Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club...
- If Stann can't get Wand, he'll settle for Bisping or Belfort (LowKick)
- Five lessons we learned for UFC Fight for the Troops II (Versus MMA Beat)
Herschel Walker: 'This is not a gimmick for me. This is life.' (FiveOuncesofPain)
- Ricco Rodriguez to begin his road back to the UFC against James McSweeney at BAMMA 5 (MiddleEasy)
Addiction can make the toughest S.O.B. as powerless as this guy. While many MMA fighters have had their lives and careers derailed by drugs and alcohol, some were strong enough to find treatment and pull their lives out of the tailspin. Here's our tribute to five of them...
COURT McGEE Drug of choice: Alcohol, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. Rock bottom moment: McGee began abusing drugs after falling in with the wrong crowd after high school, and was once pronounced dead following a heroin overdose. In 2006, McGee had managed to stay sober for five months. In order to test his willpower, he took a trip to Las Vegas and decided to order just one drink. He woke up four days later in Iowa, not wearing any pants. Recovery: McGee has been sober since April 16, 2006, two weeks after the Vegas/Iowa incident. He began training in MMA and rebuilding relationships with his family, which helped restore order to his life. "Crusher" came out of nowhere to win TUF 11 last June, and submitted Ryan Jensen in his follow-up fight at UFC 121.
(The hypogonadism is spreading like wildfire. PicProps: MMAClothingTrends)
So, we forgive you if you didn’t spend 2010 following Ricco Rodriguez’s career with the rapt and breathless attention you reserve for ex-UFC champs like, say, Tim Sylvia. If you’re just a youngling and/or aren’t a huge fan of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab then it’s also sort of understandable if you read that headline and were like, “Ricco who?” (Seriously though kid, UFC 39, check it out sometime) In any case, you’ll have to excuse the rest us oldsters if we pause from massaging Tiger Balm into our arthritic hip and raise one hoary eyebrow at reports out this week that the former 265-pound-titlist-turned-tragic-cautionary-tale might be on the verge of returning to the UFC.
It's seeming more and more like Ricco Rodriguez's inclusion on the DREAM 15 card just wasn't meant to be.
After Twittering early this morning that he may be stepping in for fellow MMA Agents repped fighter Jake O'Brien to face Gegard Mousasi in the opening round of the DREAM four-man light heavyweight grand prix tournament, it appears that the fight has reverted back to its original match-up as Mousasi's camp has agreed to fight O'Brien in spite of the American reportedly being 21 pounds over the required 205-pound weight limit.
(No, Overeem will not be fighting...but enough about that. Have have you all seen our new hex-shaped cage. I call it the Sexagon.)
In a bizarre move, DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara addressed the media today in an attempt to quell the rumors regarding Alistair Overeem dropping out of the event, but refused to discuss the reason for the Dutch fighter's withdrawal, effectively doing little more than fuelling further speculation.
MMAFighting has the transcription of Sasahara's prepared statement.
"Towards the end of the negotiations, because of reasons that I am not able to tell you, although the two fighters agreed to fight, it happened that these fighters could not fight. It's not because of money, but if the reasons are something that I cannot tell you then you might be able to guess what they would be. Because of that, we are not able to have these two fighters fight. We really wanted Alistair [Overeem] to fight. Today, unfortunately it is not happening so we will only have seven fights. I have to apologize to the fans who have been looking forward to seeing Alistair fight in Japan. I'm sorry."
Two months after his beatdown of Brett Rogers at Heavy Artillery, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeemwill return to competition at DREAM.15 (July 10th, Saitama), where he'll take on former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez in a non-title bout. While that may sound like Alistair is getting back to his Japanese squash-match roots, keep in mind that Rodriguez is on a seven-fight win streak since last July (six of which came by stoppage), including victories over veterans Travis Fulton and Moise Rimbon. He also looks a lot better physically these days (see above), and competed in the 218-pound division at last year's ADCCs.
Can Rodriguez use Overeem as a springboard to a career rebirth? No, probably not — but he could impress a lot of people just by giving Overeem a tough fight and not spitting on anybody. In a related story, Ricco is no longer listed for that 7/18 Impact FC fight against Jeff Monson, which is unfortunate because you can bet that Paulo Filho and Ken Shamrock will be dropping out at the last minute...
Everyone deserves a second chance in life, and Ricco Rodriguez is hoping for his own follow-up shot at the bigtime.
In 2002, Rodriguez was on top of the MMA world when he defeated Randy Couture to become the UFC heavyweight champion. At the time, he was just 25 years old and seemed to have the world in front of him. Three fights and three losses later, Rodriguez was out of the UFC and his life began to spiral out of control, but now there's hope that Rodriguez is turning things around and working towards redemption.
Additionally, Monson and Filho are in for double duty, slated to fight on both cards. Monson is lined up to fight Bira Lima and then former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Filho will take on Keith Johnson and then UFC and PRIDE veteran Kang.
The July 10 card is headlined by Josh Barnett vs. Geronimo Dos Santos and the July 18 card is headlined by Ken Shamrock vs. Pedro Rizzo.
That's the word from the Strikeforce heavyweight champion himself, who sent MMA Fighting a personal statement, which will hopefully clear the air on the matter.
"I have heard numerous rumors about me fighting at Dream on July 10. I want to give my side of the story before speculation arises:
"After my Brett Rogers fight on May 15, I decided to take time off and do media appearances -- MMA expo in Canada, E3 expo, Strikeforce events -- and enjoy some time off with my family. I knew Dream wanted me on the show, but I didn't want to go back in training preparation. Then, they offered me a fight against Andrei Arlovski for the Dream heavyweight title. As I have said on occasions, fighting for a belt means something more, and I wanted that Dream title so much that So as a result, I agreed to lay off my media and holiday plans, and went back to training.
During a conversation with Ariel Helwani on Monday's episode of "The MMA Hour," Alistair Overeem did his best to clear up the confusion surrounding his decision not to participate in a bout against Ricco Rodriguez at Dream.15.
To hear Overeem tell it, it wasn't simply a case of him not wanting to take the risk, as Rodriguez suggested. Instead, miscommunication about whether the scrap would be a title fight was mostly to blame, he said. That, combined with fatigue from a busy year for the Strikeforce heavyweight champ and some flagging motivation at the thought of facing an unranked opponent with no hardware at stake, prompted him to pull out of the fight well in advance.
Heavyweight prospect Dave Herman is currently embroiled in a breach of contract lawsuit against Bellator, but the promotion has made another attempt at reconciliation, offering him a Sept. 9 date against former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, MMA Fighting has learned.
Herman (16-2), signed with the upstart promotion nearly two years ago, yet has fought only once under their banner, earning a first-round TKO over Josh Barnes in May 2009.
The Shark Fight Promotion has added even more notable fighters to its Sept. 11 Shark Fights 13 card in Amarillo, Texas.
Zuffa veterans Pete Spratt, Douglas Evans, Brock Larson, Marcus Hicks and Karen Darabedyan, Bellator heavyweight Dave "Pee Wee" Herman, Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Aaron Rosa and Sengoku featherweight Ronnie Mann have signed on to compete on the undercard.
Previously announced for the main card were Keith Jardine vs. Trevor Prangley, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander, Joey Villasenor vs. Drew McFedries and Paul Daley vs. an opponent to be announced.
Ken Shamrock's next fight has been signed and it will be against Johnathan Ivey for the USA MMA promotion on Oct. 16 in Lafayette, La.
MMAFighting.com learned Wednesday from sources close to the event the Shamrock vs. Ivey headliner as well as the co-main event, Ricco Rodriguez vs. Mike Perez.
MMA veterans Ricco Rodriguez, Jeff Monson and Frank Trigg walked through their opponents Tuesday at the inaugural Israel FC card at the Nokia Arena in Tel-Aviv.
In the main event, Rodriguez controlled KSW and Bellator veteran Daniel Tabera with takedown after takedown en route to the unanimous decision. Following the three-round affair, the former UFC heavyweight champ Rodriguez pitched a fight against Monson.
"I think both of us at 205," said Rodriguez, who picked up his tenth straight victory. "He won one, I won one, we should do it again."
Despite reports to the contrary, 
During a conversation with Ariel Helwani on Monday's episode of "The MMA Hour," 
The Shark Fight Promotion has added even more notable fighters to its Sept. 11 
MMA veterans Ricco Rodriguez, Jeff Monson and Frank Trigg walked through their opponents Tuesday at the inaugural Israel FC card at the Nokia Arena in Tel-Aviv.