Dan Henderson to Get Next Shot at Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Belt
July 31st, 2009
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Affliction castoff and UFC vet Mark Hominick re-signed by WEC, set for WEC 43 return
July 31st, 2009
Mark Hominick (16-8 MMA, 0-2 WEC), a former UFC and WEC fighter who was slated to fight at "Affliction: Trilogy" before the recent cancellation of the Aug. 1 event, has signed a multi-fight deal with World Extreme Cagefighting and will debut at the organization's WEC 43 show in September.
WEC officials today told MMAjunkie.com the featherweight has been added to the WEC 43 card, though no opponent has been set. UFC president Dana White first mentioned the signing of Hominick during a media call today.
WEC 43 takes place Sept. 2 at the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
Tito Ortiz Re-Signs with UFC, Could Face Mark Coleman in Return
July 31st, 2009
by Ray HuiFiled under: UFC
Tito Ortiz is coming home. Ortiz has re-signed with the UFC, extending an on again, off again relationship that has spanned 12-plus years with the company and even longer with his former manager and current UFC president Dana White.
"I think time really cures everything," Ortiz (15-6-1) said Friday during a UFC media call. "Dana came to me, he was a man of his word, and he apologized to me for the things he did prior.
"We're kinda like boyfriend-girlfriend - of course him being the girlfriend," Ortiz jokingly added.
Tito Ortiz Re-Signs with UFC, Could Face Mark Coleman in Return originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
During today’s conference call with the media, UFC President Dana White confirmed the addition of m…
July 31st, 2009
Dana White: Dan Henderson is next in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva
July 31st, 2009
A rematch against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, not Rich Franklin at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, is what Dan Henderson can focus on now that company president Dana White has shuffled the deck in the wake of Affliction MMA’s demise.
Affliction refugee Vitor Belfort is now booked to replace Henderson opposite Franklin in the UFC 103 main event, which had fans less than thrilled when it was announced earlier this month.
White did not announce a hard date for Silva-Henderson 2, saying that it will all depend on “how banged up” Silva is after challenging Forrest Griffin in a non-title 205-pound special attraction next weekend at UFC 101.
However, if history is any indicator, Silva might be ready to rock on Sunday, Aug. 9 — he has remarkably suffered very little, if any, damage throughout his perfect nine-fight UFC career thus far.
In fact, Henderson is among the few who performed quite well before experiencing the same fate as the rest: Defeat.
Silva and Henderson first met at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” back in March 2008. Henderson controlled much of the first round, using his Olympic-caliber Greco Roman wrestling skills to takedown the Brazilian and implement effective ground and pound.
He also took time between throwing punches to smother Silva’s airway — a rarely seen, albeit legal, maneuver to disrupt the breathing of an opponent. However, it seemed to irritate and anger Silva more than anything else.
Silva came out in the second round a new man, putting it on “Hollywood” with a punishing assortment of pinpoint strikes. Henderson eventually hit the floor and Silva capitalized by securing a fight-ending rear naked choke with just 12 seconds to spare before the frame expired.
Since losing his Pride FC title to Silva that night, Henderson has strung together three consecutive victories against very tough opponents.
He notched victories over Brazilian jiu-jitsu powerhouse Rousimar Palhares and former middleweight champion Rich Franklin, as well as dismantled Michael Bisping at UFC 100 with an epic punch/flying forearm punch combination that will go down as one of the best knockouts ever.
In short, Henderson has seemingly earned another opportunity to challenge for the 185-pound world title. And his stock has never been higher thanks to the Bisping beatdown.
Silva, on the other hand, has had to pack-on 20 extra pounds in an effort to rekindle the excitement that earned him the title as the most dangerous fighter in the sport. He’s fresh off back-to-back underwhelming — albeit winning performances — against middleweight challengers Thales Leites and Patrick Cote.
White matched Silva up against Griffin with the idea that it would spark fireworks — something that has been missing in Silva’s two most recent appearances. Apparently, a record-setting nine straight UFC wins — seven of which were all stoppages that never went longer than two rounds — is not good enough these days.
He’ll look to add Henderson’s name to that impressive hit list, again, when the pair rematch later this year.
Dan Henderson gets next title shot, Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia winner “in the mix”
July 31st, 2009
Dan Henderson will no longer fight Rich Franklin at UFC 103 and will instead get the first shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva's title at an event to be determined.During a UFC media conference call today, UFC president Dana White said he pulled Henderson from a previously announced rematch with Rich Franklin at the upcoming UFC 103 event because of the poor reaction it got from fans.
Franklin instead will fight new signee Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC 103, which takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Tito Ortiz returns to the UFC, may face Mark Coleman in late 2009
July 31st, 2009
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz was on the July 31 media conference call to officially announce his return to the Octagon. While “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” didn’t get into specifics, he did confirm that he will finish his fighting career under the Zuffa umbrella.
The speed of his return took many by surprise, as the bad blood between Ortiz and UFC President Dana White seemed to reach an all-time high after Ortiz was relegated to signing autographs at an off-strip casino when officials banned him from the UFC Fan Expo on July 10 and 11.
Ortiz is coming off major spinal fusion surgery to correct a back problem that plagued him in his most recent bouts. His last appearance was in May 2008 — a unanimous decision loss to now 205-pound champion, Lyoto Machida.
He spent his time on the sidelines “searching for a record contract” while flirting with a variety of promotions, including Elite XC, Strikeforce and Affliction MMA, where he did a guest commentating spot at January’s “Day of Reckoning.”
While he speaks highly of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, Ortiz told the media that his decision to return to the UFC was based on the level of competition — something he didn’t feel Renato Sobral or Frank Shamrock offered him in San Jose.
When asked for a timetable on his return, White interjected that he was presently considering Mark Coleman as his first opponent for late 2009. Ortiz then reiterated that he was in no hurry to rush back to competition after having major surgery.
It’s been more than a year since Ortiz saw action in a performance that had him in trouble early only to nearly finish it with a triangle-to-armbar transition that “The Dragon” barely escaped.
Ortiz has all 22 of his professional fights (except for one) under the UFC banner in a career that dates back to 1997.
He has three wins, two defeats and one draw since he returned to action in 2006 from a brief hiatus. And those three victories have come at the expense of a past-his-prime, Ken Shamrock (twice), and a controversial split decision over Forrest Griffin.
Whether or not a surgically repaired back will help him return to form and make a serious run at the light heavyweight championship remains to be seen.
And I think Mark Coleman might have something to say about his chances later this year.
B sample results in; still positive
July 31st, 2009
(Before he gave all his fat clothes to his fat friends)
The Wrestling Observer gives us the heads up on the other half of Josh Barnett’s pee:
Also positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one.
So that one is all about the ‘roids as well. For those unfamiliar with urine division, the reason they split samples in half is to see if a false positive the first time is a result of a mis-test (faulty equipment, mis-reading of results, contaminated instuments, etc.) In this case, it wasn’t. You could probably make a Top Ramen in a puddle of Barnett’s urine, as hot as it’s testing.
I’m still very interested in what Josh has to say about the whole institution of steroids. Dude’s been pretty adamant about staying quiet when it comes to his positives. That doesn’t really work after after three strikes, but it’s both good and bad that he hasn’t come out to talk about them: good in the sense that he’s not being a blatant liar blaming goat meat and nose spray; bad that he’s disregarding the fact that the burden of proof is on him. If Barnett just filled us in with some non-legalese he could lessen the massive amount of damage to his reputation.
UFC Conference Call Notes
July 31st, 2009
UFC President Dana White held a previously scheduled press conference this afternoon. He immediately began talking about the negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko and his management team, M-1 Global.
White said that they went above and beyond to get Fedor in the UFC, they gave up every concession except co-promotion with M-1. He predicted that Fedor would [...]
UFC Press Conference Highlights: Tito Ortiz is Back, Belfort vs. Franklin @ UFC 103
July 31st, 2009
(One more round for old time's sake?)
Though Dana White was hoping he could announce the signing of Fedor Emelianenko at this afternoon's much-anticipated UFC press conference, it was not meant to be. DW said he did everything he could possibly do to get Emelianenko into the Octagon and offered him an "amazing" deal, but M-1's dogged desire for co-promotion sunk the negotiations, which made Dana "fucking miserable." Still, there were some major announcements to share, which are sure to get MMA fans talking:
— UFC 103's main event has been thankfully changed to Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort. The match will be contested at light-heavyweight. Dan Henderson will likely get the next crack at Anderson Silva's middleweight belt, possibly followed by the winner of the Nate Marquardt/Demian Maia match at UFC 102.
— Tito Ortiz (remember that guy?) is back in the UFC, and plans to fight before the end of the year. Mark Coleman has been named as a possible opponent.
Dana White hints UFC signing heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko now unlikely
July 31st, 2009
Despite perhaps the most advanced negotiations ever between the two parties, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is unlikely to sign Fedor Emelianenko to a UFC deal.
UFC president Dana White today suggested he gave his best effort but that ultimately even offering Emelianenko "the most amazing deal" wasn't enough.
As Emelianenko's manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein, suggested during a Wednesday press conference, the UFC's refusal to co-promote shows with M-1 was likely the negotiations' biggest hurdle.
Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 103; will take place at 205 lbs
July 31st, 2009
Despite a report from UFC.com that UFC 103 in Dallas would feature a rematch between Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson, Dana White has just announced at today’s press conference that the main event will instead feature Franklin facing off with former light heavyweight champion and current top 10 middleweight Vitor Belfort in a 205 lb bout.
This is HUGE news. Belfort is one of the true pioneers of the sport. His tournament win at UFC 12, his brutal TKO over Tank, his devastating stoppage over Wanderlei, his battles with Tito and Randy, and his recent full-on assault of Matt Lindland are all the stuff of legend. The new generation of MMA fans that make up the majority of the pay-per-view audience have yet to be exposed to the Phenom. While Belfort has had an up-and-down career, as of late he’s shown glimpses of his former self. If the former Affliction fighter has truly returned to form, so to speak, it could be a rough night for Rich Franklin.
Realistically, though, this fight could go either way. Both men throw crisp, hard punches supported by solid footwork. Both have underrated ground games. Both have fought the best fighters in the world and had mixed results. A win for Franklin would put him one fight away from a light heavyweight title shot, whereas a loss will signify that Franklin is merely a talented fighter who can’t beat the top guys. As for Belfort, a win will make him a superstar to casual fans and set him up for a run at the middleweight title (unless he decides to stay at 205, which I think is unlikely) while a loss could put him in a legends re-match of sorts with somebody like Randy, Chuck, Wanderlei, or Tito.
No matter who leaves Dallas with the win, this fight is going to be fanfuckingtastic.