Time has come for UFC and Rampage Jackson to part ways

(Updated with comment from UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta at 7:47:42 ET on March 13, 2012)

There is a simple solution to the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson mess that, for some reason, is apparently being overlooked.

Cut him.

The UFC ought to sever ties with its mercurial former light heavyweight champion as quickly and completely as possible.

There is no good being done for any side in this equation by forcing an unhappy Jackson to fight the final bout on his UFC contract.

It certainly won't do Jackson any good to hang around. He's apparently had it with the UFC and has complained about the opponents matchmaker Joe Silva has picked for him to fight, his pay, and the seeming lack of gratitude UFC officials have shown him for fighting while injured.

Speaking to Bas Rutten on HDNet's "Inside MMA," Jackson said he is displeased that the UFC is matching him with wrestlers who don't want to fight. Four of his last five opponents were wrestlers, but there's more to the story than just the UFC putting him in against wrestlers.

On May 29, 2010, he lost to Rashad Evans in a battle for the No. 1 contender's spot at 205. He came back at UFC 123 on Nov. 20, 2010 with a win over karate expert Lyoto Machida in a battle between former champions looking to get back into the mix.

Next up, at UFC 130, was wrestler Matt Hamill on May 28, after a series of potential other opponents fell through. Beating Hamill earned (got?) Jackson a title shot against wrestler Jon Jones at UFC 135 on Sept. 24. After being submitted by Jones, the UFC put Jackson in against wrestler Ryan Bader on Feb. 26 at UFC 144 in Japan.

Jackson missed weight by five pounds in Japan, pointing to a knee injury suffered in training. He could have pulled out, but was so desperate to fight in Japan that he remained on the card. That was his choice, but now we're supposed to shower him with thanks because he did what nearly every one of his peers do every time they compete and went out and fought hurt?

Please.

Cutting Jackson would be the wise move for all parties, because Jackson clearly doesn't want to be around, he's no longer a particularly exciting fighter and all the attention being paid to his complaints takes attention away from those who could use it.

UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta said the company would not cut Jackson and said it would like to match him in the summer with former champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. He said he disagrees with Jackson's complaints, but said "he's entitled to his opinion."

"He has one more fight on his contract and our position is that he's contractually obligated to take a fight and fulfill his obligation, just as he'd expect us to fulfill our obligation," Fertitta told Cagewriter. "He is, to some extent, still a draw. An interesting fight we'd like to make, one we've talked about, would be him and Shogun. I think that would be an interesting fight. They're both coming off a loss, they have a history and they have both expressed interest in the fight in the past. That would round out things in an interesting way."

Jackson did a lot for the UFC and deserves to be recognized for that. His knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007 is one of the seminal moments in Zuffa history and won't soon been forgotten. His fight with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 was breathtaking.

He was one of the stalwarts of the PRIDE Fighting Championship and should be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame based upon his achievements in the two organizations.

That, though, is for the future. For the present, Jackson is complaining about his lot in life, which is particularly galling considering his recent performances.

It's time UFC president Dana White ended the circus and cut Jackson.

Maybe that will make him happy.

Jackson only wants guys who will engage him in a slugfest and he wants to be hailed as a conquering hero for doing it. So maybe nothing will make him happy, because that's not life in one of the hottest divisions in MMA.

Perhaps Jackson will be energized fighting for Bellator or some other promotion. Perhaps he'll get back to being the fighter he was when he was an absolute can't miss.

It's debatable, but there is one thing that absolutely, unequivocally not:

The fight with Rua would be fascinating, but the time has come for the UFC to sever its ties with him.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/time-come-ufc-rampage-jackson-part-ways-223818298.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

UFC on FX 2, Strikeforce picks: Flyweight favorites are huge and Tate?s an underdog

MMA fans will be inundated with great fights this weekend and the show stealer could be a fight between two females.

The final note on the two big cards is the Miesha Tate-Ronda Rousey fight tomorrow night in Columbus, Oh. Or should it be called the Ronda Rousey fight? When was the last time a champion was such a huge underdog like Tate?

Rousey, a former Olympian in Judo, is getting a title shot after just four pro mixed martial arts bouts. The 24-year-old fighter has also never fought down at 135 pounds. With all that, amazingly she's a minus-300 favorite to take the Strikeforce title from Tate.

Kevin Iole, Frank Trigg and myself broke down the UFC and Strikeforce fights on "The MMA Insiders" show in Las Vegas.

UFC on FX 2 betting odds:

Thiago Alves (-120) vs. Martin Kampmann (+100)
Joseph Benavidez (-850) vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani (+575)
Demetrious Johnson (-290) vs. Ian McCall (+245)
James Te Huna (-320) vs. Aaron Rosa (+260)
Anthony Waldburger (-140) vs. Jake Hecht (+120)
Kyle Noke (-270) vs. Andrew Craig (+230)
Court McGee (-130) vs. Constantinos Philippou (+110)
Anthony Perosh (+130) vs. Nick Penner (-150)
Mackens Semerzier (-155) vs. Daniel Pineda (+135)
Cole Miller (-485) vs. Steven Siler (+385)
Shawn Jordan (-210) vs. Oli Thompson (+175)

Strikeforce betting odds:

Miesha Tate (+260) vs. Ronda Rousey (-320)
KJ Noons (+155) vs. Josh Thomson (-175)
Ronaldo Souza (-600) vs. Bristol Marunde (+450)
Sarah Kaufman (-510) vs. Alexis Davis (+405)
Scott Smith (+145) vs. Lumumba Sayers (-165)
Pat Healy (+160) vs. Caros Fodor (-185)
Paul Daley (-360) vs. Kazuo Misaki (+300)
Roger Bowling (-550) vs. Brandon Saling (+425)
Conor Heun (-290) vs. Ryan Couture (+245)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fx-2-strikeforce-picks-flyweight-favorites-huge-210039203.html

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo 

Flyweight final set as Demetrious Johnson and Joe Benavidez win at UFC on FX 2

Update: UFC president Dana White announced at the post-event press conference that the McCall-Johnson decision was read incorrectly. The decision was supposed to be a draw, and the fight should've gone to a 'sudden-death' fourth round. White says the UFC will try to set up a rematch in April.

Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez took very different paths to the final, with Johnson winning a tight decision and Benavidez getting a second-round knockout at UFC on FX 2 in Australia. Those wins set them up to face off for the first ever UFC flyweight (125-lb.) championship.

Johnson survives to win split decision

Despite a terrible third round, Demetrious Johnson won the UFC's first flyweight fight in a majority decision. 29-28, 29-28, 29-29. Though the crowd in Australia yelled their displeasure, Ian McCall's strong third round was not enough for the win. The fight was originally announced as a split decision in Johnson's favor, but MMA Junkie showed score cards from on-site that showed one judge scored the first round as a 10-10 draw.

Johnson started with fast kicks followed by sticking and moving. McCall got a takedown on an inside trip, but Johnson managed a reversal and brought the fight back to the feet. McCall took advantage of a leg kick, using it to take Johnson to his back. When McCall stopped takedowns, Johnson still would make him pay on the way out with a punch or two.

The second round featured continued furious action, with the fighters standing in front of each other early in the round and trading blows. Johnson peppered McCall's legs with kicks, while McCall landed powerful shots when he could get his hands on Johnson.

Early in the third round, McCall bent over when he was inadvertently kicked in the crotch, but referee Leon Roberts did not stop the fight. Johnson took advantage and landed several punches before McCall responded.

Johnson tried a flying knee, but McCall just used it to take Johnson to the ground and land several elbows. They returned to their feet, but then McCall got another takedown. He took Johnson's back, stretched him out, and landed a bevy of strikes. Somehow, Johnson kept the fight alive and got back to his feet. With less than a minute left, Johnson tried for a takedown, but after a scramble, McCall ended up on top and then in full guard. He laid into Johnson's face with strike after strike, yelling to the crowd as he punched in the final seconds of the fight.

Benavidez earns final berth with TKO

Benavidez didn't leave it in the hands of the judges, knocking out Yasuhiro Urushitani in the second round.

Urushitani showed strong takedown defense early in the first round, but Benavidez was able to get him down late in the round. He took his back, controlling him with body triangle and a rear naked choke. However, it was too late in the round to end the fight. Urushitani survived.

Benavidez wasted no time in the second round. He knocked Urushitani down with a short right hook and finished him with ground and pound. The fight was stopped 11 seconds into the second round.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/flyweight-final-set-demetrious-johnson-joe-benavidez-win-033231860.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Bellator?s Joe Warren ready to move on and ?pummel Pat Curran?

HAMMOND, Ind. -- Bellator featherweight champ Joe Warren admits he does not take losses well, but he was forced to deal with it after getting knocked out by Alexis Vila in the Bellator bantamweight tournament.

Luckily, he doesn't have to relive memories of that 1:04 fight. He doesn't have any memories of the fight at all.

"After that last fight, I don't remember it. I hate to say it. I'd never been knocked out or submitted in practice to the point where I went out," Warren told Cagewriter.

He admits that he was emotional in the loss because fighting means so much to him.

"You put everything you have in one basket, when it doesn't work, it's emotional. When I lose it takes a piece of my heart away. I don't take losses well."

The last memory MMA fans have of Warren is of him laid out from Vila's punch, but he's ready to stop that losing streak in his title bout against Pat Curran on Friday night.

"The reason I'm a champion is that when I'm down, I push back up. What's done is done. I can't go back and change it. Now I have to focus on the task at hand, and that's to pummel the [expletive] out of Pat Curran," Warren said.

"The only thing I'm worried about for me is to impress myself. I've worked as hard as I can in the room. I'm still a young fighter. I haven't really had a fight yet where I've impressed myself."

Though fans may wants a spectacular knockout or submission, getting the win is most important for Warren, even if that means grinding out a decision.

"Keep my hands up, my chin down, and winning a five-round war. I'm here to win. I know you guys want knockouts and submissions. I need a win to keep my belt and take care of my family."

After Friday night, Warren will get ready for the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he will try to make his first Olympic team. Warren won a world championship as a Greco-Roman wrestler but was suspended for the Beijing Olympics. He also wants to return to Bellator's bantamweight tournament because it's a better weight class for him.

Even with all that on his plate, he isn't worried about focus.

"I'm constantly focused. I believe in myself, I believe in my training. I have a great support system, so all I have to worry about is taking a deep breath and pressing myself and putting on a show."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/bellator-joe-warren-ready-move-pummel-pat-curran-151615725.html

Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade 

Oklahoma State Athletic Commission Suspends All Combat Sports

The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission has suspended all combat sports due to lack of funding. The commission has halted all permits after March 31 and will remain shut down for the time being.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27861/oklahoma-state-athletic-commission-suspends-all-combat-sports/

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Roy Nelson will try drop to 205 lb. if he gets 100K Facebook likes

Roy Nelson, the UFC heavyweight who is known as much for his rotund figure as his 16-7 record, is thinking about making a change, but with a caveat. He made a bet with a friend, and Nelson will try to drop to light heavyweight if he gets 100,000 Facebook likes.

Bet is I will try to get to 205 if I can add 100k to Facebook.com/RoyNelsonUFC in two weeks. I love to win bets. Plus he will have to give me a part in his next movie.

For his fight with Fabricio Werdum, Nelson weighed in at 246 lbs. He's six-foot, a normal height for light heavies. Considering how he has slimmed down and added muscle since his stint on "The Ultimate Fighter," dropping to 205 lbs. isn't out of the question.

As of right now, he has 62,000, and 13 days to continue to add likes. You can help him in this by visiting Nelson's Facebook page and simply pressing like. Feel free to visit the Cagewriter Facebook page and give it a like, too.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/roy-nelson-try-drop-205-lb-gets-100k-211852793.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Three Stars from a whirlwind weekend of MMA: Rousey, Benavidez and Kampmann

An overshadowed weekend of fights still managed to deliver, as both UFC on FX 2 and Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate gave MMA fans plenty of fights to remember. Out of the two events, who really stood out? Here are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell us yours in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

No. 1 star -- Ronda Rousey: Her win over Miesha Tate at Strikeforce on Saturday lasted longer than her collected MMA career before the fight, but it still ended the same way: first-round armbar. Rousey faced her most talented foe, handled Tate's striking, and won with a submission that made stomachs turn around the country. Next, she will most likely defend her belt against Sarah Kaufman.

No. 2 star -- Joe Benavidez: Lost in the chaos of the Demetrious Johnson/Ian McCall draw was Benavidez and his Knockout of the Night performance at UFC on FX 2 on Friday. It took him just 11 seconds in the second round to take out Yasuhiro Urushitani, who was on a five-fight win streak heading into Friday's bout. Benavidez punched his ticket to the final of the flyweight tournament, but now has to wait for the McCall-Johnson rematch.

No. 3 star -- Martin Kampmann: Perhaps it was Kampmann's plan from the beginning -- let Thiago Alves beat him up for 14 minutes. Then, when Alves made the mistake of a lazy takedown attempt, pow! Lay on the guillotine and submit him at 4:12 in the third round. OK, maybe that wasn't his plan, but it worked out for him anyway. Not only did he get his second win in a row, but he walked away with a Submission of the Night bonus.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/three-stars-whirlwind-weekend-mma-rousey-benavidez-kampmann-202039913.html

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander