mma The MMA Thread!

[D. S. Veteran]

Ryan Jimmo vs Anthony Perosh is set for UFC 149. It's nice to see Jimmo finally make the jump from MFC to the UFC but I don't think he's going to get very far in LHW, especially with a first fight against The Hippo. Perosh has extremely solid grappling and will actively work for the finish.

[D. S. Veteran]

Oh look, UFC 147. Looks nic...WHAT THE **** WERDUM VS RUSSOW?

:huh:

If Russow wins (anything can happen), the UFC will HAVE to give him the next title shot. Oh lordie!

[D. S. Veteran]

consider me hyped! :D

Confirmed: Dominick Cruz Out of UFC 148 With ACL Injury

A guy who usually ends up with at least one broken hand after every fight now tears his ACL. Christ **** almighty.

[dippednbutter]

Confirmed: Dominick Cruz Out of UFC 148 With ACL Injury

A guy who usually ends up with at least one broken hand after every fight now tears his ACL. Christ **** almighty.

A lot of Urijah sympathizers are giving Cruz a lot of heat for tearing his ACL. I find it silly. As hard as the guy trains and as normal it is for an injury like this to occur for a physical sport, experienced fans should understand this.

[D. S. Veteran]

A lot of Urijah sympathizers are giving Cruz a lot of heat for tearing his ACL. I find it silly. As hard as the guy trains and as normal it is for an injury like this to occur for a physical sport, experienced fans should understand this.

Almost like he did on purpose. :rofl:

There are talks of an Interim title fight for Faber and Renan Bar?o is on top of that list. And that's fine and dandy by me. He'll beat the crap out of Faber and then do the same to Cruz to unify the belt.

Gonna make a post about Zombie vs Poirier and it's going to be bittersweet since Koch got the title shot when he really isn't in the best position for it (coming off an injury and all that). Winner of Poirier vs Zombie should have gotten the shot at UFC 149.

[D. S. Veteran]

Renan Bar?o vs Michael McDonald is a BW dream match.

[dippednbutter]

Almost like he did on purpose. :rofl:

There are talks of an Interim title fight for Faber and Renan Bar?o is on top of that list. And that's fine and dandy by me. He'll beat the crap out of Faber and then do the same to Cruz to unify the belt.

Gonna make a post about Zombie vs Poirier and it's going to be bittersweet since Koch got the title shot when he really isn't in the best position for it (coming off an injury and all that). Winner of Poirier vs Zombie should have gotten the shot at UFC 149.

Lol no one wants to tear their acl on purpose, thats messed up haha.

There are some sick matchups at bw! Can't wait for them all.

[Rappy Veteran]

When Muhammed Lawal returns to competition, he will be a two-sport athlete.

Sherdog.com confirmed with sources close to the situation on Wednesday that ?King Mo? is expected to sign with both Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the Bellator Fighting Championships in the near future. According to Sherdog?s sources, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion will likely perform simultaneously for the professional wrestling organization and the Chicago-based MMA promoter. Details surrounding the deals were not revealed.

It is currently unknown when Lawal will debut with the organizations, but any athletic participation from the fighter will likely come down the road, as Lawal is still recovering from knee surgery and a serious battle with staph infection.

Lawal is currently serving a nine-month suspension handed to him by the Nevada Athletic Commission after he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his Jan. 7 technical knockout of Lorenz Larkin. The former NCAA wrestling standout explained to the commission during his disciplinary hearing that an over-the-counter supplement was the cause of his positive test, but the explanation did not sway the commission?s verdict. In addition to his suspension, Lawal was also fined a total of $39,000 and saw his victory over Larkin changed to a no-contest.

During the proceeding, commissioner Pat Lundvall presented a line of questioning to which Lawal took exception, asking the fighter if he could read and understand English in regard to his signed pre-fight questionnaire, which required him to list any supplements taken or injuries sustained. Following the meeting, Lawal vented his frustrations with the query on Twitter, referring to Lundvall as a ?racist bitch.?

In light of the comment, Lawal was released from his Strikeforce contract on March 27. Lawal later issued an apology to Lundvall for the comment. While it was rumored briefly that the 31-year-old might wind up back in the Zuffa fold, that hypothetical has gone by the wayside for now.

Now owned by Viacom, Bellator currently airs on MTV2 but will move to Spike TV in 2013. The promotion is currently wrapping up its ongoing sixth season and plans to hold its first Summer Series event on June 22. TNA Wrestling was founded in 2002 and airs programming every Thursday on Spike TV.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Former-Strikeforce-Champion-King-Mo-Lawal-to-Compete-for-Bellator-TNA-Wrestling-42571

[Rappy Veteran]

[Rappy Veteran]

Nick Diaz a no-show for World Jiu-Jitsu Expo superfight with Braulio Estima

UFC fighter Nick Diaz no-showed a scheduled World Jiu-Jitsu Expo superfight with Braulio Estima on Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.

Diaz's absence understandably left fans and Estima steamed.

Diaz, who reportedly was going to donate his purse to charity, initially offered no explanation for skipping the event, which was sold online as a $9.95 pay-per-view.

The event included five other jiu-jitsu bouts ? Kyra Gracie outpointed Strikeforce's Alexis Davis, for example ? but world champion Estima was left standing on the mat as he awaited Diaz, who never showed for the featured attraction. Event organizer Renzo Gracie later announced the superfight had been scratched because Diaz didn't arrive.

"For Nick, I gave up a lot of things to make this happen," Estima said afterward. "I came here to fight. You said that you were going to gave this all to charity, make all these speeches and stuff. I'm here now. You let everyone down. You let me down.

"I think this is very disrespectful. I didn't expect this from you."

Estima, who previously hinted at a possible move to MMA, said he would fight Diaz in the cage, assuming he shows up.

"I will fight him any time, and I'll make sure I'm there," he said.

While both camps argued about the other making weight, Estima assured reporters and fans he made 180 pounds on Saturday. He said no one saw Diaz make weight.

Diaz is currently suspended after failing a post-fight drug test in February following a UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit. He cost himself a title shot back in October when he no-showed a pair of pre-event press conferences for a scheduled title shot with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

"He has a problem," Estima said. "He has a social issue. This isn't his first time doing this.

"This isn't letting me down. This is letting the kids down. This is like out of order."

[D. S. Veteran]

Nick Diaz needs to be committed to a mental health facility. That no-show was disgraceful.

[dippednbutter]

http://www.cagepotato.com/cesar-gracie-explains-why-nick-diaz-no-showed-his-world-jiu-jitsu-expo-superfight/

My decision to write an account of what happened this weekend is not to answer to the detractors of myself or my team, as no explanation is owed them. It is instead based on my acknowledgement and respect to our fans and supporters. I never thought I would be answering for something that happened at a grappling tournament, however with the worldwide popularity of the sport and my team increasing, I understand that our supporters need answers.

Below is a compilation of events in chronological order. I included the behind the scenes problems we had to let you, our supporters, know how things deteriorated.

Facts

In the month of February I was contacted by a Brazilian named Junior asking me if I wanted to participate in an Expo\Jiu-jitsu tournament. The goal was to put one of our team?s stars in the event to attract sponsors and ensure it was successful. The event was not that far away and they desperately needed exposure. Junior stated that he was working with my uncle Rilion and my cousin Renzo on this project and they were in fact partners. Rilion and Renzo are 2 people that I greatly admire and respect and I was more than happy to partner up with them.

I discussed the idea with Nick Diaz and he readily agreed to enter in the black belt gi division. He did not seek any reimbursement. Junior thought it better for Nick to do a super fight as he thought this would be more of a spectacle and bring in more attention. Nick was not as enthusiastic but agreed on the condition that whoever was picked to go against him was not an mma fighter. He knew even a mediocre mma fighter would try to use a match and/or victory over him to further their career in mma. Nick believes a reputation as a fighter should only be earned in a ring or cage.I relayed this to Junior and he agreed to arrange for a strict jiu-jitsu competitor.

In March I received the disturbing news from Rilion that Junior had broken his agreement with him. Rilion stated to me that Junior was registering all World Jiu-jitsu Expo names under his name alone and was no longer taking his phone calls. When contacted by me, Junior stated that he would no longer honor his financial obligations to Rilion because ?Rilion was doing nothing and treats me like one of his clerks?.

He then went on a tirade about Rilion which I interrupted and reminded him that Rilion was my family member and I would not listen to someone speaking negatively about him.

This rift left me in a dilemma. My instinct was to sever ties immediately. Rilion was my original jiu-jitsu instructor and his reputation as an honest person was impeccable. On the other hand we had already committed Diaz and Caio Terra. Our removal would destroy an event Renzo provided all of the funding for.

I consulted with Rilion who advised me to move forward with the event. He was the one that had brought Renzo into this project and convinced Renzo to fund it. He also still believed in the idea of an American tournament that paid the best BJJ guys on the planet to showcase their skills. We agreed to move forward without him since at this stage Junior had entrenched himself and his removal was impossible. Lastly Rilion warned me that Junior was not to be trusted and would undoubtedly try to cheat me and Renzo.

In early April I got the call from Junior asking what I thought of a Braulio Estima vs Nick Diaz matchup. I had heard of Braulio and knew he was a formidable jiu-jitsu practitioner. I was under the impression that Braulio competed in the close to 200lbs weight category.

When I asked Junior he assured me that Braulio could weigh in as little as 175 lbs right before the match.

I presented his information to Nick who accepted the matchup and seemed happy to go against the top BJJ player in the world at that weight. Nick started training for the match and I brought up several BJJ black belts to compliment his training.

Looking through some of Estima?s youtube videos, it was soon discovered that he had in fact been planning on entering upon a career in mma. We wondered if the match with Diaz was a way to create a buzz around him and get him signed with a prominent organization.

I called Junior who assured me Estima would not be fighting in mma and that he had spoken with him and been assured he had given up on the idea of ever fighting. Junior reiterated, ?Cesar I spoke with Braulio, the guy is in his 30?s, he has a family and doesn?t want to live that type of life at this stage in his life?etc?

I repeated this info to Nick. A week or so later it was all over the Internet that Braulio had joined the ?Blackzillians? and was training for an mma fight. We had been lied to. Furthermore it was evident that Nick?s sole condition that he not go against a wanna be mma guy was violated and this was in fact an attempt by Braulio to ignite an mma career.Nick was to have been accurately portrayed as a fighter returning to his BJJ roots. He had even agreed to give his entire purse to charity; St Jude?s Children?s Hospital for kids with cancer. If you know the story of Ralph Gracie?s son you would understand why this charity was chosen. Nick?s name having been added to this event had saved it but now it was clear he was to be the patsy, not respected but used.

Despite all of this Nick was still going to compete. He brought up Kron Gracie and prepared himself. Around this time I was informed by Junior that Braulio wanted to weigh in the day before and not right before the match as is the custom in IBJJ competitions and Abu Dhabi. At the time Nick was about 186lbs so I consented to both guys weighing in at 180lbs the night before.

Nick boarded a plane on Friday for Long Beach having cut 6 pounds for the weigh in that night. On his way there I got a call from Junior telling me Braulio would not be making weight! ?Cesar Braulio is complaining about the weight cut. Can we have him weigh in tomorrow? He can?t make the weight tonight how about 185 in the morning??

Nick arrives in Long Beach to the news that there will be no weigh ins that night. As a professional with over 30 fights this was the final straw. The disrespect and total lack of professionalism given him convinced him he was at a circus not a professional event.

At 3:20 in the morning I received a text from Junior that Braulio would in fact make the 180lbs weight class at 10:00AM. With no other option available I said fine I?ll check with Nick in the morning. At 10:00AM Braulio did weigh in at 180lbs but by that time Nick had already left.

Opinion

As a Brazilian I love Brazil but not all things Brazilian. In the last decade I have witnessed Brazilian cronies running the IBJJF and making it impossible for Americans to get a fair shake when competing against their Brazilian countrymen. These cronies have instituted rules to where if you miss weight by even half a pound you are disqualified and not refunded your entry fee. They gladly keep your money and treat you like crap in your country because they can. One of these cronies (Junior) decided to bend all the rules for Braulio Estima and treat Nick Diaz like crap. Sorry that didn?t work out here.

As for Braulio I still respect him as a great BJJ artist. As far as calling Nick out for a mma fight, he knows that is impossible because Nick is signed with the UFC and in mma you have to make weight when they want you to. Not when you want to. If Braulio ever finds success in mma then he can mention Nick?s name for a fight. Right now he should respect the man.

Nick is not without fault by any means. His lack of communication with his team and coach was inexcusable. This will be addressed privately.

Renzo and I have spoken and we are committed to continuing with this otherwise awesome event?.without the services of Junior.

It should be noted that Nick paid to St Jude?s Children?s Hospitable the sum of what would have been his entire purse.

Thank you,

You have my apologies and my respect

Cesar Gracie

[D. S. Veteran]

Braulio Estima would've styled all over Nick Diaz on the mat even if he gave up a 10lb advantage. Don't be scared, homie.

[dippednbutter]

Braulio Estima would've styled all over Nick Diaz on the mat even if he gave up a 10lb advantage. Don't be scared, homie.

http://www.cagepotato.com/braulio-estima-responds-to-cesar-gracies-response-and-it-aint-pretty/

@CesarGracieBJJ Hi C?sar i was reading yr statement. vry interesting points..

1st- When junior approached me 2 Offer me the fight I was actually training at the blackzilians at the time so obviously I was training Mma. Junior told me abt nick not wanting 2 fight an Mma fighter. I nevr fought before so he said it was fine & y u dnt cancel the fight before if ths was really an issue..??

2nd- nobody has ever bended no rules for me. Because there was no rules set to start off with, it wasnt going to be a UFC match but a superfight on a BJJ Expo so the whole point here was for us to show a fight..has Nick signed a contract that stated the date time and weight that we both need to reach? I didn?t. And since this whole thing was going to be a friendly event I really don?t see any issue here even if Nick turned up 10lbs overweight. Still when asked I went and dropped the weight to meet the requirement. Actually to put things straight it was myself that called Junior around 10pm Friday to check if there is going to be a weigh in at all. He kept contacting you and got back to me saying I need to be 180 that time, of course I said I can?t for the simple reason I was away in Irvine and it was already late at night but I said sure no problem I?ll make it first thing in the morning if needed, even if it would put me in a bigger disadvantage I didnt care I just came to fight. Junior had actually called me back no later than midnight that he spoke to you and confirmed the weigh in for 10am.

Besides when did Nick actually weigh in? And who witnessed that if we are being so strict and proffessional?

3rd ? you are saying Nick had left by 10am Saturday morning? Why you never said anything then? I even asked you I?d like to see him and his weight and you said he?s not gonna come down because he ate already and wouldn?t make the weight anymore. And Lana after speaking to you called his room and said he was actually there sleeping. Nobody at any point had mentioned he could have left. Leaving me believing we would fight till the very last minute, now youre talking about lack of proffesionalism in the organisation of the superfight and this was very professional behaviour right?

There is many more points here that I don?t agree with but I am just fed up of this whole situation and don?t agree for anyone to ever release the blame from Nick for whatever reason, we were there to fight and that?s what should happen no excuses, we are both professional athletes and should respect one another no matter what. And this is inexcusable.

Both of these guys are incomprehensible. I'm a huge Diaz fan but there is so much weirdness with the guy nowadays, kind of getting tired of it.

[D. S. Veteran]

Cody McKenzie Vs. Chad Mendes Set For UFC 148

Are they really running out of FW? This is some very bad matchmaking, something that I would expect in Strikeforce but certainly not in the UFC. McKenzie is 2-2 in the UFC, drops down to FW and faces a guy in the Top 5 of the division? What?

[Rappy Veteran]

The "Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale" official weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime)

Josh Barnett (248) vs. Daniel Cormier (238)

Champ Gilbert Melendez (153) vs. Josh Thomson (153)

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (206) vs. Mike Kyle (203)

Nah-Shon Burrell (170) vs. Chris Spang (169)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Showtime Extreme)

Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (156) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (156)

Virgil Zwicker (204) vs. Guto Inocente (205)

Derrick Mehmen (205) vs. Gian Villante (205)

Quinn Mulhern (170) vs. Yuri Villefort (170)

Bobby Green (155) vs. James Terry (156)

[Rappy Veteran]

Fedor Emelianenko reportedly retiring after June 21 bout with Pedro Rizzo

The long and illustrious career of Fedor Emelianenko (33-4) reportedly will come to a close in just a month.

The 35-year-old fighter told Russian television outlet isport.ua his recently announced June 21 fight with Pedro Rizzo (19-9) will be the final one before his retirement.

The former PRIDE champion and recent Strikeforce fighter said the time was right.

"It will be the last fight of my career," Emelianenko said. "It's time to end my career."

The June 21 event is held in conjunction with M-1 Global at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. It's expected to air on pay-per-view.

Emelianenko recently left Strikeforce following consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. Since then, the Russian recently has competed overseas, where he picked up victories over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii in late 2011. The Rizzo fight is his first of 2012.

Despite his recent setbacks with Strikeforce, Emelianenko once was the most celebrated heavyweight ? perhaps the most celebrated competitor in any weight class ? in MMA. As part of his legendary PRIDE run, when he held the title from 2003 to 2006, he won 27 consecutive fights (with one no-contest) while building an aura of invincibility.

Emelianenko's notable wins have come over the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, among others. Many of the opponents were in the prime of their careers.

However, due to a contentious relationship between the UFC and Emelianenko's management, the fighter never competed in the UFC, which has housed most of the world's top heavyweights since PRIDE's collapse.

[Rappy Veteran]

UFC champion Jon Jones arrested on DUI charge, management 'still gathering facts'

One of the biggest and most marketable stars in the UFC has been arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Jon Jones, the UFC's reigning light-heavyweight champion, was arrested early this morning after crashing his Bentley in Binghamton, N.Y.

Jones' management team confirmed the arrest today but stated, "The facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated."

The Broome County Sheriff's department reportedly took Jones, 24, into custody earlier today at approximately 5 a.m. ET, according to TMZSports.com. According to the report, he crashed his car into a utility pole, and his mom bailed him out a few hours later.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) could not immediately reach UFC officials for comment, but Jones' management team released a statement.

"I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI," stated manager Malki Kawa. "While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon, and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time."

Kawa stated that neither Jones nor his representatives will grant any interviews at this time.

However, a representative told MMAjunkie.com Jones wasn't injured in the crash.

Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) most recently fought at and headlined UFC 145 on April 21, when he defeated rival Rashad Evans via unanimous decision. It marked his seventh straight victory and his third consecutive title defense.

The arrest is unlikely to result in any type of punishment from the UFC. Fellow fighter Ross Pearson, for example, was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of DUI earlier this month. UFC president Dana White condemned anyone who drinks and drives but said Pearson wouldn't be pulled from an upcoming card.

[Rappy Veteran]

[D. S. Veteran]

Cormier was just in pure beast mode. Still, his hands are made of glass. Breaks one hand against Bigfoot, breaks it again in the first 30 seconds of this fight. Who does he think he is? Brian Bowles? Dominick Cruz? Constant breaks aren't common for a HW fighter.

[Rappy Veteran]

Fedor Emelianenko retires following knockout of Pedro Rizzo

One of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport is hanging up his gloves.

HDNet's Ron Kruck on Thursday confirmed Fedor Emelianenko is retiring following a knockout of Pedro Rizzo at "M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rizzo," which took place Thursday at Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The 35-year-old Emelianenko leaves the sport with an overall 34-4 record in 12 years of professional competition.

The former PRIDE heavyweight champion left Rizzo in a heap just 84 seconds into their headlining bout. It was his third straight win since a knockout loss to Dan Henderson prompted his release from Zuffa-owned Strikeforce. His overall record in the promotion was 1-3.

After the Henderson loss, Emelianenko (34-4) migrated back to his native Russia, where he outpointed UFC veteran Jeff Monson over three lackluster rounds. He then fought in Japan, where he first became a star under the now-defunct PRIDE, earning a first-round KO of Satoshi Ishii in a 2011 New Year's Eve card co-promoted by his management company M-1 Global, DREAM and Inoki Genome Federation.

Following Thursday's knockout, Emelianenko was joined in the ring by his wife and daughter, as well as his trainers and managers. Russian president Vladimir Putin, who watched the event ringside, also paid his respects.

Emelianenko ruled top-10 rankings for more than a half-decade as he went virtually unbeaten in almost 10 years of competition.

A native of Stary Oskol, Russia, he found his way into the sport through the Russian martial art of Sambo. He made his PRIDE debut in 2002 and established himself as a dominant force after winning the heavyweight title from Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2003. He defended the title twice in addition to winning the 2004 PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix, racking up iconic wins over former UFC champs Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman as well as Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

Emelianenko was aggressively courted by the UFC in 2009 following the collapse of Affliction's short-lived fight promotion and was reportedly offered a multi-million dollar contract. He and his representatives turned down the deal, citing the unwillingness of the industry-leading UFC to co-promote, among other concerns.

Strikeforce soon after acquired Emelianenko, and he fought three times for the promotion before Zuffa purchased it in March 2011. Following his loss to Henderson, he was released from his contract by Zuffa. UFC president Dana White repeatedly took shots at the heavyweight in the press for his decision not to sign with the UFC.

A report issued by Russian news outlet RIA Novosti quoted Emelianenko on his retirement: "My family influenced my decision. My daughters are growing without me, (and) that's why it's time to leave."

[D. S. Veteran]

Christ, I didn't remember that there was a FUEL event last night. Chris Weidman straight up DESTROYED Mark Mu?oz without breaking a sweat, late stoppage and all that. Mu?oz didn't land a single strike. A think a fight with either Bisping or Belfort is in Weidman's future (or a curveball of the winner of Boetsch vs Lombard).

[D. S. Veteran]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWwkPG-lvMM

I'll just leave this here. Thread incoming as soon as the card is final.

[Rappy Veteran]

I can't for that main event!

[Rappy Veteran]

Recently-axed UFC fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller was arrested today in Orange County, TMZ has learned -- after allegedly breaking into a church, spraying a fire extinguisher all over the place, and getting buck naked.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, the O.C. Sheriff's Office received a call early this morning from the Mission Hills Church in Mission Viejo about a possible burglary in progress.

When the deputies arrived, we're told they found the first and second floors covered in white fire extinguisher spray. Cops say the place was also trashed -- scattered CDs, books, and broken pictures.

When officers reached the second floor, we're told they found Miller naked on some couch -- totally awake and coherent.

Miller -- who also hosted the MTV reality show "Bully Beatdown" -- was taken into custody for burglary, and is currently being medically evaluated. It's unclear if Miller was under the influence.

It's worth noting -- UFC honcho Dana White cut Miller earlier this year, claiming "some crazy sh*t happened backstage" at UFC 146 and Miller was fired.

Miller and White went back at it on Twitter recently, with Miller telling White to "kill yourself." Calls to Miller's rep were not returned.

:rofl: