MMA-URLS

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante made a statement Saturday night at the Strikeforce Grand Prix Final, disposing of former adversary Mike Kyle in prompt fashion. Cavalcante, who was knocked out by Kyle back in 2009, bull-rushed in on his foe, did damage with a knee, and locked in a choke after Kyle tried to power his way out, scoring a 33-second submission victory. With the Strikeforce light heavyweight title still vacant since Dan Henderson departed for the UFC, the win could have been the perfect way for Cavalcante to proclaim himself a contender. However, in case his bosses weren’t watching, the Brazilian took it a step further. “I want the belt,” said Cavalcante in the post-fight interview. “Feijao” has lost only to Kyle and Henderson since 2007, scoring victories over Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and Antwain Britt among others during that time. While nothing has been made official, it appears Strikeforce is looking to pair Gegard Mousasi up with another member of the division to crown a champion with that party likely being “Feijao”. Mousasi is currently on the sidelines due to knee surgery. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: strikeforce, light, kyle, cavalcante, feijao

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

It's not often you hear someone who weighs 270 pounds claiming to be "very light and fast." Then again, it's not often you see an athlete like Antonio Silva, who has to cut weight to make the 265-pound cutoff when weighing in for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. Such will be the case when "Bigfoot" tips the scales next week in "Sin City," as he prepares to take on former UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at the UFC 146 pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 26, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Silva was upended by one of Velasquez's teammates, Daniel Cormier, last year in Strikeforce, after "DC" beat him to the punch using his speed and agility, something he expects from his opponent next weekend in the co-main event of the "Dos Santos vs. Mir" fight card. That's why, Silva explains to MMA Fighting, he's employed the services of fight nutritionist Mike Dolce: "For first time I'm at 270 three weeks out of the fight. Things are going extremely well, I'm very light and fast. We're diametrically opposed. I have jiu-jitsu and he has wrestling. I see his speed and his lightness and I'm trying to counter it. I faced three great opponents in Strikeforce, [Fabricio] Werdum, Fedor, and Arlovski, now I get the chance to face guys like Velasquez. It's a great opportunity the UFC has given me." Silva was riding the wave of momentum in last year's Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament after putting the screws to former PRIDE deity Fedor Emelianenko; however, that aprty was crashed by Cormier in the semifinals. All's well that ends well, from a career perspective, as Silva now gets a chance to reinvent himself inside the Octagon. Against one of the very best heavyweights on the planet. See more on their pending match-up right here.

Posted in: fight, silva, light, velasquez, im

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Phil Davis will welcome Chad Griggs to the light heavyweight division on Aug. 4

Posted in: light, phil davis, phil, chad, chad griggs

Read the full article at Sherdog

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed Lawal talked with Sherdog.com’s Sam Genovese shortly after news of his signing with Bellator and TNA wrestling came to light.

Posted in: bellator, light, hulk hogan, tna, bellator tna

Read the full article at Sherdog

Jon Jones will defend his light heavyweight title for the fourth time at UFC 151

Posted in: ufc, title, heavyweight, dan henderson, light

Read the full article at Sherdog

After the dust settled in the main event between current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former training partner turned bitter rival, Rashad Evans, at UFC 145 on April 21, 2012, "Bones" had proved his dominance yet again, earning a unanimous decision victory over "Suga." The win marked his seventh straight and third consecutive title defense since earning the 205-pound title in March 2011. Though Evans undoubtedly gave the young star his toughest test to date, taking him to the unchartered waters of going a deep 25 minutes, the bout, for the most part, was a one-side affair. Jones used his reach to keep his foe at bay and fended off any offensive attacks from the former light heavyweight kingpin, never coming close to any danger. At least, that's the way what it appeared to the untrained eye of the spectator. According to Jones' striking coach, Mike Winkeljohn over at Jackson-Winkeljohn Mixed martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M., Evans came "within inches" of turning his star pupil's lights out. He would know, after all, Winkeljohn did serve as Evans' striking coach during his rise to glory whilst he was a student of his down in the 505. Make the jump to hear from "Wink" himself via Prickley Pair Studios: "Jon stood to still too much and got hit by it (overhand right). Close to finishing the fight. It could have been, within inches, a little more snap of the hips to snap the chin down and cause that much more pain that would have put Jon out. So we got away with that one. And same thing with the head kick. The Sean Salmon head kick that I worked with Rashad on so much. Jon got right in that space, leaned in and Rashad kicked him in the head. Other than those two moments Jon pretty much owned the fight, and so I was really happy with that." Winkeljohn also says that he had some nice words with his former student, Evans, after the bout, but things would not be the way they used to be, seeing that the competitor in Rashad is certain he will get another crack at dethroning Jones down the road. Meanwhile, "Bones" will next face former PRIDE FC Middleweight and Welterweight champion and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson, later this year as he attempts to defends his title for the fourth time. What say you, if Rashad nearly cleaned Jones' clock, what will a perfectly-placed "H-Bomb" from "Hendo" do to the young champ? Can Jones prove his resolve once again and show that he can eat a few shots from one of the most powerful punchers in the game today? Opinions, please.

Posted in: jon, jone, light, rashad, evan

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Life isn’t going to get any easier for Thiago Silva.

Posted in: silva, light, mauricio, clash, ruathiago

Read the full article at Sherdog

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, championship, light, mattyblayze

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AdvertisingAge reports that Anheuser-Busch, a major blue chip sponsor for the UFC, has “reprimanded the mixed-martial arts organization for remarks made by some fighters”. Multiple advocacy groups have recently criticized several UFC employees and fighter comments as “sexist and homophobic.”   A-B recently released a press release which stated the following: “We’ve communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this. If the incidents continue, we will act” In a statement to AdAge regarding the A-B situation, UFC issued the following response: With over 425 athletes on our roster, there have unfortunately been instances where a couple athletes have made insensitive or inappropriate comments. We don’t condone this behavior, and in no way is it reflective of the company or its values …. unlike most other sports leagues, we encourage our athletes to engage online. It is part of our company culture, and whenever you are at the forefront of a trend or initiative, it comes with its own pitfalls. We will continue to embrace social media while looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues. This includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training and a seminar on proper use of social media. AdAge also went ahead and cited 3 recent incidents that were documented in a letter by the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.  One involves UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson urging Japanese fans to say homophobic statements, another of UFC fighter Rashad Evans hyping his fight against Penn State alumni Phil Davis inappropriately stating “I’m going to put those hands on you worse than that dude did them other kids at Penn State”. The last is not a fighter, but UFC announcer Joe Rogan, who used sexist and misogynist language against Yahoo Sports blogger Maggie Hendricks after she pointed out Rampage Jackson’s inappropriate behavior towards female reporters.  Plenty of other instances regarding UFC president Dana White performing similar acts have also been reported within the last few years, but were not cited in the write-up. The letter that caused a lot of the recent commotion for A-B and the UFC was a letter from the group Alcohol Justice, who titled it “An Open Letter to Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) Shareholders – RE: Opposition to sponsorship of the Ultimae Fighting Championship (UFC). The letter states the following: Dear Shareholder: As fellow shareholders and as public health advocates, Alcohol Justice (formerly Marin Institute) asks you to vigorously oppose ABI’s sponsorship of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s largest promoter of violent cage-fighting events. We believe ABI’s sponsorship of UFC must come to an end as there is a very tangible risk to the bottom line of dividends and stock price value as well as long term bad press as the relationship of this patently brutal blood sport to predatory marketing of Bud Light to underage youth are played out on the global stage of public opinion. It’s already being called “Blood Light.” This cannot be good for business, sales, or long-term profitability. Alcohol Justice, the alcohol industry watchdog, has served as a leading research and advocacy institution for over 24 years. We monitor and expose the alcohol industry’s targeting of youth and minority populations, as well as the industry’s adverse effect on public health and the environment globally. There is compelling evidence that exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing increases the likelihood of underage drinking. Since 2001, at least seven peer-reviewed, federally funded, long-term studies have found that young people with greater exposure to alcohol marketing — including on television, in magazines, on the radio, on billboards or other outdoor signage, or via in-store beer displays, beer concessions, or ownership of beer promotional items or branded merchandise — are more likely to start drinking than their peers. As the primary sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) is delivering harmful content to millions of underage youth. At center stage is the ever-present Bud Light logo, imbued throughout all of UFC’s violent events, including live fights, Pay-Per-View, and television broadcasts that reach 354 million homes worldwide. These homes are filled with children! In addition, millions of UFC fans of all ages have access to live streaming of fights via Facebook, and limitless YouTube videos of bloody fights, promotions, and “pornohol” such as Bud Light Lime ads featuring UFC “Octagon Girl” Arianny Celeste topless, underwear-clad and rolling around in a bed of limes. UFC President Dana White has been quoted as saying “our targeted audience is anywhere from age 17 to 35.”  He and a number of UFC athletes have recently come under fire for sexist, homophobic, violent and derogatory remarks, including jokes about rape and sexual assault. As A-B InBev shareholders we should be outraged by this behavior. Given that alcohol is the number one drug of choice among America’s youth, and the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that approximately 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking each year, board members, shareholders, and consumers will become more aware of the ethical ramifications that continued sponsorship of UFC will have on ABI. Do we really want Bud Light ads to be condemned for irresponsibly delivering harmful content to millions of youth, exposing them to people beating one another to a bloody pulp? We believe this will lead to mounting litigations, inevitable regulatory and legislative actions, and growing concerns about the safety of youth exposed to harmful content by viewing UFC promotions. All of this can only hurt ABI’s reputation as a corporate citizen and its robust revenue. As shareholders we have an obligation to help protect stock value by holding the corporation to higher standards of responsibility, especially those related to underage consumption and harm.  We can insist that management address these ethical issues with more integrity by pulling its support of this graphic, violent, bloody sport.  While the world may still want to enjoy a Bud Light, it does not need “Blood Light.” Respectfully, Bruce Lee Livingston, MPP Executive Director/CEO *** That very same day, Business Insider Advertising also wrote a write-up titled “Budweiser Threatened To Pull Its Ad Dollars From The UFC After Seeing This Guy’s Nazi Tattoos”.  They went to state that the statement released by A-B regarding the inappropriate language and behavior is “almost unheard of in sports sponsorship, where advertiser displeasure is usually delivered to media partners behind closed doors”. The website also stated “While the sport can’t be expected to be a bastion of Edwardian manners, it is not until you see a collection of the kinds of things said by UFC pros that you realize just how unprofessional the organization is. What follows is a slideshow of incidents in which offensive language and behavior is used in the UFC”. If you recall back at UFC 100 – the biggest show in UFC history to date – Brock Lesnar stood on the Bud Light logo, pointed at it, and said he was looking forward to going home with his wife and “drinking a Coors Light because Bud Light won’t pay me me anything”.  That problem was dealt with behind closed doors as both the UFC and Lesnar were reprimanded by A-B and during the post-fight press conference, Lesnar answered questions and apologized for his behavior as a Bud Light bottle was strategically placed in front of him. Courtesy of Bleacher Report *** Regarding who is responsible for triggering most of this recent bad press for the UFC, look no further than the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, who has had ongoing labor disputes with Station Casinos and UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta -both firmly against labor unions.  So far, the Culinary Union has been credited for keeping the UFC out of the state of New York for several years by backing anti-MMA legislators in the state, triggering a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation, writing letters to UFC advertisers and TV partners (FOX) informing them of the inappropriate language and behavior of the organization and its fighters, the creation of http://www.unfitforchildren.org/ (a website illustrating many of these examples), and just recently, drafting up a version of MMA Bill of Rights and presenting it in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and recently in front of the California State Athletic Commission. In terms of the labor union’s efforts against the UFC owners, this week has been a rewarding one. The letters to UFC sponsors and multiple  anti abuse and violence groups has increased the awareness of lack of  etiquette it has haunted the UFC in the past, when they just weren’t quite mainstream enough for anyone to care.  Landing the recent FOX deal and essentially putting all their main competitors out of business in recent years has caught the attention of mainstream groups in the last year.  Earlier this week, the proposed Bill of Rights hearing in Sacramento (AB2100) passed committee on a 5-3 vote. This bill would essential give fighters rights – many derived up from the Ali Act in boxing – which the UFC greatly apposes.  UFC representatives essentially told the committee that if the bill passed, it would essentially drive the UFC away from California, which would have a great economic impact on not only the fighters, but also on the state. It would also cause a heavy burden and expense on the CSAC, which they are not equipped to handle. List of parties who are in favor and against AB2100 amendments: Support: American Rights at Work, Arete Agency. California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union. California Conference of Machinists. California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. California Police Activities League. California Teamsters Public Affairs Council. Engineers & Scientists of California, IFPTE Local 20. Fighters Online, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Jockey’s Guild, Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, Patient Networks, Professional & Technical Engineers, IFPTE Local 21, United Food & Commercial, Workers Western States Council, UNITE-HERE, AFL-CIO, Utility Workers Union of America, Local 132, two private citizens (Eddie Goldman & Juanito Ibarra) Opposition: Goossen Tutor Promotions, Honda Center, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, HP Pavilion at San Jose, Ultimate Fighting Championship … Notice the opposition here. - UFC is a given. - Notice HP Pavilion in San Jose.  Last year, the UFC’s purchased Strikeforce, which at the time was it’s main competitor,  from the Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment based out of San Jose, who also owns the San Jose Sharks and manages the HP Pavilion.  The problem with owning Strikeforce was that it kept UFC out of San Jose, a hotbed for MMA at the time, due to the nature of being competitors.  Part of the deal to sell Strikeforce to Zuffa was for the UFC to put on several shows at the HP Pavilion per year.  Since the purchase, Zuffa has visited San Jose for UFC 139 late last year and is currently scheduled for the Strikeforce HW GP finale on May 19th. Another date for a smaller UFC show was discussed for July and another big UFC numbered event is in talks before the end of the year.  A bill which would would drive the UFC away and it’s now close ties to the promotion would obviously be bad business for the San Jose based venue. - The Honda Center is the other California venue listed as opposition.  Interestingly enough, that’s the UFC’s preferred venue when visiting Southern California, where they can heavily push and market towards the Hispanic demographic as they did for Cain Velasquez against Brock Lesnar and most recently on their FOX debut against Junior Dos Santos.  UFC’s plan was to host another big event at the Honda Center by the end of the year. - The other is Goossen Tutor Promotions, which is ran by Dan Goossen, who is a boxing promoter and the manager of ex-boxing champ James Toney, who fought for the the UFC in 2010 at UFC 118 against Randy Couture. Goossen negotiated Toney’s contract to fight in the UFC.  Goossen also wanted to do James Toney vs Tito Ortiz around 2003-2004 and a previous Toney vs Couture bout about five years ago. *** Looking at the Culinary Union’s efforts the past few years, it’s apparent that their efforts have focused on keeping the UFC out of New York, trying to do the same in California (one of their biggest current markets within the US), and impacting the relationship between their major blue chip sponsors is quite the strategic plan.  All would impact the UFC’s bottom line. I’m not sure the labor union can continue to be successful and continue to lobby against the UFC for years to come, but they are doing something most other groups have failed to do in a very long time, and that’s pose a challenge. If they weren’t taken seriously before, I can assure you no one from Zuffa is laughing at their efforts now. At the very least, it causes a few annoying and pesky headaches here and there for the Fertitta brothers in hopes that one day both sides can come to an agreement. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that a compromise will be reached anytime soon.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, year, light, california

Read the full article at MMA Payout

In a report in influential marketing and media trade magazine Ad Age, major UFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch said that it would take action against the promotion if it could not halt offensive statements made by its fighters.The report indicated that the two sides have discussed the issue, and the UFC has promised to address it."We will continue to embrace social media while looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues," UFC told Ad Age. "This includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training and a seminar on proper use of social media." The Anheuser-Busch statement did not offer specifics on any actions they would take. They also did not specify which incidents led up to the warning, though major fighters like Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Miguel Torres and Forrest Griffin have been among several who have come under fire in recent months for tweets and online videos that have been considered sexist and/or insensitive. In its statement, Anheuser-Busch said it "embraces diversity and does not condone insensitive and derogatory comments rooted in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc." The UFC said such incidents were "not reflective of the company or its values." Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, originally inked a three-year deal with the UFC in February 2008, and last year, the two sides extended it in a multi-year pact. Bud Light is a presenting sponsor of several major UFC events every year, including its most recent, UFC 145.The rebuke comes just one week after alcohol industry watchdog Alcohol Justice sent a letter to major shareholders asking them to "vigorously oppose" Anheuser-Busch's sponsorship of the UFC, saying there is "a very tangible risk to the bottom line of dividends and stock price value as well as long term bad press as the relationship of this patently brutal blood sport to predatory marketing of Bud Light to underage youth are played out on the global stage of public opinion."Anheuser-Busch is one of the top advertisers in the sports space. According to the Ad Age Data Center, it has an annual marketing budget of $1.36 billion.

Posted in: ufc, light, bud light, bud, anheuserbusch

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Anheuser-Busch, the parent company to Bud Light, appears to have taken exception to several issues and public remarks that have been linked to its business partner, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Last year, the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion hit a grand slam when it extended its landmark relationship with Bud Light thanks to a new multi-year sponsorship deal, guaranteeing that fans would see Bud Light logos plastered all over the Octagon at events for years to come. It also brought legitimacy to a sport, as well as a brand, which still has most traditional advertisers reluctant to forge a similar pact because of the perceived violence and, perhaps, the unpredictability of it all. Bud Light, all things considered, stepped out on a limb and rolled the dice. And everything appeared to be on the up-and-up; however, as with all relationships, there comes a time when one party has to put its foot down and bring attention to an issue(s) that could reflect poorly on it. In other words, guilt by association. That seems to be the case today as Ad Age reports that Anheuser-Busch has warned the UFC that it does not appreciate or support any of the promotion's fighters, or its staff, making any type of derogatory, insensitive or discriminating remarks of any kind. And if the perceived problem isn't remedied, America's most famous beer brewing company will be forced "to act." Feeling the heat from plenty of advocacy groups such as the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Anheuser-Busch recently spanked the promotion; however, it didn't exactly state what kind of action it would take if incidents continued. For its part, the UFC has appeared to crack down, even before this was all made public, refusing to condone any kind of derogatory remarks that people may find offensive. That was ever so clear when the promotion axed Miguel Torres for making an inappropriate rape joke via his official Twitter account. Torres has since apologized and has been reinstated to the promotion. Forrest Griffin, too, has been cited for insensitive remarks, along with Muhammed Lawal, who was fired for calling a Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) member a racist bitch. Let's not even get into Quinton Jackson. Although, it seems we might not have a choice because "Rampage" appears to be at the heart of the matter. Check out what the brewing company had to say (via Ad Age), as well as a few specific instances -- Rashad Evans, Joe Rogan and even Arianny Celeste were all fingered in the non-legal indictment -- that caused the ripples: "We've communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this. If the incidents continue, we will act, (A-B) embraces diversity and does not condone insensitive and derogatory comments rooted in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc." The incidents were cited by the advocacy group, National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCDV), in a letter penned to assembly member in New York, who urged the state to continue with its ban on the sport.To support its case, NCDV points out a video that another advocacy group, Unfit For Children, which cleverly enough uses the initials U.F.C., posted on its website of former Light Heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson telling a Japanese fan to say, "I'm a fag" in English. Here is a brief statement that said letter from the NCDV contained: "We believe that the UFC contributes to a culture of violence against women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Children, in particular, should not be exposed to the homophobic, misogynistic and violent language that has been permitted by the UFC." Letters like that to New York assemblymen aren't exactly helping the promotion's push for the state to uplift its ban on MMA. Rashad Evans' comments aimed at former Penn State University athlete Phil Davis prior to their bout at UFC on Fox 2 in which he referenced the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, didn't sit too well with the brewing company, either. Another incident cited involved UFC color commentator Joe Rogan for his derogatory comments aimed at Yahoo! reporter, Maggie Hendricks, last year in which he called her "cunty." Rogan has since apologized for his comments. Rogan targeted Hendricks after she herself targeted Quinton Jackson for "motor-boating" female Karyn Bryant and telling her that she was making him "horny." Another advocacy group, Alcohol Justice, put pen to paper as well, sending a letter to Anheuser-Busch shareholders explaining its concerns for sponsoring the UFC and stating that in doing so, the brewery was supporting, "delivering harmful content to millions of underage youth. At center stage is the ever-present Bud Light logo." A Bud Light ad featuring Arianny Celeste lying semi-naked covered by limes, was also brought to Anheuser-Busch's attention, even though it only ran on the companies Facebook and YouTube channel and never on national television. So what was the UFC's response to all of this? "With over 425 athletes on our roster, there have unfortunately been instances where a couple athletes have made insensitive or inappropriate comments. We don't condone this behavior, and in no way is it reflective of the company or its values. Unlike most other sports leagues, we encourage our athletes to engage online. It is part of our company culture, and whenever you are at the forefront of a trend or initiative, it comes with its own pitfalls. We will continue to embrace social media while looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues. This includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training and a seminar on proper use of social media." You asked for mainstream acceptance, now it's high-time to act accordingly. It's all part of the territory. On the flip side, would there be public relations and media backlash if a major National Football League (NFL) star or National Basketball Association (NBA) star -- two sports leagues that are also sponsored by Bud Light -- started telling reporters that he was "horny" or made a Japanese fan say, "I'm a fag?" Granted, NFL and MLB stars have had their issues, too, let's not make them out to be saints. However, the difference is the NFL and the NBA have been around for decades, and at this point, Bud Light probably needs them more than what the NBA or NFL needs Bud Light. That, however, doesn't give their athletes free passes to do and say whatever they please, while the UFC -- as Dana White likes to say -- is still in it's infancy and its deal with the beer company is very fresh as well. Even though the UFC would still prosper without the Bud Light sponsorship, it's pretty fair to say that the promotion would like to do everything in its power to keep the relationship alive and healthy. And it appears, at least on the surface, that the UFC is making an effort to clean up its act(s) outside the Octagon. But, is it asking too much? Where does the line in the sand get drawn? Are ring girls Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer going to be prevented from posing in Playboy magazine ever again? Is Joe Rogan now going to be told to take it down a notch (again) much like Fox officials asked him to do? UFC President Dana White has often stated that he is not one to tell any of his fighters to not be themselves, but apparently, he is going to have to tell a select few to tone it down -- or at the very least think twice (or else) -- if he wants to avoid any further action from Bud Light. It seems that the more and more the UFC travels down Mainstream Avenue, more and more critics are going to surface. And things apparently might be changing -- for better or worse -- depending on which side of the fence you're on ... if they haven't already.

Posted in: ufc, light, bud light, company, bud

Read the full article at MMA Mania

I used to say 'light saver' before I found out that it was actually a 'light saber.' I'm honest with my emotions, so I can fully admit that to all of you. You probably thought it was 'life saver' too, yet you will vehemently deny it. Stop lying to yourself. We're all friends here. When I go to public bathrooms, I don't always wash my hands when I'm finished. That's real life, folks. Here's another thing: I stay up past my bedtime. These things are all part of our reality, just like the fact that Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen has been moved from the eloquent jungles of Brazil to the smelly, alcohol-filled urban jungle of Las Vegas. On July 7th it all goes down in the MGM Grand and to commemorate this special occasion, UFC even threw in a complementary light saber thing in the middle of the poster to remind us that future technology will indeed be bad ass. [Source]

Posted in: light, las vegas, thing, saber, light saber

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Our very own Sergio Hernandez stated that if Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones were to defeat Rashad Evans at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia on Sat., April 21, 2012, he should be considered the greatest light heavyweight of all time. It's a difficult point to argue, especially in light of the fact that "Bones" took care of business to make the hypothetical situation a reality. He's now won a dominant seven fights in a row, and if you discount his DQ loss to Matt Hamill (and you should), he's technically been perfect in all 17 of his pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fights. Jones has run through the UFC's light heavyweight division like a tropical storm that none of the residents were prepared for. The sad thing is, his opponents all said they were ready to take him down off his high horse. In particular, his last three opponents, Evans, Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, all claimed to hold the key to unlocking the mystery that is Jon Jones. The real question becomes: Can anyone beat this guy? Jones is starting to look more and more like a legend. Every time he steps into the cage, he comes off a little bit more polished and well-rounded. His stand up game is flat out scary. He looks like a kid who has a toy that he's still learning to use. Unfortunately for every other fighter in the world, that "toy" is his MMA skill set. Even though we're only a day removed from his last fight, it's never too soon to look ahead to the future, especially considering the fact that it's entirely possible Jones could be back inside the Octagon in three short months at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Normally, we would use this space to speculate on the light heavyweight champion's next opponent. But we don't have to do that this time, thanks to UFC President Dana White announcing at the UFC 145 post-fight press conference that Jones will defend his title against Dan Henderson his next time out. It's an intriguing match-up if for no other reason than the fact that we know "Hendo" has a bomb for a right hand. And if he lands that thing, "Bones" could find himself staring up at the lights. But we've seen very little to make us believe that will happen other than the hope of Jones haters the world over that Henderson will be the guy to finally get the job done. We'll find out in just a few months. Until then, what are your thoughts on the match-up, Maniacs? Is Jones poised to continue his reign of terror on the light heavyweight division? Or will "Dangerous" Dan shock the world?

Posted in: ufc, jone, jon jones, heavyweight, light

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Just hours after defending his UFC light heavyweight championship for the third time, Jon Jones already knows who will try to take his title next.

Posted in: ufc, jon, heavyweight, dan henderson, light

Read the full article at Sherdog

With his latest victory Alexander Gustafsson edges up the light heavyweight rankings.

Posted in: heavyweight, light, ranking, gustafsson, rank

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CHICAGO, Ill. (April 16, 2011) - Bellator Fighting Championships will make their 2012 Summer Series debut from The Mountain State when the promotion brings Bellator 71 to The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in Chester, West Virginia on June 22. Bellator 71 will feature the quarterfinals of the Bellator Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament, along with a host of preliminary fights. Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be purchased online at Etix.com or by visiting The Mountaineer Casino Players Club. Tickets are priced from $25-$200. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 6 p.m. EST, and the preliminary card, featuring some of the area's top local talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. EST. "We've been in discussions with the team at Mountaineer Resort for quite some time, looking to bring a major nationally and internationally televised event to this spectacular Casino Resort" Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "When the chance came to host the opener of our Summer Series, we jumped at the chance." Canadian native Roger "The Hulk" Hollett will get his first taste of tournament action when he locks horns with explosive Slovakian finisher Attila Vegh. A 14-time Hungarian Kempo karate champion, Vegh brings an impressive resume into the tournament and should be a force to be reckoned with. "I came here to Bellator with one goal, and that's to be the next Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion," said Vegh. "Becoming a Bellator champion is my main mission in my career. I want to be recognized as the best light heavyweight in the world, and after that my mission will be complete." Former Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Finalist Rich Hale is back for another run and will be looking to top his incredible inverted triangle finish that earned headlines when he takes on Beau Tribolet in opening-round action. After compiling a 2-0 record within the Bellator cage, longtime MMA veteran Travis "Diesel" Wiuff will get his shot in the Light Heavyweight Tournament in this tournament debut. Wiuff has amassed an incredible 66 wins during his incredible MMA run, and has his sights set on a Bellator Tournament Championship. Finnish submission ace Marcus Vanttinen is looking to lock up a semifinal appearance when he battles promising Brazilian striker Philipe Lins. Both 205-pound fighters are regarded as two of the top light heavyweight prospects in the world, and will have their talent on display at Bellator 71. For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Posted in: bellator, heavyweight, tournament, light, summer

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Bellator Fighting Championships will make its 2012 Summer Series debut from The Mountain State when the promotion brings Bellator 71 to The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in Chester, West Virginia on June 22. Bellator 71 will feature the quarterfinals of the Bellator Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament, along with a host of preliminary fights. Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be purchased online at Etix.com or by visiting The Mountaineer Casino Players Club. Tickets are priced from $25-$200. The event will also be broadcast LIVE starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open at 6 p.m. EST, and the preliminary card, featuring some of the area’s top local talent will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. EST. “We’ve been in discussions with the team at Mountaineer Resort for quite some time, looking to bring a major nationally and internationally televised event to this spectacular Casino Resort” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “When the chance came to host the opener of our Summer Series, we jumped at the chance.” Canadian native Roger “The Hulk” Hollett will get his first taste of tournament action when he locks horns with explosive Slovakian finisher Attila Vegh. A 14-time Hungarian Kempo karate champion, Vegh brings an impressive resume into the tournament and should be a force to be reckoned with. “I came here to Bellator with one goal, and that’s to be the next Bellator light heavyweight champion,” said Vegh. “Becoming a Bellator champion is my main mission in my career. I want to be recognized as the best light heavyweight in the world, and after that my mission will be complete.” Former Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Finalist Rich Hale is back for another run and will be looking to top his incredible inverted triangle finish that earned headlines when he takes on Beau Tribolet in opening-round action. After compiling a 2-0 record within the Bellator cage, longtime MMA veteran Travis “Diesel” Wiuff will get his shot in the Light Heavyweight Tournament in this tournament debut. Wiuff has amassed an incredible 66 wins during his incredible MMA run, and has his sights set on a Bellator Tournament Championship. Finnish submission ace Marcus Vanttinen is looking to lock up a semifinal appearance when he battles promising Brazilian striker Philipe Lins. Both 205-pound fighters are regarded as two of the top light heavyweight prospects in the world, and will have their talent on display at Bellator 71.

Posted in: bellator, heavyweight, tournament, light, summer

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An excellent feature on UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The champ is here!

Posted in: ufc, champion, champ, light, feature

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Time for the light heavyweights… As always, our rankings can easily be referenced on our dedicated rankings page. Light Heavyweight Jon Jones Rashad Evans Dan Henderson Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Phil Davis Alexander Gustafsson Ryan Bader Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Lyoto Machida Rampage Jackson Photo credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Posted in: heavyweight, light, ranking, machida, rogerio

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UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader tweeted "Just became a dad to a healthy boy!" and included this photo of his growing family. This is his first child.

Posted in: ufc, light, ryan, dad, boy

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submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [15 comments]

Posted in: tekprodfx, light, who, man whos, yesterdays events

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Maurice Smith is 50 years old, but he believes he can still beat some of the best fighters in the world.

Posted in: world, light, smith, maurice, maurice smith

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Lyoto Machida was in desperate need of a win heading into his light heavyweight bout against Randy Couture at UFC 129. Let's just say he delivered.

Posted in: ufc, ko, heavyweight, light, machida

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Beginning his career as a light heavyweight, Alistair showed just how effective his 6-foot-5 frame could be against generally smaller opponents...

Posted in: heavyweight, alistair overeem, light, alistair, mma history

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Yoshiyuki Nakanishi is only 24 years-old, but the four-time national Sambo champion already has a mixed martial arts (MMA) record of 11-2 and is the reigning DEEP Light Heavyweight titleholder. He is in for the highest profile fight of his entire career when he takes on the heavy-hitting Melvin Manhoef at ONE FC 3 later this month. Nakanishi holds a win over reigning Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Christian M'Pumbu and despite having such a strong Sambo background, he has been known to knock opponents out cold with either punches or head kicks. His last win came by stoppage due to soccer strikes so he will relish fighting under the ONE FC ruleset which allows kicks to the head of a grounded opponent. After spending virtually his entire career competing in Japan, with a 2009 excursion into the Netherlands the sole exception, fighting in front of 7,000 fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be a brand new experience for him and he has every reason to fear the explosive power of his opponent, a K-1 veteran and legendary knock out artist. However Nakanishi is far from overawed by Manhoef, in fact he feels his stand up will be more than a match for the man who once knocked out UFC heavyweight contender Mark Hunt in less than 30 seconds. "Not only am I confident that I will be good enough to stand with Manhoef, I think I can KO him. He is a very famous fighter in Japan and I have always loved watching him fight. I’m very happy and honored to fight against the fighter who I admire." Nakanishi's base is Sambo which stylistically could make him a dangerous opponent for Manhoef whose devastating leg kicks and lightning fast punches are often undermined by a slightly suspect takedown defense and ground game. Nakanishi claims to be very comfortable fighting on his feet but if he can use his Sambo skills to take the fight to the ground he will be a strong favorite to defeat the experienced Dutchman. He has been studying the stand up game for several years though and says he is much more than just a wrestler. "Anyone who has seen me fight will tell you that I am not just a Sambo fighter anymore because I have been learning the stand up since the age of 21. You can not win MMA fights with only grappling techniques although I do prefer taking the fight to the ground." Nakanishi is also 11 years younger and feels this is another factor which could play into his favour against a fighter who in 34 MMA fights has never experienced a third round. "I feel that the longer the fight goes on the more I will be at an advantage but I have finished fights in the first round myself seven times so why should I wait? I can definitely knock him out in round one and if he thinks that I would need a takedown to do it maybe he will be surprised. I want to strike and grapple because I can win with both." The fight will be taking place at a catchweight of 88 kgs (193.6 lbs) and although Nakanishi won the Deep Light Heavyweight tournament at 205 lbs and holds the title at that weight he has been as low as 185 lbs in the past. Many feel that his long term future is in the middleweight division but for the time being he is happy competing at 205 lbs. "I’d like to defend my Deep title and keep fighting at light heavyweight division but I want the ONE FC light heavyweight belt too. I'm really excited to be fighting for ONE FC, it's an honor to fight on such a big stage against such a great fighter." ONE FC is taking place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 31st and is available worldwide on pay per view for $24.99 USD. For more information visit: www.onefc.com.

Posted in: fight, heavyweight, light, fc, nakanishi

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submitted by duinn [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: ufc, division, light, brewing, problem brewing

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For UFC light heavyweight Dan Henderson it’s apparently all about competing for gold. The 41-year old, who was last seen defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last year, is said to have decided his next fight will be for either the UFC light heavyweight or middleweight belt but nothing less. However, both those titles are currently tied up as Jon Jones will defend the light heavyweight strap against Rashad Evans next month, while middleweight champion Anderson Silva is scheduled to face Chael Sonnen later this summer. “He wants a title fight,” said UFC President Dana White during the UFC on FOX 3 press conference earlier this week. “He either wants Anderson Silva or whoever has the belt at 185, or the winner of Evans and Jones.” White added that “Hendo” is not concerned with who has the title – just that he competes for one, saying, “Dan doesn’t seem too picky.” Henderson has yet to wear UFC gold, though has held championships for PRIDE and Strikeforce. The 29-8 legend has not addressed White’s assessment since it was made though in recent weeks he has said he wanted to fight in the next few months. PHOTO CREDIT – TRIUMPH UNITED/UFC

Posted in: ufc, light, light heavyweight, week “, ” henderson

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submitted by Phargo [link] [5 comments]

Posted in: heavyweight, division, light, phargo

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The Bellator Fighting Championships will continue the promotion's trend of scooping up top shelf Brazilian prospects with their latest move. Light heavyweight Phelipe Lins (5-0) will join the Bellator roster in 2012. ULTMMA.com (www.ULTMMA.com) confirmed the news over the weekend.Hailing from Natal, Brazil Lins lasted competed in July 2011. Under the Rock Strike MMA banner Lins knocked out Daniel Alexandre (0-1) in the first round. The win for Lins was his first after a five year hiatus. Lins Bellator debut will likely come in May or on a card in early summer. Prior to his MMA layoff, Lins made waves on the Brazilian circuit thanks to a pair of wins over two time UFC vet Antonio Mendes (17-11). Lins, a 6'3 light heavyweight, knocked out Mendes in their first fight and won via decision in the rematch. The 26 year old Lins currently trains with Nova Uniao Kimura.A heavy handed striker at 205 pounds Lins is rated as a four star prospect by ULTMMA.com. Based on his natural striking talent and world class training partners, Lins checked in as the number ten 205 pound prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect rankings.

Posted in: bellator, mma, prospect, light, lin

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Roy Nelson is finally considering a move to light heavyweight. It’s a move that fans, media and most importantly, Dana White, have been calling for years. Nelson refused to listen for the longest time, however after falling short against Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir and Fabricio Werdum, it looks like Nelson is finally ready to give 205 a shot. There’s a catch though. He’ll only do it if he gets another 100,000 “likes” on his Facebook page over the next two weeks. Oddly enough, Nelson explained that the idea came when he was debating with a friend whether Facebook or Twitter was the better social media platform. Via BE: The reason is my friend and I had a discussion about what was better? I think twitter just because of use and for fans interaction, but Facebook is 20x bigger. So we decided to bet. I said if it so easy and great I should be able add 100K fans in 2 weeks because I have that on twitter. Facebook is bigger and better so this should be easy. Right? Bet is I will try to get to 205 if I can add 100k to Facebook.com/RoyNelsonUFC in two weeks. I love to win bets. Plus he will have to give me a part in his next movie. It’s a pretty clever idea on Nelson’s part and it seems to be working. He started out with 32,000 likes meaning it has to get to 132,000 likes for him to attempt to drop to light heavyweight. It’s not there yet, but at the time of this writing he has already added almost 30,000 likes and it’s only the first day. At this rate, he could reach 132k by the end of the week. Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

Posted in: week, facebook, light, light heavyweight, nelson

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After years of struggling with visa issues, Glover Teixeira is finally ready for his time in the Octagon.

Posted in: time, light, standout, teixeira, glover

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 A trip several years in the making is finally complete for Glover Teixeira (17-2). The Brazilian light heavyweight has signed a deal with the UFC to bolster the promotion's roster. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news to ULTMMA.com earlier in the week. The 32 year old Teixeira will most likely debut with the UFC sometime in the summer. With a 15 fight win streak intact Teixeira is a five star prospect whose time in a major league promotion is long overdue. Visa issues have bogged down Teixeira's career path since 2008. Teixeira first gained notoriety seven fights into his pro career when he knocked out future Pride star Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (12-10). Teixeira would pick up two more wins in California before he took his career to Brazil in 2008. In his home country Teixeira would mostly compete under the Shooto and Bitetti Combat banners while rumors of US work visa issues followed the light heavyweight every time he fought. Teixeira capped off his final year on the Brazilian MMA scene with a 5-0 record in 2011. In his last bout Teixeira stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (48-15) with punches in the main event of MMA Against Dengue. A member of Ruas Vale Tudo, Teixeira was slotted as the number two light heavyweight prospect in MMA in the latest ULTMMA.com top 20 prospect listing.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, prospect, light, teixeira

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A couple years ago, Ecko made Star Wars themed hoodies and cut a video that featured Marc Laimon and Robert Drysdale fighting with plastic toy light sabers. It proved that you can be one of the greatest BJJ coaches and still be an incredibly geeky Star Wars fanboy. Granted, if any of us had two operational light sabers lying around, it would be virtually impossible not to stage your very own Jedi altercation. It would also be equally impossible to not emit your own sound effects when you swing around your plastic rod of imaginary energy. Unfortunately, physicists have agreed that light saber technology would be impossible to develop. Sorry to break the news to all of you members of the Temple of the Jedi Order (yes, it's an actual religion). Over the weekend we told you Amanda Lucas would be competing at DEEP 57 for the DEEP women's open-weight championship against Yumiko Hotta. Well, she managed to finish her opponent in the third round via keylock. After the bout, the inevitable happened -- Darth Vader and his crew of Stormtroopers invaded Amanda Lucas' personal space. Props to Sports Illustrated and Sherdog for the pictures and massive congratulations to Amanda Lucas on her first championship belt.

Posted in: light, luca, amanda, darth vader, amanda lucas

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The light grey text on top of white is killing me. Not only is it boring to watch, it's fucking hard to read. For example the other subreddit tags are almost white. As seen here. submitted by haakondafo [link] [6 comments]

Posted in: light, fucking, subreddit, subreddit tags, haakondafo

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Roger Gracie has reportedly signed to compete as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Posted in: heavyweight, light, light heavyweight, roger, gracie

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It's been rumored and an obvious choice, but on Saturday the UFC made it official. Light heavyweight champ Jon Jones will defend his title in the main event of UFC 145.

Posted in: ufc, title, jon jones, heavyweight, light

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This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects. 1. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (8-1) Marcos Rogerio de Lima caught the attention of the MMA world when he took a decision win over former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (22-4-2) last October in the main event of Sao Paulo's First Class Fight series. It took a while, but the win eventually propelled him to an opportunity in Strikeforce. "Pezao" was given another step up in competition upon arrival, drawing American Kickboxing Academy's Mike Kyle (19-8-1) as his Semptember debut opponent. In three rounds of cage kickboxing, Lima failed to find an answer for Kyle's tight defense and snapping low kicks. Marcos held his own, but in the end found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision. Four months later, no sophomore match in Strikeforce has materialized for Pezao. 2. Gian Villante (9-3) As the Ring of Combat light heavyweight and heavyweight champion and the primary bro to UFC middleweight rookie sensation Chris Weidman, Gian Villante seemed poised for instant success when he made the jump to Strikeforce early in the year. Those expectations needed adjusting after he debuted as an alternate in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix against unheralded, mutton-chopped heavyweight Chad Griggs (11-1). Griggs engaged Villante in a savage one-round brawl that thrilled the crowd. Gian took the balance of the hits, almost mounting a comeback after bloodying Griggs' nose before being put away with strikes just short of the three-minute mark. Gian may have come back early when he took a light heavyweight booking with then-undefeated Lorenz Larkin (12-1) just four months later. Villante was outmaneuvered by Larkin from the outset, resigning to a decision loss for most of the latter half of the contest. Since the losses, Gian has brought his Strikeforce record back to .500; he outpointed Keith Berry (11-8) in August, before laying the smack down on Trevor Smith (9-2) in January. 3. Jimi Manuwa (11-0) Rather than rely on the assessments of others to gauge his readiness for the big show, Jimi Manuwa has carefully chosen his own career path. He turned down a Zuffa contract in favor of continuing to sharpen his skills in the UK, fighting as a main event for the Ultimate Challenge promotion before agreeing to terms with the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts series. In his BAMMA debut, "The Poster Boy" only needed one round to put away French journeyman Antony Rea (22-14), stringing together a damaging spinning backfist and high kick to take the fight out of Rea, who called it quits between rounds. Manuwa figures to continue as a main event attraction for BAMMA in 2012, provided they can keep their schedule on course. 4. Glover Teixeira (17-2) It appears that the seemingly never-ending saga of Glover Teixeira and his quest to gain full-time entry to the United States is finally over. Glover has gone through the application process for his green card and now looks to return to California, where his career started. In the meantime, he went a perfect 5-0 last year, running his overall winning streak up to 15. Among the victims were UFC veterans Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz (7-3), Antonio Mendes (17-11), Marvin Eastman (17-14-1) and former champion Ricco Rodrigeuz (48-15). 5. Jan Blachowicz (14-3) As the preeminent Polish light heavyweight in MMA, it stands to reason that Jan Blachowicz would have to make it on the world stage for any of his divisional compatriots to stand a chance. Unfortunately, Jan has come up short even when the world stage comes to Poland for him. In March he dropped his KSW light heavyweight strap to PRIDE and UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (12-10), quitting on his stool at the end of the second round. He bounced back in May with a submission win over Finnish journeyman Toni Valtonen (24-13) before KSW lured Sokoudjou back for a seemingly dubious rematch with Blachowicz in November. However, this time it was Sokoudjou who appeared to have motivational issues, fading in the later rounds and opening the door for Jan to ground him and lay just enough offense down to reclaim the title on the judges' scorecards. The jury is still out on whether or not Blachowicz can ever ascend beyond the Polish national MMA circuit. 6. Yoel Romero (4-1) After making this report and producing a viral moment among MMA fans with his incredible standing ankle pick takedown against Michal Fijalka (8-2), Cuba's Yoel Romero garnered insider buzz as an emerging superathlete that could seriously shake things up in the light heavyweight division. Strikeforce came calling for his services, booking Romero into a doozy of a debut against former title holder Rafael Cavalcante (11-3) in September. Yoel's normal whirlwind style wasn't on display, however, as he curiously danced around for most of the first round. Eventually, referee Dan Mirgliotta issued him a rare warning for inacivity. Romero responded in the second round, scoring takedowns and engaging Cavalcante in brawling exchanges that favored the former champ. Late in the frame, "Feijao" missed a high kick but stunned Yoel with a follow-up backfist, chasing him down with more punches to force a stoppage. Romero hasn't been back in action since the loss. 7. Ryan Jimmo (16-1) The unique career path of Canadian karateka Ryan Jimmo stayed course in 2011. He continued to reign as Maximum Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, successfully defending the belt three more times. He sent Fort McMurray's Dwayne Lewis (12-7) home with a busted eye socket in February, then notched consecutive five-round decision wins over Strikeforce veteran Zak Cummings (13-3) and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. His steady presence was finally rewarded in the form of a UFC contract offer, which he happily signed near the end of the year. A planned January debut was scratched due to injury, so Jimmo will have to wait for another slot to open up on the schedule before he makes his promotional debut. 8. Nik Fekete (5-1) Given his status as a former NCAA Division 1 All-American at Michigan State University, there were high hopes for Nik Fekete (5-1) when he was invited to compete in Bellator Fighting Championship's inaugural light heavyweight tournament. Combine his wrestling credentials with Muay Thai tutelage from Xtreme Couture's renowned Marco Van Den Broek, and it seemed like Fekete may be able to overcome his experience disadvantage to go deep in the tourney. Those pipe dreams were dashed quickly in the quaterfinals by Tempe, Arizona's Richard Hale (18-4-1). The 6'4" Koncrete Gym representative turned Nik into fodder for submission highlight reels in less than two minutes by reversing a Fekete takedown attempt into a rarely-seen inverted triangle choke. Fekete was quickly rendered unconscious, creating a scary scene as the referee took several seconds to realize the fight was over. After the humbling defeat, Fekete quietly made his Bellator return in August, overwhelming Mark Griffin (3-3-1) with strikes in the second round. 9. Marcus Vanttinen (21-3) Marcus Vanttinen, Finland's preeminent light heavyweight hope, kept his busy schedule going in 2011, continuing to fight primarily for the long-running Fight Festival series in Helsinki. He started the year off with dominant first-round TKO wins over faded former UFC fighters Ron Faircloth (33-20) and Edwin Dewees (37-15). Marcus had his eleven fight win streak snapped by Slovakian powerhouse Atilla Veigh (24-4-2) via unanimous decision at May's Rock and Brawl show in Kouvela. Vanttinen came back in October at Fight Festival 31 to elbow France's Malik Merad (11-8) into submission. Shortly after, Marcus was signed by Bellator; he will likely make his debut in the upcoming sixth season. There is no 205 lbs. tournament in this cycle, so Vanttinen will likely have to win a fight or two to qualify for the next one. With Veigh also making his way to Bellator, Marcus may get a chance to avenge his only recent loss. 10. Ronny Markes (12-1) Though he barely made our 2011 report, Ronny Markes went on to have the most visible, successful campaign among the light heavyweight selections. The Shooto Brazil 93 kg Champion took a step up in competition in April, facing former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho in Recife. A convincing decision win in that bout catapulted Markes into the UFC, where he made his August debut against Czech tackler Karlos Vemola (8-2), an intimidating former heavyweight who was fresh off a first-round destruction of Kimbo-killer Seth Petruzelli. Surprisingly, it was Ronny who dominated with takedowns right from the start, cruising to an easy decision win. In another twist, he opted to cut down to middleweight after the fight, and he'll make his divisional debut February 15th in Omaha, Nebraska against eight-fight UFC veteran Aaron Simpson (11-2).

Posted in: fight, round, heavyweight, light, debut

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When looking at the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division at a macro level many have posited that, at this time, there are not any fighters out there that could beat the current Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones. One person that looked at the Light Heavyweight division at a more micro level was UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Silva, recently spoke to Portal TV about his feelings on how Brazilian fighters would fare against Jon Jones. "There's not much to say about Jon Jones. I don't see any

Posted in: jon, jone, heavyweight, silva, light

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Name: Felipe Lins Nickname: Monstro Age: 26 Height: 6'3" Location: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil We're getting down to the best that the light heavyweight talent pool has to offer, and naturally Brazil is once again our destination. This time, however, we'll focus on exactly what casual fans crave. At #2 on the 2012 World MMA Light Heavyweight Scouting Report, fleet-footed Brazilian "Monstro" Felipe Lins (5-0) claims this year's runner-up spot, bringing an exciting brand of pugilism that's sure to get fans talking. The 6'3" giant recently returned to the sport in July, dispatching of Daniel Alexandre in four minutes and forty seconds at Rockstrike MMA 1. He had previously recorded four straight wins back in 2005 and 2006 before leaving the sport for five years. While the cause of his long layoff is unknown, it isn't uncommon to see gaps in employment due to a lack of funds. Before the unfortunate hiatus, Lins was on a tear, beating solid veterans during his baby steps in the sport. Lins' gigantic frame and long reach assisted in his success, but his punching prowess is his greatest asset. Quick and powerful, Lins works from range with ferocity, bombing adversaries with crisp combinations and stinging kicks. Defensively, Lins needs some minor adjustments. He leaves his chin exposed in exchanges often. While it isn't a huge concern right now because his opposition can't reach him or counter while being bombed on, better strikers and longer fighters could find his chin and threaten his unbeaten streak. Lins has the talent to become a legitimate upper-echelon light heavyweight fighter. He hits like a freight train, throws crisp, polished combinations, and possesses solid takedown defense. We have, however, heard reports that he isn't as dedicated as he could be in the gym. That will have to change moving forward. If he can improve upon his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and become more consistent in the gym, there's no reason he can't find major success. I anticipate Lins finding his way onto The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil or signing outright in 2012. Footage of Felipe Lins after the jump... FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz #1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins #1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight #1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson #1 - Antonio Braga Neto#2 - Marcelo Guimaraes#3 - Claudio Silva #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg #1 - #2 - Felipe Lins#3 - Tom DeBlass#4 - Misha Cirkunov#5 - Kyle Cerminara#6 - Robert Drysdale#7 - Artur Alibulatov#8 - Thiago Perpetuo#9 - Steve Bosse #10 - Juha Saarinen #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - Felipe Lins vs. Daniel Alexandre

Posted in: lin, felipe, heavyweight, light, norte brazil

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Dwayne "D-Bomb" Lewis has had a tough go of it the last year or so, but he's ready for MFC 32, and he's ready to capture the MFC light heavyweight championship.

Posted in: heavyweight, light, mfc, he, dbomb

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Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, fresh off a unanimous decision win over Ovince St. Preux back on Dec. 17, wants his 205-pound title back. And if he can reclaim it, while also defeating the man who took it from him, Muhammed Lawal, than Mousasi can "prove something at 205," which he intends to do before an eventual move to heavyweight. Now that Dan Henderson has bolted for the greener pastures of the UFC, "The Dreamcatcher" can be one of just a handful of light heavyweights vying for the promotion's vacated division crown. "My only loss in a couple years has been to King Mo, so I would definitely like that fight, especially if it's a title fight. Light heavyweight isn't that bad in Strikeforce you have Mike Kyle, Feijao, King Mo, me, there's some upcoming guys so it's getting stacked even more. It's getting better. I think it suits me better if I stay busy. My last fight was five months ago and it didn't do me well, I believe. I'm now a bigger 205, I need to win a lot more fights at 205, prove something at 205. At the end of my career, I would still like to finish as a heavyweight." Hear more from Mousasi, courtesy of Fighting Famous TV, after the jump. To see how his fight unfolded against Ovince St. Preux at last weekend's Strikeforce event in San Diego click here.

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, heavyweight, light, mousasi

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It's that time of the year. Glowing blue lights, blow-up lawn ornaments, boatloads of wrapping and cheerful people around the world are doing their very best to ring in Christmas.

Posted in: light, people, gift, christma, lawn

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_140 http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC140 Main card Featherweight bout: Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung Welterweight bout: Claude Patrick vs. Brian Ebersole Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Antônio Rogério Nogueira Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Jon Jones (c) vs. Lyoto Machida submitted by 2WAR [link] [40 comments]

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UFC 140 is this weekend headlined by Jon Jones defending his light heavyweight title against Lyoto Machida. The weigh ins are live today at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT. Join Bloody Elbow for a discussion of the weigh ins. The weights will be updated live as well. Follow @bloodyelbow for live weigh in coverage. Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Jon Jones () vs Lyoto Machida () Heavyweight: Frank Mir () vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira () Light Heavyweight: Tito Ortiz () vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira () Welterweight: Claude Patrick () vs Brian Ebersole () Featherweight: Mark Hominick () vs Chan Sung Jung () Light Heavyweight: Krzysztof Soszynski () vs Igor Pokrajac () Welterweight: John Makdessi () vs Dennis Hallman () Bantamweight: Yves Jabouin () vs Walel Watson () Lightweight: Mark Bocek () vs Nik Lentz () Welterweight: Rich Attonito () vs Jake Hecht () Lightweight: Mitch Clark () vs John Cholish () Video after the jump.... SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida

Posted in: jone, heavyweight, vs, light, machida

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In light of today's Albert Pujols signing, Jonathan Snowden looks back at 2001 and asks how the investment would have panned out if you bought long-term contracts with the UFC champions of 2001. Who was a bomb and who was a bust. Read it at MMA Nation.

Posted in: light, jonathan snowden, snowden, ufc champions, albert

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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones took in a Rangers game on Monday according to the Madison Square Garden twitter.

Posted in: champion, light, monday, rangers game, madison

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Today the UFC will be hosting a conference call to promote the UFC 140 event next weekend headlined by Jon Jones defending his light heavyweight belt against Lyoto Machida. Starting at 2 PM ET/11 PM PT, the following UFC stars will participate: UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones; former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida; former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir; former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira; former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz; UFC light heavyweight contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. For live updates follow Matthew Roth on twitter (@mattroth512) and afterwards the tweets will be posted here. I'll also post any major news or notes coming away from the conference call. UFC 140 will be the UFC's return to Toronto, Canada and takes place December 10th at the Air Canada Centre. Jon Jones - Lyoto Machida - Frank Mir - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - Tito Ortiz -

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, champion, light, machida

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UFC light heavyweight competitor Eliot Marshall has been released by the world's largest promotion.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, light, competitor, marshall

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Filed under: UFC, Rankings, Light HeavyweightsOther than Jon Jones, no light heavyweight in mixed martial arts has been more impressive than Dan Henderson in the last 12 months. Henderson brutally knocked out Renato "Babalu" Sobral in December, won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with a TKO over Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante in March, took another TKO victory over Fedor Emelianenko in July as a light heavyweight fighting against a heavyweight, and then beat Shogun Rua in an all-time classic at UFC 139. So where does that put Henderson? He's certainly in our light heavyweight Top 5, but it's still tough to justify Henderson going higher than fifth. Henderson did, after all, lose to Rampage Jackson, who lost to Rashad Evans, who lost to Lyoto Machida (who also lost to Rampage). The light heavyweight division has been so competitive for so long, with so many of the top fighters picking each other off, that after Jones, any of the next five guys could easily be put in any order. My order is below. Top 10 Light Heavyweights in MMA (Editor's note: The fighter's ranking the last time we did light heavyweights are in parentheses). 1. Jon Jones (1): The light heavyweight champion has easily separated himself from the pack, with two dominant wins over two other Top 10 light heavyweights, Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson. Jones will try to make it three dominant wins over three other Top 10 light heavyweights when he takes on Lyoto Machida on December 10 at UFC 140. 2. Rashad Evans (2): Evans is a tough one to rank because he's been so inactive of late: He's only fought three times in the last two and a half years. But he's been impressive in all three of those fights, beating Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson and Thiago Silva, and he has earned the light heavyweight title shot that he'll supposedly get whenever he and Jones are healthy and able to fight at the same time. 3. Lyoto Machida (4): Machida is a tough one to rank: Should he be below Evans, even though he brutally beat Evans? Should he be above Rampage and Shogun, even though both of them beat him? There's really no fair way to rank them, since Evans, Machida and Jackson all went 1-1 in their fights against each other. Machida will get a chance to show where he belongs in the light heavyweight division when he takes on Jones. 4. Rampage Jackson (5): Jackson has fought all the best of the best in the light heavyweight division, beating Machida, Henderson and Shogun, and losing to Jones, Evans and Forrest Griffin. With a 3-3 record against the Top 7, No. 4 sounds about right. 5. Dan Henderson (6): As great as Henderson has looked in the last year, I can't rank him ahead of Rampage, given what happened when Rampage and Henderson fought. I'd sure love to see a rematch of that one, though. 6. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (3): Shogun is only 2-3 in his last five fights, but it's about as impressive a 2-3 record as a light heavyweight could possibly have: The two wins were brutal first-round knockouts of Machida and Griffin, while the three losses were close decisions against Machida and Henderson, and a loss to Jones in which he admittedly looked bad -- but then again Jones makes everyone look bad. 7. Forrest Griffin (7): The biggest question about Griffin is whether, at age 32 and having a wife and kid, he's still interested in completely committing himself to MMA. When Griffin is on, he's good enough to beat high-quality opponents like Rich Franklin, Rampage and Shogun. He looked decidedly off in his rematch loss to Shogun in August, however. 8. Rafael Cavalcante (8): Feijao bounced back from his loss to Henderson and beat Yoel Romero Palacio in September, and now would be a good time to see him in the UFC, where there are a lot more good fights for him. 9. Phil Davis (9): The 9-0 Davis was pulled from a fight with Evans in August because of a knee injury, and there's still no word on when he'll be ready to return. A former NCAA wrestling champion, Davis is one of the most talented athletes in the light heavyweight division, and he'll be fighting for the belt eventually. 10. Thiago Silva (10): I've been waiting for someone to step up and take the bottom spot in the Top 10 from Silva, who's been suspended all year for taking performance-enhancing drugs. But no one has really been able to do that, and so Silva stays. He should return early in 2012. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: rampage, jone, heavyweight, henderson, light

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Following a four-fight stint with Strikeforce in which he captured the promotion’s light heavyweight title, Dan Henderson is glad to be back with the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Posted in: henderson, dan, light, contract issues, fourfight stint

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submitted by applebuttaz [link] [comment]

Posted in: light, sonnen, chael, applebuttaz link, hereschael

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If you're a fan of the classic striker vs. grappler mixed martial arts fights, UFC 138: "Leben vs. Munoz," going down today (Sat., Nov. 5, 2011) in Birmingham, England, had you covered. That's because a light heavyweight battle was booked pitting Muay Thai specialist Cyrille Diabate against submission artist Anthony Perosh. Something had to give when they met in the center of the Octagon. As it turns out, that would end up being "The Snake's" neck, as Perosh used his superior jiu-jitsu to take Diabate to the mat and choke him until he tapped. That makes two submission wins for the Australian grappler in the 205-pound division. "I'm here to stay at light heavyweight," Perosh said. He sure is. The fight opened with Perosh on his bicycle, looking to avoid the long reach of his 6'6'' opponent. It worked for a short time, too, until Diabate decided to lunge in and do some damage. "The Hippo" had a great deal of trouble finding his range and each one of his takedown attempts were stuffed by the longer Frenchman. Even pulling guard was a bad decision, what with Diabate landing heavy blows on the ground. Eventually, though, Perosh did, in fact, get the fight to the mat in an advantageous position. He looked for submissions but wasn't aggressive enough to truly attack with one, ending the round on top after having gotten blown away for four minutes. The second round featured the same narrative. Diabate using his reach and superior striking to attempt to keep Perosh at bay, while Perosh worked to get Diabate to the floor. Only this time, the Australian accomplished his task within the first minute instead of the last. He quickly showed why that was the plan coming in, as he took full mount and eventually got Diabate's back. The ensuing rear-naked choke failed but he also locked in an arm triangle on the other side. Finally, Perosh took his back again, flattened him out, landed some ground-n-pound and locked in the rear-naked choke once again. This time the tap came and he's 2-0 at light heavyweight inside the Octagon. Watch out for "The Hippo!" To check out MMAmania.com's LIVE UFC 138 results post, which includes up-to-the-minute, blow-by-blow coverage of EVERY fight click here.

Posted in: fight, time, light, perosh, diabate

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Roy Nelson may play it off like he hasn’t lost any weight since he lost to Frank Mir at UFC 130, but it definitely looks like he has in this picture of him with Forrest Griffin, does it not? Granted, Forrest is a huge light heavyweight and the color black is slimming, so it may just be an optical illusion but Nelson looks a heck of a lot more like a light heavyweight than a heavyweight in that pic. I guess we’ll find out for sure on Friday if Nelson put in as much time into trimming his belly as he put into growing that beard when he takes of his shirt and steps on the scale. HT: MiddleEasy

Posted in: heavyweight, light, light heavyweight, nelson, forrest

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Fresh off another impressive knockout victory this weekend at UCMMA over Nick Chapman, British light heavyweight fighter Jimi Manuwa is BAMMA bound.

Posted in: fighter, light, bamma, knockout victory, bamma signs

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Alexis Vila and Eduardo Dantas both earned the bantamweight tournament finals, while the light heavyweight champ suffered a loss at Bellator 55.

Posted in: heavyweight, bantamweight, light, alexis vila, eduardo dantas

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THQ is starting to release the official rosters for UFC Undisputed 3. While the majority of the major stars in each division are still available, the addition of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions seems to have come at a cost. Several notable fighters in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions have been omitted, even fighters that appeared in previous games. Check out who made (and who didn’t make) the lightweight and light heavyweight rosters below. Light Heavyweight Ryan Bader Jason Brilz Phil Davis (available only via pre-order at select retailers) Cyrille Diabate Rashad Evans Rich Franklin Forrest Griffin Matt Hamill Dan Henderson (also available as a middleweight) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Jon Jones Chuck Liddell Lyoto Machida Vladimir Matyushenko Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Tito Ortiz Mauricio “Shogun” Rua Thiago Silva Brandon Vera Notably absent: Stephan Bonnar, Krzysztof Soszynski, Luiz Cane, Steve Cantwell Lightweight Donald Cerrone Evan Dunham Frankie Edgar Takanori Gomi Clay Guida Melvin Guillard Benson Henderson Gray Maynard Jim Miller Ross Pearson B.J. Penn (also available as a welterweight) Anthony Pettis Sean Sherk Dennis Siver George Sotiropoulos Joe Stevenson Notably absent: Joe Lauzon, Kenny Florian (FW?), Nate Diaz (WW?), Cole Miller, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin (FW?), Terry Etim Some of these I can understand being cut and I’ll assume for now that Kenny Florian, Nate Diaz and Tyson Griffin will be in different weight classes, but Joe Lauzon and Stephan Bonnar? How in the world were they left out?

Posted in: heavyweight, light, joe lauzon, kenny florian, tyson griffin

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UFC Undisputed 3, the latest entry into the popular mixed martial arts video game series from THQ, will hit store shelves in January 2012. The new edition features a bevy of interesting fresh features, including traveling back in time to fight in the now-defunct PRIDE organization ... complete with soccer kicks, stomps and Bas Rutten on commentary. Not only that, the roster has been expanded to include both featherweights and bantamweights. Speaking of which, THQ is releasing the list of names for the full roster and up first, we've got the light heavyweights (205-pounds). You can play as division champion Jon Jones, who has an all new selection of strikes, including a right back fist, or current number one contender Lyoto Machida, who boasts the front kick you watched him knock Randy Couture out with. Or, if you'd like, you can even use retired Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell to knock a few heads off for the old school. Complete light heavyweight roster after the jump. Ryan BaderJason BrilzPhil DavisCyrille DiabateRashad EvansRich FranklinForrest GriffinMatt HamillDan Henderson*Quinton "Rampage" JacksonJon JonesChuck LiddellLyoto MachidaVladimir MatyushenkoAntonio Rogerio NogueiraTito OrtizMauricio "Shogun" RuaThiago SilvaBrandon Vera *Also available to fight as a middleweight Any surprises or notable snubs? For more on the upcoming release of UFC Undisputed 3 click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, light, light heavyweights, roster

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Check out the complete light heavyweight roster from UFC Undisputed 3.

Posted in: ufc, heavyweight, light, check, roster

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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Stefan Struve pose for a staredown last night after UFC on Versus 6.

Posted in: ufc, champion, light, stefan struve, stefan

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After dropping three of his last four UFC fights at light heavyweight, Luiz Cane has made the decision to drop down to 185-pounds, according to Tatame. Any of you Maniacs got a good match-up in mind for him in his new division?

Posted in: light, light heavyweight, ufc fights, luiz cane, cane

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Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, Light HeavyweightsThe UFC's light heavyweight division has been so talented for so long that it's been impossible in the last few years for anyone to stay on top for long. Rampage Jackson looked like a force when he took the belt from Chuck Liddell, but it wasn't long before Forrest Griffin took the belt from Rampage. Rashad Evans then took the belt from Griffin, but Evans lost the belt in his first title defense -- at what was supposed to be the dawn of the Lyoto Machida Era. Except that Machida promptly lost his belt to Shogun Rua. Now we have Jon Jones at the top of the division, however, and I think the belt is going to stay in place for a long time. Jones has absolutely obliterated both Jackson and Rua, and now he'll get another former champion in Evans -- with, I believe, similar results. So as we list the top light heavyweights in mixed martial arts, we're looking at an extremely talented division. But a division with one unique talent that stands far above the rest. Top 10 Light Heavyweights in MMA (Editor's note: The fighter's ranking the last time we did light heavyweights are in parentheses). 1. Jon Jones (1): There was never a moment during Jones' victory over Jackson at UFC 135 that I even thought Jones was in the slightest bit of trouble. Jackson is a great fighter who appeared to be in good shape and ready for a big fight, but he simply wasn't on Jones's level. I don't think anyone is. 2. Rashad Evans (2): Evans is finally close to the title shot that he's been waiting on for more than a year, but I don't think he has much of a chance of getting his belt back. Against Jackson, Jones did a great job of using his long legs to effectively fight at a distance, and if anything Jones will have an even greater reach advantage over Evans. It's hard to see anywhere that Evans has an advantage over Jones. That title fight will not go well for Evans. 3. Shogun Rua (3): Shogun has a very big fight ahead of him against Dan Henderson at UFC 139, and if he wins that he'll have a strong case that he's the No. 2 light heavyweight in MMA. But given how thoroughly Jones beat Rua, it's almost impossible to see the UFC giving Rua another shot at the title. 4. Lyoto Machida (4): Of all the light heavyweights in the sport, Machida is probably the one whose unorthodox stand-up style would present the greatest threat to Jones. If Machida wins his next fight, he'd make a lot of sense as an opponent for Jones in 2012. 5. Rampage Jackson (5): There have been times in Jackson's career when it was fair to question his motivation and preparation, but UFC 135 was not one of those times. Jackson was well prepared for the Jones fight, he's just nowhere near as good as Jones. 6. Dan Henderson (6): Henderson has left his Strikeforce light heavyweight title behind and will return to the Octagon to face Rua. A victory over Rua would give Henderson an excellent claim that he deserves a title shot against Jones, although as much respect as I have for Henderson I have an extremely hard time envisioning any way Henderson wins that fight. 7. Forrest Griffin (7): Griffin fights nothing but a who's who of the all-time greats in the sport: His last seven fights consist of two battles with Shogun sandwiched around bouts against Rampage, Evans, Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. The biggest question for Griffin now is whether he wants to keep doing battle with the sport's truly elite, or if now that he's in his 30s and a husband and a father, he'd rather take a step down in quality of competition. Griffin will always be a fan favorite and a draw for the UFC, but he may no longer be prepared to fight in the upper echelon of the UFC's light heavyweight division. 8. Rafael Cavalcante (10): Feijao looked very good in his victory over Yoel Romero Palacio on the September Strikeforce card. As long as he's with Strikeforce, Feijao's options for big fights are limited, but in the UFC there are any number of big fights for him at 205 pounds. MMA fans who just want to see the best fight the best should hope one of those big fights gets booked soon. 9. Phil Davis (8): The 27-year-old Davis was a great college wrestler who's a lot of fun to watch, and he seems destined to take on Jones some day. The problem is that for as young and talented as Davis is, Jones is even younger and more talented. 10. Thiago Silva (9): We're finally getting close to the end of Silva's one-year suspension for taking performance-enhancing substances. I hope he's stayed in shape and comes back hungry, because he's a 28-year-old who's a good enough striker that he can be a threat to anyone. He should be involved in some big light heavyweight fights in 2012. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, heavyweight, light

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The two light heavyweights once scheduled to meet at UFC 131 in Vancouver will now face each other in Toronto later this year.

Posted in: ufc, toronto, light, light heavyweights, soszynski vs

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It looks like streaking light heavyweight Ovince St. Preux has finally gotten called up to the majors after winning five consecutive fights under the Strikeforce banner including a pair of opening round finishes. According to Strikeforce’s Twitter account, OSP is scheduled to scrap with former 205-pound champion Gegard Mousasi on December 17 at an event already headlined by lightweight title-holder Gilbert Melendez defending his belt against ATT’s Jorge Masvidal. St. Preux, who has won eight straight overall, is 11-4 with past victories over Antwain Britt, Benji Radach, and Jason Day. His most recent rumble took place in July where he forced Joe Cason to tap from strikes a little over a minute into their Strikeforce Challengers 17 bout. The former collegiate football player’s opponent, Mousasi, is no stranger to having his hand raised with only a single stumble in his last twenty fights. He is 31-3-2 in his career with success against a slew of talented peers including Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Melvin Manhoef, Evangelista Santos, Denis Kang, Renato Sobral, and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Though not nearly as official as St. Preux vs. Mousasi, also rumored for the December 17 card are appearances from popular female fighter Gina Carano and fan-favorite Keith Jardine. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Similar Posts: Gegard Mousasi vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral expected for Affliction III Babalu vs. Mousasi for Strikeforce light heavyweight championship on Aug. 15 Scott Coker sheds light on Strikeforce light heavyweight picture Gina Carano gets June opponent in the form of Sarah D’Alelio Gegard Mousasi could make light heavyweight debut vs. Sokoudjou at DREAM.9 (UPDATED) Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: strikeforce, heavyweight, light, mousasi, preux

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UFC President Dana White has confirmed that Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson has signed an exclusive contract with ZUFFA and will indeed fight Mauricio Rua at UFC 139, scheduled for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2011. And that leaves Strikeforce without a champion in three of its divisions (heavyweight, light heavyweight and welterweight). While there are still a handful of competitors in the promotion's 205-pound weight class, including former straphangers Muhammed Lawal and Rafael Cavalcante, it's unlikely we'll see gold around their waists at any point in the near future because White is "unsure" as to what happens next as he "figures out" what to do with Strikeforce. In football terminology, it's called "running out the clock." Hear more from the UFC boss on Henderson vs. Shogun, "Spygate" and the National Anthem, courtesy of Tom Ngo at 5th Round, after the jump. Any Maniacs out there expecting to see another Strikeforce light heavyweight champion? Or will "Hendo" be the last man to ever hold the strap? For more on UFC 139 click here.

Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, heavyweight, light, calif .,

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Jon Jones reigns supreme in the light heavyweight division, at least until Saturday night. Check out our September light heavyweight rankings.

Posted in: saturday night, jon jones, heavyweight, light, light heavyweight

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submitted by xyphonic [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: ufc, light, alexander gustafsson, tattooing, xyphonic

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The top MMA organization in the world continues to pluck Strikeforce champions like they’re feathers from a bird. First it was Nick Diaz, then two weeks ago it was Alistair Overeem, and today it’s Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson. Ready to welcome him back to the octagon is one of the most exciting light heavyweights in the world, former UFC 205 lb champion Mauricio Rua. The two light heavyweights have agreed to do battle at UFC 139 in San Jose. News of the bout was first reported by MMAWeekly.com and has since been confirmed by the UFC. “Hendo” is no stranger to the octagon, having two prior runs under his belt. He first competed at UFC 17 back in 1998, winning the one night middleweight tournament before heading off to Japan, where he made a name for himself in PRIDE with victories over the likes Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. He returned to the UFC at UFC 75, taking on Quinton Jackson in a UFC light heavyweight title vs. PRIDE light heavyweight title fight and followed that up with a bout against Anderson Silva in a fight that merged the UFC and PRIDE middleweight titles. Despite losing both bouts, Henderson rebounded and won three straight in the UFC, defeating Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin, and Michael Bisping. Failing to reach a new contract with the UFC, Henderson headed to Strikeforce, where he immediately challenged Jake Shields for the middleweight strap. Not having the conditioning at 185 to defeat Shields, Henderson moved up to 205 where he knocked out Renato Sobral and Rafael Cavalcante to capture to the light heavyweight belt. In his most recent fight, Henderson stopped Fedor Emelianenko in the first round, pounding him out with his famous right hand, dubbed by some as the “H Bomb.” Now the Team Quest pioneer will get another crack at a former PRIDE superstar when he takes on “Shogun” Rua, fresh off his victory over Forrest Griffin. In that bout, Rua received a hero’s welcome at UFC 134 in Brazil and avenged his first UFC loss against Griffin. The former UFC champ has had a storied MMA career that includes winning the PRIDE light heavyweight grand prix in 2005 and becoming the first man to beat Lyoto Machida to win in the UFC belt in 2010. Rua holds wins against some of the best fighters in the sports history, including Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, and Alistair Overeem. The bout will headline UFC 139 and will have major title implications. Also on the card, which takes place on November 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California is a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Cung Le. *PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE*Similar Posts: Dan Henderson vs. Rafael Cavalcante expected for March event Rampage: Beating Shogun doesn’t matter Spike TV announces UFC:Main Events show for November 7th Jackson would rather have revenge before the championship UFC Super Bowl Weekend Card Packed With Star Power Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: ufc, bout, heavyweight, henderson, light

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