Official MMA Thread

[NCRadioMan]

Diego is really big into Tony Robbins the motivational speaker dude. That is where the "yes" comes from. That's why he keeps yelling "YES!" over and over on his way to the ring before fights.

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Carlos Condit injury forces cancellation of UFC 108 bout

After weeks of searching for a main event for the first event of 2010, the UFC has now lost a planned co-feature bout for UFC 108.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from a source close to Carlos Condit (24-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) that the "Natural Born Killer" has suffered an injury in training and has been forced to withdraw from a main-card bout with British slugger Paul Daley (22-8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

No word yet on whether the UFC will seek a replacement opponent for Daley at the Jan. 2 event.

Word has arrived..................

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Somebody up there likes Dustin Hazelett.

The UFC welterweight wore disappointment when Karo Parisyan withdrew from their fight at UFC 106 last month, but said he trusted God's plan and everything happened for a reason.

He was spot on.

Multiple sources informed MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday that Hazelett will step in for an injured Carlos Condit to face Paul Daley in the co-main event of UFC 108, which takes place Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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TRAINER: LESNAR RECOVERING FROM DIVERTICULITIS

Brock Lesnar’s head coach is telling him to rest and relax, whether he likes it or not.

Greg Nelson, a two-time cancer survivor who leads Lesnar’s fight camps along with Erik Paulson and Marty Morgan, said the UFC heavyweight champ is still recovering from a severe case of diverticulitis (an infection in the digestive tract), but wants to get back into the gym.

Last Friday, UFC president Dana White sent a Twitter message that Lesnar was "still VERY sick" and the promotion was "unsure about his future."

Nelson, who recently returned from teaching several seminars in Spain, gave an update to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday afternoon. He declined comment on a potential interim heavyweight title posed by White in recent weeks.

MMAWeekly: What’s the latest on Brock?

Nelson: He’s feeling much better, but he’s still on the mend and not really doing any kind of major training.

MMAWeekly: Is he out of bed?

Nelson: Yeah, he’s walking around and moving around. He’s not ready to jump into that cage, that’s for sure at this point. But he’s got his new baby, so it’s time for him to hang out with his son and his daughter, get some quality time on that end of life.

MMAWeekly: Did he ever go to the Mayo Clinic?

Nelson: No, he never went there.

MMAWeekly: But the final diagnosis was diverticulitis?

Nelson: Yeah, that was pretty much the deal, and everything that goes on with that.

MMAWeekly: As far as you know, when do you think he’s going to be able to start training again?

Nelson: I’m not 100-percent sure right now. We’re not really pushing it right now. We’re just letting things take their course so he can be 100-percent healthy when he starts to train. He’ll probably start lifting weights to get his strength built up and do the exercise bike when he starts to get going, and shadowbox when he gets to feel better. But right now, he’s just taking the time to properly heal.

He’s real anxious of course, but that’s the worst thing you can do, is jump up and start going too quick and then break down again. It’s more of a burden for him to sit at home and not work out, but that’s the thing he has to do right now.

MMAWeekly: So you’ve advised him to take it easy?

Nelson: Mentally, he wants to get back in there. He wants to jump in. You get a guy like that who’s used to being able to do whatever and moving around and train, throw hay around, whatever he wants to do, then you’re stuck inside your house... that’s tough. Mentally, it’s tough.

MMAWeekly: Has he talked to you about how his day-to-day life is now?

Nelson: Not really. He’s not a guy to jump on the phone and start talking to you.

MMAWeekly: How often do you talk to him?

Nelson: I think I talked to him a couple weeks ago, and I hear stuff if Marty’s talked to him or one of the other guys has talked to him. He’s one of those guys, if he wants to pick up the phone and talk to you, he’ll pick up the phone and talk to you. But generally, he’s one of these guys who likes his privacy.

[Ken]

Picks:
Penn vs Sanchez - Can't stand either, though Sanchez has never claimed to be prepared to die in the cage only to quit in the middle of the fight.
Mir vs Kongo - Kongo lacks silverback strength and ground skill
Fitch vs Pierce - Hope to see Fitch KO'd
Florian vs Guida - should be a 3rd sprint
Buentello vs Struve - He's a freakin' head hunter, look at his name.

I'd really love to see this on network TV.

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by Ken

Picks:
Penn vs Sanchez - Can't stand either, though Sanchez has never claimed to be prepared to die in the cage only to quit in the middle of the fight.
Mir vs Kongo - Kongo lacks silverback strength and ground skill
Fitch vs Pierce - Hope to see Fitch KO'd
Florian vs Guida - should be a 3rd sprint
Buentello vs Struve - He's a freakin' head hunter, look at his name.

I'd really love to see this on network TV.

Just find a free stream. They are everywhere.

I like Penn, Kongo just because I can't stand Murr, Fitch, Florian and Buentello. Looks like a great card.

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UFC to cut Houston Alexander following "Kimbo Slice" loss

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Houston Alexander faltered when it mattered most, and now the UFC veteran will soon receive his walking papers from the organization.

UFC president Dana White today told a small group of reporters at the UFC 107 pre-event press conference that Alexander, who recently dropped a lackluster unanimous decision to Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, has been cut from the UFC.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the process hasn't been completed but soon will be.

"I was going to leave," White said of Ferguson vs. Alexander. "I was going to get up and walk out of the fight. That's what I thought of it. If I didn't have to hand out 'The Ultimate Fighter' trophy at the end (of the event), I would have left that night. It wasn't a good night for me."

While complimenting Ferguson for a legit career win, White also compared Alexander to former UFC fighter Kalib Starnes, who was cut in 2008 following a bizarre loss to Nate Quarry. Starnes, who later said he was injured prior to the bout, continually backpeddled in the fight, which he lost via blowout scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 30-24.

"As disgusted as I was with Houston Alexander's performance, Kimbo beat a real guy," White said. "The last thing I expected was for Houston Alexander to come in and do the Kalib Starnes."

White said he never discussed his displeasure with the fighter.

"I don't even want to talk to him," he said. "Houston had an opportunity to – ahh, anyway."

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White: Brock may need more surgery

I found this posted on Sherdog today.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is still fighting a case of diverticulitis, a painful intestinal condition that has been affecting him for over a year, and could require more surgery, according to UFC President Dana White.

White, fielding questions from reporters Thursday following the UFC 107 press conference, assessed the situation, acknowledging that Lesnar is still not out of the woods health-wise.

“They figured it out, so the question now is, he’s either going to need major surgery or he’s not and we won’t know for the next couple months,” said White.

White said he had no timetable for the 32-year-old champion’s return.

“It could be forever,” said White. “We won’t know for the next couple months, Obviously, I’m hoping that’s not the case, as I’m sure all of you are, but we’ll see what happens.”

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound fighter had been hospitalized for 11 days last November in North Dakota, where he underwent tests and “minor surgery” before being released to his home in Alexandria, Minn.

Greg Nelson, Lesnar’s primary trainer, told MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday that Lesnar was “on the mend” and hadn’t begun training again, though the fighter was anxious to.

“He believes he’s going to come back and he’s confident and positive and he’s in a much better place than he was when he was in the hospital,” said White on Thursday.

The loss, temporary or otherwise, of the company’s biggest pay-per-view star can’t be a pleasant thought for the world’s top MMA promotion. While they wait for the news on Lesnar, the UFC must also figure out what they are going to do with the top of their rapidly improving heavyweight division.

White said it is still to early to decide if an interim title is warranted at this point.

“We still gotta wait here a little bit and see what’s going to happen to him -- maybe he can come back, maybe he can’t, I don’t know -- we’ve got to see what happens to him first. I’m going to wait and see if he has to have this major surgery first before I make any big decisions,” said White.

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Matt Hughes Vs Renzo Gracie likely for UFC 112

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- When Matt Hughes announced on his Web site last week that he’d be fighting on April 10, the 36-year-old Illinois native did not divulge whom he would be squaring off with or where UFC 112 would be held. However, the former welterweight champion has been long rumored to be facing Renzo Gracie, 42, who reportedly signed a six-fight contract with the promotion recently.

When Dana White was asked Thursday if the Hughes-Gracie bout would he held in Abu Dhabi –- a location White recently scouted himself –- the UFC President answered cryptically.

“Sounds good to me,” he said, smiling broadly.

Asked about making that match, White noted that he respects a lot of fighters in the sport and implied that not every UFC fight has to have title implications.

“There’s this whole beef over Renzo choking out Pat Miletich (Hughes’ mentor) and sometimes it’s more than just; sometimes guys just want to fight and Renzo’s been training, he wants to fight Matt Hughes and Matt Hughes wants to fight him,” said White.

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Bobby Lashley Signs With Strikeforce

Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) heavyweight champion and undefeated mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Bobby Lashley has signed a multi-year agreement with STRIKEFORCE and will make his debut for the world championship MMA promotion at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday, January 30.

The 6-foot-3 inch, 250-pound Lashley, also a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army, will face an opponent that has not yet been determined during the live SHOWTIME® telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Miami, the historic, first-ever STRIKEFORCE event in the state of Florida.

In his last MMA start on June 27, 2009, the 33-year-old pulverized and scored a first round (3:17) TKO over 6-foot-5 inch, 350-plus-pound goliath Bob “The Beast” Sapp with a barrage of punches in Biloxi, Miss. The win upped Lashley’s MMA record to 4-0.

“I’m looking forward to fighting for STRIKEFORCE and challenging myself by taking on some of the top heavyweights in MMA,” said Lashley, a native of Junction City, Kan., and resident of Denver, Colo.

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Injuries are starting to take their toll in UFC.

Tyson Griffin out of UFC 108

When it rains, it pours.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that the UFC has lost another featured fighter in its first event of 2010.

Lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (14-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has suffered an undisclosed injury in training and has been forced to withdraw from his "UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva" main-card bout with Jim Miller (15-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

An exact timetable for Griffin's return has not been established, though the 25-year-old's manager, Tom Call, said he doesn't expect his fighter to be out for long.

"Tyson sustained an injury that would prevent him from training for the fight in January," Call said. "We don't expect it to keep him out too long. However, he was unable to train and be properly prepared for January.

"Tyson is particularly disappointed as he has never had to pull out of a fight in his entire career. But we are very comfortable that this is the right decision."

The UFC is expected to seek a replacement opponent for Miller.