July 2011, to be exact.
From Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker (via Sherdog.com):
"Fedor's gonna fight sometime in July. It's probably toward the end of July or mid-July, but we have fights with Fedor that we're gonna honor and continue forward. We're gonna do the co-branding exercise that we do with M-1 every time we do fights with them. The opponent has not been chosen, but I think having Fedor involved close to the tournament as an alternate is definitely a possibility. You gotta perform. I think he did a good job against Silva, and that worked out the way he did, but he's still a competitive fighter that can compete at the highest level on any given Saturday night. I think this next one's gonna be very important. He's gonna have to perform."Fedor Emelianenko is returning to Strikeforce, but against who?
The Showtime network has always maintained a certain level of creative control over the event broadcasts (and Emelianenko's contract) and it may want to get the most from its investment as possible, which means keeping him above water until he no longer proves to be ratings-worthy.
And that's a distinct possibility if the former PRIDE champion drops three straight. However, if he wants to go out guns blazing, there's always that Dan Henderson superfight waiting for him at 205-pounds.
Anyone?
That Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko "dream" fight may be a little bit closer to fruition.
That's because "Hendo" is currently without a challenger to his freshly minted 205-pound title, as the bout to determine the number one contender has officially been scrapped. Mike Kyle has reportedly suffered a broken hand and has been forced to pull out of his fight against Gegard Mousasi at the upcoming "Diaz vs. Daley" event on April 9.
MMAFighting.com brought word of the bad news earlier today.
A search for a replacement is currently underway but whoever steps up to the plate, if anyone does, will have to do so on just 10 days notice.
Kyle can't seem to catch a break, as he also broke his hand during his second-round knockout loss to Antonio Silva back in December of last year.
That loss, which doesn't necessarily reflect on his standing at 205-pounds, as it was contested at heavyweight, was his first in six fights and didn't come before he put up one hell of a scrap, nearly finishing "Bigfoot" with a big right hand.
Irony.
Mousasi has fought twice for DREAM since dropping the light heavyweight strap to "King Mo" Lawal in April of 2010, two first-round submission victories over Jake O'Brien and Tatsuya Mizuno, the latter of which earned him that promotion's 205-pound belt.
His quest to regain his Strikeforce title looks like it may be put on hold. Or maybe it will be sped up, considering the lack of options for Henderson.
Any thoughts on what the San Jose based promotion should do to repair its rapidly unraveling light heavyweight division?
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for any updates to this story and the "Diaz vs. Daley" fight card.
"I hate draws. I think it's such a waste of everybody's time and energy. (An overtime round is) something that I would definitely explore."
-- Oh, those pesky decisions. After two high profile fights this year, Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard and B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch, ended in controversial, and highly unsatisfying, draws, fans have been left wanting. After all, there has to be a better way to decide a clear winner in bouts that have a championship on the line or are booked to determine the number one contender. So, in typical UFC fashion, the man himself, Dana White, fielded a question about this very matter on the web series "The Aftermath" and made the comment above: that he's not at all opposed to an overtime round if that's what is necessarily to do away with draws once and for all. But is there any way this actually has a chance at being implemented? Would commissions honestly allow a five-round war to go to a sixth sudden death style round, just for the sake of clarity? It's not like promotions don't have the option of setting up a rematch, this being exactly what they did in the case of both Edgar vs. Maynard and Penn vs. Fitch. So which do you prefer, Maniacs? Sudden death or another three rounds at a later date?
It's about to get heavy this summer in Canada.
That's because another behemoth bout has been booked for UFC 131, as Dave Herman will make his Octagon debut against Joey Beltran on June 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Rogers Arena.
Dana White announced the pending contest earlier today:
"20-2 Heavyweight Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman has verbally agreed to make his UFC debut against hard hitting Joey Beltran June 11th in Vancouver."
Herman will indeed be making his debut with the world's largest fight promotion after an impressive run through organizations ranging from EliteXC, Sengoku and Bellator.
He was originally booked against Rob Broughton, although no announcement was made as to why the switch to Beltran came to be.
"The Mexicutioner" is fighting more than a game Dave Herman -- he's also likely fighting to remain gainfully employed with the UFC.
The California native, after winning his first two fights with the promotion, has dropped two in a row, a pair of decision losses to the always tough Matt Mitrione and Pat Barry.
Time to get dirty and see if he can't gut one out to keep his job. Can he do it?
UFC 131 is shaping up to be a blockbuster summer event, featuring a main event of massive proportions when Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos collide for the right to face Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight championship.
Mark Munoz is booked to face Demian Maia, while Kenny Florian will make his featherweight debut against wily scrapper Diego Nunes. Shane Carwin will also make his long-awaited return against the debuting Jon Olav Einemo.
As always, stay tuned to MMAmania.com for any updates to this still-developing fight card.
Bellator Fighting Championship will return to The Mohegan Sun Arena this Saturday night (April 2, 2011) in Uncasville, Connecticut, live on MTV2 with their thirty-ninth event.
The main card will air live on the basic cable network beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Headlining this weekend's event is a 155-pound title fight between current division champion Eddie Alvarez and season two lightweight tournament winner Pat Curran.
Also on the card will be a welterweight tournament bout between former champion Lyman Good and undefeated Rick Hawn as well as a lightweight tournament match between Toby Imada and Patricky Freire.
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and UFC veteran Ben Saunders will be making his Bellator debut as well.
Complete Bellator 39 preview and predictions after the jump.
155 lb. Title Bout: Eddie Alvarez (21-2) vs. Pat Curran (12-3)
At long last, Curran and Alvarez will meet inside the Bellator cage to settle some unfinished business. Their original title bout was delayed after Curran suffered a shoulder injury. While waiting for Curran to recover, Alvarez battled UFC veteran Roger Huerta in a non-title bout and stopped him via TKO for the first time in his professional career.
Alvarez is ranked as one of the top lightweights in the world and he’s the highest profile fighter in Bellator. He steamrolled through the Bellator season one tournament in 2009 to initially win the title and he hasn’t looked back since.
If there’s anyone that you don’t want to underestimate, it’s Pat Curran. He was the underdog in all three of his Bellator season 2 tournament fights but that didn’t stop him from knocking out George St. Pierre protg Mike Ricci and defeating both Roger Huerta and Toby Imada via decision.
Both Curran and Alvarez were standout high school wrestlers. Both pack power with their punches although Alvarez is much more aggressive with his striking. Both men have solid jiu jitsu but Alvarez is more diverse with his submissions.
One minor note is Alvarez’s last loss, a heel hook to Shinya Aoki at the Dynamite 2008 event in Japan. Heel hooks just happen to be Curran’s specialty on the ground. In fact, all three of Curran’s submission victories have been ended via heel hook.
That being said, this is Eddie Alvarez’s fight to lose. Look for him to control the standup portion aggressively moving forward and I feel he’ll eventually catch Curran with his power.
Final Prediction: Eddie Alvarez via TKO
170 lbs.: Lyman Good (11-1) vs Rick Hawn (10-0)
Lyman Good is the on the warpath to reclaim his title and undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn is standing in his way. Good originally lost his welterweight title to current champ Ben Askren at Bellator 33 via decision last October.
Good got back on track at Bellator 35 with a convincing decision victory against formerly undefeated Chris Lozano. It was a fight where Good showed off his diverse array of skills, beating the striker to the punch and securing rounds with takedowns while avoiding submissions.
His opponent, Rick Hawn, is an enigma. In less than five months, he improved his striking drastically to the point where he thoroughly outclassed a 27 fight veteran, Jim Wallhead, on the feet. Hawn also possesses Olympic level judo skills which he has adapted well to MMA. Those skills were no less prevalent than his Bellator debut against LeVon Maynard where he effortlessly tossed his opponent to the floor and pounded him senseless.
Rick Hawn is a special kind of athlete and that makes picking this fight so difficult but I feel Good is the better striker of the two and Hawn doesn’t yet possess the top control to keep Good down if he were to score a throw at some point.
Final Prediction: Lyman Good via decision
155 lbs.: Toby Imada (29-15) vs Patricky Freire (8-1)
Toby Imada and Patricky Freire have both been on Bellator’s youtube highlight reels. Imada’s inverted triangle which won 2009’s Submission of the Year has over a million views and Freire’s recent TKO of "Razor" Rob McCullough was impressive in its own right.
Imada is a two-time Bellator lightweight tournament finalist and he’s grown to be one of their stars with his flair for pulling off impressive submissions. He had a lucky break in the first round when his opponent Ferrid Kheder missed weight and Imada easily submitted local replacement Josh Shockley in the first round.
Freire did not have nearly as easy a task in the first round as his fight with former WEC champ Rob McCullough was an absolute war. Freire eventually caught McCullough in the third round but the fight definitely took a toll. Hailing from Brazil, Freire possesses powerful striking and just like his brother Patricio (who’s in the featherweight tournament), he has dangerous leg locks and submission skills.
This will be a very dangerous test for Imada as Freire is fluent in Toby’s specialty (submissions) while also capable of ending the fight where he is weak (striking). If Freire doesn’t gas, I feel he’ll catch Imada standing and finish this fight.
Final Prediction: Freire via TKO
170 lbs.: Ben Saunders (9-3-2) vs Matt Lee (13-9-1)
In welterweight action, Ben Saunders makes his Bellator debut against veteran Matt Lee. Saunders was a much hyped signing by the young promotion and needless to say, Bellator wants and expects Saunders to win this fight.
Saunders is a lanky fighter and his Muay Thai skill-set utilizes his long limbs perfectly. Saunders has deadly knees and elbows and he should be feared if this fight enters the clinch.
Lee is a game opponent but he’s fallen short every time he’s stepped up in competition. I don’t think this fight will be any different as Bellator is looking for a highlight reel debut for Saunders.
Final Prediction: Ben Saunders via KO
That's a wrap
What are your picks for Saturday night's stacked Bellator event?
Bellator Fighting Championship will return to The Mohegan Sun Arena this Saturday night (April 2, 2011) in Uncasville, Connecticut, live on MTV2 with their thirty-ninth event.
The main card will air live on the basic cable network beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Headlining this weekend's event is a 155-pound title fight between current division champion Eddie Alvarez and season two lightweight tournament winner Pat Curran.
Also on the card will be a welterweight tournament bout between former champion Lyman Good and undefeated Rick Hawn as well as a lightweight tournament match between Toby Imada and Patricky Freire.
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and UFC veteran Ben Saunders will be making his Bellator debut as well.
Complete Bellator 39 preview and predictions after the jump.
155 lb. Title Bout: Eddie Alvarez (21-2) vs. Pat Curran (12-3)
At long last, Curran and Alvarez will meet inside the Bellator cage to settle some unfinished business. Their original title bout was delayed after Curran suffered a shoulder injury. While waiting for Curran to recover, Alvarez battled UFC veteran Roger Huerta in a non-title bout and stopped him via TKO for the first time in his professional career.
Alvarez is ranked as one of the top lightweights in the world and he’s the highest profile fighter in Bellator. He steamrolled through the Bellator season one tournament in 2009 to initially win the title and he hasn’t looked back since.
If there’s anyone that you don’t want to underestimate, it’s Pat Curran. He was the underdog in all three of his Bellator season 2 tournament fights but that didn’t stop him from knocking out George St. Pierre protg Mike Ricci and defeating both Roger Huerta and Toby Imada via decision.
Both Curran and Alvarez were standout high school wrestlers. Both pack power with their punches although Alvarez is much more aggressive with his striking. Both men have solid jiu jitsu but Alvarez is more diverse with his submissions.
One minor note is Alvarez’s last loss, a heel hook to Shinya Aoki at the Dynamite 2008 event in Japan. Heel hooks just happen to be Curran’s specialty on the ground. In fact, all three of Curran’s submission victories have been ended via heel hook.
That being said, this is Eddie Alvarez’s fight to lose. Look for him to control the standup portion aggressively moving forward and I feel he’ll eventually catch Curran with his power.
Final Prediction: Eddie Alvarez via TKO
170 lbs.: Lyman Good (11-1) vs Rick Hawn (10-0)
Lyman Good is the on the warpath to reclaim his title and undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn is standing in his way. Good originally lost his welterweight title to current champ Ben Askren at Bellator 33 via decision last October.
Good got back on track at Bellator 35 with a convincing decision victory against formerly undefeated Chris Lozano. It was a fight where Good showed off his diverse array of skills, beating the striker to the punch and securing rounds with takedowns while avoiding submissions.
His opponent, Rick Hawn, is an enigma. In less than five months, he improved his striking drastically to the point where he thoroughly outclassed a 27 fight veteran, Jim Wallhead, on the feet. Hawn also possesses Olympic level judo skills which he has adapted well to MMA. Those skills were no less prevalent than his Bellator debut against LeVon Maynard where he effortlessly tossed his opponent to the floor and pounded him senseless.
Rick Hawn is a special kind of athlete and that makes picking this fight so difficult but I feel Good is the better striker of the two and Hawn doesn’t yet possess the top control to keep Good down if he were to score a throw at some point.
Final Prediction: Lyman Good via decision
155 lbs.: Toby Imada (29-15) vs Patricky Freire (8-1)
Toby Imada and Patricky Freire have both been on Bellator’s youtube highlight reels. Imada’s inverted triangle which won 2009’s Submission of the Year has over a million views and Freire’s recent TKO of "Razor" Rob McCullough was impressive in its own right.
Imada is a two-time Bellator lightweight tournament finalist and he’s grown to be one of their stars with his flair for pulling off impressive submissions. He had a lucky break in the first round when his opponent Ferrid Kheder missed weight and Imada easily submitted local replacement Josh Shockley in the first round.
Freire did not have nearly as easy a task in the first round as his fight with former WEC champ Rob McCullough was an absolute war. Freire eventually caught McCullough in the third round but the fight definitely took a toll. Hailing from Brazil, Freire possesses powerful striking and just like his brother Patricio (who’s in the featherweight tournament), he has dangerous leg locks and submission skills.
This will be a very dangerous test for Imada as Freire is fluent in Toby’s specialty (submissions) while also capable of ending the fight where he is weak (striking). If Freire doesn’t gas, I feel he’ll catch Imada standing and finish this fight.
Final Prediction: Freire via TKO
170 lbs.: Ben Saunders (9-3-2) vs Matt Lee (13-9-1)
In welterweight action, Ben Saunders makes his Bellator debut against veteran Matt Lee. Saunders was a much hyped signing by the young promotion and needless to say, Bellator wants and expects Saunders to win this fight.
Saunders is a lanky fighter and his Muay Thai skill-set utilizes his long limbs perfectly. Saunders has deadly knees and elbows and he should be feared if this fight enters the clinch.
Lee is a game opponent but he’s fallen short every time he’s stepped up in competition. I don’t think this fight will be any different as Bellator is looking for a highlight reel debut for Saunders.
Final Prediction: Ben Saunders via KO
That's a wrap
What are your picks for Saturday night's stacked Bellator event?
Why are MMA fans so cranky? Yep, it's that time of the month again.
Rankings!
Our partners in crime over at BloodyElbow.com have once again published their divisional rankings for mixed martial arts in the nation’s largest daily newspaper, USA Today, for the month of March 2010.
For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here’s how it works:
"The rankings, which will offer a definitive perspective of top MMA fighters across all weight-classes, will be released monthly and published in the Sports section of USA TODAY, online at USATODAY.com and on SB Nation’s MMA commentary and community blog, BloodyElbow.com … The USA TODAY/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings are compiled each month by Nate Wilcox and Richard Wade of BloodyElbow.com. The rankings utilize each of the top MMA rankings from multiple unique sources. A weighted-formula is applied to normalize and distill the various rankings into one consensus ranking per weight class."
To check out the latest USAT/SBN rankings click here. We’ve also listed their top 10 in each class after the jump for your convenience.
Heavyweight:
1. Cain Velasquez
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Junior dos Santos
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Antonio Silva
6. Shane Carwin
7. Alistair Overeem (tie)
7. Frank Mir (tie)
9. Fedor Emelianenko
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Light Heavyweight:
1. Jon Jones
2. Mauricio Rua
3. Rashad Evans
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Ryan Bader
8. Dan Henderson
9. Thiago Silva
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Chael Sonnen
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Demian Maia
6. Ronaldo Souza
7. Vitor Belfort
8. Michael Bisping
9. Jorge Santiago
10. Wanderlei Silva
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. B.J. Penn
7. Nick Diaz (tie)
7. Carlos Condit (tie)
9. Diego Sanchez
10. Paul Daley
Lightweight:
1. Frankie Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Shinya Aoki
5. Jim Miller
6. Eddie Alvarez
7. Kenny Florian
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. Sean Sherk
10. Anthony Pettis
Featherweight:
1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Chad Mendes
3. Manny Gamburyan
5. Marlon Sandro
6. Michihiro Omigawa
7. Diego Nunes
8. Mark Hominick
9. Hiroyuki Takaya
10. Joe Warren
Bantamweight:
1. Dominick Cruz
2. Joseph Benavidez
3. Brian Bowles
4. Urijah Faber
5. Miguel Torres
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Brad Pickett
9. Demetrious Johnson
10. Masakatsu Ueda
What do you think? How much will these rankings change after UFC 129 in April?
Share your ranking rants in the comments section below.
Why are MMA fans so cranky? Yep, it's that time of the month again.
Rankings!
Our partners in crime over at BloodyElbow.com have once again published their divisional rankings for mixed martial arts in the nation’s largest daily newspaper, USA Today, for the month of March 2010.
For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here’s how it works:
"The rankings, which will offer a definitive perspective of top MMA fighters across all weight-classes, will be released monthly and published in the Sports section of USA TODAY, online at USATODAY.com and on SB Nation’s MMA commentary and community blog, BloodyElbow.com … The USA TODAY/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings are compiled each month by Nate Wilcox and Richard Wade of BloodyElbow.com. The rankings utilize each of the top MMA rankings from multiple unique sources. A weighted-formula is applied to normalize and distill the various rankings into one consensus ranking per weight class."
To check out the latest USAT/SBN rankings click here. We’ve also listed their top 10 in each class after the jump for your convenience.
Heavyweight:
1. Cain Velasquez
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Junior dos Santos
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Antonio Silva
6. Shane Carwin
7. Alistair Overeem (tie)
7. Frank Mir (tie)
9. Fedor Emelianenko
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Light Heavyweight:
1. Jon Jones
2. Mauricio Rua
3. Rashad Evans
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Ryan Bader
8. Dan Henderson
9. Thiago Silva
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Chael Sonnen
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Demian Maia
6. Ronaldo Souza
7. Vitor Belfort
8. Michael Bisping
9. Jorge Santiago
10. Wanderlei Silva
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. B.J. Penn
7. Nick Diaz (tie)
7. Carlos Condit (tie)
9. Diego Sanchez
10. Paul Daley
Lightweight:
1. Frankie Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Shinya Aoki
5. Jim Miller
6. Eddie Alvarez
7. Kenny Florian
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. Sean Sherk
10. Anthony Pettis
Featherweight:
1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Chad Mendes
3. Manny Gamburyan
5. Marlon Sandro
6. Michihiro Omigawa
7. Diego Nunes
8. Mark Hominick
9. Hiroyuki Takaya
10. Joe Warren
Bantamweight:
1. Dominick Cruz
2. Joseph Benavidez
3. Brian Bowles
4. Urijah Faber
5. Miguel Torres
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Brad Pickett
9. Demetrious Johnson
10. Masakatsu Ueda
What do you think? How much will these rankings change after UFC 129 in April?
Share your ranking rants in the comments section below.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney is not concerned with the latest dip in ratings according to MMA Junkie. Rebney indicated he is concerned more with building the brand than the latest television numbers.
Via MMA Junkie:
“What we’re doing in terms of building out this brand and this partnership with MTV2 and MTV networks, this is a marathon – this is not a sprint,” he said.
So, the executive is not sweating week-to-week fluctuations.
“What I’m getting drawn up in is improving the quality of our production, increasing the quality of our fights, and trying to make this bigger and better,” Rebney said. “The fights we’ve got coming up over the next four weeks are just blistering, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens and what kind of impact that has both in terms of live event attendance and the ratings we do.”
Just wondering, can the Gracies show us the inverted triangle choke on Youtube?
Bellator has faced stiff competition from the UFC and NCAA March Madness in the past couple weeks causing the ratings to dip. Yet, Bellator points to Youtube as a positive sign.
YouTube videos featuring Bellator highlights continue to be a counterpunch to the challenges in building an audience. The most recent win for the promotion on that front was this past Saturday’s clip of Richard Hale’s inverted triangle submission over Nik Fekete, which Rebney said is around 140,000 hits on the video channel. (MMA Junkie)
To combat the UFC fights on Saturday night, Bellator has moved its time slot to avoid direct competition. But Rebney stated that this may have actually hurt viewership.
Fight Opinion explains:
The obvious point to make regarding Bellator’s ratings on MTV2 is that the idea of moving the show around on Saturday nights and not having a consistent timeslot because you want to avoid running head-to-head against Zuffa is a bad idea. Yes, people who watch Bellator are aware of what is happening with the UFC. However, you can’t confuse your fans and make it a struggle for them to figure out when to tune in, how to find you on their DVR, so on and so forth. If accessing your show becomes any sort of challenge or requires any sort of effort (Americans can be lazy), it will hurt the ratings. If you’re a half-glass full person, I suppose you can say that Bellator retained 75% of their viewers despite the moving time slot.
Payout Perspective:
Rebney has the correct attitude in addressing the ratings dip. While the numbers are disappointing, there are obvious factors involved in the low ratings. What is disappointing is that M-1 on Showtime on Friday night outdrew Bellator with little promotion. M-1 drew 189,00 viewers versus Bellator’s 150,000. Yet, Rebney recognizes that its a marathon not a sprint and the long-term plans of brand building means more than short-term ratings. It appears that MTV2 will give Bellator the time to build.
Another point here is that Rebney recognizes that the time slot shifting is not a good idea as Zach Arnold points out. This shows that Bellator is actively recalibrating its strategy. Also, embracing Youtube should be a good thing. While we recently have seen the UFC protect its copyright interests against unauthorized use of its content, Bellator could use this as a marketing tool. Perhaps Bellator works a deal with the Gracies or someone else in having a BJJ breakdown on Bellator’s own Youtube channel. This could draw interests from fans.
The trilogy.
You've had Star Wars, the Godfather, even Robocop! You've also had Shamrock vs. Ortiz, Sylvia vs. Arlovski and Couture vs. Liddell. Next you'll have Edgar vs. Maynard.
Part three.
At one time, most mixed martial arts fans doubted that newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar could generate any pay-per-view buys as an event headliner. His upset win over former 155-pound kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 112: "Invincible" was either downplayed or attributed to a bad decision by the judges.
The New Jersey native, used to the doubting Thomases, gladly rematched "The Prodigy" just four months later at UFC 118 in Boston, shocking the world once again as he soundly beat the Hawaiian in a performance even more dominating than before.
However, in the shadows of his newfound fame and glory was a pugilistic wrestler who held "The Answer" to Edgar's 13-1 record.
That man was Xtreme Couture student Gray Maynard, a NCAA Division One wrestler out of Michigan State and teammate of former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
A perfect 10-0 with one No Contest, Maynard established himself as a force at 155-pounds since his professional debut back in 2006. With wins over Denis Siver, Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, Kenny Florian, Jim Miller and even Edgar, he carried one of the best fight resumes compiled in today's MMA landscape.
"The Bully" has the ability to hit like a truck as seen at UFC 96: "Jackson vs. Jardine," when he busted the nose of top contender Jim Miller while the AMA product had control of Maynard's leg during a takedown attempt. His first and only knockout inside the Octagon came at UFC Fight Night: "Florian vs. Thomas" when he stopped Joe Veres.
In hindsight, Maynard's biggest win is probably the first time he and Edgar fought way back in April of 2008.
It was UFC Fight Night: "Florian vs. Lauzon" in Broomfield, Colorado, and a huge night for the 155-pound division. Of the six televised fights, three of them featured some of the best up-and-coming lightweight fighters. The co-main event featured Frankie Edgar (8-0) against Gray Maynard (3-0 and 1 NC).
For three long rounds, the much larger Maynard used his size and strength to "Bully" Edgar on all three judges' scorecards (30-27). The loss put his meteoric rise on hold while the victor added yet another name to his growing resume.
The UFC respected Edgar's accomplishments enough prior to the Maynard loss to let him continue fighting bigger stars like Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk en route to his UFC 112 title shot against BJ Penn.
Maynard's road was a bit longer and also against very tough opponents like Rich Clementi, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz and Kenny Florian.
The road to New Years Day 2011 may have been a different one for both men but as the saying goes, "The cream rises to the top,'' as both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard would be the ones deciding the fate of the lightweight title.
These two gladiators have cleared out the division to get at each other once again.
UFC 125: "Resolution" was not the promotion's most star-studded affair and the pay-per-view buy rate was estimated at approximately 270,000, which is far below the average of today's standards. However, for the fans savvy enough to invest their money (and eyeballs), they saw one of the best main events of all time.
The opening round was one of the most lopsided in history and reminiscent of the UFC 116 exchange between Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar. Edgar proved he had the heart of a champion and survived the beating and even came back stronger round after round.
No matter what Maynard did to establish his dominance, he just couldn't seem to stop the never-say-die attitude of Edgar. After five rounds and 25 minutes of war, we were forced to go to the judges scorecards to determine a winner.
"The judges score this contest 48-46 MAYNARD, 48-46 EDGAR and 47-47, this fight is ruled a draw!"
As Buffer announced those words we saw what each man was feeling. Edgar's camp was happy and cheering while the champion appear disappointed.
Maynard looked like he was robbed and hated the decision.
If you re-watch UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" you will see a similar reaction. Machida seemed like he was convinced he had lost while his camp threw a parade. Rua and his team looked like their hearts were ripped out by the decision.
In a weird kind of way, this trilogy has been the best thing for the careers of both fighters. You have a third fight, more drama, title legitimacy and of course, an even bigger payday.
This third fight could be redemption for Maynard and every ounce of blood, sweat and tears he's poured onto the canvas and in the gym. It's his chance to finally prove that his win on April 2, 2008, was not a fluke or a "one-off."
For Edgar, he gets to silence all the doubters and naysayers (maybe) who tried to tell him he was never good enough or big enough. It's also his chance to place his name up there with BJ Penn as the best lightweight ever.
And finally, a chance to erase all doubt when you say his name and Maynard's in the same sentence.
How about it Maniacs, how much do you love this trilogy? And why aren't more people talking about it?
Poll Who will win Edgar vs. Maynard III? Franke Edgar retains Gray Maynard wins Draw Stoppage by DQ Stoppage due to cut Slick submission
196 votes | Results
The trilogy.
You've had Star Wars, the Godfather, even Robocop! You've also had Shamrock vs. Ortiz, Sylvia vs. Arlovski and Couture vs. Liddell. Next you'll have Edgar vs. Maynard.
Part three.
At one time, most mixed martial arts fans doubted that newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar could generate any pay-per-view buys as an event headliner. His upset win over former 155-pound kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 112: "Invincible" was either downplayed or attributed to a bad decision by the judges.
The New Jersey native, used to the doubting Thomases, gladly rematched "The Prodigy" just four months later at UFC 118 in Boston, shocking the world once again as he soundly beat the Hawaiian in a performance even more dominating than before.
However, in the shadows of his newfound fame and glory was a pugilistic wrestler who held "The Answer" to Edgar's 13-1 record.
That man was Xtreme Couture student Gray Maynard, a NCAA Division One wrestler out of Michigan State and teammate of former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
A perfect 10-0 with one No Contest, Maynard established himself as a force at 155-pounds since his professional debut back in 2006. With wins over Denis Siver, Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, Kenny Florian, Jim Miller and even Edgar, he carried one of the best fight resumes compiled in today's MMA landscape.
"The Bully" has the ability to hit like a truck as seen at UFC 96: "Jackson vs. Jardine," when he busted the nose of top contender Jim Miller while the AMA product had control of Maynard's leg during a takedown attempt. His first and only knockout inside the Octagon came at UFC Fight Night: "Florian vs. Thomas" when he stopped Joe Veres.
In hindsight, Maynard's biggest win is probably the first time he and Edgar fought way back in April of 2008.
It was UFC Fight Night: "Florian vs. Lauzon" in Broomfield, Colorado, and a huge night for the 155-pound division. Of the six televised fights, three of them featured some of the best up-and-coming lightweight fighters. The co-main event featured Frankie Edgar (8-0) against Gray Maynard (3-0 and 1 NC).
For three long rounds, the much larger Maynard used his size and strength to "Bully" Edgar on all three judges' scorecards (30-27). The loss put his meteoric rise on hold while the victor added yet another name to his growing resume.
The UFC respected Edgar's accomplishments enough prior to the Maynard loss to let him continue fighting bigger stars like Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk en route to his UFC 112 title shot against BJ Penn.
Maynard's road was a bit longer and also against very tough opponents like Rich Clementi, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz and Kenny Florian.
The road to New Years Day 2011 may have been a different one for both men but as the saying goes, "The cream rises to the top,'' as both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard would be the ones deciding the fate of the lightweight title.
These two gladiators have cleared out the division to get at each other once again.
UFC 125: "Resolution" was not the promotion's most star-studded affair and the pay-per-view buy rate was estimated at approximately 270,000, which is far below the average of today's standards. However, for the fans savvy enough to invest their money (and eyeballs), they saw one of the best main events of all time.
The opening round was one of the most lopsided in history and reminiscent of the UFC 116 exchange between Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar. Edgar proved he had the heart of a champion and survived the beating and even came back stronger round after round.
No matter what Maynard did to establish his dominance, he just couldn't seem to stop the never-say-die attitude of Edgar. After five rounds and 25 minutes of war, we were forced to go to the judges scorecards to determine a winner.
"The judges score this contest 48-46 MAYNARD, 48-46 EDGAR and 47-47, this fight is ruled a draw!"
As Buffer announced those words we saw what each man was feeling. Edgar's camp was happy and cheering while the champion appear disappointed.
Maynard looked like he was robbed and hated the decision.
If you re-watch UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" you will see a similar reaction. Machida seemed like he was convinced he had lost while his camp threw a parade. Rua and his team looked like their hearts were ripped out by the decision.
In a weird kind of way, this trilogy has been the best thing for the careers of both fighters. You have a third fight, more drama, title legitimacy and of course, an even bigger payday.
This third fight could be redemption for Maynard and every ounce of blood, sweat and tears he's poured onto the canvas and in the gym. It's his chance to finally prove that his win on April 2, 2008, was not a fluke or a "one-off."
For Edgar, he gets to silence all the doubters and naysayers (maybe) who tried to tell him he was never good enough or big enough. It's also his chance to place his name up there with BJ Penn as the best lightweight ever.
And finally, a chance to erase all doubt when you say his name and Maynard's in the same sentence.
How about it Maniacs, how much do you love this trilogy? And why aren't more people talking about it?
Poll Who will win Edgar vs. Maynard III? Franke Edgar retains Gray Maynard wins Draw Stoppage by DQ Stoppage due to cut Slick submission
406 votes | Results
Don't count Bellator headliner Eddie Alvarez among those impressed by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweights Gray Maynard, B.J. Penn, Anthony Pettis, Kenny Florian, and Sean Sherk.
Alvarez (21-2), widely considered the most talented 155-pounder never to step foot inside the Octagon, will finally get the opportunity to defend his title against season two tournament winner Pat Curran when they hook 'em up in the main event of Bellator 39 this Saturday night (April 2) from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
And by his account, the "Lil' Frog" is just as dangerous as anyone the UFC has to offer.
The Philadelphia native has a history of greeting Zuffa exiles looking for greener pastures outside of "Sin City." After strangling Josh Neer in May 2010, Alvarez beat the brakes off Roger Huerta at Bellator 33 just five months later.
Were they talented? Or just known? Alvarez explains his reasoning to SI.com:
"...They're only important names why? Because they fight for the UFC. Or else they'd be nobodies. The UFC does a great job of pushing them, and they're popular. It doesn't mean they're talented. It just means they're known. I guarantee that if you put them in a tournament structure like Bellator, they're not going to win it every time. Gray Maynard? Kenny Florian? All these guys, they're UFC fighters, that's all. They're pushed by the UFC, but when they leave the UFC, they're forgotten. When's the last time you heard Josh Neer's name? You haven't. When's the last time you heard about Roger Huerta? You haven't. They're no ones anymore. What were they two years ago? They were superstars."
Alvarez was called out by Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez back in 2010.
"El Nino's" boss, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, entertained the possibility of bringing the 155-pound champions (and consensus top five ranked lightweights) into a superfight under a co-promotion agreement but somewhere along the way either he (or Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney) got cold feet and the fight never came to be.
And now that Strikeforce has been acquired by Zuffa, any potential crossover can be filed under "D" for dead.
Does that keep Alvarez out of your top ten rankings? Or do you agree that UFC lightweights are more marketing than muscle?
Opinions, please.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing a little something extra to the UFC 129: "St. Pierre vs. Shields" event when it travels across the border for the promotion's debut in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which is scheduled for the Rogers Centre on April 30, 2011.
The promotion recently announced a two-day "Fan Expo" at the nearby Direct Energy Centre from April 29 right up until fight time on April 30 to coincide with the UFC 129 pay-per-view.
Standard expo activities include meet and greets with legendary UFC, Pride FC and WEC fighters, mixed martial arts (MMA) demonstrations, grappling "Super Fights," fan-inspired special events as well as other combat related opportunities and entertainment.
And now the UFC has confirmed that former champions Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn and Anthony Pettis have all signed on to lead training and development sessions for the first 100 registrants at a cost of $150.00 per session.
From UFC President Dana White:
"This is the ultimate opportunity for fans to train alongside three of the UFC's biggest stars. Liddell, Penn and Pettis are some of the most gifted athletes we've ever seen in the Octagon and we're really excited to give fans the chance to learn from them at the UFC Fan Expo."
Liddell's session will be held on Friday, April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET and focus on takedown defense and striking techniques. BJ Penn will teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the following day (Saturday, April 30) from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.
Last but not least, Anthony Pettis will drop some kickboxing knowledge along with coach Duke Roufus on Saturday, April 30 from 2 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET.
Who knows, maybe he'll even teach fans the "Showtime" kick.
The 2011 UFC Fan Expo will also feature apparel, electronic gaming, food & beverages, fight gear, fitness equipment and supplies, nutritional supplements, lifestyle products and much more.
Oh, and by the way, there are also some huge fights taking place that weekend.
UFC 129 is set to feature a main event between Canada's own Georges St. Pierre, defending his welterweight title against fresh challenger -- and former Elite XC and Strikeforce champion -- Jake Shields.
The event is also expected to include "Father Time" Randy Couture, defying the odds once again to take on Karate master Lyoto Machida.
Sounds like a blast.
For more information on UFC Fan Expo 2011 "Toronto" and to purchase tickets visit www.ufcfanexpo.com by clicking here.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 made its long-awaited debut on Spike TV last night (March 30), featuring heavyweight coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as well as 14 contestants vying for the coveted six-figure contract with the UFC.
And with the return of the popular reality show comes the return of the web series "The Aftermath," hosted by UFC light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar, who will be joined by various guests, breaking down each episode of the season.
For episode one, Bonnar is joined by company President Dana White to discuss the premier, the coaches and the first preliminary fight.
Embedded video will autoplay after the jump. Click here for a detailed recap of "Something to Prove."
The Aftermath: Something to Prove
Tags: ">Watch The Ultimate Fighter
If you want blood, you've got it.
That's because Dan Hardy wants it too and he's ready to put his sweat and tears into one last shot at glory. To hell with records and rankings, "The Outlaw" wants to fight for the sake of fighting.
Thankfully, he's found a partner to do-si-do with in the form of Chris Lytle.
"Lights Out" accepted Hardy's initial challenge, commenting that he would love to "just get out there and bang." That's music to the Brit's ears after he recently suffered through a three-round grapplefest against Anthony Johnson at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle.
Of course, this fantasy match-up is contingent on whether or not company President Dana White allows Hardy to keep his job after three straight losses in the Octagon.
Can he be swayed by the continued insistence of two of his most exciting fighters? After Lytle accepted the challenge, Hardy again reiterated to Duane Finley why the match-up makes too much sense not to make.
"That's exactly why I'm a fan of Mr Lytle, and thats exactly why the fans love him. He has the attitude all fighters should have, come to fight or don't come at all. I'm sick of worrying about records and rankings, it takes the fun out of it for me. I just want fights that the fans will talk about in years to come. Old school shootouts, blood, sweat and tears, death or glory."
After a statement like that, it's clear why Dana White "f*cking loves this kid." However, it's entirely possible the bossman could be worried about getting burned.
Sure, Lytle and Hardy are talking big now, promising to stand and trade punches until "death or glory." But is that not exactly what we heard in the lead-up to the Brit's last fight against Anthony Johnson?
We all remember how that turned out.
Johnson elected not to "rumble" but to wrestle his way to a decision victory, much to the chagrin of the many fans that tuned in specifically to see that fight.
That said, the passboard runs on statistics and no one has a better track record than Chris Lytle. His five "Fight of the Night" awards are a testament to his style and propensity to leave it all in the cage.
Just like a certain "Outlaw" who's looking for one last chance to roll the dice.
Why not give it to him?
Anyone care to play matchmaker for those one or two fights?
The "Big Dog" is headed home -- this time for good.
Ricardo Almeida, after an 11-year career as a professional mixed martial artist, has made the decision to retire from the sport following his loss to Mike Pyle at UFC 128 on March 19.
The Brazilian-American began his career in Dec. 2000 with a victory under the now defunct PRIDE banner before going on to become the Middleweight King of Pancrase.
Training under the tutelage of Renzo Gracie, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt amassed a 6-5 record with the UFC, somehow always on the cusp of greatness, but never quite reaching the top of the mountain.
Almeida had previously left the sport in 2004 to take a four-year hiatus to focus on his other passion -- running his jiu-jitsu academy in New Jersey. Now, after three more years and an additional eight fights, he's finally ready to move on to the next phase of his life.
Here's what he had to say about his decision to retire (via NewJerseyJiuJitsu.com):
Back in 2008 I decided to return to MMA. Since then I have had the privilege of fighting eight times in the UFC. As a competitor I can think of no bigger thrill than to stand in the center of the octagon with my hands raised.
During these almost four years it has been a personal struggle to find balance between my fighting career, caring for my son who was diagnosed with autism soon after I signed a six-fight deal with the UFC, teaching at my growing Jiu Jitsu Academy and the family duties we all have.
MMA is a great sport but also physically and mentally unforgiving. It is a dangerous task to step in the octagon, specially if your focus is not at 100%.
After much deliberation since my fight at UFC 128 I have decided to step away from the sport as a fighter.
I will continue to fully support the UFC as a coach and of course as a big fan. I would like to thank Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White for their leadership and vision which brought the sport to new heights. I would also like to thank Joe Silva for giving me the opportunity to compete among the best martial artists in the world.
Renzo Gracie, Mark Henry, Frankie Edgar and all my teammates who I could not have gone through this challenge without.
Finally I would like to thank my wife, children and family as well as my students. You will have my integral dedication from here on.
Lastly the fans who make MMA the greatest sport there is.
Ricardo Almeida."
Almeida, at the age of 34 years-old, will retire a veteran of PRIDE, Pancrase and the UFC with a combined record of 13 wins to 5 losses.
While the New York native will be gone from active competition, he will certainly not be forgotten for his extensive list of accomplishments both as a fighter and a grappler.
Feel free to share any pics, gifs or stories you may have involving "Big Dog" in the comments below.