MMA-URLS

On April 7th, former UFC Heavyweight contender Todd Duffee will look to get back on the winning ways, facing Neil Grove in the main event of Super Fight League 2 card in Chandigarh, India. Duffee last seen in the main event of Dynamite!! 2010 event in Saitama, Japan, losing to Alistair Overeem via TKO.Best-known for his flash KO victory over Tim Hague back at UFC 102, and the somewhat unfortunate defeat to Mike Russow at UFC 114, after completely dominating the fight in the first two rounds, Todd

Posted in: ufc, alistair overeem, saitama japan, tim hague, duffee

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Back in 2003, twenty-eight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic stepped inside the ring in Saitama, Japan, facing Bob "The Beast" Sapp as part of 2003 K-1 WGP. Sapp was fresh off two consecutive TKO victories over the legendary Ernesto Hoost, with sights of making another statement against Cro Cop. The image of Bob Sapp turtled on the ground after a flash KO punch from Filipovic will forever remain a K-1

Posted in: bob, cop, cro, sapp, saitama japan

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Right here, right now. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White takes to the airwaves to clear the air on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15: "Live" on FX, which is a new twist on an familiar cable television mixed martial arts (MMA) reality series. White goes into detail on the whole "live" angle and the broadcast, particularly the commentating -- or lack thereof -- as he and coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber watched the fights ringside and evaluated the talent. Apparently, there were a few complaints about the dead air and mumbling throughout the 2.5-hour broadcast, but he says that moving forward the show will appear "exactly the same" because "nothing is different." Except for the "live" fights at the end. Whatever. In other footage, White takes us behind the scenes of UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" in Saitama, Japan, and then the following week at UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" in Sydney, Australia. Steve Cantwell, Norifumi Yamamoto, Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, Quinton Jackson and Ryan Bader all featured post-fight in the locker room after their respective bouts in the "Land of the Rising Sun." We also get a great look into White's initial reaction upon hearing the news that the Featherweight fight between Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson was a draw after it was announced "Mighty Mouse" won via split decision. It ain't pretty. Martin Kampmann is also featured after his stunning, come-from-behind submission win over Thiago Alves in the main event "Down Under." Joseph Benavidez, who stopped Yasuhiro Urushitani with a vicious sequence of punches, also gets his props for advancing to the final round of the 125-pound tournament. Enjoy.

Posted in: ufc, fight, fx, vs, saitama japan

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UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre held a fan question-and-answer session prior to UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan, where he talked about his kyokushin karate background, the state of Japanese MMA, how his rehab is going and the upcoming fight against Carlos Condit.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japanese mma, george, saitama japan

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SAITAMA, Japan -- Watch below as Ben Henderson talks about his UFC 144 win over Frankie Edgar, whether he was confident he had won the fight before the judges' announced the scorecards, his performance in the fight, what's next for him, and more.

Posted in: fight, henderson, frankie edgar, saitama japan, fight whats

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Despite the fact that Takeya Mizugaki lost a unanimous decision to Chris Cariaso on the FX broadcasted portion of the UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" preliminary card last night (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) in Saitama, Japan, he was still paid his win bonus. That's because UFC President Dana White felt Mizugaki was the rightful winner of the bout and compensated him accordingly.

Posted in: takeya mizugaki, mizugaki, chris cariaso, saitama japan, bonus thats

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Although the current champion didn't agree with the judges' verdict, we have a new UFC lightweight titleholder. Former WEC champion Benson Henderson delivered a series of damaging blows to Edgar and ultimately topped him via unanimous decision in the five-round headliner of Saturday's UFC 144 event. The title fight took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and headlined the night's pay-per-view main card. It followed prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: ufc, saitama japan, nights payperview, fiveround headliner, judges verdict

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Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, at 7:10 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson,” which is headlined by a UFC lightweight title contest between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, henderson, edgar, saitama japan, title contest

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Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, at 7:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson,” which is headlined by a UFC lightweight title contest between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, henderson, edgar, saitama japan, title contest

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Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, at 7:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson,” which is headlined by a UFC lightweight title contest between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, henderson, edgar, playbyplay sherdogcom, saitama japan

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It may not have pleased the Japanese audience, but light heavyweight Ryan Bader got the job done against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Avoiding the PRIDE veteran's power, Bader outworked Jackson on the feet and outwrestled him on the mat for a unanimous-decision victory. The bout served as the co-main event of UFC 144, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: jackson, rampage jackson, bader, saitama japan, unanimousdecision victory

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SAITAMA, Japan - "The Super Samoan" is officially surging. Former K-1 kickboxing champion Mark Hunt earned his third consecutive win in the UFC by dispatching heavyweight Cheick Kongo with ruthless efficiency in the first round of their UFC 144 bout. The fight took place on UFC 144's main card, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and aired live on pay-per-view. It followed prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: ufc, kongo, cheick kongo, saitama, saitama japan

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SAITAMA, Japan - Jake Shields' relentless pressure may have earned him a decision win over Yoshihiro Akiyama. But the margin by which he did it was highly suspect. After three rounds, judges awarded the welterweight every round of the fight. The fight took place on the main card of UFC 144, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Posted in: shield, saitama, saitama japan, yoshihiro akiyama, rounds judges

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Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, at 7:30 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson,” which is headlined by a UFC lightweight title contest between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, henderson, edgar, playbyplay sherdogcom, saitama japan

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SAITAMA, Japan - Issei Tamura made a thunderous debut, especially on two weeks' notice. The Japanese featherweight ended the fight with a powerful right hand that dropped Chinese UFC and WEC vet Tiequan Zhang early in the second round. The fight served as the first preliminary-card bout of UFC 144, which took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It streamed on Facebook prior to additional prelims on FX and a pay-per-view main card.

Posted in: ufc, weeks notice, tiequan zhang, saitama japan, preliminarycard bout

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SAITAMA, Japan - UFC 144 take place tonight at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. As usual, you can catch a live video stream of the night's post-fight press conference here on MMAjunkie.com at approximately 2 a.m. ET (11 p.m. PT). Expected to take part in tonight's press conference are UFC president Dana White, headliners Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, and winners from the night's main card.

Posted in: press, video stream, saitama, saitama japan, benson henderson

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Well, not really. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre returned to his Kyokushin Karate roots this past week when in Japan to help promote UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, which airs live later this evening (Feb. 25, 2012) on pay-per-view (PPV). "Rush" credits karate for helping him defend himself against bullies in Canada while growing up, as well as serving as the foundation for his successful professional career in mixed martial arts (MMA). While in Tokyo, St. Pierre and UFC President Dana White visited with children from the Kawai Kindergarden School. In addition to getting beaten with sticks by mini fighters, St. Pierre took instruction on how to use a katana (traditional Japanese curved sword), among other things. For more the latest on St. Pierre, his knee injury and recovery click here. And to check out a complete UFC 144 event archive click here.

Posted in: ufc, pierre, st, saitama japan, recovery click

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SAITAMA, Japan - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC 144 event. The event, which features lightweight champ Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main card airs on pay-per-view, and FX and Facebook carry the prelims. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (9:30 a.m. Sunday local time) for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.

Posted in: card airs, pm, card, official results, saitama japan

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SAITAMA, Japan - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC 144 event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC 144 live-results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below. Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (9:30 a.m. Sunday local time) for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.

Posted in: card, official results, card updates, saitama japan, roundbyround updates

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MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter and MMA insider John Morgan is a guest on today's official UFC 144 pre-event show, "Fight Day." The show, hosted by Dave Farra and Megan Olivi, also includes Canadian broadcaster "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. You can watch the show, which airs live from Saitama, Japan, from 6-7 p.m. ET at www.heavy.com.

Posted in: show, megan olivi, staff reporter, dave farra, saitama japan

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UFC Lightweight title is on the line, tonight in Saitama, Japan, as Frankie Edgar defends his title for the fourth time, this time against Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Co-main event of the night features the Light Heavyweight showdown between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ryan "Darth" Bader. Lightweight blockbuster between Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon serves as the main card opener. Don't forget to join us at LowKick.com for Play-by-Play Commentary and Chat with a full panel of LowKick.com

Posted in: anthony pettis, joe lauzon, saitama japan, playbyplay commentary, night features

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SAITAMA, Japan -- The UFC 144 weigh-ins took place Saturday morning at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Full results here. Check out the highlights below.

Posted in: ufc, japan, saitama, weighin, saitama japan

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First, we had the regular, plain old UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" poster, which simply featured the major stars set to compete at the event this coming Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, in Saitama, Japan. Then we got Quinton Jackson going on a "Rampage" through the streets of Japan like Godzilla. Now, we get this eye-popping cartoon poster featuring "The Answer" Frankie Edgar and his opponent in the main event and challenger to his lightweight title, Ben Henderson. Pretty slick, huh? Poster-mania ends tomorrow night when the drawing stops and the fighting starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view with a seven match main card. To see the complete line-up click here and for all the latest on the UFC 144 event click here.

Posted in: ufc, event, poster, edgar, saitama japan

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As UFC President Dana White continues with his customary fight week video blog ahead of UFC 144, he brings viewers back stage for the event's pre-fight press conference at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. White also responds to the theory that the UFC is responsible for "killing Pride FC," insisting that it was the only other promotion he's ever respected.

Posted in: ufc, saitama, pride fc, saitama japan, promotion hes

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SAITAMA, Japan - UFC 144 fighter weigh-ins take place tonight, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMAjunkie.com. Today's weigh-ins take place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan., and the first fighter is on the scale at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (1 p.m. Sunday local time). In addition to the video stream, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.

Posted in: pm, video stream, weighin, weighin updates, saitama japan

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SAITAMA, Japan - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's official UFC 144 fighter weigh-ins. Today's weigh-ins take place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the first fighter is on the scale at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT (1 p.m. Sunday local time). Join us for live text-only results here, or watch a live video stream of the proceedings on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.

Posted in: pm, video stream, weighin, saitama japan, textonly results

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On Saturday night, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, reigning Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar puts his belt on the line when he meets top contender Ben Henderson in the UFC 144 headlining bout. But, before "The Answer" and "Smooth" square off in The Land of the Rising Sun, they were first pit against one another in THQ's UFC Undisputed 3.

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, champion, thqs ufc, saitama japan

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This Saturday night, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, the UFC makes their return to The Land of the Rising Sun with a stacked UFC 144 fight card. Headlining the event will be a Lightweight title clash between reigning division champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson, while former Pride superstar Quinton "Rampage" Jackson takes on Ryan Bader in the co-main event.

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, title clash, ryan bader, saitama japan

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TOKYO - While the doors have yet to open for this weekend's "UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson" event, company officials are already declaring the event a ticket-selling success. UFC officials today told MMAjunkie.com that ticket sales are still moving briskly for this weekend's event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the fight card is expected to sell-out all of the nearly 20,000 available seats. Furthermore, UFC officials are so encouraged by the buzz surrounding UFC 143 that plans for a return to Japan are already under consideration, and multiple annual visits - as well as a version of "The Ultimate Fighter" - are also possible.

Posted in: ufc, official, ufc officials, weekends event, saitama japan

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 144 pre-fight press conference is in the books for the "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sat., Feb. 25, 2012. And, of course, main event participants Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson met up for a staredown to try to psyche each other out. Both men are "Smooth" customers, though, and look ready to rock and roll. Also squaring off were main card fighters Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader and Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama. Their staredown pics can be found after the jump. Have a look.

Posted in: vs, henderson, staredown, edgar, saitama japan

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UFC President Dana White joined the stars of the upcoming UFC 144 event, scheduled to go down this Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, to dish the dirt on the show. Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, Quinton Jackson, Ryan Bader, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jake Shields were all in attendance to answer questions from the media and fans. For all the latest and greatest on the "Edgar vs. Henderson" event be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, event, henderson, edgar, saitama japan

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Ultimate Fighting Championship returns this weekend with the UFC Lightweight title fight between the reigning champ Frankie "The Answer" Edgar and the in Saitama, Japan. The card features also features big-name fighters such as Rampage Jackson, Ryan Bader, Yushin Okami, Jake Shields, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Anthony Pettis and many others. This post will include all the pre-fight interviews, open workouts and weigh-ins footage. Also, make sure you don't miss the Heavy.com Fight Day this Saturday at 6PM

Posted in: card features, prefight interviews, saitama japan, answer edgar, weighins footage

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"Countdown to UFC 144," the latest installment of the UFC's customary pre-event show, debuted Tuesday on FUEL TV. Now, you can watch the full hour-long episode here. The show debuts Saturday's big UFC 144 event, which takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with a lightweight-championship headliner between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Benson Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, fuel tv, saitama japan, preevent show, lightweightchampionship headliner

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What's Quinton Jackson doing to prepare for UFC 144? "Rampage" has a light heavyweight fight against Ryan Bader this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. And since he's returning to the "Land of the Rising Sun," a place that defined the earlier part of his career as a standout in PRIDE FC, he'll no doubt be looking to put on a show for the Japanese fans. That means he needs to be in peak physical condition for "Darth," who will likely use his outstanding collegiate wrestling skills to try and upend the Memphis power-puncher. To that end, his pre-fight training regimen is focused on speed and agility, not cold, hard numbers. Sorry, meatheads. You won't find any monster bench presses in this video or joint-busting squats. Instead, you'll find plenty of PVC pipe, resistance bands and kettlebells. But will it all pay off on fight night? Time will tell.

Posted in: ryan bader, saitama japan, japanese fans, jointbusting squats, memphis powerpuncher

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Just a reminder to set your DVRs to record “Countdown to UFC 144″, which airs tonight at 9p.m. ET/6p.m. PT on Fuel TV to promote this weekend’s landmark pay-per-view event. The show is set to run for one hour in front of a new “UFC Tonight” and will take an in-depth look at the pre-fight routines and preparations of the fighters riding the top of the lineup. With UFC 144, the promotion will be bringing their traveling roadshow to The Land of the Rising Sun for the first time since 2000, with an intriguing lightweight title fight headlining the event. In addition to stacking the card with Japanese talent, the UFC has included a couple of staples from the heyday of the Pride Fighting Championships, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Mark Hunt, to pique fans’ interests. UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson is set to take place on Saturday, February 25 (Sunday, February 26 in Japan) from the Saitama Super Arena — the former site of Pride FC — in Saitama, Japan and will see UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar put his title on the line against the surging Ben Henderson.

Posted in: ufc, fuel tv, saitama japan, prefight routines, japanese talent

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Saturday's big UFC 144 event is only four days away, and the UFC has released an extended video preview of the show. UFC 144 takes place Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Although Japan is 14 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, UFC 144 airs in its normal Saturday-night timeslot in North America. Check out a preview of the historic show.

Posted in: ufc, preview, saitama japan, america check, preview saturdays

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"I'm not in this to play second fiddle to anybody. It's not so much the belt that holds the significance, it's what the belt means and how much I worked for it, how much my team's worked for it and how much my family's sacrificed for it. So yeah, I'm not gonna give that belt up very easily. When I leave Japan, I'm gonna come home still the champion. I know Ben's a tough guy, but there's a reason I'm the champion." For the first time in over a decade, the world's largest fight promotion is headed back to "The Land of the Rising Sun," as UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" invades the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012) live on pay-per-view (PPV), featuring a lightweight championship bout that sees reigning titleholder Frankie Edgar put his strap on the line against former WEC 155-pound kingpin Ben Henderson. Predictions?

Posted in: belt, champion, im, reason im, saitama japan

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Randy Couture, Jake Ellenberger, Brian Stann and many others share their thoughts ahead of this weekend's UFC 144, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, in Saitama, Japan. The event is headlined by Frankie Edgar's fourth UFC Lightweight title defense, this time against Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Further Reading: Submit your picks for UFC

Posted in: ufc, title defense, mma fighters, saitama japan, others share

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Ryan Bader was 18 years old when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made his Pride Fighting Championships debut against Kazushi Sakuraba at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 29, 2001.

Posted in: kazushi sakuraba, saitama, championships debut, bader, saitama japan

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The UFC announced Tuesday that the main card for next weekend’s UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan will consist of seven fights on a four-hour PPV.

Posted in: ufc, card, japan, saitama, saitama japan

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Next week's UFC 144 event will feature seven main-card bouts instead of the usual five. Zuffa official Ryan Grab today confirmed the extra-large lineup, which is slated to run four hours. UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. In addition to the main card, which airs in its normal Saturday-night timeslot with a Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson headliner, prelims air on FX.

Posted in: ufc, saitama japan, maincard bouts, saturdaynight timeslot, extralarge lineup

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UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” takes place on Saturday, February 25, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The official UFC 144 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, saitama, saitama japan

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With Leonard Garcia forced to withdraw from this month's UFC 144 event, Japanese newcomer Issei Tamura will now face Tiequan Zhang. UFC officials on Saturday announced the change. Featuring a lighteight title fight between current champ Frankie Edgar and former WEC titleholder Ben Henderson UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event's main card airs live stateside on pay-per-view. The preliminary card is expected to air on FX.

Posted in: ufc, card airs, leonard garcia, tiequan zhang, saitama japan

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UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson” takes place on Saturday, February 25, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The official UFC 144 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, saitama, saitama japan

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On February 25th, live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, the UFC returns to the Land of the Rising Sun with a Lightweight title clash pitting division champion Frankie Edgar against challenger Ben Henderson in the UFC 143 headlining bout. Also featured will be former Light Heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson taking on Ryan Bader in the co-main event, and one-time 170-pound title challenger Jake Shields meets Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Posted in: ufc, title clash, ufc returns, comain event, saitama japan

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An injury suffered in training has forced lightweight George Sotiropoulos to withdraw from UFC 144, officials announced today. In his place steps newcomer Eiji Mitsuoka, who meets Takanori Gomi on the event's preliminary card. UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event's main card, which features a lightweight title headliner between champ Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson, airs live on pay-per-view. Broadcast plans for the preliminary card have yet to be announced.

Posted in: ufc, takanori gomi, card, george sotiropoulos, saitama japan

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The DREAM “New Year! 2011″ weigh-ins took place earlier this morning in Japan. All fighters made weight. The weigh-in results: Fedor Emelianenko (106 kilograms/233.2 pounds) vs. Satoshi Ishii (97.4/214.3) Ryo Chonan (75.5/166.1) vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (75.8/166.8) Champ Shinya Aoki (70/154) vs. Satoru Kitaoka (70/154) Champ Hiroyuki Takaya (65/143) vs. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue (64.8/142.6) Tatsuya Kawajiri (65/143) vs. Kazuyuki Miyata (64.7/142.3) Rodolfo Marques Diniz (61.2/134.5) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (61/134.2) Antonio Banuelos (61/134.2) vs. Masakazu Imanari (60.8/133.8) Hideo Tokoro (61/134.2) vs. Yusup Saadulaev (61/134.5) Karla Benitez (52/114.4) vs. Megumi Fujii (52/114.4) DREAM “New Year! 2011″ takes place late tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air on HDNet at 1am ET. Image via DREAM

Posted in: vs, dream, weighin, saitama japan, dream ‘

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Sherdog.com will report from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan at approximately 1 a.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of Dream's ‘Fight for Japan: Genki Desu Ka! New Year's Eve 2011!’, which features three Dream title bouts, and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Fedor Emelianenko and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii.

Posted in: dream, saitama, fedor emelianenko, heavyweight clash, saitama japan

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... And that makes it very difficult to match him up when most of the talented heavyweights are locked up in a Las Vegas "prison." That's according to M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein, who blasted the stranglehold of Ultimate Fighting Championship, one that made a sought after rematch against Fabricio Werdum "very difficult" and could impede plans to have a future fight opposite Josh Barnett. Finky vents to Championat.com via (The Underground): "At this moment, for us, the key thing is the level of the opponent, and not how much we get paid. I can say that if we were unable to agree with Ishii, we wouldn't participate in this tournament. We had concurrent offers with other DREAM fighters, but this is not for Fedor's level, and we didn't want to have a fight with mediocre fighters, taking a step backwards. We want to be taking steps forward and we will follow this in the future. We want to have three fights. One in Russia, one in Europe, and one in the USA. We really want to get a rematch with Werdum, but he is locked up in the prison called UFC, and because of that arranging for him to fight Fedor would be very difficult. Dana White is like a dog on hay -- he neither eats it himself, nor lets the others eat it. There are many other good fighters, whom we are considering. For instance, Josh Barnett. We need to wait for the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament to end and then we can see how likely it is that we can arrange a fight." Could the Affliction: "Trilogy" main event be resurrected in 2012? "The Last Emperor," who slammed the brakes on a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Monson last month in Moscow, Russia, will compete for the fourth time this calendar year by taking on Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on DREAM's upcoming New Year's Eve fight card on Dec. 31, 2011, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. After that? Well, Finker and Co. don't want him taking "a step backwards" against mediocre competition. But can Emelianenko be considered above mediocre, based on his recent performances? Or is the jury still out until after the Ishii fight? Thoughts?

Posted in: fight, fighter, saitama japan, dream fighters, affliction trilogy

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In less than two weeks, 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, Satoshi Ishii, will step inside the ring at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, for the biggest fight of his young Mixed Martial Arts career, against "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko. Ishii will be the eighth Japanese fighter to square off against Emelianenko, looking to become the first to defeat him. The fight will headline the traditionally stacked DREAM's New Year's Eve fight card (Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka

Posted in: fight, japanese fighter, arts career, ishii, saitama japan

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Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii will headline this year's DREAM NYE fight card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, which will also feature DREAM Lightweight title bout between Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka. as well as Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi Inoue for the DREAM Featherweight title. This will be Fedor Emelianenko sixth overall appearance on the traditional Japanese New Year's Eve supercard, and his first since the famous Yarennoka! 2007 bout with Hong Man Choi. "The Last Emperor" is

Posted in: dream, shinya aoki, fedor, emelianenko, saitama japan

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DREAM “New Year! 2011″ takes place on Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and will air on HDNet. The latest DREAM New Year! 2011 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: dream, year, saitama, saitama japan, dream ‘

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A heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii is official for "DREAM: New Year! 2011" on December 31 in Saitama, Japan, while a heavyweight tilt between Tim Sylvia and Brett Rogers...

Posted in: heavyweight tilt, heavyweight bout, fedor emelianenko, satoshi ishii, saitama japan

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Press Release: Saint Petersburg, Russia (December 12, 2011) - M-1Global and DREAM officials announced today that legendary heavyweight Fedor “ The Last Emperor” Emelianenko will be facing Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo Satoshi Ishii on December 31, 2011 as part of  FieLDS presents FIGHT FOR JAPAN “Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011! The event, which takes place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, will be broadcast in North America on HDNet.The event marks the return of Fedor

Posted in: japan, fedor, saitama japan, nye card, dream officials

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The UFC team will be racking up a record number of frequent flyer miles with a January event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a February show in Saitama, Japan, and, apparently, a March visit to Sydney, Australia for UFC 145. Though nothing has been confirmed yet, if things unfold as planned the festivities will mark the third year in a row the UFC has set up camp in the land of kangaroos and koalas during the first-quarter of the calendar. News of the likely lineup, rumored for March 4, was first reported by MMAJunkie while citing sources close to the negotiations. Also mentioned was the possibility of Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann taking place on the main card. The UFC’s previous stints in Australia included UFC 110 and UFC 127 with the former featuring Cain Velasquez’s coming out party against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and the latter remembered for BJ Penn fighting to a draw with Jon Fitch. A Look Back at UFC 127 With George Sotiropoulos and Mark Hunt already scheduled for action in late February neither regional talent is expected to compete at UFC 145 though Kyle Noke certainly seems to be a realistic possibility. Tweet

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, march, australia, saitama japan

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DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will defend his title against former Sengoku titleholder Satoru Kitaoka on New Year's Eve. DREAM officials today announced the matchup for "DREAM: Fight for Japan. How are you! New Year! 2011," which takes place Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The card airs live in the U.S. on HDNet.

Posted in: card airs, dream, saitama japan, satoru kitaoka, dream fight

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Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsA lightweight meeting pitting Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon has been agreed to for UFC 144 in Japan, MMA Fighting has learned. The UFC confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes on Tuesday. The matchup had previously been rumored, with a possible date in Las Vegas. Instead, it will go international. The fight should prove to be a high-octane battle between two of the division's most offensive-minded fighters. Lauzon is riding a two-fight win streak, most recently upsetting the surging Melvin Guillard with a first-round submission win at UFC 136. That improved his record to 21-6. Pettis recently rebounded from a loss that snapped a four-fight win streak by defeating Jeremy Stephens by decision, also at UFC 136. With the win, he's now 12-2. The duo essentially booked the match on their own. Shortly after UFC 136, Pettis said he would welcome a match with Lauzon, and Lauzon accepted, setting the future date. UFC 144 will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on February 26, 2012. It will mark the promotion's first time in the Land of the Rising Sun under the Zuffa banner. The main event will also be a lightweight match, with champion Frank Edgar defending the belt against newly named No. 1 contender Ben Henderson. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, petti, las vegas, lauzon, saitama japan

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After winning his first two fights at 185 pounds Tim Boestch will get a significant test in the form of recent title-contender Yushin Okami with the added pressure of competing in Okami’s proverbial backyard, as the bout is scheduled to take place on February 26 at UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan. The UFC announced the match-up earlier today through their website. Okami is coming off a TKO loss to champion Anderson Silva, only the second time “Thunder” had been finished in more than thirty in-ring appearances. The 30-year old holds an overall record of 26-6 with a number of solid showings to his credit including victories over Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, and Mark Munoz. Comparably, “The Barbarian” has won back-to-back bouts over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring after a decent run as a light heavyweight. Six of the 14-4 Boestch’s wins have involved a TKO with five others featuring a submission-based stoppage. UFC 144 is set to be headlined by lightweight champion Frankie Edgar putting his gold up for grabs against Ben Henderson, while Yoshihiro Akiyama will also make his welterweight debut on the card against talented grappler Jake Shields. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, saitama japan, okami, boestch, okami ’s

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Japanese fans are in for a treat, as the UFC has announced Yoshihiro Akiyama will make his long-awaited welterweight debut as part of the organization’s February 26 stop in Saitama Japan for UFC 144. Better yet, continuing the trend of apt adversaries for Akiyama, the 13-4 Judoka will face former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields for what should be a co-headliner alongside Frankie Edgar’s title-defense against Ben Henderson. Only 5’10”, Akiyama made the decision to drop to 170 pounds after falling in three straight fights including a brutal knockout loss to Vitor Belfort in August. He holds past wins in his career over Melvin Manhoef, Denis Kang, and Alan Belcher, as well as a number of exciting performances to his credit including a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Chris Leben at UFC 116. Shields is also coming off a strike-based stoppage after Jake Ellenberger finished him off less than a minute into their headlining bout at UFC Battle on the Bayou. Prior to the defeat he had gone the distance against Georges St. Pierre, becoming the first fighter to win a round from the Canadian champ in years, and entered the title-fight coming off victories over Martin Kampmann, Jason Miller, and Dan Henderson. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, knockout loss, saitama japan, akiyama, yoshihiro akiyama

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Back in September, former WEC champion "Razor" Rob McCullough fought for the first time outside the U.S., and he did so against Japanese notable Shinya Aoki. The bout headlined DREAM.17 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. With Japanese MMA on the decline and DREAM desperately clinging to life, Aoki vs. McCullough headlined one of the country's biggest cards of the year.

Posted in: dream, shinya aoki, aoki, mccullough, saitama japan

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