The UFC to take on the Olympics in August

On Tuesday night, the UFC announced on Fuel TV that fights will return to Atlantic City for an FX show on June 22 and to Fox on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. The date of the Fox show will pit the UFC directly against the Summer Olympics.

The UFC hasn't shied away from the Olympics in the past. UFC 110, which featured Cain Velasquez taking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round, aired against the 2010 Winter Olympics. Georges St. Pierre defended his belt against Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on the second night of the 2008 Summer Games.

[Related: Jon Fitch vs. Josh Koscheck fight could happen]

But there are two big differences here. First of all, this is network television vs. network television. The previous UFC events that took on the Olympics were pay-per-views, which generally attract a more hard-core fan base. With network television, the UFC is seeking casual fans. During the Olympics, casual sports fans tune into the Games.

Secondly, the UFC's other Olympic-conflicted events fell on nights with with light schedules at the Games. Aug. 4 will be jam-packed with sports popular in the U.S. Swimming will award medals in four races. Basketball and beach volleyball will play early-round games. In track and field, the men's long jump and women's heptathlon and 100-meter events will conclude. The gold- and bronze-medal tennis matches will take place at Wimbledon.

Who will win the ratings battle? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Yahoo! Sports Minute: See flower bouquets inspired by top football programs
? Why Monday after Super Bowl should be a national holiday
? Kendrick Perkins rips LeBron James for his dunk tweet

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-olympics-august-141129148.html

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott

UFC 143 video: Nelson impressed with JDS and Werdum, no so much with Lesnar and Overeem

LAS VEGAS -- Roy Nelson isn't afraid to say what's on his mind even if he's risking a beatdown somewhere down the line.

Speaking to the gathered media at the UFC 143 workout day, "Big Country" is a big backer of Junior dos Santos and had nothing but nice things to say about Fabricio Werdum, his opponent on Saturday night. When it comes to the recently retired Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, he's not too impressed.

"Other people have the easier roads [to a title] shot, like Overeem. He beat Brock ... ooh. Now you get a title shot. Whatever," joked Nelson. "Overeem does really good at what he does. He's a good striker. Ground? Maybe not so much. Talk about dos Santos here, all he does is knock people out."

Nelson can crow loudly about JDS because he went 15 minutes with the champ and couldn't be finished.

On the topic of Lesnar, Nelson was pretty blunt during a discussion on his hometown radio station ESPN1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas.

"I don't think he was ever going to retire as champion. I think it was more to introduce the UFC to Alistair Overeem," Nelson said about Lesnar's UFC 141 postfight comments that he would've retired after a fight against dos Santos had he beaten Overeem (5:00 mark). "I think he just wanted to get a paycheck and call it a retirement and call it a day. And good for him."

Werdum (14-5-1, 2-2 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since 2008. He was 3-1 with Strikeforce including a win over Fedor Emelianenko. Werdum is a minus-150 over Nelson (16-6, 3-2 UFC).

You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-143-video-nelson-impressed-jds-werdum-no-193030215.html

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Bellator Fight Cards Set for Bellator 60 to Bellator 63

Bellator will kick off its sixth season in just over a month when it moves to Friday nights on MTV 2 starting with Bellator 60 on March 9 and continuing with Bellator 61 on March 16, Bellator 62 on March 23, and Bellator 63 on March 30.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27527/bellator-fight-cards-set-for-bellator-60-to-bellator-63/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Dana White holds 2012 lead in skipped press conferences

By Kevin Iole
Yahoo! Sports

LAS VEGAS -- UFC president Dana White has routinely given welterweight contender Nick Diaz a hard time for skipping news conferences to promote fights.

In September, Diaz was briefly booted off of UFC 137 after he no-showed news conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas. Circumstances put him back on the card, but it remains a hot topic five months later.

On Thursday at the final pre-fight news conference for UFC 143 at Mandalay Bay, Diaz and White were asked several times about his stance on news conferences.

"He's made it very clear, he's not here to make any friends," White said of Diaz. "He's not looking to have any barbecues over at his house with anyone from the MMA world. He's here to fight. That's it, and I'm cool with that. You just have to show up to press conferences and do the stuff and now, he's doing all of the stuff that needs to be done."

White, though, skipped a press conference last week and didn't do what he needed to do.

White was unhappy with the UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago on Jan. 28. Rather than say anything that he might regret, White skipped the pos-fight news conference and flew on his private jet back to Las Vegas, leaving UFC media relations director Ant Evans to run the show.

Pressed on his absence Thursday, White grinned impishly.

"Yeah, I wasn't in the mood," he said. "I can not go if I don't want to."

He later said, "I usually try to skip press conferences where I know I'm going to, you know, [lose my temper]."

The next time that Diaz, or anyone else misses a news conference, he needs only to point to White's absence at the UFC on Fox 2 media event.

Bringing that up should be good for at least one get out of jail free card.

You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dana-white-holds-2012-lead-skipped-press-conferences-025101149.html

Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe

Bellator Fight Cards Set for Bellator 60 to Bellator 63

Bellator will kick off its sixth season in just over a month when it moves to Friday nights on MTV 2 starting with Bellator 60 on March 9 and continuing with Bellator 61 on March 16, Bellator 62 on March 23, and Bellator 63 on March 30.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27527/bellator-fight-cards-set-for-bellator-60-to-bellator-63/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

With AKA split, Jon Fitch vs. Josh Koscheck could happen says Dana White

Dana White has said it for years, the fight game isn't a place for team camaraderie in the long run, The fight game will eventually will split up even the best of friends.

The heat between former teammates Jon Jones and Rashad Evans has been palpable for over a year and now we could see two guys, who appeared to be even closer, fighting in the future.

Josh Koscheck is done with American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Ca. That could mean the roadblocks are gone for a Koscheck match against Jon Fitch.

As teammates they said they'd never fight each other unless it was for a title. That always drove their boss nuts. Now that Koscheck is on his own, would they pass up a chance for a title shot if it meant they had to fight?

Koscheck gave a cryptic answer when conversing with White during the UFC 143 postfight press conference.

"That's what I whispered to him," White told the media. "I said, 'Now I'm doing the Jon Fitch fight.' He said, 'Good luck with that.'"

Koscheck gave no details as to why he split from the camp. He first indicated things were on shaky ground during the week when he said he was fighting for "Team Me" not "Team AKA."

He confirmed things during the postfight.

"I'll be training out of Fresno for now. I'm no longer affiliated with some of the people at the gym that I've been training at. I'm going to do my own thing," said Koscheck.

What happened at AKA? Koscheck wouldn't even mention the gym by name.

Koscheck barely squeaked by Mike Pierce and admitted his motivation to fight was less than stellar. Between the drama of leaving his longtime team and Pierce not being a huge name, the veteran UFC star produced a lackluster performance.

"Josh looked flat tonight. I expected Josh to have the faster hands. He didn't really let his hands go tonight," White said. "He looked flat."

Maybe a Fitch fight, with the winner getting a title shot, is exactly the energy Koscheck needs. For now White said he's not planning on Fitch-Koscheck, but he's open to it.

"No. I'm just [expletive] with him. If the fight made sense ... because there was a time when those two were [at the top of the rankings] ... but if the fight made sense, yeah, I'd try to make it. I wouldn't do it just to do it," said White.

Fitch needs to get back in there as soon as possible. Knocking on the door for a second title shot for the last three years, Fitch's chances got crushed when he was knocked out in just 12 seconds at UFC 141 against Johny Hendricks. In the USA Today/Bloody Elbow 170-pound rankings, he dropped all the way down to No. 7.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/aka-split-jon-fitch-vs-josh-koscheck-could-080034026.html

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida