MMA-URLS

As expected, a rematch between Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort has been officially promoted to the main event of UFC 147, which takes place June 23 at Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond.

Posted in: ufc, wanderlei silva, rematch, vitor belfort, belo horizonte

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The date was up in the air with varying reports, but UFC president cleared up any Ben Henderson-Frankie Edgar rematch confusion on Tuesday. It'll be at UFC 150 on Aug. 11 in Denver.

Posted in: ufc president, ufc, tuesday itll, denver, rematch

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Eddie Alvarez wants a rematch with Michael Chandler, and the Bellator lightweight champion says he’ll get it eventually if he re-signs with the promotion.

Posted in: michael, michael chandler, eddie alvarez, eddie, rematch

Read the full article at Sherdog

According to a report, Ben Henderson's first defense of the UFC lightweight title will come at UFC 150 in August in Denver in a rematch with Frankie Edgar.

Posted in: ufc, denver, ben, rematch, edgar

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Frankie Edgar has found a way to not only win rematches, but to look even better the second time around. Can he capture that same magic when he gets a second shot at Benson Henderson? Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: rematch, edgar, frankie, google, bull

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Due process? More like overdue process, amirite? Nick Diaz was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after testing positive for marijuana metabolites following his five round unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, which was held on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion has a prescription for medical marijuana after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is legal in both Nevada and his home state of California. He was going to use that as part of his defense at his hearing in front of the NSAC, too, if they had ever actually scheduled him one. The reason one wasn't scheduled? The State Attorney General requested a copy of Diaz's medical card prior to locking down a date. No card was produced. Instead, Diaz's legal team, led by Ross Goodman, spent their time drawing up a lawsuit for violations of statutory law and Diaz's Constitutional rights to Due Process. MMAFighting.com has the details: Diaz's suit centers on three allegations, two of which relate to statutory complaints for which he seeks injunctive relief -- namely, to have the temporary suspension lifted and to not be required to go any further punitive proceedings. The other allegation focuses on Diaz's due process rights, the NSAC's violation of which entitles Diaz to both injunctive and declaratory relief, according to the lawsuit. Diaz is arguing the NSAC is in violation of two statutory codes. First, statutory code NRS 233B, requires the commission to determine the outcome through proceedings related to the order of a summary suspension within 45 days of the date of the suspension. Diaz and his lawyers argue this term has passed without any date set for a hearing. "Diaz's license has, in effect, been suspended indefinitely," says the lawsuit, "in the absence of any adverse findings having been made against him by the NSAC." ... Diaz's complaint also cites breach of statute NRS 467.117, which requires that a "temporary suspension may be made only where the action is necessary to protect the public welfare". In other words, Diaz's temporary suspension is unlawful because no basis has been established that demonstrates suspending Diaz was done as a matter of preserving public health. Citing the alleged violation of these two statutes by the NSAC, Diaz's complaint asks the court to enjoin NSAC from proceeding with any further punitive proceedings because "the NSAC has lost statutory jurisdiction to proceed with the complaint." For those of you not well versed in legal mumbo jumbo, the gist of the situation is this: Diaz was suspended unlawfully in the first place but even then, the NSAC was required to give him a hearing within 45 days of said suspension. They failed to do so and because of that, the entire case should be dismissed and Diaz should be allowed to go back to work immediately. Now, this would set one hell of a precedent if Diaz is successful, which he could very well be considering his case his solid. We knew hiring Ross Goodman meant the Stockton slugger wasn't playing around but these folks mean business. Or, at least, they just want to let Diaz get back to his business, which is battling it out inside the Octagon for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and its fans. To that end, Diaz has thrown any and all retirement talk out the window. Not only that, he's now ready to rematch Carlos Condit for the right to fight UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre once he's healthy. "On February 7th, 2012, the UFC's President publicly announced that Mr. Condit agreed to an immediate rematch against me. It is my understanding that the winner of that rematch will be offered a contest against Georges St-Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion. The summary suspension against me, made without any consideration of the merits of the Complaint, is the only reason I am aware of that a rematch against Mr Condit has not been scheduled. If the summary suspension is set aside, I would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately." It wouldn't be a day in the life of Nick Diaz if there wasn't some measure of insanity, right?

Posted in: diaz, suspension, rematch, condit, nsac

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [8 comments]

Posted in: dana, rematch, move, mattyblayze, argument

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After years of ignoring frequent suggestions to move to featherweight, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar now says the shift to a lighter weight class is no doubt in his future. Now, it's just a matter of time. He'll try to ward it off as long as possible after successfully lobbying for a rematch with Ben Henderson, but at some point, he says, he's moving to featherweight."We’ll see what the future holds, but I think it’s inevitable that I’ll eventually get down there," he said during a recent press event in Atlanta. "I just don’t know when." Edgar might have made the move if he hadn't been granted the rematch. Edgar recently met with UFC president Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta at a New York hamburger restaurant, where he convinced them he was worthy of a second opportunity to beat Henderson."I was set on getting this belt back," he said. "We don’t know what the future holds, but I didn’t want to go down on those terms."Edgar said he is hoping that the championship fight will get scheduled for August or September, but White said as of now there was no timetable in place.White had promised that if Edgar chose to drop to 145, he would get an immediate title match with current champ Jose Aldo. According to Edgar, fighting Aldo is still a targeted goal. The only questions are where and when."I’m all about fighting big fights, and fighting the best guys, and Jose Aldo’s one of them," he said. "We’ll see where it’s at, whether it’s at 145 or 155."If Edgar's the champ, maybe he can get Aldo to come to him. If not, he might be the one moving to a newer, smaller neighborhood. That would be welcome news to White, who has repeatedly voiced a preference of Edgar dropping to the lighter weight class."He stressed that he thinks for the longevity of my career, 145 would be better," Edgar said. "I told him I could see what points he was talking about, but right now I wanted the rematch, so he granted it."Mark it down as another case of Edgar's resilience winning out.

Posted in: rematch, future, edgar, aldo, itrsquo

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This is a guest post by Stephie "Crooklyn" Daniels. Follow Stephie on Twitter @CrooklynMMA. With Bellator 63 just a few more hours away, the quarterfinals of the welterweight tourney will be kicked off with some great matches. Of particular interest is the one between Raul Amaya and crowd favorite, Ben Saunders. With his last fight but a distant memory, Saunders hopes to get back on track in impressive fashion. I recently got a quick interview with Ben, and was able to get his thoughts going into this season's tournament. SD: What do you know about your opponent? BS: I don't really know too much about him. He seems like a brawling wrestler, so I'm going to be watching out for overhand rights and the takedown, for the most part. SD: With this being Amaya's first fight on a big stage, how big a factor do you think cage jitters or stage fright will be for him? BS: There's no doubt in my mind that this is going to be the fight of his life, and the fight of his career. Not only that it's the biggest stage for him, but I'm definitely going to be the biggest name and most experienced fighter he's ever gone against. Hopefully his training camp went well and prepared for me so we can get out there and put on a show for the fans. SD: What do you like best about Bellator? BS: I love Bellator. They're 100% top notch, and they treat me well. To be honest, I love their cage. I think their cage, and above all, their canvas and flooring is the best there is. The grip that I get on it...I just feel that their cage is the best that I've ever fought in. SD: With most MMA fighters, their ultimate goal is to get into the UFC or get back into it's fold, but you seem to have found a really comfortable groove with Bellator. Is it not so much a priority as it once was for you to find your way back to the UFC? BS: When i first started with Bellator, I wasn't sure what direction I was going to be going in or how I felt. Now, I've been with them for so long, and they've treated me so well, that at this point, I'm 100% down to work and stay with Bellator. I'm only getting older, so when I look at it, and ask myself what's really relevant, and what's really important, and that's being able to make a living. Being able to pay my bills. I'm able to do that with Bellator, and I'm down to build and grow with them. You just never know. I can't be stupid enough or naive enough to not look at the what ifs of potential career ending injuries that could plague me down the road. I'm living in the now, and just doing the best I can to create a financial plan for myself for when my career starts to go a little downhill, or when I start losing my prime. SD: How do you think you'd do in rematches against the guys you lost to, and is it important to you to avenge your losses? BS: As far as the Lima fight goes, I felt I won the first round, and the second round, we both threw for the fences, and his landed. It is what it is. But hell, I'm always down to defend any of my losses. I expect him to win the title, and I'm expecting myself to win the tournament, so the Saunders/Lima rematch is a very high possibility. That fight doesn't get to me as much as the others, because it was a competitive match that I felt I was winning. We both put it all on the line, and it's something that I believe anybody can look at and say, 'Hey, on any given day, either one of those guys could have won that fight, in any kind of fashion.' As far as the other three rematches, without a doubt, I know, for sure, that I could win. I felt that I wasn't able to showcase my skill and my talent, the way I was able to with Lima. With these fights, there's no doubt in my mind that I didn't perform to my abilities, and I think a rematch with those guys would be 100% different. Everybody that I've ever lost to has had more experience and more fights than me. I think that has been a big factor that worked out well for them, because they put the time into their career and their skills to get to where they are. At this point in time, in my career, I've done the exact same thing. I feel I'm kind of breaking into my prime now, and I believe that I have the confidence and skills to finish anybody in a rematch. Follow Ben via his Twitter account, @BenSaundersMMA

Posted in: fight, bellator, rematch, im, sd

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UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson understands fans and his fellow fighters might not be on board with his decision to give former title-holder Frankie Edgar an immediate rematch. He just doesn’t necessarily care given the lack of a clear-cut contender and Edgar’s class in the past. Edgar lost a hard-fought decision to Henderson in February, receiving a second shot based on it being a relatively close affair along with his willingness to do the same against opponents while he held the belt. “Frankie giving two rematches, it’s criminal not to give him a rematch after a decision, because, as a champ, he gave two rematches,” explained the 28-year old this week on UFC Ultimate Insider. “I think it’s something that has to be done sometimes. There’s just no alternative. It does create a bit of a logjam at the top, I guess you could say, but if you’re a challenger, the idea is you have to keep winning. It doesn’t matter. You have to keep winning. So if there’s a logjam…guess what? You gotta fight. You gotta win. Oh well. That’s the way life goes.” Henderson Ready to “Beat Up” Anyone the UFC Puts Him Against One of the louder critics has been Anthony Pettis who beat Henderson in WEC and is coming off a knockout win over Joe Lauzon. However, Henderson shrugged off Pettis’ claims of deserving to challenge for the belt, pointing out Lauzon’s status as a fringe Top 10 guy and Pettis’ previous win coming via Split Decision against an unranked opponent (Jeremy Stephens). No date has been set for Edgar vs. Henderson II. Watch the complete interview with “Bendo” below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, henderson, rematch, edgar, logjam …guess

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After discussing the future of Bellator in part 1 of the interview, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney was excited to discuss his current crop of fighters. Names such as Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, and Ben Askren have graced the Bellator cage for years, and if it was up to Rebney, they would remain there for the duration of their careers. Alvarez, the former Bellator lightweight champion, is set to rematch Shinya Aoki on April 20th in Cleveland, Ohio. The rematch has been a long time coming for Alvarez, who lost to Aoki at Dynamite!! 2008 on December 31, 2008. The loss was just the second of Alvarez’s career, and he has desired a rematch since the night of the loss. For Rebney, it has also been a matchup he has long wanted. In fact, had he gotten his way, Alvarez vs. Aoki 2 would have been one of the first major matchups that Bellator ever put on. Unfortunately, contract discussions halted, and Aoki instead fought in the United States for Strikeforce, along with continuing to routinely fight in Japan. Alvarez was also continuing to fight, and win, as he won the first season’s lightweight tournament, and went on to defend his belt nearly two years later against Pat Curran. But then everything began to shift, as Zuffa took ownership of Strikeforce in March of 2011, thus ending the partnership between Dream and Strikeforce, and Aoki’s ability to fight for both promotions. Later in 2011, Alvarez lost his lightweight belt to Michael Chandler. After that loss, Alvarez went to Rebney, pleading for the rematch. Rebney made sure it happened this time around. “We had our eye on the Alvarez vs. Aoki matchup for a very long time,” Rebney said of the rematch. “Eddie has been a longtime friend of mine, and I signed him in 2008. He had the first matchup with Aoki soon after, and he lost that fight. He came to me after that fight and said ‘If there is ever a favor I could ask of you, it is to get that Aoki rematch’, so I’ve been trying to make this work for years now.” “After Eddie lost to Michael [Chandler], in typical Eddie Alvarez fashion he came to me and told me if that was still a fight I could put together, that he still wanted it. I would expect nothing less from Eddie. He never wants to take the easy road. If there was a picture in the dictionary next to ‘Philly Fighter’, it would have Eddie Alvarez’s face next to it. I then went to the folks at Dream and finalized the deal right after that.” Unfortunately for Rebney, contract negotiations with another longtime Bellator veteran, Hector Lombard, have not gone quite as well. Lombard, who won the Bellator middleweight championship in June 2009, has defended that belt just once in the nearly-three years since. He has fought in Australia for local Australian promotions nearly as many times as he has stepped into the Bellator cage. But Rebney still remains optimistic, hoping to retain the man he sees as the “best middleweight in the world”. “Unlike many promotions, we don’t have champion’s clauses,” explained Rebney. “We don’t have re-occurring never-ending contracts. Our contracts have a definite term to them, and at the end of that term, the fighter has an exclusive negotiating period, which lasts a short period of time.” “Our exclusive negotiating period is coming to an end with Hector relatively soon, so he will be able to go out on to the market to sign elsewhere. Because of our contract, we will have the right to match any contract offer. So if he does try and sign elsewhere, we will have the opportunity to sit down with our business people and figure out if we want to match that offer or if we want to wish Hector the best and see him go knock people out somewhere else like the UFC.” Aside from dealing with those fighters and their workings inside the cage, Rebney has had to deal with other issues, after being given the horrible news that Bellator heavyweight Blagoi Ivanov was stabbed in his home country of Bulgaria in February. After the incident, Ivanov was placed on an artificial respirator, hoping to stabilize his condition. After some improvements, Ivanov’s condition worsened, and he was placed in a medically-induced coma just weeks after the incident. “Blagoi is still fighting for his life,” Rebney explained. “There has not really been any good news recently, unfortunately. He’s in a very tough spot and is in a bad situation. People are not cautiously optimistic right now. But if there is anyone that can come back from this and beat it, it’s someone that has been fighting his entire life like Ivanov.” What Rebney is optimistic about is the remainder of the sixth season of Bellator, with the aforementioned Aoki vs. Alvarez rematch set to take over Cleveland in April, along with Ben Askren taking on Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight championship in Windsor, Ontario. “Cleveland is going to have an absolutely amazing card,” said Rebney. “Not only are they getting the Aoki and Alvarez rematch, but also the second round of the middleweight tournament with Brian Rogers and Bruno Santos and the lightweight semi-finals with Rick Hawn taking on Lloyd Woodard and Brent Weedman vs. Thiago Michel.” “Not to mention going to Windsor for Askren vs. Lima, which is right across the river from Detroit, and has a great history in the fight game. As we typically do, we are going to continue going into the major markets along with sprinkling in the smaller places like Laredo, Texas, where the people embrace a big-time show coming into town.”

Posted in: bellator, alvarez, aoki, rematch, rebney

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

Welcome to another edition of Reader Rants, where Cagereaders get their say. This week, though we're still in a Zuffa drought, you all had plenty of opinions to share. On King Mo's release from Strikeforce after calling a commissioner a bad name on Twitter : It was kind of ignorant for her to ask him if he knew how to read or write. Instead of being "funny" or "racist" she could have just plainly asked him if he read through the application----in particular the part with the question of taking different meds/steroids/drugs. -- David Feinblatt He should have not lost his job. There have been a lot of worse things said on Twitter by Dana White and other UFC fighters. He'll get his job back. -- Angel D. Gutierrez-Ruiz Nothing was commented on more than the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen rematch : I believe the rematch will allow Sonnen to back up what he said about the first fight. Win it and give Silva the beating hes never experienced in the cage before. -- Larry Conley

Posted in: rematch, sonnen, reader rants, gutierrezruiz nothing, fighter cagewriter

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Rory MacDonald says he wants a rematch with Carlos Condit more than he wants a UFC title fight.

Posted in: rory macdonald, rematch, carlos condit, rory, blogger rory

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson, who will meet Frankie Edgar for the second time this year, looks back on his performance in Japan and shares his thoughts on "The Answer" being granted an immediate rematch. Henderson says he "absolutely" agrees with the decision to book the rematch, insisting that not doing so would be "criminal." The champ also talks about a future encounter with Anthony Pettis, who currently stands as the last man to defeat him.

Posted in: anthony pettis, henderson, ben henderson, rematch, frankie edgar

Read the full article at Low Kick

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has a new "King of the Hill" in its lightweight division these days. The crowning came when Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan on Feb. 25, 2012. "Smooth" didn't get to enjoy his victory for long before he was having to answer questions about who would be the challenger for his first title defense. While there were a few options, the fact that his win over Edgar came by way of decision seemed to point to an immediate rematch. Ultimately, the bout was confirmed and will be taking place some time this summer. Henderson appeared on "UFC Ultimate Insider," last night (March, 27, 2012) to talk about his newly acquired belt, as well as how he feels about having to face Edgar again: "Frankie gave two rematches. It's criminal not to give him a rematch after a decision, because, as a champ, he gave two rematches. I think it's something that has to be done sometimes. There's just no alternative. It does create a little bit of a logjam, I guess you could say, from the top, but, if you're a challenger, the idea is you have to keep winning. It doesn't matter. You have to keep on winning. So, if there's a logjam...guess what? You gotta fight. You gotta win. Oh well. That's the way life goes." Check out what "Bendo" had to say about the man that some felt should have been given the first crack at his belt, Anthony Pettis: The last time Henderson was defeated, it came at the hands of Pettis, who used a highlight reel, off-the-cage kick, to help garner a unanimous decision victory at WEC 53 in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 16, 2010. After Pettis scored a brutal, first round knockout win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, it looked as though things may have been coming together for Henderson to get a chance to avenge his last loss. It obviously never came together, but it's a fight that will likely happen at some point in the future. Henderson was asked if he thought Pettis was deserving of getting a title shot at this point in time: "I would say probably not so much. He had a split decision over an unranked Jeremy Stephens. I believe Ariel Helwani had Joe Lauzon ranked number ten. Nice win. Good stoppage over a number ten guy, but I don't think that catapults you over guys like Jim Miller or Nate Diaz, who's on a nice little run. So, it's hard to say, really. Oh, absolutely. We're gonna do it. Before I retire, before I die -- he and I are gonna dance again in the Octagon. I'm gonna have the belt for a while. I'm gonna hold on to the belt. I'm not letting go of it for the next four, five years or so. It's a matter of Pettis working his way up to the top to be a number one contender and get the title shot. I'm definitely looking forward to it. I wanna get my hands on him. But, you know, it's up to Dana White, Joe Silva and those guys." Now that it's a done deal that Henderson will be facing Edgar for a second time, he's set his sights on the target and has been making preparations. First on his "to do list" was watching his UFC 144 bout again and to take some notes. Here's what he thought about his performance: "I wasn't as busy as I wanted to be. I thought, in my head, I was a lot busier and more proactive with my boxing and whatnot. As I re-watched the fight, I was like, 'Oh, wow. I wasn't nearly as busy as I thought I was.' There were a lot of openings that Frankie left that I did not take advantage of. Going into the rematch, when I see an opening, I am going to go for it." The new champion was nothing but complimentary of the man who he defeated to win the belt. He credited Edgar for his heart and his toughness, citing that he believes many lesser men would have folded under comparable pressure: "I think a lot of guys would have folded. Frankie has a great heart. He was a great champ. He's a great fighter. Tough as heck and a great chin. I think a lot of guys, going into the third round, would have been pretty sad and would have folded a little bit. But Frankie? There was no fold, no quit in him." Henderson went on to re-state his desire to not just hold the belt for a short time and be a very good fighter -- he wants to break records and be considered the best in the world: "I'm gonna get nine title defenses. Whatever Anderson Silva has, I'm gonna get plus one. That's the ultimate goal. I wanna be the best fighter on the planet, period. It's a lofty goal, but, to be a UFC champion, that was a pretty lofty goal. When I was first starting out as a fighter, when I was an amateur guy, guess what...I got it done. I think me going for Anderson Silva's records and whatnot might be kinda lofty and out there and far reaching, but guess what...those are my goals." Lofty, indeed. The event and date of Henderson's rematch versus Edgar are both currently unconfirmed, but MMAmania.com will be prompt to bring you the information as it becomes official.

Posted in: guy, henderson, rematch, edgar, frankie

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The UFC officially announced on Monday that Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 will take place June 23 in Rio de Janeiro. However, according to Sonnen, nothing is official just yet. "My demand has not been met," Sonnen told MMAFighting.com when asked for a comment on the rematch. "I've signed nothing." Sonnen's manager Mike Roberts also confirmed that Sonnen has yet to sign a bout agreement, but it appears as though that is just a formality at this point. As for what his demand is, Sonnen only said, "it's coming."UFC 147 is scheduled to take place at Rio de Janeiro's Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, and according to UFC president Dana White, the venue will seat approximately 80,000 people for the highly-anticipated rematch. That is, of course, if Sonnen decides to sign the bout agreement.

Posted in: rematch, sonnen, bout agreement, highlyanticipated rematch, sonnen nothing

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Long rumored, highly anticipated and often denied -- by Chael Sonnen, at least -- the rematch between the outspoken Team Quest product and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is finally official.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, chael sonnen, sonnen, anderson

Read the full article at Sherdog

After months of speculation and anticipation, UFC 147 finally has an official date and venue. The UFC’s third trip to Brazil within a year will take place on June 23rd at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium, which can hold up to 80,000 fans in attendance for this event, will host the rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. UFC President Dana White declared that UFC 147 will be “the biggest sporting event of the year”, stating that the event is expected to break UFC attendance records. UFC 129 in April 2011 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hosted 55,000 fans to set the current attendance record. With this event being the first ever UFC card to take place in a soccer stadium, the event is expected to smash that record by over 20,000 fans. The historic event will be headlined by the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The two first fought at UFC 117 in August 2010 in one of the greatest UFC fights of all-time. Going into the fight undefeated in the UFC, with an 11-fight win streak and six consecutive title defenses, Silva was expected to continue those streaks with little issue. Sonnen stunned Silva and the crowd from the beginning, knocking Silva down in the first round and implementing his gameplan for the following four rounds. In the fifth round, Silva once again found himself on his back, but took advantage of a lapse in judgement by Sonnen, pulling off a triangle armbar submission, and thus pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history. Since then, Sonnen has continued to call out Silva, claiming that he is the real champion. After defeating Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox 2 in January, Sonnen earned the opportunity to rematch Silva for the true middleweight belt. Another rematch that is officially set for the event is the even longer anticipated rematch between Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. The two, which are currently coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, first fought at UFC: Brazil in October 1998. Belfort defeated “The Axe Murderer” by first round TKO. Now the two will rematch in a matchup nearly 15 years in the making. Also expected for the event will be the finals between the two finalists of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. The season, which kicked off over the weekend, features 8 middleweights and 8 featherweights vying to become the first TUF champion of the show’s history to take place outside of the United States. In addition, a heavyweight matchup between Fabricio Werdum and Mike Russow is likely for the event. For complete coverage of UFC 147, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, event, silva, rematch, sonnen

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Not long ago Gray Maynard was an unbeaten fighter competing for the UFC Lightweight championship. In his first attempt at unseating Frankie Edgar the two fought to a draw. An immediate rematch was hoped for, but injuries prevented that rematch from taking place as soon as everyone would have wanted.  When the rematch did take place Edgar retained his title by knocking out Maynard at the 3:54 mark of the fourth round. The victory allowed Edgar to avenge what was then the only loss of his career, as he

Posted in: rematch, edgar, maynard, unbeaten fighter, maynard fight

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While appearing on a recent episode of UFC Tonight, iconic former welterweight champion Matt Hughes and current #1 middleweight contender Chael Sonnen covered a number of subjects. Among those things talked about was the upcoming rematch between lightweights Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar for the divisional title. Hughes, who is quite familiar with rematches during his career, said, “Frankie had to give rematches to both (BJ) Penn and (Gray) Maynard, so I think Frankie brought in a great point and he should get the rematch too.” Edgar, after defeating Penn for the title, was put into an immediate rematch with “The Prodigy.” He also won that fight. The trilogy with Maynard is quite possiblly one of the best in MMA history, as Maynard won the first, the two fought to a suspenseful Draw in the second, and “The Answer” ended it with a vicious stoppage victory in the third after getting rocked early. As for Sonnen, he will be looking to exact revenge on UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva in his own rematch when they fight later this year. “I don’t care who these guys fight as long as it’s not me,” Sonnen exclaimed of Edgar-Henderson. “There are so many great fighters in that weight class. Those guys are so good, it’ll be a great fight.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: fight, hughe, rematch, sonnen, frankie

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

While Chael Sonnen says he’s waiting for a contract for his rematch with Anderson Silva, the UFC has already booked him for a flight to Brazil. According to UFC president Dana White, the long awaited rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and rival Chael Sonnen will take place this summer in possibly the biggest event in MMA history. White was in Calgary on Wednesday announcing a slew of new events for Canada, but also let one other bombshell out regarding the most highly anticipated rematch in UFC history.

Posted in: ufc, anderson silva, rematch, mma history, chael sonnen

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The long awaited rematch between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva continues to draw nearer with the bout being scheduled for UFC 147 this June. There were some snags as plans to hold the event in Sao Paulo, Brazil fell through due to noise ordinances, exacerbated by the need for the event to run well past midnight due to time zone differences, among other issues. Related: UFC's Hopes For A Stadium Show In Sao Paulo Appear To Be Dead At today's UFC press conference, president Dana White announced that the bout would remain in Brazil but would be held in Rio de Janeiro, the city that is fast becoming the UFC's Brazilian home base. Here's the tweet from the UFC's Twitter account: @ufcUFC Dana says the Chael/Anderson rematch is going to be in a soccer stadium in Rio that holds 80K Mar 21 via web Favorite Retweet Reply 80,000 fans is no joke, it is going to be quite the atmosphere as the hated Sonnen enters Brazil in an attempt to wrest the title from the firm grasp of pound-for-pound king Silva. In the first bout, Sonnen dominated the fight only losing when caught in a triangle choke in the waning minutes of the UFC 117 bout. Sonnen would go on to test positive for elevated testosterone after the fight and would be suspended. That, combined with a rib injury for Silva coming into the evening, has many thinking the rematch will go quite diferently.

Posted in: ufc, silva, rematch, chael sonnen, sonnen

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The UFC’s third offering on cable network FX will feature an anticipated rematch between top flyweights Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Posted in: ufc, fx, rematch, flyweight, ufc ’s

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The UFC’s third offering on cable network FX will feature an anticipated rematch between top flyweights Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Posted in: ufc, fx, rematch, flyweight, ufc ’s

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Though the recently announced rematch between Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua was still in its development stage and lacking a specific date it appears the two former UFC light heavyweight champs will not face off any time soon after “Rampage” announced today he’s slated for surgery in the coming weeks. Though the details surrounding his condition were not revealed, according to Jackson the procedure will involve work on both of his knees. “I heal fast (so) don’t trip,” the 33-year old wrote on Twitter after revealing his status through the social networking site. Rua has not been seen in the ring since his November classic against Dan Henderson, lending weight to the notion of him taking on an opponent other than “Rampage” in his next outing rather than wait for an extended period of time while Jackson heals. The two first fought in 2005 under the PRIDE banner where Rua stopped Jackson with strikes. “Shogun” Feels Rematch with “Rampage” is Inevitable Their eventual bout in the UFC is likely to be Jackson’s final appearance inside the Octagon after lobbying for his release over the past few weeks. According to Jackson, he is underpaid, under-promoted, and underappreciated, and as a result he wants to take his talents to another organization he believes is a more-positive environment. PHOTO CREDIT – DSE Tweet

Posted in: rampage, jackson, rua, rematch, jackson ’s

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Eric Prindle, Bellator's season five heavyweight tournament finalist, has been scratched from his Bellator 61 headlining scrap against Thiago Santos due to flu-like symptoms following a significant weight cut. As a result, promotion officials have postponed the heavyweight rematch to March 23 at Bellator 62 in Laredo, TX. Friday night's fight card will instead be headlined by a middleweight quarterfinal bout between UFC veteran Maiquel Falcao (28-4, 1 NC) and TUF 11 contestant Norman Paraisy (10-1-1, 1 NC). USA Today first reported the switch, which was then confirmed by Prindle via Twitter. Prindle (7-1, 1 NC) reportedly began vomiting on Tuesday night and has struggled with the illness throughout the ensuing days. The 35-year-old bruiser expressed willingness to fight as planned, but Louisiana officials ultimately felt it best to cancel the bout. The announcement marks another chapter in the ever-expanding history of Prindle-Santos. The two heavyweights initially met last November, at Bellator 59 for season five's heavyweight tournament finals. However, action stopped just 94 seconds into the contest, when Santos (10-1) whizzed a soccer kick straight into the groin of a downed Prindle. Prindle was eventually ruled unable to continue and the match was declared a no contest. The winner of the eventual rematch is expected to receive $100,000 and a shot at Bellator's reigning heavyweight champion, Cole Konrad.

Posted in: bellator, heavyweight, rematch, prindle, flulike symptoms

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submitted by dp517 [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: johnson, rematch, finale, mccall, tuf finale

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On any given Sunday, any NFL football team can beat any other squad. And as the iconic John Madden would bark, "it's why they play the game." Mixed martial arts (MMA) is apparently no different, especially at the highest level of the sport. At least that's how former Strikeforce 135-pound champion Miesha Tate now feels after her tendon-tearing armbar submission loss to Ronda Rousey at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month. With about 10 days to reflect on the jaw-dropping, arm-snapping loss, "Takedown" today (March 12, 2012) talked to MMAFighting.com about her current physical condition (her arm is still not broken, but could require surgery) and her desire to run it back against "Rowdy" in the near future. In fact, Tate felt that she was winning the championship bout before a "mistake" ultimately cost her the belt and nearly her left arm. What's more, it's her belief that Rousey is a one-trick armbar pony and that she just happened to fall victim to that one trick, which Tate described as "phenomenal." "I, personally, would love the opportunity to have a rematch. I think at a high level, it takes one mistake. Anyone can make a mistake at any moment and someone's able to capitalize on that. I don't feel that Ronda proved anything other than what she's already (proved) -- that she has one thing that she's great at. Really phenomenal at. But everything else, I could beat her. Give me another shot. I think it was competitive. I think for the most part I was probably winning. And I think at a competitive high level, one day one person could beat the one person, and the other day the other person would beat the other person." Since making the transition to full-time professional MMA one year ago, Rousey -- an Olympic-level judo practitioner who took home a bronze medal in the 2008 games in Beijing, China -- has competed five times, winning them all via first round armbar submission. However, none were more meaningful or significant than her most recent over Tate. It's a sensational finish that will likely endure forever on highlight reels and MMA forums everywhere. For now, it appears that Sarah Kaufman has the inside track as Rousey's next opponent. The good news is that with Cristiane Santos mired in a steroids scandal and Gina Carano clomping around another Hollywood movie set, the list of viable contenders to challenge Rousey at the moment is short and sweet. Indeed, Tate will likely get her rematch very soon. And the visions of her arm being twisted like a pretzel will be omnipresent and inescapable. Make no mistake, the footage (see it here) will certainly be used as a marketing tool if and when Tate is healthy and fit to step back inside the cage. A gruesome scene that likely plays out all too often from her memory, putting her at a psychological disadvantage if and when the rematch is booked. Rousey would most certainly be the odds-on favorite on fight night for perhaps many reasons, but certainly that one adds the most weight. But, hey, it's why they play the game. Crazy cats. For everything else you need to know about the bout between Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey check out our complete fight archive right here.

Posted in: rematch, tate, mistake, rousey, ronda

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Frankie Edgar announced via twitter last week that he will receive his rematch against Ben Henderson. Dana White has tentatively scheduled the fight for this summer. Via Edgar’s twitter: Rematch anyone??…….it’s on!! Thanks to @danawhite @lorenzofertitta. Me and Henderson 2. Here we go!! — Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) March 6, 2012 Payout Perspective: Once again Anthony Pettis is put on hold. Its likely the right call and shows that certain fighters have some weight when it comes to making career decisions. It appeared that Edgar was being pushed into the Featherweight division without much say. But, to Edgar (and his camp’s) credit, he was able to convince White he deserved a rematch. For Showtime, the change in course has to be frustrating. He will have to take another fight before his title shot. And, as we know, he lost to Clay Guida.  Also, the Nate Diaz-Jim Miller fight for UFC on Fox 3 will likely be for a top contender spot instead of a title shot at Henderson. The contenders to Henderson’s title reflect the dept of the lightweight division.

Posted in: fight, title shot, henderson, rematch, edgar

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Ten days. That's how long the UFC lightweight division was open for business before word came down for the third straight title rematch since April 10, 2010. Now, we've all heard the arguments ad nauseum. It's only fair. Frankie Edgar had to do it twice. And let's be honest, we all kind of expected this. Never mind that just four men have fought for the 155-pound title in the last 23 months. So for now, lets try to forget how groovy the storylines for Henderson-Pettis II would have been. Or how fascinating the bizarre personality clash of Henderson-Diaz would be. Unless someone randomly gets popped for weed, it is what it is. Henderson-Edgar II will be entertaining, and afterward we can be done with this endless circle of rematches -- unless, of course, Frankie takes a narrow split decision. Then you can bet we'll be well on our way to trilogy town. So check out all the details of Henderson-Edgar II, plus everything else MMA has to offer with the Morning Report. 5 MUST-READ STORIES Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson rematch booked. After ten tiresome days of debate, Dana White and the UFC granted Frankie Edgar a lightweight title rematch against Ben Henderson. Rampage Jackson unhappy with UFC, says he's leaving after next fight. Jackson has unloaded a barrage of interesting tweets while vacationing in the Philippines, including a series of announcements that revealed plans to leave the UFC after his next fight. Nate Diaz thinks brother Nick Diaz will remain retired. Ariel Helwani caught up with Nate Diaz following Tuesday's UFC on FOX 3 press conference, and the young Stocktonian was rather candid about a potential title shot and his brother Nick's retirement. Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem confirmed for UFC 146. The long-awaited heavyweight title scrap is finally on the books for May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thiago Silva vs Alexander Gustafsson booked for UFC on FUEL 2. An Antonio Rogerio Nogueira knee injury has paved the way for Thiago Silva to face Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC on FUEL 2. COUNTDOWN TO A SLIMMER ROY NELSON Started (on March 4th): 32,000 likes.As of this writing: 92,183 likes.Goal (by March 18th): 132,000 likes. MEDIA STEW Chael P. Sonnen has had enough. No more lobbing media bombs at Anderson Silva. No more pro wrestling promos. He's stepping out of the game. And if you don't believe him, Sonnen took the opportunity last night to apologize to Silva and relinquish his status as the number-one contender. The relationship between Bellator and their middleweight champion, Hector Lombard, appears to be shaky at best right now. And it may only get worse. When asked about Lombard's current contract situation, Dana White couldn't help but drop this little gem: "I'll probably end up with him then." Don Frye took a break from wrestling bears to honor us with stories about his new announcing gig, his legendary brawl with Yoshihiro Takayama, and the magic of aging. (HT: Middle Easy) From the backfiles of the early 90's: Trevor Berbick, aka the last man to defeat Muhammed Ali, fought HUSTLE owner Nobuhiko Takada in this infamous boxer vs. wrestler match. (HT: Reddit) FRANKIE EDGAR GETS HIS REMATCH Rematch anyone??.......it's on!! Thanks to @danawhite @lorenzofertitta. Me and Henderson 2. Here we go!! — Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) March 6, 2012 #SustainedExplosion!!! RT @danawhite: Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson rematch will be this summer — Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) March 6, 2012 I will...whats the hurry???...RT @RevPhilBert: @SMOOTHone155 what about petitis? Don't u wanna get back that loss?@danawhite — Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) March 7, 2012 RETURN OF THE CRIPPLER What's up everyone im back, cleaned up my act and you'll be hearing from me regularly — chris leben (@cripplerufc) March 7, 2012 MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO: NOT IN THE SONNEN FAN CLUB @KCBanditMMA @DaveHendrickTLW nope. Wanker. Plus he doesn't write his own material, Matt Lindland does from what I hear. — Michael Schiavello (@SchiavelloVOICE) March 5, 2012 FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announced yesterday (Tuesday, March 6, 2012): - Frankie Edgar (14-2-1) vs. Ben Henderson (16-2) rematch announced for summer - UFC 146: Junior dos Santos (14-1) vs. Alistair Overeem (36-11, 1 NC) confirmed as main event - UFC on FUEL 2: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5) out, Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC) in against Alexander Gustafsson (13-1) FANPOST OF THE DAY Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE's SSreporters: UFC Fight Statistics For 1st Quarter of 2012 Easy numbers to digest. 62.5% of this year's finishes have come in the opening round, 25% in the 2nd, and only 12.5% in the 3rd. Obviously of the 5 to come in the final round, two have come in the last couple of weeks, with Tim Boetsch's comeback KO vs. Yushin Okami and Martin Kampmann's dramatic guillotine choke over Thiago Alves. Only four fights have been five-rounders and three of them went the distance, and since the switch to five-round non-title main events, not a single one has seen a finish past the 3rd round. This (next) table breaks down fight results for every weight class thus far, including the recently added flyweight division from last Friday's UFC on FX 2 card. Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Posted in: ufc, vs, rematch, frankie, march

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Well folks, the UFC Lightweight title rematch merry-go-round has not stopped: I hate this. I really, really do. There have been 4 men that have challenged for the 155 pound strap since UFC 112: Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn (rematch), Gray Maynard (twice and deservedly so) and Benson Henderson. BJ Penn got a rematch because he is BJ Penn. Gray Maynard fought Frankie to a draw @ UFC 125 and earned his trilogy fight beyond dispute. Now, Frankie Edgar deserves an immediate rematch because..........why? Frankie Edgar is not a draw like BJ Penn was. Frankie Edgar did not even come remotely close to finishing Benson Henderson the way Gray did to him but somehow he is being rewarded with a rematch. He does not deserve one. Benson defeated him across all cards 3 rounds to 2 on one card and 4 rounds to 1 on the other two cards. He looked like he had been on the receiving end of a 25 minute beating while Ben looked like he had just rolled out of bed. I don't understand this move at all. There are other contenders that have a legitimate claim to the #1 contender slot and the division could really benefit from getting away from endless rematches. The fight will probably be awesome when it happens but I don't think it should.

Posted in: bj penn, rematch, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie

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Frankie Edgar explains how the rematch with Benson Henderson came together and how it was like a weight being lifted off his chest when Dana White gave him the news he was waiting for.

Posted in: rematch, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie, benson henderson

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Frankie Edgar’s wish has apparently been granted.

Posted in: rematch, work, edgar, frankie, summer

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Ten days after he lost the UFC lightweight title to Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar has been given a rematch. Edgar confirmed the news on Twitter with a message thanking UFC President Dana White and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta for making the rematch happen. The news was then confirmed on Twitter by White. "Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson rematch will be this summer," White wrote. The decision is a departure from what White had previously indicated was his preferred choice: In the press conference immediately following Henderson's unanimous decision victory over Edgar, White said he thought Edgar should move down to featherweight to challenge champion Jose Aldo, and that Anthony Pettis deserved the next shot at Henderson. But White has apparently been persuaded by Edgar, who has insisted that lightweight is the right division for him, and by the fans who have asked for Henderson-Edgar 2. That means Edgar will now be in the unusual position of fighting the same opponent back to back three consecutive times. First Edgar won the lightweight title from B.J. Penn in 2010 and then defended it against Penn later that year. Then Edgar fought Gray Maynard to a draw to start 2011 and then beat Maynard later in 2011. Now Edgar has lost to Henderson to start 2012 and will get another shot at him later in the year. This also means that Pettis has missed out on a lightweight title shot he thought he had earned for the second time. Pettis beat Henderson to become the last World Extreme Cagefighting champion and was promised a shot at the UFC lightweight title when the UFC absorbed the WEC, but that title shot was taken from him when the Edgar-Maynard draw necessitated a rematch. Now Pettis is once again being passed over. Pettis's next step is unclear. But what is clear is that we'll see more of the same at lightweight: Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar for the title.

Posted in: ufc, title, henderson, rematch, edgar

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Just hours after declaring he “had no idea” what he was going to do with the lightweight division, Dana White confirmed on his Twitter account that Frankie Edgar will get the rematch he wants, and will face Benson Henderson again this summer. The pair fought to a closely contested decision at UFC 144 in Japan that went Henderson’s way. White stated after the fight that he felt Edgar should drop to 145 pounds, and that he would be given an immediate title shot against current featherweight champion Jose Aldo. During today’s UFC on Fox 3 press conference, White mentioned that the future of the lightweight division would be decided after he talked with Edgar today. Edgar stated immediately after the loss that he wanted to continue fighting at 155 pounds, and that he has no intentions of moving around in weight classes just yet. Henderson stated earlier this week on MMAFighting.com that he, as a fan, felt that Edgar deserved a rematch. While he was open to fighting other lightweight contenders such as Anthony Pettis, Nate Diaz, or even Jacob Volkmann, it seemed even he was on board with giving Edgar the rematch after the close fight just a few weeks prior. But with Edgar remaining adamant that he will stay in the lightweight division,  Henderson will now be able to confirm his status as a champion, along with giving Edgar the rematch he feels he deserves. White also announced today that the main event at UFC on Fox 3 between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller will be a number one contender’s bout. That matchup takes place on May 5th, so the winner will face the winner of the Henderson vs. Edgar rematch. What was not announced was when the second matchup will take place. UFC 149 is the earliest pay-per-view event that is scheduled that does not have a main event on tap. UFC 149 is currently scheduled for July 21st in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but it has not been officially announced by the UFC. UFC on Fox 4 is also a possibility, as it too does not have a main event. That event is scheduled for August 4th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. For complete coverage of the ongoing lightweight division developments, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, event, henderson, rematch, edgar

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Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson are set to have a rematch of their UFC 144 title fight this summer, UFC president Dana White announced.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, frankie, summer, benson henderson

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Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson are set to have a rematch of their UFC 144 title fight in the summer, UFC president Dana White announced.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, edgar, summer, benson henderson

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Frankie Edgar finally got "The Answer" he was looking for. The former lightweight champion, who lost his title to Ben Henderson at UFC 144 this past Feb. 25, 2012, in Japan, in a somewhat controversial five-round decision, has been granted his rematch. From Edgar's Twitter: "Rematch anyone??.......it's on!! Thanks to @danawhite @lorenzofertitta. Me and Henderson 2. Here we go!!" Not long after, UFC President Dana White tweeted the bout will take place sometime this summer. Everyone good with this decision?

Posted in: henderson, rematch, edgar, fiveround decision, summer everyone

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Newly named UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson has cleared the air surrounding divisional contendership, saying he is open to fight former title-holder Frankie Edgar a second time to eliminate any doubt surrounding who should have the strap after their closely-contested bout a few weeks back at UFC 144. Edgar has been actively lobbying for a rematch since losing the five-round decision, as have fans, while UFC President Dana White has even gone on record saying he felt “The Answer” deserved the victory the first time around. “Frankie had a very tough situation. He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (one),” Henderson explained Monday as a guest on The MMA Hour. “He had to put himself on the line, I don’t want anybody coming back to me and saying ‘oh, Henderson didn’t want to rematch Frankie because he was scared.’ I’m more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow.” Henderson also addressed Anthony Pettis’ claims that he should be next in line based on a devastating knockout of Joe Lauzon in his most recent outing as well as being the man who last beat “Bendo”. While the 28-year old champion acknowledged Pettis’ abilities, he still doesn’t feel “Showtime” has done enough inside the Octagon yet to merit a title-shot. “Does someone who has a Split Decision over someone who is not ranked, and then has a pretty good win against the No. 10 guy…is he deserving of a title shot because of those two wins? Or is he deserving of a title shot because he beat me last,” Henderson asked rhetorically, referring to Pettis’ narrow outpointing of Jeremy Stephens and finish of Lauzon. Henderson Out to Become the Best of All Time While no indication has been given from the UFC brass on what they intend to do, Henderson’s support of Edgar’s cause certainly implies a second scrap between the two is far more likely now than it was as recently as last week. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, henderson, rematch, edgar, frankie

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There has been less controversy than some expected coming out of Ben Henderson's title win over Frankie Edgar, but there still are some that feel a rematch is in order. After all, the fight was close and competitive, even if Henderson did deserve the nod. Henderson was on the MMA Hour yesterday and discussed the idea of giving Edgar a rematch: "Frankie had a very tough situation," Henderson admitted. "He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (the rematch). He had to put himself on the line, I don't want anybody coming back to me and saying ‘oh, Henderson didn't want to rematch Frankie because he was scared.' "I'm more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let's do it. Set it up for tomorrow." Henderson was not quite as interested in the talk of a rematch with Anthony Pettis, the last man to score a victory over him. Last week Pettis made it clear (via his manager) that he was disappointed in Henderson's dismissal of him as a title challenger. Henderson expanded on this during the interview: "Of course he's going to go out and say that stuff because he wants his guy to fight for the belt," Henderson tensely responded. "What did you have Jeremy Stephens ranked before the Anthony Pettis fight? Not in the top ten. What did you have Joe Lauzon ranked before his fight? "Does someone who has a split-decision over someone who is not ranked, and then has a pretty good win against the No. 10 guy, is he deserving of a title shot because of those two wins? Or is he deserving of a title shot because he beat me last?" Later in the interview Henderson did make it clear that he does want to fight Pettis again eventually, but it's not up to him to decide the next challenger. Video after the jump... MMA Hour video:

Posted in: fight, title, henderson, rematch, frankie

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For new UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson it has been nothing short of a crazy few weeks since winning the title at UFC 144. Instead of returning to the U.S. and basking in his glory, Henderson took a visit to Korea after defeating Frankie Edgar for the belt in Japan while hearing constant questioning about what his next move would be. “Smooth” seems ready to get back in the routine of practice and training, and, as he revealed yesterday, is even willing to give Edgar the rematch he seeks. “Frankie had a very tough situation. He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses,” said Henderson while serving as a guest on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “I’m more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow.” “Bendo” also elaborated saying he as a MMA fan understood Edgar’s case and didn’t want to be a guy they felt was afraid of giving the 30-year old another shot to make things right. Additionally, Henderson talked about facing Anthony Pettis who UFC President Dana White said was near the front of the line in terms of a title-shot. “Showtime” was the last man to defeat Henderson, taking a WEC title from him, and picked up a Knockout of the Night win at UFC 144 over Joe Lauzon. “Do I want to face Pettis again? Absolutely,” Henderson said after questioning Pettis’ recent accomplishments. “We will see each other again. Before I retire, before I die, I’m going to see Anthony Pettis again.” For now, Henderson will wait and see what the UFC decides is next for him, but he will do so as the champion and with an open mind in terms of who he faces. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, anthony pettis, petti, henderson, rematch

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Ben Henderson just can't seem to get his name out of everyone's mouth. Since earning the UFC lightweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 144, Henderson has somehow found himself within the crossfires of the MMA world, a casualty of the UFC's latest high-profile judging debate. Weeks after the controversial decision, Edgar, the former champion, has atypically embarked on a crusade for the rematch he feels he justly deserves. UFC President Dana White, on the other hand, steadfastly stands by his opinion that Edgar would be better served at featherweight, and even offered an immediate title shot against reigning 145-pound champion Jose Aldo to sweeten the deal. To no one's surprise, Henderson has thus far stayed out of the way, instead travelling to Korea in an experience he called "surreal." However, after nine days of mounting frustration, the 28-year-old fighter broke his silence on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "Frankie had a very tough situation," Henderson admitted. "He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses. So the fan in me feels that he deserves (the rematch). He had to put himself on the line, I don't want anybody coming back to me and saying ‘oh, Henderson didn't want to rematch Frankie because he was scared.' "I'm more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let's do it. Set it up for tomorrow." Henderson's logic is sound, and essentially follows the script laid out by Edgar. However, as White has voiced, yet another lightweight title rematch would clog up a division that just escaped a two-year traffic jam. And what of the odd man out of this equation -- Anthony Pettis? The electrifying fan-favorite who scored a highlight-reel knockout on very same card, and also happens to be the last person to defeat Henderson. Pettis, who was once guaranteed his own ill-fated UFC title shot, expressed disappointment through his manager last week, stating he feels disrespected by Henderson's seeming disinterest in fighting him. Though according to "Bendo," that's just par for the course. "Of course he's going to go out and say that stuff because he wants his guy to fight for the belt," Henderson tensely responded. "What did you have Jeremy Stephens ranked before the Anthony Pettis fight? Not in the top ten. What did you have Joe Lauzon ranked before his fight? "Does someone who has a split-decision over someone who is not ranked, and then has a pretty good win against the No. 10 guy, is he deserving of a title shot because of those two wins? Or is he deserving of a title shot because he beat me last?" Pettis did indeed hand Henderson his last loss, stealing away the final WEC lightweight championship at WEC 53 with a last-second off-the-cage ninja maneuver he dubbed the "Showtime Kick." It was a battle that many media outlets christened the "Fight of the Year," which adds to the perceived public interest in a rematch. But Henderson wants to make it clear, he has no problems accepting that fight, eventually. Right now there's just a few people who are ahead in line. "Do I want to face Pettis again? Absolutely," Henderson explained. "We will see each other again. Before I retire, before I die, I'm going to see Anthony Pettis again. But it's not my job to give him a title shot. It's not up to me be like, ‘oh hey, I want to fight this guy. Lets go see this guy.' It's his job to work his way up to me. "I can't jump the line and not fight the No. 1 contender, and then go fight the No. 4 guy or No. 3 guy or No. 10 guy." Such is the life of a champion. Everybody wants a piece and everybody is a critic. For someone as respectful as Henderson, the backlash has been an unexpected addendum to the belt. He's already received hundreds of messages from fans declaring him afraid of everybody from Jim Miller and Nick Diaz, to Jacob Volkmann. But like he always says, it is what it is. "Either way I go, I'm going to get crap," Henderson finally acknowledged. "Hopefully people will start to realize and understand, I will fight anybody. I don't care. I'm going to smash them."

Posted in: fight, title, guy, henderson, rematch

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UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar isn’t backing off of his stance regarding a potential drop down to 145 pounds after losing his title to Benson Henderson last weekend at UFC 144. While “The Answer” is open to making the move at some point in the future, he’ll only do so when he feels comfortable with the change rather than when fans, media members, or even Dana White want him to make it. “I’m saying it, and I’m saying it loud – I want my rematch,” said Edgar as a guest this week on The MMA Hour. “I’m not going to have these antics or play these games. I’m telling you want I want. This is what I want. I think it’s fair. I think the fans want to see it. It was Fight of the Night.” Though the five-round fight saw Henderson emerge as the winner on the judges’ scorecards, many who watched things unfold (including White) felt Edgar deserved the nod despite his battered physical appearance. While some fans are no doubt opposed to Edgar getting a rematch, especially after having his eye and nose busted up pretty badly, the 30-year old former champion explained why his critics would likely enjoy the second scrap, stating, “Listen, even if these guys want to see me get beat up, I do get beat up in a lot of my fights, even in the fights I win, so it’s win-win for everybody.” “I think the rematch makes sense on several levels,” he continued. “Not only can UFC be good guys, I think I earned it. Economically, they’ve been investing money in me. I’ve been at the helm of this weight class for two years now. I think it just makes sense for them and obviously for me. Let’s do it.” “I’m staying at 155. This is where I’m at right now. I still feel like I got a run left. I still want that title back,” Edgar concluded on the topic. The UFC has not announced their plans for Henderson yet, only mentioning the possibility of rematch with Edgar or Anthony Pettis who took “Bendo” out in memorable fashion at WEC’s final show in 2010. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, rematch, ’m, edgar

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Dana White really wants Frankie Edgar to drop to featherweight. So much so in fact, Dana told MMA Junkie yesterday that he’s willing to give Edgar an immediate title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo despite the fact that Edgar’s never fought at 145. The problem of course is that Edgar wants an immediate rematch with Ben Henderson in a heavily clogged division. It’s not that Dana doesn’t think he deserves it. It’s just that it’s making the whole situation a “nightmare.” “Here’s the thing: I really care about this kid,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I like him a lot. There’s only so many wars you can have in your career, and I hate – hate, hate, hate – guys fighting out of their weightclass. He did it because he had to do it because there was no other weightclass, and you can’t deny a guy a way to make a living. But I would love to see him at 145. I can’t tell him where to go, but I can [expletive] heavily persuade him.” “We still have (Nate) Diaz and (Jim) Miller fighting on FOX,” White said. “That weight division is so stacked, and there’s so many guys in line. I have a lot of different feelings about the rematch. First and foremost, I feel like Frankie Edgar absolutely deserves one, seeing as how every fight this guy’s fought, he’s given everybody else a rematch. And I don’t want him to fight at 155 pounds. I want him to go to 145 and fight for that title. If we do give him a rematch, it clogs up – there’s other guys that are there waiting. It’s just a big mess, man. Controversy sucks. I like fights that are clean clear, we know who won.” “I don’t know. This whole thing’s a nightmare, and we’ll see what happens.” Dana White certainly has a dilemma on his hands, at least as long as Edgar wants to stay at 155. He has plenty of contenders to work with in the lightweight division, but no one to fight Jose Aldo in the featherweight division. I’m not necessarily opposed to Frankie getting an immediate rematch, but at the same time, I do want the division to keep moving, especially with a potentially awesome rematch between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis on the horizon. Which by the way is getting more interesting by the day as the tension continues to build. For instance, check out what Pettis’ manager just MMA Fighting. Apparently, Pettis is getting pretty fired up over those comments Bendo made about him not being first in line for his title. “He’s heard some stuff that Ben Henderson has said in the last couple days that really got under his skin,” he said. “Ben has said some things basically implying that Anthony is beneath him and he has to do all this stuff to work his way back to a title shot. He keeps referring to him like, ‘I see you. You’re doing big things. One day…’ And Anthony’s like, ‘Wait a minute. I just beat you over a year ago. I put your face on ESPN for a year and you’re talking like you’re so much ahead of me.’ It got under Anthony’s skin a little bit.” “Anthony was thinking, ‘Ben should want this rematch more than anything,’” he said. “He said if he would’ve lost like that, he would’ve wanted it. He’s perturbed because he just keeps implying that Anthony is so much beneath him. He respects the fact that he won the belt and Anthony was glad that he won the fight, but he’s a little perturbed that Ben keeps talking like Anthony is so far beneath him.” I’m not sure if that’s how Henderson meant it, but it sure came across that way. You can’t really blame Pettis for being upset about it. After all, he did decisively beat Henderson in their WEC title fight and capped it off with the most spectacular kick ever. And it’s not like so much time has passed that that fight doesn’t mean anything anymore. I’m not really sure who “deserves” the rematch more, Edgar or Pettis, but I do think there is something a little more alluring about Henderson-Pettis 2 than Henderson-Edgar 2. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

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UFC president Dana White made no secret of the fact that he and matchmaker Joe Silva both thought that Frankie Edgar beat Ben Henderson at UFC 144. He's also making no secret that Frankie Edgar "deserves" a rematch after he gave B.J. Penn an immediate rematch at UFC 118 after beating Penn at UFC 112. Edgar also gave Gray Maynard an immediate rematch at UFC 136 after the two men fought to a draw at UFC 125. But Dana is also a businessman and just as I predicted he isn't going to be giving Edgar an immediate rematch. Instead he is offering Edgar an immediate title shot against UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo at 145lbs. Here's Dana in his own words from last night's UFC on FX 2 press conference in Australia: "I feel like Frankie Edgar absolutely deserves a rematch [against Ben Henderson], seeing as how every time this guy has fought, he's given everyone else a rematch," he said. "Yet, I don't want him to fight at 155 pounds, I want him to go to 145 and fight for that title. And if we do give him a rematch, it clogs up [the division] -- there are other guys that are in line waiting and it's just a big mess." Transcribed by MMA Mania. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: ufc, dana, rematch, edgar, frankie edgar

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Following a close decision in the main event at UFC 144 between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, UFC President Dana White has been vocal about Edgar and his future. But it has not been about Edgar receiving a rematch. Instead, it has been about White’s desire to see Edgar drop to featherweight and fight at the weight class he feels Edgar is more suited for. During the UFC on FX 2 pre-fight press conference, White spoke at length concerning his desire for Edgar to move down. “This guy’s fighting with 155 pounders, guys that are cutting from 170 pounds plus, and they’re always so much bigger than him,” White said. “The guy has absolute wars and pulls out decisions that are so controversial every time.  I don’t want him at 155 pounds. I want him to go to 145 and fight for that title. Plus if we do give him a rematch, it clogs up…there’s other guys that are in line waiting. It’s just a big mess. Controversy sucks. I like fights that are clean, clear, we know who won.” Unfortunately for White, he has not received that often enough from Edgar over the past few years. Even though he won the title against BJ Penn in April 2010, Penn was given a rematch because of how close the first fight was. Edgar then fought Gray Maynard to a draw in January 2011, which forced another rematch for Edgar. While Edgar does not see the close decisions in Edgar’s fights as mistakes, it certainly is not making it any easier for him. “Normally when there is a bad decision, I’ll be the first guy to say it,” explained White. “But then there is a case like Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, where it was split down the middle, and so many people think one guy won and many think the other guy won. That’s always gonna happen. You’re gonna have those fights that are considered controversial. Sitting there that night, I thought Frankie Edgar won the fight. Lorenzo [Fertitta] flew back to Las Vegas and texted me that he re-watched the fight and thought Ben won the fight.” Concerning a third rematch in three years for Edgar, White is conflicted, stating “I have a lot of different feelings about the rematch. First and foremost, I feel like Frankie Edgar absolutely deserves one seeing as how every fight this guy’s fought, he’s given everybody else a rematch. ” But that does not mean White is not going to talk with Edgar and try and persuade the former lightweight champion to drop to featherweight. White knows he has an exciting title fight he could have at featherweight, and he is making it obvious how badly he wants to make it. “Frankie Edgar walks straight into a title shot [at featherweight],” White declared. “If I’m going to deny him the rematch for the 155-pound title, and I’m going to make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.’ Does that sound right? No.” For now, it seems Edgar is set on staying at lightweight, and is going to tell anyone that listens that he deserves a rematch with Henderson. But looking into what White has said over the past few days, it seems Edgar has a better chance of fighting for the title at 145 pounds than at 155 pounds. “I think Jose Aldo (current UFC featherweight champion) is awesome,” White said. “I think he’s pound for pound one of the best in the world. So is Frankie Edgar, and there’s nothing more fun than when guys are both at the same weight and go in there and fight.”

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"I WANT MY REMATCH!" Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar said it loud and proud earlier today, lobbying vociferously for a rematch against Ben Henderson. UFC President Dana White tonight responded during the UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" pre-fight press conference. And it's a pretty solid bet that Edgar's cauliflowered ears aren't going to be too thrilled to hear his latest statements. "I talked to him on the phone," said White. "I think everybody is pretty clear on what I would like to see him do -- I'd like to see him go down to his natural weight of 145 pounds." Edgar just dropped a five-round unanimous decision to "Smooth" in the UFC 144 main event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this past weekend, ending his nearly two-year stranglehold on the 155-pound division. However, during that span, "The Answer" only fought two guys, albeit in a total of four championship matches. He outpointed B.J. Penn at UFC 112 in April 2010 to win the belt, then defeated the "Prodigy" again in an immediate rematch four months later at UFC 118. Then Gray Maynard came calling, drilling Edgar from pillar to post in their bout at UFC 125 in Jan. 2011, coming about as close as possible to force an early stoppage as humanly possible. However, the Toms River, N.J., tough guy battled back against all odds to register a dreaded draw, which again sparked another immediate rematch (in this case a trilogy bout) with "The Bully." Edgar would once again prove all the skeptics wrong in their third encounter, scoring a technical knockout in round four after somehow surviving yet another punishing blitzkrieg in the opening frame. With all the controversy in the rear-view mirror, Edgar was finally able to focus on a fresh opponent, Henderson, a former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion, He, along with most of the lightweight division, held a huge size advantage over the 5'6" Edgar, and did significant damage over the course of the 25-minute fights. Edgar, as usual, absorbed the punishment, as well as fired back, bobbing, weaving and landing shots with solid frequency. However, the shots did little to no damage to Henderson and didn't do enough to impress the ringside judges, either. That's not to say it wasn't close -- White actually scored the fight in Edgar's favor on his unofficial scorecard and the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's matchmaker, Joe Silva, thought he won by a "landslide." Nonetheless, this is a business, one in which White feels he can't let his personal feelings mess with, even if Edgar has "earned" the chance based on his most recent rematch activity. "I feel like Frankie Edgar absolutely deserves a rematch [against Ben Henderson], seeing as how every time this guy has fought, he's given everyone else a rematch," he said. "Yet, I don't want him to fight at 155 pounds, I want him to go to 145 and fight for that title. And if we do give him a rematch, it clogs up [the division] -- there are other guys that are in line waiting and it's just a big mess." Those "guys" are most likely another former WEC champion, Anthony Pettis -- who already holds a recent (and very marketable) win over Henderson -- and Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, who will meet in the UFC on Fox 3 main event in May to likely determine the next title contender, or at the very least, the man who will face "Showtime" in an eliminator match. That actually wouldn't be a bad scenario to play out: Have Pettis wait for the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, while Edgar and Henderson rematch. The winners of each fight will then collide later this year. Everyone, well, at least Edgar, is happy. Then again, Edgar could win the rematch and a third, defining fight, against Henderson will be required. White simply doesn't want to travel down that road (again). "There is no doubt, when you talk about respecting a guy, I have so much respect for Frankie Edgar and what he's been able to do at 155 pounds because he had to -- because there wasn't a 145-pound division -- and he did it," said White. "I really like and respect Frankie Edgar as a human being -- take the whole fighting thing out of it. This guy belongs at 145 pounds. When you are a professional fighter, you have a small window of opportunity to compete and be a professional athlete. There are only so manuy wars you have in you. You can't have this long, amazing career fighting wars all the time. So, I don't know." The good news is that White is offering Edgar an immediate title shot against UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, who has actually expressed his desire to compete at 155 pounds in the near future. "Scarface" is on a ridiculous 14-fight win streak and has essentially cleared out the division. A fight against Edgar would certainly be the stiffest test of his promising career. "He will walk straight into a title shot, absolutely," White said of Edgar. "If I'm going to deny him the rematch for a 155-pound title and make him move to 145 pounds, and then say, 'Yeah, you're going to have to fight a couple fights to get the title,' does that sound right? No." The bad news is that aside from Aldo, and perhaps up-and-comers Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung, who are expected to meet in the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main event on May 15, 2012, the 145-pound talent cupboard is rather bare. It's far from ideal from Edgar's perspective in the long-term. What's more, the cache of being a featherweight champion versus a lightweight champion is significantly less, as well as the paydays and sponsorship opportunities. So, it's hard to blame Edgar for sticking to his guns, pushing back and requesting what he most likely should receive, which is at least one more chance to prove that he belongs in the lightweight division. Something that he apparently has not done yet in 12 appearances inside the Octagon, during which he has compiled a very impressive record (9-2-1). "Controversy sucks," White concluded. "I don't know what is going to happen in this situation. This whole thing is a nightmare." One that doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

Posted in: ufc, fight, pound, rematch, edgar

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To rematch or not rematch? When it comes to the UFC's convoluted title triangle of Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, and Dana White, that does appear to be the question. Days after UFC 144's controversial lightweight championship, the proverbial lines in the sand have been drawn. For his part, Edgar made his opinion clear when he atypically demanded a rematch on Wednesday's episode of The MMA Hour. Henderson, still reveling in his victory, remains open to any option. White, however, has a different perspective on the subject. Having finally resolved a two-year traffic jam in the 155-pound division, he would prefer Edgar to drop down to his natural weight class of 145 pounds, and he's willing to sweeten the pot to get him there. "Absolutely, (Edgar) walks straight into a title shot," White declared during Wednesday's UFC on FX 2 press conference. "If I'm going to deny him the rematch for the 155-pound title, and I'm going to make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you're gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.' Does that sound right? No." Of course, White's protests are nothing new. The UFC President has long desired Edgar at featherweight, but after a slew of championship performances, he ran short of visual evidence that lent credence to his claims. Even in the immediate aftermath of Saturday night, it appeared Edgar had again proven himself correct. Both White and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta said they scored the fight in favor of the former champion, though apparently that sentiment has now changed. "Sitting there that night, I thought Frankie Edgar won the fight. And then Lorenzo (Fertitta) flew back to Las Vegas. He texted me yesterday, said ‘I re-watched the fight,'" White revealed. "Ben won." Obviously Edgar vehemently disagrees, and he has steadfastly remained opposed to a fight against 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo. So with the lightweight division seemingly at an impasse, even White is unsure about where to go next. "That weight division is so stacked, and there's so many guys in line." he hesitantly explained. "I have a lot of different feeling about the rematch. First and foremost, I feel like Frankie Edgar absolutely deserves one, seeing as how every fight this guy's fought, he's given everybody else a rematch. "Yet, I don't want him to fight at 155-pounds. I want him to go to 145 and fight for that title. Plus if we do give him a rematch, it clogs up (the division). There's other guys that are in line waiting. It's a big mess." For now, White's unwillingness to put the division on hold appears to be most telling. Though, there could also be a surprising ulterior motive behind his wishes. One that lies not in Edgar's fighting ability, but with his long-term health and longevity. "This guy's fighting with 155-pounders, guys that are cutting from 170-plus, and they're always so much bigger than him. The guy has absolute wars and pulls out decisions that are so controversial every time," White concluded. "Take the whole fighting thing out of it, this guy belongs at 145-pounds. When you're a professional fighter, you have a small window of opportunity as it is to compete and be a professional athlete. There's only so many wars you have in you. You can't have this long amazing career fighting wars all the time, so I don't know. This whole thing is a nightmare and we'll see what happens."

Posted in: fight, title, guy, rematch, edgar

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In a predictable bit of noise following Frankie Edgar's loss of his UFC lightweight championship to Ben Henderson at UFC 144, fans and even UFC president Dana White called for Edgar to drop down to featherweight. Edgar is, after all, a relatively small lightweight, not cutting much weight at all to make the 155 pound limit. Edgar told MMA Fighting that he doesn't plan on it, and he wants a shot to get his belt back: "I think the rematch makes sense on several levels," he said. "Not only can UFC be good guys, I think I earned it. Economically, they've been investing money in me. I've been at the helm of this weight class for two years now. I think it just makes sense for them and obviously for me. Let's do it." ... "I'm staying at 155," he said. "This is where I'm at right now. I still feel like I got a run left. I still want that title back." ... "That [rematch] is what I want," he said. "I think it's right. I think i earned it. I'm not trying to put down Ben or any other contender, but I think I earned my spot to deserve this rematch." Edgar now sports a career mark of 14-2-1 with his only unavenged loss being the Henderson bout. White suggested after the fight that he felt Edgar won, so it's rather difficult to believe that Edgar doesn't "deserve" a rematch. It's just a matter of how soon he will be given one. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

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“I’m saying it, and I’m saying it loud: I want my rematch. I’m not going to have these antics or play these games. I’m telling you want I want. This is what I want. I think it’s fair. I think the fans want to see it. It was fight of the night. Listen, even if these guys want to see me get beat up, I do get beat up in a lot of my fights, even in the fights I win, so it’s win-win for everybody… I think the rematch makes sense on several levels. Not only can UFC be good guys, I think I earned it. Economically, they’ve been investing money in me. I’ve been at the helm of this weight class for two years now. I think it just makes sense for them and obviously for me. Let’s do it… That [rematch] is what I want. I think it’s right. I think i earned it. I’m not trying to put down Ben or any other contender, but I think I earned my spot to deserve this rematch.” — Frankie Edgar on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani loudly proclaiming he wants his rematch against Ben Henderson Well, if Frankie Edgar’s manager didn’t already make his intentions clear enough yesterday, Frankie sure did today. Even if you don’t agree with Edgar that he deserves a rematch, you at least have to respect his tenacity. The kid has already proved he’s a fighter inside the cage and it looks like he’s setting out to prove he’s one outside of it too. I’m definitely liking this fired up version of Frankie Edgar, but the question is if the will like it enough to give him the rematch? Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

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"I'm saying it, and I'm saying it loud: I want my rematch. I'm not going to have these antics or play these games. I'm telling you want I want. This is what I want. I think it's fair. I think the fans want to see it. It was fight of the night. Listen, even if these guys want to see me get beat up, I do get beat up in a lot of my fights, even in the fights I win, so it's win-win for everybody. I think the rematch makes sense on several levels. Not only can UFC be good guys, I think I earned it. Economically, they've been investing money in me. I've been at the helm of this weight class for two years now. I think it just makes sense for them and obviously for me. Let's do it." -- Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar tells MMAFighting.com -- all loud and proud, even -- that he wants a rematch against Ben Henderson and he wants it now. "The Answer" lost his 155-pound title to "Bendo" at the UFC 144 event this past Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, in a closely contested five-round showdown that saw the judges unanimously award the belt to Henderson. And while the Fight Metric report showed the judges got it right, statistically speaking, Edgar at the very least, has a solid case for a rematch. It was close enough that fans were split on who the rightful winner was and it was one hell of a scrap, good enough to earn "Fight of the Night" honors on a card packed with entertainment. Most importantly, though, Edgar wants the UFC to act in good faith. After all, he obliged them with rematches against B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard after close fights. Why can't they do the same for him? Surely the powers that be have visions of Anthony Pettis and the "Showtime Off the Wall" kick dancing in their heads, especially after he plastered Joe Lauzon at the same event Henderson beat Edgar. A rematch of Pettis and Henderson's awesome throwdown at WEC 53 in Dec. 2010 is almost too good to pass up, plus it's easy to promote. But -- and here's the kicker -- it would definitely mean turning a blind eye to Edgar's pleas. This seems like a good problem to have but it is a problem, Maniacs. How do they solve it? As Edgar asked at the UFC 144 post-fight press conference ... what's right?

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Halt any talk about Frankie Edgar moving down to the featherweight division. Fresh off his unanimous decision loss to Ben Henderson at UFC 144, the former lightweight champion says that he's staying right where he is, and that he wants an immediate rematch.Known for his soft-spoken style outside of the cage, Edgar made probably the most impassioned demand of his career in a Wednesday interview on The MMA Hour. After noting that he had given rematches to both Gray Maynard and BJ Penn, he said that he expects the same treatment after a close loss."I'm saying it, and I'm saying it loud: I want my rematch," he said. "I'm not going to have these antics or play these games. I'm telling you want I want. This is what I want. I think it's fair. I think the fans want to see it. It was fight of the night. Listen, even if these guys want to see me get beat up, I do get beat up in a lot of my fights, even in the fights I win, so it’s win-win for everybody." Just days after the conclusion of the bout though, Edgar has yet to hear anything yet from UFC brass regarding a return bout with Henderson. In the immediate aftermath of the event, UFC president Dana White seemed to indicate two things. First, that Henderson would likely defend his belt against Anthony Pettis in a bout that would be a rematch of their 2010 fight of the year. And second, that he would like Edgar to move down to 145 and face champion Jose Aldo.Edgar took exception with both.Though he acknowledged that Pettis' headkick knockout win against Joe Lauzon was impressive, he believes other factors weigh in his favor when it comes to a second fight."I think the rematch makes sense on several levels," he said. "Not only can UFC be good guys, I think I earned it. Economically, they’ve been investing money in me. I've been at the helm of this weight class for two years now. I think it just makes sense for them and obviously for me. Let’s do it."But even if the UFC decides to move on from Edgar and offer a title match to Pettis or another lightweight, Edgar says he has no plans to shift downward and cut weight for the first time in his career. He noted that in his fight with the much-bigger Henderson, he had no size issues, and out-wrestled him, taking him down five times according to FightMetric statistics.Additionally, fighting Aldo doesn't seem like a much better or easier proposition than facing the lightweight division's best. In Edgar's words, Aldo is also bigger than him, cutting more weight to get to 145 than Edgar does to make 155, so he'd still be at a size disadvantage. Because of that, he'd rather stay where he's at, comfortable in the division that he ruled for nearly two years."I’m staying at 155," he said. "This is where I’m at right now. I still feel like I got a run left. I still want that title back."Edgar didn't dismiss the possibility of eventually moving to the lower weight class, but said he would do it "on my own terms."When it comes to the actual fight, Edgar feels like he won three of the five rounds, giving himself the first, third and fifth. In addition, he felt like he easily could have been awarded the second, saying he was winning the round for four minutes and 50 seconds before Henderson landed a damaging upkick that seemed to change the fight's momentum.Four days afterward, he says the swelling around his left eye has subsided quite a bit and that he otherwise feels great physically. The remaining pain comes from knowing he may not get the opportunity he wants. But he's not going to 145, and he's not going away. Your move, UFC."That [rematch] is what I want," he said. "I think it’s right. I think i earned it. I’m not trying to put down Ben or any other contender, but I think I earned my spot to deserve this rematch."

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Don’t expect to see Frankie Edgar drop to featherweight anytime soon. Speaking to MMA Weekly, his manager Ali Abdel-Aziz made it clear that they are gunning for an immediate rematch with Ben Henderson before contemplating a move to 145. “Frankie deserves a rematch,” Abdel-Aziz told MMAWeekly.com. “We’re going to ask for a rematch. “I talked to Lorenzo (Fertitta) and he believes Frankie scored 3 to 2, Dana White scored Frankie winning the fight.” “Frankie in the future will go down to 145, but he’s not going to go down now, he’s not. He’s not getting manhandled, he’s not getting destroyed, he won the fight,” Abdel-Aziz stated. “Frankie’s not the type of guy to lose and then just cower and move to 145. This kid has so much heart and determination.” On one hand, Edgar really is better suited for featherweight. But on the other, he still managed to win the lightweight title and hold onto it for three straight fights. So while logic dictates that he should drop down to 145, who are we to tell Edgar that he doesn’t belong in a weight class that he was a reigning world champion in? Especially right after he lost said title in a close fight? I certainly can’t, so if he wants to stay at lightweight and prove once again that 155 is where he belongs, then I say he has every right to do so. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

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Because "The Spider's" takedown defense is "excellent." In fact, Sonnen "won't even touch him" if and when they finally hook 'em up in a 185-pound rematch, after first facing off at UFC 117 way back in August 2010. But don't take my word for it, when you can hear it from jiu-jitsu wizard Ronaldo Souza, who recently got a taste of Silva's gi-less grappling. "Jacare" talks to Tatame.com: "I believe that if he’s in good shape no one can beat him, especially Sonnen. Anderson has a black belt level at Jiu Jitsu. When he puts the gi on he does great. He can attack and defend himself well with no gi and, fighting MMA, no comments. But I believe that next time he won’t let Sonnen take him down. He has excellent takedown defense. Sonnen won’t even touch him." Sonnen had a 43-percent success rate against Silva when they first fought for the Brazilian's strap nearly 18 months ago, landing three takedowns in seven attempts. But it wasn't how many times he got him to the floor, it was what he did with him once there, that told the story. Silva struggled mightily across four-and-a-half rounds against Sonnen, who out-struck the striker by a staggering score of 320-64. In fact, he might have walked away with the belt had he not gotten careless and silver-plattered a triangle choke in the final minutes of the fight. Will history repeat itself in June? Sonnen's first fight back after running afoul of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) was a lopsided submission win over Brian Stann at UFC 136; however, his most recent performance against Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox 2, where he seemed unable to replicate his dominance in previous fights, left many fans wondering if he still has the chops to get it done in a Silva rematch. We know what Souza thinks. How about you?

Posted in: takedown, silva, rematch, sonnen, belt level

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The Lightweight belt was barely warm around Ben Henderson’s waist after he defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 last night (Feb. 25, 2012) in Saitama, Japan, before the question presented itself: "Who’s got next?" Timing is everything in deciding who gets the next title shot, and in the case of Anthony Pettis, his couldn’t have been better. And despite recent history, Edgar won’t be getting it, even though he granted B.J. Penn an immediate rematch after winning the belt. With a rousing knockout win over Joe Lauzon on the card, Pettis set the stage perfectly for a rematch of his epic decision over Henderson in Dec. 2010. That bout, the last in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) before the organization was folded into the Zuffa umbrella, was a five-round battle worthy of all the superlatives assigned it. Even without Pettis' dervish-like bounce-off-the-cage-and-kick-Henderson-in-the-face closing maneuver, it was one hell of a fight. With it, Pettis-Henderson became the stuff of legend, the perfect send-off for them and the WEC into their current home. Pettis displayed that kind of magnetism in dispatching Lauzon, with a bone-jarring kick to the head, which was prefaced by his quick hands on display prior to the finish. Ironically, if there’s anyone who deserves to cut in line to deny Edgar an immediate rematch, it’s Pettis. That’s because the former WEC champ was slotted to fight the winner of Edgar’s second fight with Gray Maynard in Jan. 2011, but since the pair fought to a draw, Pettis, unwilling to sit on the shelf for months, opted to debut in the UFC against the ever-tough Clay Guida. Held down and largely nullified en route to a decision loss, Pettis’ start in the organization wasn’t the title shot he’d been promised. Stuff happens that you can’t plan for, and he deserved a lot of credit for willingly stepping in against Guida, a fight with very little reward and a lot of risk. There was also the reasonable line of thought that if Pettis wasn’t good enough to best Guida, then he didn’t deserve a title shot to begin with, which is a standard that should applied to any fighter complaining about a shot that fell through because of injury or unforeseen circumstances (hereby known as "The Guida Rule"). But in mixed martial arts (MMA), you’re often only as good or bad as your last fight. And being in the right place at the right time means being positioned to take advantage of an opportunity. After Henderson’s outstanding showing in a terrific battle against Edgar, a rematch with Pettis is a natural. Edgar and his many fans may find it unsettling that Pettis -- a mere 2-1 in the UFC -- scoots ahead of the former champ, but there’s no reason he can’t keep busy against a solid contender himself. The Guida Rule applies there, too. Jason Probst can be reached at Jason@jasonprobst.com or twitter.com/jasonprobst.

Posted in: petti, rematch, shot, edgar, guida

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Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 Post Fight press conference calls for a rematch with Benson Henderson starting that he had to deal with two rematches of his own. Check out what Frankie Edgar had to say at the UFC 144 post-fight press conference in Japan…. [...]

Posted in: ufc, rematch, frankie edgar, frankie, benson henderson

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Fresh off an instant classic that saw the UFC lightweight title go from Frankie Edgar to Ben Henderson it appears a rematch is already in order. Unfortunately for Edgar, it appears that rematch will be Henderson facing off against the last man to defeat him, Anthony Pettis. UFC president Dana White endorsed Pettis during the post-fight conference by stating “I think he’s going to get it” when asked about Pettis’s chances of being Henderson’s next opponent. The two last battled at the WEC’s last card, WEC 53, in a fight that ranks among the best in MMA history. The back-and-forth battle between the two fighters was essentially clinched by the now infamous “Showtime Kick,” where Pettis sprung off the cage to throw a head kick that knocked down Henderson and sealed the fight for Pettis. Pettis then chose to forgo his title shot in favor of a fight with Clay Guida after a scheduled rematch between then-UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard had to be delayed due to injury. Pettis went on to lose the fight against Guida but has since rebounded with wins over Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens, putting him back into the title picture. While fans of the original WEC fight may be excited, there is one person who is less than thrilled about not receiving a rematch and that’s former champion Frankie Edgar.   Edgar came up short in Japan after an extremely close fight and believed he deserved a rematch. Edgar made his case at the post-fight press conference saying, “I don’t want to take anything away from Ben, he did a great job but I thought I won that fight. He came hard and I knew it was going to be a tough fight but I thought I did enough to win those rounds. I’m not trying to shoot anyone out of what they deserve but I had to do two immediate rematches, so what’s right?” While Edgar has a great point, it appears likely that Pettis will receive a rematch before him. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for more on this story and all your MMA needs. Pictured: Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson face off at WEC 53 weigh-in

Posted in: fight, petti, henderson, rematch, edgar

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Jake Shields is ready to restart things in 2012 with a win over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144, and then he might even go gunning for a rematch with Carlos Condit...

Posted in: ufc, shield, jake, rematch, yoshihiro akiyama

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A war of words is brewing between Melvin Guillard and Joe Lauzon… after their fight. It usually happens the other way around, but not this time. Guillard inadvertently started it when he told reporters he beat himself after Lauzon choked him out in 47 seconds at UFC 136. We hear that a lot from fighters, but in this instance, the person who won said wait a second, I’m pretty sure I’m the reason you lost that fight. “I keep seeing all these interviews where (Guillard) is like, ‘Oh, Joe didn’t beat me. I beat myself,’” Lauzon testily said. “No, I smacked you in the face with my fist, and you went down and I choked you. I’m pretty sure I’m taking credit for that.” Not exactly an untrue statement, but it set Guillard off anyways. Guillard went off on a rather lengthy tirade about Lauzon’s comments and respecting his fellow fighters. Ultimately, what it boiled down though is that Guillard wants a rematch. “The new me, I’m trying to be respectful and handle it the right way, but at this point right now I’m kind of fed up with it. The old me is about to come out on Joe Lauzon. He’s about to take Rich Clementi’s place of being that guy that I just don’t like,” Guillard said. “Right now, I’m looking to watch the fights in Japan and I’m praying that he loses to (Anthony) Pettis because I want a rematch against Joe Lauzon. I don’t want to fight nobody next but Joe Lauzon,” Guillard said. “I don’t even care how it goes, I just want to see Pettis win and I want an immediate rematch with Joe Lauzon. Hopefully, I can get that rematch by fourth of July in Vegas.” I’m not sure a rematch is really warranted even if Lauzon loses this weekend, but hey if Guillard thinks it was just a fluke and these guys have beef, then why not? I’m sure Joe wouldn’t mind proving it wasn’t as long as he doesn’t leave Japan with a title shot. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: joe, rematch, guillard, joe lauzon, lauzon

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"In the 10 losses I have in my MMA career, I haven't rematched anyone I've lost to. Not once, I've never really cared for rematches because I felt they won, now I'll move on. Right now, I'm at the point where this fight means something to me, I have something to prove against Joe Lauzon, so this is a rematch I'm asking for. Right now, I'm looking to watch the fights in Japan and I'm praying that he loses to (Anthony) Pettis because I want a rematch against Joe Lauzon. I don't want to fight nobody next but Joe Lauzon. I don't even care how it goes, I just want to see Pettis win and I want an immediate rematch with Joe Lauzon. Hopefully, I can get that rematch by fourth of July in Vegas." -- As if it wasn't enough for Joe Lauzon to rock and submit Melvin Guillard in just 47 seconds at UFC 136 last Oct. 8, 2011, in Houston, Texas, "J-Lau" also rubbed some salt in the wound by bagging on "The Young Assassin" via Twitter when he was choked out by Jim Miller in his very next fight. That, combined with some other assorted trash talk, has Guillard seeing red and eagerly awaiting the result of this Saturday night's (Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144 bout between Lauzon and Anthony Pettis. In the event the latter emerges victorious, Guillard has UFC matchmaker Joe Silva on speed dial and ready to annoy for a rematch, preferably by the Fourth of July weekend fight card in Las Vegas. That's what he tells MMAWeekly.com, anyway. He's not exactly in a good position to be asking for anything, considering he's lost two fights in a row, both by submission and both inside the first round. But a Lauzon loss would open up his dance card, so why not? Any Maniacs want to see Lauzon vs. Guillard part deux?

Posted in: fight, joe, rematch, joe lauzon, lauzon

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submitted by dp517 [link] [14 comments]

Posted in: rematch, melvin guillard, guillard, melvin, lauzon

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Posted in: jake, ellenberger, rematch, mattyblayze, doesnt

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Coming off his UFC on Fuel 1 win over Diego Sanchez, Jake Ellenberger would like a rematch with interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, rematch, condit, carlo

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Posted in: rematch, barry, ialsolovebee, tuesday, hype video

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The UFC still isn’t looking at doing a Condit-Ellenberger rematch, but it makes too much sense for plans not to change.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, isn ’t, lefko, conditellenberger rematch

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Last night (Feb. 15, 2012) in American's heartland, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger stepped inside the Octagon for the main event of the first-ever UFC on Fuel TV main event. Each knew a loss would stall their career for at the very least a year, while a loss meant they were no longer in the ambiguous zone Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White calls "in the mix." A loss meant they would likely go back to the undercard for at least one fight before getting the chance to headline again. But a win? A win would mean everything. Both fighters were coming off huge victories -- an incredible showing of heart on Sanchez's part against Martin Kampmann and a brutal knockout over perennial top five welterweight Jake Shields for Ellenberger -- and while each kept one eye on their UFC on Fuel TV opponent, the other gazed into a future that included a title shot. With Georges St. Pierre nursing a knee injury and on the shelf until late 2012, most title shot chatter revolved around newly crowned interim champion Carlos Condit, a man who both headliners have ample history with. "The Dream" was born and raised in the same city and is a longtime training partner of "The Natural Born Killer." Ellenberger made his Octagon debut against Condit as a late replacement, filling in for an injured Chris Lytle and nearly handed the Greg Jackson-trained fighter his second straight loss that night in Oklahoma City. Both knew a showdown with Condit would be a possibility if their hand was raised in Omaha, Neb., last night. And when it was "The Juggernaut's" name called after three rounds of action, he didn't call out the interim champ, but he didn't exactly shrug off the suggestion of a rematch. The time is now, UFC: give us Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger 2 for the interim welterweight title. Ellenberger has stepped inside the Octagon seven times and has won six. Tonight he beat a longtime contender in Sanchez and last September "The Juggernaut" did in less than a minute what "Rush" couldn't do in 25: finish Jake Shields. The only time the Omaha native has tasted defeated was in his UFC debut against Condit. In that fight, the New Mexico native survived an early scare but managed to come back in the second and third rounds to take the decision. In losing, Ellenberger impressed almost as much as he would have had he pulled out the win. Over two years later, "The Juggernaut" is sitting on a six fight win streak while Condit is sitting at home with 12 pounds of gold. The only other man it would make sense for "The Natural Born Killer" to step inside the Octagon with is injured and unavailable for another 10 months so why not book a rematch between the two fighters? The post-fight coverage on Fuel mainly centered around the prospect with just about every commentator voicing their approval of a rematch. Analysts Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani along with middleweight fighter Brian Stann all said in unison: book the fight. Each pay-per-view (PPV) event up to UFC 148 has a main event. Next week Frankie Edgar takes on Ben Henderson in Japan while UFC 145 invades Atlanta with a headliner of Jon Jones taking on Rashad Evans. The next event will likely be Junior Dos Santos defending his heavyweight title against Alistair Overeem which is rumored to be followed by another card in Brazil with the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen rematch topping the bill. The annual Fourth of July card will be headlined by The Ultimate Fighter on FX coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber which leaves an August PPV prime and ready to be headlined by an interim welterweight title bout. This isn't merely a suggestion or playing the part of Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. This is a plea. The UFC must book this fight in August and allow the winner to take on St. Pierre in December four months later. The timing is almost too perfect; it's as if the mixed martial arts (MMA) goods are willing this plan forward. Condit is too good of a fighter to sit on the sidelines for 10 months. This rematch is too good not to happen. Pull the trigger, UFC.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, rematch, condit

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If Jake Ellenberger got his wish, his next fight would be a rematch with Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight title.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, jake, rematch, carlos condit, carlo

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One of the biggest rematches in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen for the middleweight title, is supposed to go down in June in Brazil. Or at least that's what UFC President Dana White said. Sonnen, however, is singing a different tune, at least in the official sense. He says he hasn't actually been offered the fight, though he's proceeding as if it's going to happen: "I have not even been offered the fight. I've read in the media that I'm going to have the fight. I'm telling people that I have the fight, but the reality is I've never been offered it." Unofficial fight is unofficial. Got it. "The Spider," meanwhile, is approaching this with the same attitude, albeit for differing reasons. His opinion is that Sonnen doesn't even deserve the rematch but after all the garbage he's spewed, he's ready to get inside the Octagon and settle it once and for all. "In my opinion, Chael doesn't deserve a rematch, but I'm ready for this fight," Silva told the LA Times. "I'll go back to my home, with my family, remembering Chael disrespects the people of Brazil, and start my focus on this fight." The first meeting between these two elite middleweights took place all the way back in Aug. 2010 in Oakland, Calif., at UFC 117, a five-round classic that saw Sonnen back up his big talk by beating down the champion for four and a half rounds. Then he got caught in a triangle/armbar submission and was forced to tap with just minutes remaining. The thrilling finish had fans the world over clamoring for a rematch to see if Sonnen could finish what he started. Silva, feeling as though the result was definitive, wasn't on board with said plan. Outside problems -- like failed drug tests, money laundering and the link -- got in the way but that's all been settled now. And we can finally see the end of one of the best feuds in UFC history. You know, whenever they get around to sending out contracts, signing on the dotted line, crossing the t's and dotting the i's, to make it officially official.

Posted in: ufc, fight, rematch, sonnen, chael

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Throughout all the drama surrounding Nick Diaz’ failed drug test, Carlos Condit has remained somewhat silent, but now his thoughts are coming to the surface. Condit opened up to Sports Illustrated about Diaz testing positive for marijuana following their controversial fight. I don’t care. The thing about it is, it’s something they test for. It’s against the Nevada [State] Athletic Commission [rules]. I don’t really consider it to be a performance-enhancing drug, but the fact is, they’re testing for it. And you know they’re testing for it. Whatever you do in between camps, if you know they’re testing for this stuff then you’ve got to figure something out. In the past, he’s said, ‘Oh, I can smoke and I can pass these tests no problem.’ That attitude kind of came back and bit him in the ass. Condit may not care about Diaz having marijuana in his system, but he does care about how it affects his own immediate future. Condit explained that he actually wanted the rematch after realizing how big the fight would be. “So I called [Dana White],” Condit said. “…We talked about [the fight] a little bit. He said he thought that I won, but at the same time a lot of people were calling for the rematch and it would be a huge fight. The day before I had told my manager that I’d be into a rematch, and I told Dana White the same thing. I said I’m down. Let’s just figure out the details and we’ll do it.” “I don’t think I need the rematch. I won the fight; I think I’d win a rematch. But the thing about it is, I want to be in big fights, fights where there’s a lot of buzz, a lot of people wanting to see the fight, and a rematch with Nick Diaz fits the bill.” It’s all a moot point now for Carlos Condit. He has the interim belt and will move on with his career. That’s not the case for Nick Diaz though. He’ll spend the foreseeable future dealing with this issue with the NSAC and his manager Cesar Gracie may not be helping his cause. Gracie admitted on The MMA Hour yesterday that he was fully aware the Nick had smoked marijuana, but he and Nick both thought he [Nick] had taken the right steps to basically fool the drug test. He claims Diaz has a “ritual” he goes through to detoxify his body prior to taking the test. From what Gracie says, it doesn’t sound like Nick did anything different than my old dorm buddies that had to fool the drug test to get hired at Subway. The ritual seems simple: drink a lot of water and sweat. He was surprised he tested positive. He does the same ritual every fight for the last five years. He stops it in time and he cleanses his system, works out like crazy, drinks a lot of water and purges his system of it. This seems like an instance it would have been better to just say nothing. What has Gracie said that was even worth saying? He says he knew (I admit we all knew.) one of his fighters was getting high. Knowing Dana’s history with black listing pretty much anything that pisses him off, I’m not sure why Gracie would even come out and say this. I get that Diaz has the medical card; we all do. It just seems foolish to me to admit you know your fighters are, for lack of a better way of saying it, breaking the rules. I really doubt that Dana will ban Diaz, as he does have a lot of star power behind him. Plus, Dana hasn’t even hinted at it, but that’s never a side of the fence anybody involved with The UFC should ever even consider visiting. Diaz’ full disciplinary action is expected to be handed down soon, and the early signs tend to suggest Diaz will fight the result or at least shoot for a shortened suspension, as he has hired attorney Ross Goodman. Image via Esther Lin for Strikeforce/Showtime

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, rematch, test

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It's kinda a moot point at this moment, but for the record Carlos Condit would like you to know he was going to take that Nick Diaz rematch. Here he is telling Sports Illustrated about his conversation with Dana: "So I called him," Condit said. "...We talked about [the fight] a little bit. He said he thought that I won, but at the same time a lot of people were calling for the rematch and it would be a huge fight. The day before I had told my manager that I'd be into a rematch, and I told Dana White the same thing. I said I'm down. Let's just figure out the details and we'll do it."Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, had sounded considerably less enthusiastic about a rematch the day before, telling MMAFighting.com that it was "not something we're looking to do," but to Condit, it made sense. Even after going home and watching the fight on tape he felt he'd earned the decision, he said, "but I could see how it was somewhat of a controversial decision. It was close."So he told White he'd do it. And why not? As he explained, "I don't think I need the rematch. I won the fight; I think I'd win a rematch. But the thing about it is, I want to be in big fights, fights where there's a lot of buzz, a lot of people wanting to see the fight, and a rematch with Nick Diaz fits the bill." There's ton's of reasons why not. But it seems like Carlos Condit will do anything the bosses ask of him. Give up a title shot? Okay. Give it up again and rematch the guy you just beat? Okay. Give Zuffa brass oral pleasure? Okay. This just goes to show you why managers are supposed to take these kinds of calls. And why the UFC pulls a runaround on them.

Posted in: fight, title shot, rematch, condit, carlos condit

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Interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit refuted Monday a recent claim from the "Diaz Brothers" Twitter account that he accepted a rematch against Nick Diaz only after learning of Diaz’s drug test failure. On the contrary, Condit, speaking to host Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, said he’s disappointed that Diaz tested positive for marijuana following their UFC 143 fight since it jeopardizes a potential rematch. Condit on the night of the fight felt he dominated and won a well-deserved decision. But after watching it on tape, he reconsidered that the fight could have gone either way and since it was so close, "I was looking forward to doing it again," Condit said. Condit recalls receiving a phone call Tuesday morning from UFC president Dana White."We talked about a rematch," Condit said. "It’s a fight a lot of people want to see. And I agreed with him. After the criticism and flack I took, I was motivated to shut people up." Condit told White he'd "love" a rematch, but received another phone call that evening from White, this time informing him of Diaz's drug test failure.Feedback from the fight has been across the board and Condit admits he's new to the criticism, as he feels he usually wins over the crowd by the end of the night. "Whether you’re a fan of my opponent or a fan of me, after the fight, I’m [generally] a fan favorite," he said.After heavy promotion for an exciting finish, Condit won by unanimous decision, the second time in his 28 wins where he did not finish with a (T)KO or a submission. He acknowledges he might have won some fans at UFC 143, but also lost some fans."It’s been a process dealing with all the criticisms and even the praise," Condit said. "The thing about it is, most of these people, for the most part, they don’t care about me. They don’t care whether I get knocked out, whether I win the fight. They want to be entertained." Condit said he had to fight the way he did to win and is proud of the way he implemented his team's gameplan of constant movement to avoid wild exchanges with Diaz."I thought I fought a damn good fight," he said.It remains uncertain the extent Diaz will be disciplined. But if Diaz is available to fight and if Georges St-Pierre takes longer to recover than anticipated, Condit's up for another five rounds with the former Strikeforce champ."I’m in this game to fight big fights and to fight the best in the world," Condit said. "Nick’s one of the best in the world. It’s something the fans would like to see. I’m willing to give Nick a rematch."

Posted in: fight, diaz, fan, rematch, condit

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Nick Diaz may have urinated into a cup and destroyed his income potential for the next twelve months, but this article isn’t about that.  No, it’s about how, if the UFC had made an immediate rematch between Diaz and Carlos Condit – so soon after their UFC 143 scrap that the Stockton native’s marijuana-infused piss was likely still warm as it sat on a shelf in the lab – that it would’ve been bad.  “Bad” as in, pointless.  “Bad” as in, disingenuous.  “Bad” as in, please, Dana White, give us a freakin’ break. When Diaz spent five rounds chasing after an elusive Condit for the interim welterweight title, unable to unload his patented (and it really is patented – I checked with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia) barrage of Pitter-Patter Punches of Doom ™, a few things were proven to the world.  First, that, unlike those before him, Condit had devised a foolproof plan to avoid getting destroyed, and he was more than able to stick to it.  Second, that when faced with an opponent he couldn’t trap against the cage or taunt and insult into standing and trading, Diaz didn’t have the wherewithal to change it up and shoot for takedowns (maybe he was too high?).  And third, no matter how much Diaz chases someone around the cage and puts his triathlon experience to good use, that mileage is not going to count towards any kind of love on the judges’ scorecards.  This is all stuff that we learned on Saturday night, when we were promised nonstop, pulse-pounding action and instead got a big dose of “I eschewed Dungeons & Dragons night for this?!” Then there’s the little fact that, if, by hook or by crook, Diaz had won the decision, talk of an immediate rematch would’ve been shushed with a quickness.  Because why the hell would the UFC want to upset the best laid plans of mice and men, plans they’d laid out that involved the “villainous” Diaz taking on the “heroic” Georges St. Pierre with a fair amount of pay-per-view cheese (i.e., dollars) for everyone?  The answer is, no way would the UFC want that.  Diaz vs. St. Pierre was the money match all have been clamoring for, and if a razor-thin decision in favor of the Stockton Bongmaster was what it took to make it happen, so be it.  But once Condit got the maddening decision nod, then came the talk – talk that gravitated towards White practically assuring us this was something the fans wanted, and that it was just about a done deal.  Phooey on that.  The UFC wanted to milk a rematch, and hopefully get the Diaz/St. Pierre matchup back on track.  What fans (myself included) wanted after UFC 143 was over was their money back. Which leads us to the last point of this discussion, the “give us a freakin’ break” part of why Diaz vs. Condit II would’ve been bad.  When BJ Penn lost the decision to Frankie Edgar the first time around (at UFC 112), the Hawaiian got an immediate mulligan (at UFC 118).  Sure, there was likely a rematch clause somewhere in Penn’s contract that was the impetus behind the redo, but so what?  We got a rematch between Penn and Edgar, and the second time around the wrestler from New Jersey beat Penn even worse than before.  Think we want to see Condit do the five-round Riverdance with Diaz?  No way.  Give us – all of us, including Diaz and Condit – a break.  Diaz lost, let’s move on with our lives. In a way, it’s good that Diaz put his fate in the hands of a bag full of Chronic and smoked his career like some cheap Skunk Weed.  At least this way, it’s out of White and the UFC’s control.  Now Diaz’s rematch with Condit doesn’t get to happen until the Nevada State Athletic Commission is done blazing.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, way, rematch, condit

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission has confirmed that someone from this past Saturday’s UFC 143 event in Las Vegas has tested positive for a banned substance, but will not confirm who it was or what drug they tested positive for until later today. “Thank you for the many email and phone calls. I am still waiting for all the steroid and drug test results to come back. We did have at least one positive test. I will send out an email later today on that matter,” NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer said in an email. The UFC 143 main event saw Carlos Condit narrowly outpoint Nick Diaz to win the interim welterweight title and earn a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre. On Tuesday night, a rematch was reportedly in the works, but by Wednesday, Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, said “there is not going to be a rematch” without going into details. The reason for the cancellation of the rematch has yet to be announced. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of the UFC 143 drug test results once they are released.

Posted in: ufc, las vegas, rematch, test, drug

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Remember yesterday how we kinda sorta reported that there'd be an immediate Diaz / Condit rematch? Yeeaaaaah, about that. Diaz's manager/trainer, Cesar Gracie, told MMAJunkie.com Wednesday that there will be no rematch with Condit. Gracie would not offer the website any more information about the matter. But Gracie was a bit more definitive when contacted by ESPN.com."Yeah, I said that (there will be no rematch). But that's all I can say," Gracie said. "I can't say anything else. I can't do anything."Quote that if you want to. There is not going to be a rematch. Other than that, that's all I can say." Well what the hell does that mean? There's a rumor floating around twitter that Nick failed a UFC 143 drug test for *gasp* marijuana, and that makes sense since it's been way too long since that bag has bit him in the ass. But there's also the chance that he was super cereal about that retirement thing, and he doesn't care if some whack-ass bitches are offering him a stupid rematch for a fight he already f*cking won.Both possibilities fall under the much broader 'Nick Diaz is a crazy person' umbrella, from which pretty much any scenario could be possible. Nick Diaz cut his hand badly on a ninja star. Nick Diaz is moving to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Nick Diaz threw a glass bottle at a 14 year old. Nick Diaz has whatever Gina Carano had. All totally possible because Nick Diaz is Nick Diaz. But yeah, my money is on that weed thing.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, rematch, i cant

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Cesar Gracie is either a marketing genius or Nick Diaz is serious about this whole retirement thing. Either way, no one really appears to know what's going on. So while the UFC treads water in welterweight limbo, catch up on everything else MMA has to offer with the Morning Report. 5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY Cesar Gracie says Diaz vs. Condit rematch not happening. "There will be no rematch," Gracie revealed. "I can't do anything. Quote that if you want to." Dustin Poirier and Korean Zombie spar on Twitter. Two of the UFC's fastest rising featherweights appear to be on a collision course after exchanging jabs online. Top-10 welterweights: Carlos Condit creeps up on GSP. In light of the ongoing Condit-Diaz drama, Michel David Smith runs down the top-10 for MMA's 170-pound division. Cung Le tops UFC Twitter bonuses. Zuffa's quarterly Twitter awards feel slightly less Brazilian this time around. Ronda Rousey interview. Ariel Helwani talks to Rousey about her newfound stardom, psychological warfare, and Miesha Tate's grappling credentials. YESTERDAY'S MEDIA GUMBO Alistair Overeem is good at many things, but using those monstrous Dutch hands to unsnap bra straps is apparently not among them. Fairly SFW, but use your best judgement. (HT: Reddit) Our own Luke Thomas examines whether Nick Diaz was robbed at UFC 143. A look back to when Jake Ellenberger was barely "The Juggernaut" and Dan Henderson was "Hollywood." Anderson Silva lands almost every shot on a sparring partner while Freddie Roach tosses advice from the corner. UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste strips down in this (somewhat SFW) photo shoot with Complex Magazine. UFC President Dana White rips the athletic commissions in his inaugural presidential address. Looks like we'll see Cung Le in action at least one more time. "@T_Webb_31: Cung Le any chance we see you back in the @ufc :) a thank you to your fans perhaps" that's my plans this year! — Cung Le (@CungLe185) February 8, 2012 K.J. Noons, keeping it real. Fighters get instant rematches if you cry like a baby. Can I get rematch too w diaz if i cry like a b***h? @danawhite @lorenzofertitta @ufc — KJ Noons (@kjnoons) February 8, 2012 Someone is a little bitter. Breaking news! Giselle purchases the Giants. Brandon Jacobs gets fired. — Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) February 8, 2012 I'm sure Kenny would disagree with you there. Peyton > Eli...there I said it, been wanting to get that off my chest... — Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) February 8, 2012 Chael wastes no time coming out swinging. When I want your advice I'll beat it out of you, Stupid. Now go back to singing to hamburgers and telling Segal he's legit. — chael sonnen (@sonnench) February 8, 2012 FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Here's what was announced yesterday (Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012): UFC on FX 3: Igor Pokrajac (24-8) in against Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC) Bellator 64: Ben Askren (9-0) vs. Douglas Lima (21-4) Bellator 64: Season Six featherweight semifinals, match-ups TBD Bellator 64: Chris Horodecki (18-3-1) vs. TBA Worldwide MMA: Karo Parisyan (19-8, 1 NC) vs. Dave Menne (45-16-2); Lyle Beerbohm (16-2) vs. Jamie Varner (18-6-1, 2 NC); Drew Fickett (41-16) vs. Kevin Knabjian (12-6-1), according to Cagepotato FANPOST OF THE DAY Today's FPOTD belongs to BE reader Monte Fisto: Diaz v. Condit and the Rule of 'Trembling Shock.' A blow that lands with trembling shock is a blow that moves the target: stops them in their tracks, snaps their head back, knocks the wind out of them, etc. As someone who has scored competitions, I was looking for blows that would damage an unprotected opponent (or even better, those that actually managed to damage a protected opponent). ... What I saw in that fight was Nick Diaz -- especially in the first two rounds, and even, to some extent in the third -- repeatedly landing "trembling shock" blows (both to the body and head) and Condit landing very, very few comparable shots (he started to pop a few off in the third and especially the fourth). Found something entertaining, brutal, or just plain bizarre for the Morning Report? Send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, vs, rematch, cung

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UFC welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit are only four days removed from their headlining fight at UFC 143 yet for some it may feel like four weeks based on the amount of debate surrounding the closely-contested bout and on-again, off-again nature of a potential rematch between the two. Things appeared to have come to a head on Tuesday night when UFC President Dana White announced Condit-Diaz would be fighting again. However, as life often shows, things are unfortunately not always what they seem. According to Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s manager/trainer, a second scrap will not happen anytime soon if at all. GSP Willing to Forfeit Title to Face Diaz Gracie confirmed his belief to both MMAJunkie and MMAWeekly on Wednesday though opted not to give specifics as to his reasoning. White has not commented since his original remarks on the rematch taking place. Discussion surrounding an immediate re-pairing of the two surfaced shortly after the controversial decision was read on Saturday night. Many viewers felt Diaz had been robbed after actively pursuing a constantly moving Condit while Diaz was so disgusted with the scoring he announced his impromptu retirement from MMA. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, diaz, rematch, carlos condit, tuesday night

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The roller-coaster ride of the proposed rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz continues as now word has surfaced saying it is no longer a go, at least according to Diaz’s head trainer Cesar Gracie. UFC President Dana White recently reported an immediate rematch between Diaz and current UFC interim welterweight champion Condit would be scheduled to take place before Georges St. Pierre returned from injury. Just as quickly as the rematch was reported, rumors started that someone from either Diaz or Condit had decided against the bout. According to a report by MMAJunkie it may have been Gracie himself who nixed things though he did not offer much more than to say the match would not go down, leaving those around the MMA world to sit and wonder. Gracie’s comments are just the latest in a string of twists and turns surrounding the scrap. Condit is still expected to be in Las Vegas on Friday to meet with White. Until then fans will continue to have to wait and see what happens next if anything at all. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, diaz, rematch, condit, gracie

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On Tuesday night it looked like we would see a rematch between the UFC 143 main event competitors Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit as UFC President Dana White tweeted that evening that Condit had agreed to face Diaz in a rematch, defending the interim UFC welterweight title he captured when he took the unanimous decision victory from Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Today any chance of an immediate rematch went up in smoke when the Nevada State Athletic Commission released the news that Diaz had

Posted in: ufc, diaz, rematch, decision victory, face diaz

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And you can quote him. The Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit rematch that UFC President Dana White had tweeted was basically a done deal with just a contract signing left on the agenda is now off the table, at least if we're to believe Cesar Gracie. Diaz's manager told ESPN.com that the rematch is off. But he won't say why: "Yeah, I said that (there will be no rematch). But that's all I can say. I can't say anything else. I can't do anything. Quote that if you want to. There is not going to be a rematch. Other than that, that's all I can say." Details are sketchy and nearly all information surrounding exactly what's going on is speculation at best but something is certainly up. Where there's smoke, there's fire (maybe literally, in this case) and it likely won't be long until we get official word as to exactly what's happened. Until then, feel free to give us your best guess as to exactly just what the heck is going on around here.

Posted in: diaz, rematch, i cant, official word, cesar gracie

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Just as quickly as the saga twisted from no rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz to the rematch being agreed to, the plot thickens and the rematch is once again off the table.

Posted in: nick diaz, rematch, carlos condit, cesar gracie, rematch ’

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By now you should know that Nick Diaz is not retiring and Carlos Condit's next fight will not be against Georges St. Pierre. Instead, a rematch has been booked with the papers set to be signed and the bout officially announced this Friday (Feb. 10, 2012). We don't know when and we don't know where but we do know that it's happening. And according to UFC President Dana White, "Carlos wanted it." This seems like an odd declaration, especially considering the fact that Condit's representatives were absolutely singing a different tune in the immediate aftermath of the UFC 143 main event this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were saying Condit was going to wait for St. Pierre to get healthy because why risk losing out on the shot to unify the titles? After all, they felt the result of the first fight was definitive. There are plenty who disagree, including Diaz, of course, but his entire camp, as well. That includes Cesar Gracie, never one to mince words and a guy we can always count on for a sound byte or two. He campaigned publicly for a rematch, rallying the Stockton troops and social media blasting those with influence enough to make a rematch come to reality. And now it's happened. Unfortunately, this may be sending the wrong message, in more ways than one. Before Diaz vs. Condit 1, Dana White had been saying that St. Pierre's rehabbing was so far ahead of pace that he could return in the summer and he would have no problem making the fight between Diaz and the welterweight champ at that time. Then Condit spoiled the party, just like he said he would, and suddenly St. Pierre's injury is still bugging him and he re-injured his knee jumping up watching UFC 143 and now he's still going to be out until late this year. Uh-huh. Because of the promotional tactics employed in the lead-up to Diaz vs. Condit, we can safely assume that the powers that be wanted Diaz to win the fight. Who can blame them? With Georges St. Pierre showing some fire we haven't seen from him since the Matt Serra rematch, hype was building to a fever pitch for GSP vs. Diaz, the good guy vs. the bad guy. With Brock Lesnar retired, this would have been the UFC's best -- and likely only -- chance to have a pay-per-view crack the million buy mark. But Condit screwed that up by teaming up with Greg Jackson to create a strategy that Diaz had no clue how to deal with. A strategy fans the world over despised and decried for its lack of action. "The Natural Born Killer" has made his name by being just that, a man who brutalizes his opponents before finishing them off with no prejudice. Not a guy who "runs away from a fight" and "plays the game" just to "win on points." So when that happened, fans revolted and Diaz took his ball and went home. This, of course, put the UFC in a highly undesirable position. A 28-year-old potential superstar had just quit, a championship bout they wanted to put together disappeared into thin air, the guy who took said superstars place is getting smeared in the media (both by pundits and even fellow fighters), and the champion on the sidelines, St. Pierre, is apparently saying he'll give up his title just to fight the superstar who just quit. Creative solution? Rematch. This sets a dangerous precedent, though. Essentially, it's the UFC admitting that the outcome of the first fight was not what they desired and they're making the fight again in the hopes they get what they originally hoped for. It would be naive to think otherwise. Dana White himself admitted to scoring the fight for Condit and feeling as though there was no controversy. And really, that's the only reason to make an immediate rematch of this nature, if the result of the first fight wasn't definitive. The good news for UFC is they can make the argument that it wasn't, even though the mouthpiece of the organization said it was. The other issue with making this immediate rematch is the UFC has now become the parent who caved to the crying child that didn't get his way. After losing to Condit, Diaz went from a bad boy boxer to an immature fighter and stomped off in a huff, proclaiming he was done. Now that UFC has come calling with the promise of a rematch to make it all better, what does that say to the rest of the talent on the roster? That if you cry long enough and hard enough -- and find a little bit of support from an online community that adores you -- you'll get your way. Tsk-tsk. As our friend Zach Arnold at FightOpinion.com opined, we're basically being asked to forget the outcome of the first fight. But now that the rematch has been made, it raises a simple question Arnold touched on: I understand why Carlos Condit wouldn't mind a rematch with Nick Diaz - because he thinks he can beat him again. I understand why Nick Diaz wants a rematch. What I don't see is how the rematch is going to produce a dramatically different outcome unless Condit gives up the Greg Jackson counter-strategy that we saw at UFC 143 and decides to go for broke in order for Nick to have a better chance to knock him out. So, if you hated the outcome of the first fight and the way the judges scored it, what makes you inclined to believe that you want to see the rematch if the fans were bored with the way the fight played out the first time? And therein lies the rub. What on Earth makes anyone think a rematch will look any different? What information do we have to make us believe Diaz will come with a dramatically different game plan, one good enough to counteract the game plan Condit will surely resurrect? The biggest criticism of Diaz throughout his career has been his inability to adjust. Indeed, instead of figuring out the best strategy to defeat what Condit was doing in the first fight -- even something as simple as using footwork to cut off the cage to force exchanges -- Diaz threw his hands up and started trash talking in the hopes that would coax his opponent into engaging on his terms. When that didn't happen and he lost, he quit. Unless he suddenly becomes a different person by the time they step inside the cage to do it again, we're likely looking at five more rounds of the same thing we witnessed at UFC 143. Who knows, maybe this time the judges feel the pressure and side with Diaz. But if it's another close decision would they do a third bout? Sadly, the feeling is that if Condit wins, it will be considered. If Diaz wins, he'll move on straight to St. Pierre, no matter how he gets there. Is the wrong message being sent here? Yes. Will it matter to MMA fans? I doubt it. Am I wrong?

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, rematch, condit

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Almost as soon as it seemed a reality, a rematch between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit is not happening. When contacted today by MMAjunkie.com, Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said "no" when asked if a rematch recently announced is a reality. He declined further comment. UFC president Dana White issued a tweet late Tuesday that said Condit had accepted a rematch with Diaz and was headed to Las Vegas on Friday, presumably, to finalize a contract for the fight.

Posted in: diaz, las vegas, rematch, condit, cesar gracie

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A rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz appears to be off just hours after UFC President Dana White said Condit had agreed to face Diaz again despite narrowly outpointing him this past Saturday at UFC 143 to win the interim welterweight title and a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre. Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, told The MMA Show this afternoon that he believes the rematch won’t take place and promised on Twitter that “everything will be out soon.” Meanwhile, Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, told The MMA Show that as far as he knew a rematch was still in the works, but if it was off it was on Diaz’s side. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for further updates on this breaking news… Pictured: Nick Diaz

Posted in: diaz, rematch, condit, carlos condit, mma show

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After the Condit / Diaz fight on Saturday night, Dana White teased us with a quote where he said Condit / Diaz 2 could happen immediately, but both guys would 'really have to want that fight.' Between Nick 'retiring' and Carlos not being stupid, that didn't seem very likely. Add in all the chatter from everyone and I had an immediate rematch on par with a snowball's chances in hell. From Lorenzo Fertitta: Just spoke to @lorenzofertitta. He said @CarlosCondit has definitely earned title shot/right to wait for GSP. No rematch. @lorenzofertitta told me GSP was upset and wanted him to make rematch but he said, "I can't do that to Carlos." From Condit's management Malki Kawa: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner." From Condit himself: "I'd give Nick Diaz a rematch. Just maybe not right away." And now the only evidence you need that a rematch is indeed going to happen: Dana White's twitter. the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. With that, we are apparently getting Condit / Diaz 2. This is the second time the UFC has called Carlos Condit up and asked him to do something incredibly stupid for them. The first time is when they asked him to step aside so Nick Diaz and GSP could fight. Now they're asking him to step up again ... in the hopes that Nick Diaz and GSP can still fight. I'm one of those people who thought Diaz won rounds 1, 2, and 5, but I don't know about this. What's the point of #1 contender fights if they get redone whenever 'the wrong guy' wins?There are a lot of reasons this fight makes sense though. The entire world is split down the middle between fighters as to who really won. Stats point to Condit edging Diaz on strikes, but as Hitler would say "Diaz doesn't give a sh*t about pussy ass kicks!" Georges ain't doing nothing til November and it's not like there's another welterweight contender out there looking super-sayan that Condit just has to fight. So ... are you excited about Condit / Diaz 2? Or are you looking forward to Condit / Diaz 3, 4, or maybe 5? However many til the UFC gets the results they want.

Posted in: fight, diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

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New UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit has accepted the challenge from Nick Diaz for a rematch, according to president Dana White.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, president dana

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New UFC interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit has accepted the challenge from Nick Diaz for a rematch, according to president Dana White.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, president dana

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That didn't take long. The fallout from Saturday's UFC 143 main event between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz now will apparently include a rematch.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick diaz, rematch, carlos condit

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Seriously everytime I log on to /r/mma or sherdog, its all talk about how nick lost that fight and doesn't deserve a rematch. As soon as that decision was announced I new there would be a rematch because the fans were robbed a good fight. Everybody is bitching about Nick Diaz way more than I see Diaz "nuthuggers" claiming he whined his way into a rematch. When the biggest names in the sport all say it was Diaz's fight you really think that the judges really made the right decision? I mean come on 2 of them scored it 49-46, giving only rd 3 to Diaz. Nobody even doubts Condit won rd 3, its 1,2 and 5 that Diaz should have won. Diaz didn't even get a medical suspension. That means after the fight a doctor looked over Diaz and said he's good enough to fight tomorrow if he wanted too. Doesn't that, as a FIGHT fan make you question who really won the fight? submitted by voodoochild87 [link] [comment]

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, fan, rematch

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Last night on The Underground, a story broke that Carlos Condit had accepted a rematch with Nick Diaz following Condit's decision win at UFC 143. The news set off a small chain of tweets that have left some wondering if the UFC bypassed the management of the fighters (especially Condit manager, Malki Kawa) in getting the fight done. It's something that the UFC has done in the past, so it wouldn't be shocking. First, the news on The Underground: However, sources close to the deal just confirmed with The Underground that Carlos Condit has accepted a rematch with Nick Diaz, with the UFC Interim Welterweight title again on the line. Condit said 'Yes, I accept the rematch' and will be in Las Vegas on Friday to finalize the deal. First, Ariel Helwani had a tweet reacting to the news: @arielhelwaniAriel Helwani . @theug is reporting the Diaz-Condit rematch is on, however, Condit's manager @malkikawa says: "Far from true. We haven't accepted nything" Feb 08 via web Favorite Retweet Reply Something Malki quickly backed up on his own Twitter: @malkikawamalki kawa Rumors about carlos and nick are not true. We haven't been offered any fight nor accepted anything. Feb 08 via UberSocial for BlackBerry Favorite Retweet Reply More after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Malki would reverse course thirty minutes later: @malkikawamalki kawa Well, the powers to be just called. @CarlosCondit and myself will be in vegas and hope to have an announcement on fri... :) Feb 08 via UberSocial for BlackBerry Favorite Retweet Reply As I said earlier, it's not unheard of for the UFC to bypass managers and try to get the fighters to agree to certain bouts directly as it is usually much easier for negotiations. A manager worth his salt would almost certainly go into negotiations for a rematch trying to get some sort of rematch clause added to the agreement, ensuring that if their fighter lost and the "series" became 1-1 they would be granted an immediate rematch. If the UFC could simply go to Carlos and get an agreement to take the fight for just a small bump in pay or something along those lines, it basically kills the whole negotiating process and lines up the Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre fight that they really want. The phrasing on Dana's twitter confirming the bout would seem to back that up to a degree: justScrap85 DJ Brown @CarlosCondit and @nickdiaz209 rematch?! @ufc @danawhite @malkikawa any truth in this? @MMAjunkie Feb 08 Favorite Retweet Reply in reply to @justScrap85↑ @danawhiteDana White @justScrap85 @carloscondit @malkikawa the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. Feb 08 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply While it's certainly a difficult game to try to read into language, for Dana to say that the fight was accepted by Carlos "today" and not "just accepted" or "accepted tonight" makes me think that they did go directly to Carlos earlier in the day to work things out. The end result is good for us fans though, Diaz and Condit stepping back into the cage for another go-round.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, condit, carlo, reply

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Only hours after we speculated about four possible routes for Nick Diaz following the controversial "L" at last weekend's scrap with Carlos Condit, UFC President Dana White confirmed via Twitter that The Natural Born Killer has agreed to rematch with the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. As a quick reminder, here's what Carlos Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, had to say only two days ago about a possible rematch with Nick Diaz (via MMAFighting.com): "At this point, (a rematch) is not something

Posted in: nick diaz, rematch, carlos condit, weekends scrap, reminder heres

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Forget what Carlos Condit said about waiting for Georges St. Pierre. Forget about what his manager Malki Kawa said about not wanting the rematch. Forget about what Nick Diaz said about retiring. And forget about what Cesar Gracie said about Nick not fighting until next year. Why? Because Dana White just revealed on Twitter that the rematch is on and both fighters want it. @justScrap85@carloscondit@malkikawa the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur. @TheJRF83 nick wanted the rematch the same night @GrossiMMA Carlos wanted it Not to throw a bucket of cold water on a hot flame, but I should note that this doesn’t mean the fight is signed, sealed and delivered. At least not yet. As of now, both camps are denying it, but if Dana is confident enough to talk about it on Twitter, then it’s most likely going to happen. Assuming it is on, the next question is where and when? I would hesitate to put it on FOX (not that there’s been any indication that that’s where it’s going to happen) just because of how the first one went down, but if Condit really does want the fight now, maybe that means he’s tired of all the backlash and will throw the gameplan out the window in the rematch and give us the fireworks we expected all along. That’s what I hope happens at least and if it does, FOX would be the perfect place for it.

Posted in: fight, nick, rematch, condit, carlo

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One day after Carlos Condit's management insisted that Nick Diaz was in his rearview mirror, there seems to be a change of course for the new UFC interim welterweight champion. Late on Tuesday night, UFC president Dana White tweeted that Condit accepted the proposal for a rematch, and would travel to Las Vegas on Friday in hopes of finalizing the deal. "The rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not [Thursday]," he wrote.Early Wednesday morning, White told MMA Fighting via text that he had no timetable yet for the bout's date, as he's currently in Brazil filming an international version of The Ultimate Fighter. However, he returns on Thursday and will meet with Condit about making the rematch a reality.As recently as Monday, Condit's manager Malki Kawa told MMA Fighting that he would advise his client to focus on a potential championship unification with linear title holder Georges St-Pierre."At this point, [a rematch] is not something we’re looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges.But apparently, Condit was swayed by the outcry over the decision. The three cageside judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Condit. Reaction to the decision was split, with Diaz supporters noting that he was often the aggressor, moving forward and initiating the action, while Condit supporters believed he employed an effective counterstriking style that allowed him to land more blows during the course of the five-round bout. Regardless of the outcome, it was a departure from his usual style. Known for his aggression and finishing instincts, Condit had stopped opponents in 26 of his 27 career wins prior to UFC 143.Afterward, Diaz said he would retire, voicing frustration with the judging system. Meanwhile, White said he would allow Condit to chart his own course and wait for GSP if that was his wish. But now it appears that instead of hanging up his gloves, Diaz will get the chance to avenge his loss, and instead of preparing for St-Pierre, Condit will spend the next few months getting ready to face Diaz one more time.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

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In the wake of UFC 143, the primary focus of discussion throughout the MMA community has been the legitimacy of Carlos Condit's win over Nick Diaz. Throughout the fight, Condit frustrated Diaz as he constantly circled away and forced Nick to chase him. After the fifth round, the judges awarded Condit the unanimous decision. Aside from fight fans arguing the merits of Condit's technical performance, the story this week has been whether or not there will be a rematch between the two. After the fight, Dana White himself came out in support of a rematch, saying: You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. Nick Diaz's camp seems to be in support of this, as Diaz's manager Cesar Gracie himself came out blasting the NSAC judges for their scoring Saturday night. Gracie went as far as to say that the judges had and have had a bias against Diaz personally for his style and in-fight antics. He did not specifically call for the rematch, but playing up the drama to this extent definitely shows that Gracie doesn't want to let the issue pass. In pretty much direct response, Condit's manager, Malki Kawa released a statement today: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we're looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. In a surprise turn of events, it seems Dana White found the right price tag to change the mind of Condit and his management team. Via his twitter, White responded to a fan asking if rumors of the rematch were true. Dana responded:

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, rematch, condit

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After beating Nick Diaz by mildly controversial unanimous decision at UFC 143, Carlos Condit was put into a difficult spot. UFC president Dana White suggested that a rematch between the two might be the way to go, an idea our own Kid Nate supported. Condit already lost his scheduled title shot against Georges St. Pierre after the UFC took it away and gave it to Diaz following his win over B.J. Penn. When GSP got hurt, it gave Condit a chance to face Diaz and the win gave him a version of a championship and guaranteed a shot at Georges St. Pierre and the legitimate welterweight title. So for his camp, the idea of fighting Diaz again is not that appealing right now. Or at least that's what Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, told MMA Fighting: "At this point, [a rematch] is not something we're looking to do," he said. "We're looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to get this fight. He was moved around, and shuffled around between fights. He won the fight. It doesn't interest us at all. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. Even [UFC president] Dana [White] scored it for him. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner." They have told other sites that they're willing to wait until roughly November to fight GSP, any longer than that and Condit will need another fight to keep busy. At that point a rematch could be talked about. Thoughts on this after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit As for me? I completely understand not wanting a rematch here. Diaz is a tough fight for anyone and Condit did his job and won the bout. He has already been pushed aside because of Diaz once, why should he not get his shot at GSP (assuming he is ready in time) again? And what if Diaz pulls off the win the second time out? Does he get a shot at GSP right away? If so, why? It would seem the only fair thing to do in a 1-1 split would be to have the rubber match. Of course, that wouldn't happen because the UFC wants a fight between GSP and Diaz, it's something they felt they could market easily and is a bigger fight than Condit/GSP. So Kawa is completely in the right to say that they don't want to rematch Diaz. There is almost nothing to gain and everything to lose in a rematch. Condit beat Diaz the first time around by sticking to a disciplined strategy, he isn't likely to suddenly engage in a firefight the second time around, so if he wins the same fight it's not going to do wonders for his reputation with people who hated the first fight. And if Diaz can make the correct adjustments to cut the cage off rather than chase, Condit loses and almost certainly doesn't get a rubber match as Diaz gets the title shot. I can see no reason not to hold out for his shot at St. Pierre.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, rematch, condit

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In a change of direction, new interim champion Carlos Condit appears ready to wait for Georges St. Pierre to return from injury before fighting again inside the Octagon. Condit defeated Nick Diaz this past Saturday at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit, securing himself a piece of UFC gold for the first time in his career. Last week it was reported by Condit’s management team that if he was to beat Diaz for the interim title he would likely stay active, defending the belt once before potentially facing GSP. However, Condit’s manager, Malki Kawa, changed his tune on those claims earlier today. “At this point, (a rematch) is not something we’re looking to do,” said Kawa, in an interview with MMAFighting. “We’re looking for Georges. People forget, Carlos waited a long time to this get fight. I think clearly and decisively, he won the fight. All of the opinions that matter scored Carlos as winner.” Diaz’s trainer/manager, Cesar Gracie, was a guest today on the MMA Hour, said in response to Kawa’s statements, “Of course they’re not interested in a rematch. They lost the first one.” There was talk of an immediate rematch between Condit and Diaz taking place based on the bout being scored very closely, though that could have been difficult to work out as Diaz announced his retirement from MMA immediately after the fight. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, rematch, condit, carlo

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Anderson Silva has verbally agreed to a rematch with Chael Sonnen in Brazil in June, according to UFC president Dana White.

Posted in: silva, rematch, chael sonnen, sonnen, chael

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Robert Peralta and Mackens Semerzier's rematch will have to wait. Peralta is out of the UFC on FX 2 rematch with broken toes suffered in training.

Posted in: fx, rematch, robert, peralta, robert peralta

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https://twitter.com/#!/joerogan scoring https://twitter.com/#!/joerogan/status/166482805025546240 leg kicks https://twitter.com/#!/joerogan/status/166485905681555456 rematch https://twitter.com/#!/joerogan/status/166484999900643328 submitted by JustKea10 [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: diaz, vs, leg, rematch, justkea

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submitted by mmaform [link] [18 comments]

Posted in: gsp, rematch, return, gsp returns, mmaform

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Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. After the boo birds rained down last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center after the judges awarded Carlos Condit a controversial unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 and crowned him the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion, it was kind of hard not to. After five rounds of pressing the action, Diaz was comfortable believing he had the fight wrapped up. But after the final bell rang and the judge's scorecards were tallied, it was determined Condit was the one who did enough to earn the nod. Fight Metric reports would seem to back that up. Along with winning the interim title, Condit also earned the right to face the 170-pound kingpin Georges St. Pierre, once he is deemed fit to return to action after rehabbing from knee surgery. However, should the French-Canadian's be out longer than expected, a rematch between Diaz and Condit certainly isn't far fetched. Speaking at the UFC 143 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White talked about a potential rematch between the two scrappy welterweights. "I know (Georges. St. Pierre) wanted that Diaz fight bad, but it's not going to be Diaz so he better get angry with Carlos Condit or focus on Carlos Condit or whatever he needs to do. Carlos Condit won this fight. No matter how much Georges and Nick hate each other, Carlos Condit won, and I think the fans are mad at the way Carlos Condit fought. Too f*cking bad. He came in with a game plan and stuck to it and won. You know what's funny man, is that when he said that, I was thinking the same thing. It's crazy, but. I was thinking it after the fight. You know, people are bitching and thinking it was close or whatever, we can do that fight again before GSP comes back. It depends on Carlos too, he's really gotta say, and Nick's gotta say I want to fight him again too." If the rematch does go down, it won't be a first for the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. After Lyoto Machida defended his UFC light heavyweight title against Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 in a very controversial decision, UFC officials immediately made a rematch between the two at UFC 113. "Shogun" made sure the second fight didn't go to the judges by knocking out "The Dragon" in the very first round to capture the title. At UFC 112, B.J. Penn lost his 155-pound belt to Frankie Edgar in a very close fight. Officials once again ordered an immediate rematch at UFC 118, which saw "The Answer" yet again defeated "The Prodigy" via decision. With Georges St. Pierre's return not expected until November of this year, it would mean a nine month wait for Condit. That's a long time to be on the shelf. What do you say Maniacs, would the offer of a rematch with Condit be enough for Diaz to end his retirement talk? Should a rematch even be considered? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, fight, rematch, condit, carlo

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Aaaand scratch that - Vera injured, replacement TBD. RT @ufc your wait for Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva rematch will be over May 15thabout 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite@ufcUFC So much for the Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva rematch. As you can see from the tweet above, Vera has been injured and will be unable to fight Silva at UFC on FX 3. Silva will staying on the card however to take on the always dangerous TBD. Another rematch was also derailed due to injury recently. Robert Peralta was set to meet Mackens Semezier again at UFC on FX 2 after his TKO victory in their initial contest was overturned due to an accidental headbutt, however a few broken toes has nixed those plans.

Posted in: ufc, silva, rematch, vera, thiago

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: rematch, brazil, mattyblayze, silvasonnen rematch, silvasonnen

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Frank Mir sees himself as one of the big fish in a small pond

Posted in: nogueira, mir, rematch, contention, fish

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A stint as UFC color commentator has helped former champ Frank Mir prepare for his rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Posted in: nogueira, mir, sport, rematch, mir talks

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If the rematch between Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez is anything like their first bout, fans will get their money’s worth.

Posted in: rematch, money ’s, delvin rodriguez, bout fans, pawel wolak

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]

Posted in: rematch, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, chandleralvarez, chandleralvarez rematch

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James Thompson is set to rematch Mariusz Pudzianowski this weekend at KSW 17 in Poland. Their first fight ended just over a minute in when Thompson was...

Posted in: rematch, ksw, thompson, james thompson, poland

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Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva is a rivalry that clearly isn't going to calm down any until the two men have their rematch. Sonnen gave Silva everything he could handle for the majority of their first fight before getting caught in a triangle choke and submitted late in the fifth round. Since that point we've had fans and Sonnen clamor for a rematch while Silva's camp has seemingly done everything they can to say that Sonnen should be at the back of the line. Anderson though has said that he will fight whoever the UFC tells him to fight and UFC president Dana White has said that the two will need to rematch. Recently Silva said that if Chael wants the rematch they can do the fight in Brazil and now Sonnen took to Twitter to say he'll travel for the fight if needed: @sonnenchchael sonnen I accept Anderson. Brazil it is. Now then, about that meal...Nov 21 via webFavoriteRetweetReply The talk of the rematch has only heated up since Sonnen dominated Brian Stann and made a challenge for Silva where if Chael won, Anderson would have to leave the light heavyweight division. In return for accepting those terms, Chael said he would retire if he lost the fight. Sonnen says the timeframe to accept those terms has expired but that he still demands the rematch. Chael has also taken to publicly calling himself "the champion" at every opportunity. It remains to be seen if the UFC would actually put on Sonnen vs. Silva in Brazil given the myriad of insults Chael has lobbed at the entire nation and its fighters.

Posted in: fight, rematch, sonnen, anderson, chael

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submitted by knees [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: dan henderson, shogun, dan, rematch, knee

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MMA fans were treated to something special when Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua met in the main event of UFC 139. Both men had moments where it appeared they were about to be finished, but displayed incredible courage in continuing to fight until the final bell. It was one of the best fights in MMA history, and Shogun wants to do it again. Via UOL Esporte (translation via Tom Mendes): It was certainly a big fight. I don't know how the judges scored the last round, they could or they should have given a 10-8 for me. But that doesn't take anything away from Dan Henderson. He's a legend and that's the type of fight where you create a legacy. But I want a rematch, I think it would be a great battle and the fans want to see it. A rematch would no doubt be thrilling but the idea of either man taking that much damage over the course of a fight yet again is almost frightening. SBN coverage of UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua

Posted in: ufc, fight, henderson, dan, rematch

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Cain Velasquez and Cheick Kongo could be talking themselves into a rematch in the near future.After his UFC 137 win over Matt Mitrione, Kongo was asked...

Posted in: kongo, cheick kongo, matt, velasquez, rematch

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Here it is, straight from the horse’s mouth. In an interview with Jim Rome, Dana White confirms that Chael Sonnen will in fact get his rematch against Anderson Silva. The only question is when. It’s not confirmed, but it sounds like they’re going to get that worked out this week.

Posted in: silva, anderson silva, rematch, chael sonnen, chael

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A rematch between Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki is finally close to happening. Bellator FC frontman Bjorn Rebney says that agreements are in place for...

Posted in: shinya aoki, aoki, eddie alvarez, rematch, alvarezaoki rematch

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Scott Jorgensen is ready for his rematch with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz right now. In fact, he thought was more than prepared for it the first time they fought. However, he had a bad night and didn't stick to his game in that December 2010 fight, but following a victory over Jeff Curran at this past weekend's UFC 137 event, he's anxious for redemption.

Posted in: ufc, rematch, dominick, jeff curran, jorgensen

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Usually the loser of any fight is the one who is hungry for a rematch, but it is the other way round when it comes to Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira...

Posted in: ufc, nogueira, mir, rematch, way round

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A lot of random Anderson Silva news hit the internet in the past couple days. Here’s a rundown… — We’ll start with a report from Brazilian website Extra Globo. It claims that Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will coach TUF Brazil, which Dana White confirmed over the weekend. It would be pretty shocking news if true considering Chael Sonnen is knocking on Anderson’s door and Vitor Belfort has done even less than Sonnen to deserve a rematch with Silva. But it’s not. UFC officials have already shot the report down, according to MMA Junkie. One unnamed official even said they haven’t had a single conversation about the coaches yet. — Anderson Silva has teased retirement at least once a year for the past few years. Most recently, his manager Ed Soares said Silva only had four fights left in his career. Well, surprise, surprise, Silva has changed his mind once again. Silva now says he wants to fight well into his forties. “I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer. Then I’ll think about TV. I guess it’s interesting”, said Anderson, who recently had a documentary launched and stared on a soap opera. He may have changed his mind about retirement, but he hasn’t changed his tune on Chael Sonnen. “He doesn’t deserve to fight me. The most important thing he didn’t do: defeating me. He was caught on the drug test, which was the worse,” Anderson said, making hard critics towards the American. “I believe he shouldn’t be on the sport, because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport looks bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife”, he said. — Speaking of Silva, Sonnen, and their expected rematch, word is the UFC is trying to book it for their return to Rio de Janeiro on January 14. “In a recent interview on Brazilian TV show anchored by journalist Marilia Gabriela, Silva said he has no reason to offer Chael a rematch. However, ever since Brazilian TV network Globo – the biggest in the country – won its bid to broadcast the UFC and another installment of the event was confirmed for January 14 in Rio, a lot has been going on behind the scenes and pressure for the rematch to take place has been great.” Taking Sonnen to Brazil might get him killed, but hey, at least they wouldn’t have any licensing issues to worry about! All kidding aside, it was already going to be a stretch to get Silva to fight at Super Bowl weekend with his shoulder injury, so booking him weeks before that seems like a long shot, but we’ll see. They wouldn’t have any problems selling tickets, that’s for sure. — And in the oddest piece of news, Anderson Silva is going to drive the official pace car for NASCAR’s Kobalt Tools 500 race on Sunday, Nov. 13. Image via CombatLifestyle.com

Posted in: fight, silva, rematch, sonnen, anderson

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LAS VEGAS - Slow and steady wins the race, though fighting ugly does little to win fans. Cheick Kongo knows Saturday's UFC 137 co-main-event win over Matt Mitrione wasn't a signature or highlight-reel win that dazzled fans, but it served its purpose. It got him one step closer to a rematch with champ Cain Velasquez, whom Kongo said was "lucky" in their first meeting.

Posted in: ufc, cheick, kongo, cheick kongo, rematch

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A glance at the UFC Bantamweight rankings reveals a rather interesting fact; current Champion Dominick Cruz has already defeated half of the top contenders to his crown. While some fighters would find this problematic, perhaps even leaving them uninspired, that is not the case with Cruz, who is unfazed by the spectre of possible rematches. "The bottom line is it looks like I'm going to run into rematches wherever I go. That's where I'm like, I fought everybody, so why do I really care? I'm trying to fight

Posted in: rematch, cruz, dominick cruz, dominick, bottom line

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What fun is the aftermath of a UFC if you can't make some crazy proclamations. After a lead up to UFC 136 that saw people claim that Chael Sonnen was "done" following his suspension, Sonnen ran through Brian Stann as though Stann were a rank amateur. He called out Anderson Silva for a rematch in the aftermath in typical over the top Sonnen style and immediately the debate began. After winning almost every moment of the first bout before being caught in a submission before the final bell, could Sonnen pull off the victory in the rematch? Not only can he, but I'm willing to say he will. Too many people write off what Sonnen did with his takedowns and striking on the feet because Silva had injured ribs. But Sonnen has taken down better wrestlers than Silva with ease in the past and I have a feeling he'll do it again in the rematch. Sonnen also takes punches very well so he should be able to eat a shot if he needs to in able to close distance and establish the clinch. One area where Sonnen does not get enough credit is his dominance in the clinch. He is one of the best workers from the clinch since Randy Couture popularized the position as a place to work strikes to takedowns. Brian Stann is not a small middleweight and Sonnen muscled him around when they locked up. It's an area where he will be able to control Silva in the rematch. It isn't like how Okami was ineffective in getting the fight to the ground against the cage, Sonnen is simply better in the position. Finally, it's all about learning from his mistakes. Sonnen has legitimately good grappling on the ground, but he gets aggressive with his striking and makes positional mistakes from inside the guard. He's very good at passing the guard and he did a fine job in the first fight of working at least to half guard and doing damage from there. In the fifth round he hung out in Silva's guard and wasn't aware enough and got caught. I expect more of the Chael we see when he's on his game in the rematch. Bullying his way inside, getting takedowns from the clinch and working Silva over from top position while passing at least to half guard to limit Silva's attacks off his back. Silva is an amazing and rare talent. He's a rare talent that has dominated the competition in violent fashion. But every fighter has someone who is a stylistic problem for him, and Sonnen just represents that for Anderson. Yes, Silva found a way to get a great finish in the first fight, I just don't see him doing it again in the second.

Posted in: silva, guard, rematch, sonnen, half guard

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UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen submitted Brian Stann and likely cemented a rematch with champion Anderson Silva sometime in the near future. UFC President Dana White didn’t necessarily confirm Silva-Sonnen II, but did say a rematch is “more than likely” in late 2011-early 2012. In their fist fight, Sonnen controlled Silva before being caught in a triangle choke that eventually forced the Oregon-based fighter to tap. Silva is reportedly angry — and tired — of hearing Sonnen talk so much, which is likely very bad for the contender. Instead of throwing the champion off his game, I expect Silva to be focused and prepared to try and punish Sonnen as much as possible. The Brazilian champion has dominated opponents inside the octagon, and it’s true that Sonnen remains the only fighter that seemingly put Silva in trouble. Whenever the rematch is made, expect Sonnen to talk — and Silva will patiently wait before looking to make Sonnen pay for his words.

Posted in: silva, rematch, sonnen, silva-sonnen ii, fist fight

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Gray Maynard and UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar feel like they've been waiting forever for their rematch.

Posted in: ufc, champion, rematch, edgar, maynard

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

It’s usually the fighter who loses a bout that wants a rematch.

Posted in: fighter, rematch, doesn ’t, doesn, phan

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Tonight (Sat., Oct. 1, 2011) in Washington D.C., the main card of UFC on Versus 6: "Cruz vs. Johnson" will kick off with a lightweight rematch of a controversial June 2010 bout between Mac Danzig and Matt Wiman. The first meeting lasted just under two minutes but was shrouded in controversy. Shortly after the fight started, Wiman locked in a guillotine choke and squeezed like his life depended on it. Danzig, although in trouble, persevered. But it didn't look that way to the referee nor feel that way to his opponent, who told the ref Danzig had gone limp. So the referee stopped the fight. The problem, of course, was that Danzig was simply conserving energy and did not tap or go to sleep. Wiman was essentially awarded a victory he did not earn while Danzig was handed a loss he should not have. Now it's time to settle the score. These two were penciled in for an immediate rematch back in September of last year but Danzig was forced  to pull out with a chest injury. He would return in December against Joe Stevenson having lost four of five fights and badly needing a victory not just to save his job but to maintain some sort of relevance in the UFC. A one punch knockout did the trick. Wiman, for his part, didn't fight again until January of this year, turning in a dominant performance in a unanimous decision victory over Cole Miller. He followed that up with a controversial loss of his own, a three-round bloodbath against Dennis Siver that judges felt he came up short in. He didn't agree. Whatever frustration he still feels from that July 2 loss will come in handy tonight when he finally attempts to put to rest any talk that he's not the better man. Danzig gets his chance to show more than conservative submission defense. This is the rematch ... don't miss it.

Posted in: fight, loss, rematch, wiman, danzig

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The anticipated rematch between Leonard Garcia and Nam Phan has been bumped up to the main card of UFC 136 after Dave Herman was forced to withdraw from his fight with fellow heavyweight Mike Russow that had been slated for the pay-per-view broadcast of the October 8 event in Houston, Texas. After earning a controversial split decision over Phan in their first meeting in December, Garcia (15-7-1) went on to suffer the first Twister submission in UFC history to “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in March, while Phan (16-9) dropped a unanimous decision to former WEC champ Mike Brown in August. UFC 136 is headlined by a pair of title fights, as lightweight champion Frankie Edgar rematches Gray Maynard and featherweight champ Jose Aldo faces Kenny Florian. For complete UFC 136 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Nam Phan

Posted in: ufc, rematch, phan, dave herman, nam

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is calling for a rematch with Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. The two fought in Pride FC six years ago and Rua...

Posted in: rua, rematch, lsquo, pride fc, shogun rematch

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submitted by JesusHadALittleLamb [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: vs, ufn, rematch, jesushadalittlelamb, condit

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