What Now? UFC 147

UFC 147 saw the promotion return to Brazil, this time emanating from Estádio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte. While there was great consternation about the line-up of fights prior to the card, few were left complaining after several exciting bouts delivered. Now that the dust form the weekend has settled, it’s time to look [...]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29185/what-now-ufc-147/

Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè 

UFC set to stage 2,000th fight in company history

Barring any last-minute changes, the opening fight of the main card at UFC 147 on Saturday between Yuri Alcantara and Hacran Dias will carry a little more significance than normal.

It will mark the 2,000th fight in UFC history. The first came on Nov. 12, 1993, at McNichols Arena in Denver, when Gerard Gordeau opened UFC 1 by stopping Teila Tuli in just 26 seconds. Gordeau kicked Tuli in the face and reportedly knocked out three of his teeth.

Zuffa, which currently owns the company, took control of the UFC from Semaphore Entertainment Group in January 2001 and has promoted all of its shows since. In the pre-Zuffa days, the UFC had to move to states without athletic commissions in order to hold its events. It was banned from cable for a period of time and was infamously referred to as "human cockfighting" by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

UFC president Dana White was amazed by the achievement.

"This company runs so fast, most of the time we don't even stop to think about these milestones." White said. "But 2000 UFC fights is a pretty crazy number when you remember the UFC was supposed to be a one-and-done event.

"This weekend, we've got two huge shows in two different countries. On Friday, we're in Atlantic City with a great FX card headlined by a five rounder between Gray Maynard and Clay Guida, and then the next day we're in Brazil with a pay-per-view headlined by Wanderlei Silva versus Rich Franklin. The UFC has come a long way since fight No.1."

Alcantara and Dias will share a piece of history if there are no cancellations either on Friday or on Saturday's preliminary card. They are supposed to open the pay-per-view broadcast Saturday and if all goes according plan, they'll be in the 2,000th fight and the answer to a trivia question.

One of the great things about mixed martial arts, though, is that things don't always go as planned. The 2,000th bout will be held on Saturday and it will likely be between Alcantara and Dias, but stay tuned.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-set-stage-2-000th-fight-company-history-183707767--mma.html

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

This week in callouts: B.J. Penn accepts Rory MacDonald?s challenge while Johny Hendricks eyes Carlos Condit

Choosing opponents is a trait unique to combat sports, particularly MMA. The only control the Boston Celtics had in who they would face in the NBA playoffs is that their their seed was decided by their regular season record. Once the seed was set, the Celtics had no choice but to play the Miami Heat. They couldn't turn down LeBron James and Company and say, "Nah, I want to play the Oklahoma City Thunder, now!"

But in MMA, if fighters play their cards right, they can push, whine, cajole, or just ask for a certain opponent. Ronda Rousey was able to get her fight against Miesha Tate via combination of armbars and callouts. Frank Mir raising his hand after Alistair Overeem was not licensed for his bout with Junior dos Santos earned him an ill-fated title shot.

With that in mind, both Johnny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald have called out the opponent they want to see on the other side of the Octagon.

For MacDonald, it's the seemingly retired B.J. Penn. MacDonald told the MMA Hour he wanted to face Penn while he could.

"It's more of the idea that he may be retiring, so how many opportunities am l going to get to fight a guy like BJ after he's gone?" he said. "I think it'd be a great fight. I know I'm going to fight all these guys in the top 10 eventually. I'm a young guy and these guys are going to be around for a long time and I know I'm going to get my shot against all these guys, and maybe I'll be missing my opportunity if I wait too long with B.J."

Penn, who recently shot down Josh Koscheck's hopes for a fight, accepted the challenge from the 13-1 MacDonald. On Penn's website, he posted this simple message.

"Rory, I accept your challenge!"

Their bout will reportedly happen at UFC 152 in Toronto.

Perhaps Johny Hendricks was inspired by MacDonald. After learning he will have to fight Martin Kampmann to get a shot at the UFC welterweight belt, Hendricks turned his sights on interim belt holder Carlos Condit. On Wednesday, he tweeted:

No more waiting @CarlosCondit. Let's see who the #1 Contender really is.

Condit won the interim belt after his bout with Georges St-Pierre was shelved because of GSP's torn ACL. However, Condit has indicated he wants to wait to fight GSP and the chance to unite the belts. GSP is aiming for a November return. It's the beginning of June, and both Hendricks and Condit are healthy. Hendricks wants to both stay active and get a shot to move up a rung or two on the welterweight ladder. It's a fight that makes sense. Will Hendricks be able to get the fight he wants? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/week-callouts-b-j-penn-accepts-rory-macdonald-185745759.html

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana 

Antonio Silva ?could not see a thing? in UFC 146 loss to Cain Velasquez

Antonio Silva sustained a cut in his loss to Cain Velasquez that gushed a whole lot of blood. Much of that blood went into his eyes, so it's not surprising that Silva said he couldn't see a thing in the fight.

"One of the main reasons I got defeated was that. I couldn't see a thing, there was a lot of blood and my eyes were burning. I tried to defend myself and not get hit at, shaking my head to see if I could get rid of that blood, but there was no way around it. From that moment on my corner was my eyes."

It's bad enough to not be able to see. Can you imagine not being able to see and having Velasquez repeatedly hit you? Silva tweeted that the cut required 13 stitches.

Not surprisingly, he received a medical suspension after the bout. He is out of action until July 23, possibly up to November if his nose is broken. Both possibly out of action until November, Velasquez and Jamie Varner received the longest suspensions because of hand issues.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/antonio-silva-could-not-see-thing-ufc-146-154132751.html

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Martin Kampmann and Michael Chiesa?s victories and more: Photo gallery from TUF 15 finale

Check out pictures by Tracy Lee from Friday's "The Ultimate Fighter" season 15 finale. You'll see Martin Kampmann's bloody but victorious face, Michael Chiesa's celebration, and Al Iaquinta being out cold. To see more of Lee's work, follow her on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/martin-kampmann-michael-chiesa-victories-more-photo-gallery-181822496.html

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

Kenny Florian officially retires from MMA

Kenny Florian officially announced his retirement from fighting on Thursday. He had been contemplating walking away from the Octagon after a back injury. He walks away as one of the fighters who helped the UFC build to its current size.

Though Florian had three title shots and didn't win any, his career had plenty of highlights:

Cutting down to featherweight and beating Diego Nunes at UFC 131: After starting in the UFC at 185 lbs. and methodically working down to 155 lbs., the already thin Florian wanted a shot at featherweight and champion Jose Aldo. To get that shot, he first had to get through Diego Nunes, both to prove that he could cut down to 145 and that he could win at that weight. He did it, beating Nunes in a unanimous decision.

"I want BJ's belt!": Florian had one title shot against Sean Sherk. It was early in his UFC career, and he wasn't quite ready. With six straight lightweight wins, Florian had the credentials but it couldn't hurt to ask for it. After submitting Joe Stevenson in the first round, Florian said the phrase that was used in ubiquitous commercials: "I want BJ's belt!"

Stopping the Roger Huerta train at UFC 87: Heading into this fight, Huerta had a ton of hype surrounding him. He hadn't lost in the UFC and his most recent fight was a thrilling, comeback win over Clay Guida. If he won, he was expected to get a title shot. Florian wouldn't let that happen. He dominated Huerta for three rounds on the way to a unanimous decision.

TKO of Alex Karalexis at Ultimate Fight Night 1: After fighting at middleweight for "The Ultimate Fighter" and getting to the finals, Florian cut down to welterweight. Those Florian "Hellbows" helped him make a post-TUF mark. He made a huge cut across Karalexis' nose and won by TKO in the second round.

Now, the smart and articulate Florian will have more time to lend his voice and insight to the UFC's broadcasts on Fuel TV.

What was your favorite KenFlo moment? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/kenny-florian-officially-retires-mma-143814049.html

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

UFC switches to EA for video games

The UFC has teamed up with video game maker EA to distribute the next edition of the UFC's fight-based video game. The news was announced E3, a convention for the gaming industry, on Monday.

"We've hooked up with the biggest video game company on the planet. We can now distribute this game to the 175 countries, 22 different languages, and over half-a-billion homes worldwide that we're in," White said. "This is a huge day for the UFC, a big day for the fighters, and more importantly, for you, the fans."

There had been animosity between the two groups in the past. EA put out their MMA video game not long after the UFC's THQ-powered game, a move White was not happy about. EA used Strikeforce and Bellator fighters, and White threatened to keep fighters signed with EA out of the UFC. White went so far as to say, "EA sucks" in a 2010 interview because of their initial rebuke of MMA.

Previously, the UFC worked with THQ on their video game, but the rights were transferred to EA for an undisclosed sum. THQ has already been through drastic staff reductions and more are likely in the future because of losing this game.

Now, the UFC will be working with the company who made their name with sports-based video games. EA is the group behind the Madden NFL football, FIFA soccer, NCAA football, NHL and NBA Live games.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-switches-ea-video-games-125218130.html

John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago AlvesÂ