Archive for the ‘UFC News & Updates’ category

It’s 17 days out from his clash against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111 and the Dan Hardy hype machine has arrived in the New York area. Hardy posted his first stateside video blog. There’s not a whole lot to it aside from cup shopping, some awful teeth and revealing the nugget that he’ll be spending some time on Long Island, the home of Matt Serra, the last guy to take out GSP.

We’re hoping Hardy can find the manufacturer of Adam Lambert’s spiked cup. That would be a real weapon come fight night! 

In a previous blog at DanHardyMMA.com, Hardy tried to clear up a couple of things Cagewriter has blogged about in the past few weeks. One was Hardy tattoo-gate. The Brit lost his gut tattoo on several posters:

But another item I’ve read online I’d like to clear up is why my stomach tattoo has been Photoshopped off the official UFC 111 poster…

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From the champ:

Here from “The Outlaw” after the jump.

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Props: Pro MMA Radio

Quoteworthy:

“It’s gonna be a matter of schedules. I think we would both [WEC and UFC] like to come back next year. I’ve already told the guys upstairs that I want to come back. If there’s a spot next year, I want to come back. The UFC couldn’t come this year because of their international travel. I’m gonna block this date out for the WEC next year. Columbus is a great place. The media here was great. We were on all the TV networks and radio stations, and the folks at the Arnold Classic helped us out a lot.”

WEC General Manager Reed Harris was a guest on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio this week, and to the delight of Ohioans everywhere, he stated that he intends on bringing the mixed martial arts promotion back next year. That is of course if there’s a spot…

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Despite a fight card that had highlight knockouts, quick submissions, a championship belt changing hands and lots of blood, ratings for the WEC 47 broadcast on Versus were low. According to MMA Junkie, the fights drew a 0.46 share and 373,000 viewers.

In comparison, WEC 46, which featured Urijah Faber in his first bout back since injuring both hands in a fight with Mike Brown and a title unification bout between Ben Henderson and Jamie Varner, drew 640,000 viewers. 

In Columbus, the fight card was a success. After strong walk-up and day before sales, 8,345 people filled Nationwide Arena, the WEC’s fifth largest crowd ever.

So what is the problem? Versus being pulled off DirecTV is partly to blame, but Versus was off DirecTV in January when WEC 46 pulled in such strong numbers…

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Fighting your way up the lightweight ladder in the UFC is a rough go and we’re just talking about the battles in training and the Octagon. Lightweight prospect Ross Pearson learned a valuable lesson recently about his new found fame. The winner of season nine of "The Ultimate Fighter" discovered that he’s much more attractive now that he’s got a guaranteed deal with the UFCl.

Pearson, 25, is a low frills guy who still lives at his parent’s house in Sunderlund, U.K. So when his girlfriend, around the time he won TUF 9, told him she was quitting her job so he could support her, he kicked her to the curb (5:21 mark). 

Pearson is facing veteran Dennis Siver in Charlotte on Mar. 31. It should provide fireworks. Siver (14-6, 4-3 UFC) is a very solid striker who’s already picked up two knockout of the night bonuses. Pearson’s striking looked dynamite in his win over Aaron Riley…

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Calling all TUF guys:

Spike TV and UFC recently announced an open casting call for the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) franchise at the The Omni Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, NC, on Thursday, April 1.

The tryouts will coincide with the UFC Fight Night 21 event held on Wednesday (March 31).

Lightweight (155 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) hopefuls should arrive at the location between 8 and 9 a.m. ET. Registration will take place as soon as the doors open and tryouts are set to begin at 10 a.m. ET.

UFC President Dana White is expected to oversee the tryouts with Spike TV’s senior vice president of sports and specials, Brian Diamond. No debut or possible coaching candidates for Season 12 are known at this time.

Applicants must be over the age of 21 and have a professional fight record with a minimum of three fights…

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UFC light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar lost his appeal to overturn the wrong end of a TKO ruling he suffered at the hands (or head) of Krzysztof Soszynski when the pair threw leather at last month’s UFC 110 event from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, according to TSN.ca.

“The American Psycho” blames referee John Sharp for missing an inadvertent headbutt that busted him open in the third round of their 205-pound war, causing Bonnar to leak all over himself, Soszynski and the better part of the Octagon floor.

He attempted to have the ruling reversed to a technical draw based on the nature of the stoppage, but also still wants to prove to fight fans he would have been victorious “Down Under.”

That chance may come when the two collide in a rematch penciled in for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale, which is scheduled for June 19 in Las Vegas…

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Cagewriter is rolling out a new feature with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole several times each week. With the news of Kimbo Slice-Matt Mitrione remaining on May 8 at UFC 113, it leaves plenty of question about Ultimate Fight Night 22 on Apr. 17. There were rumors about newly signed boxer James Toney faces Kimbo. That idea fell through and so did a proposed fight between Mike Swick and Matt Serra. Now what? 

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The UFC and Spike are revisiting their popular "Primetime" series to hype up UFC 111, coming up Saturday, Mar. 27. In the short sneak preview that was released on Youtube, we learn that Georges St. Pierre can jump really, really high.

The last time the UFC and Spike did "Primetime," it was for St. Pierre’s fight with B.J. Penn at UFC 94. Will any training regimen that Hardy does be as cool as Penn running the rock underwater? Probably not, though we may get to see Hardy work on his wrestling in the required uniform. Hilarity will ensue. 

Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. ET on Spike. 

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“All the pressure is on GSP. Dan’s in a great position. All the pressure is on GSP for this fight. I’ve been friends with Dan for years and I am very happy he’s earned this chance. I know Dan’s a consummate professional and I know from the UK scene he’s come up with a great game plan to bring the UFC welterweight title back to England. I will be up late, and cheering Dan on for sure. He knows he’s the underdog, but every welterweight on the planet is the underdog against GSP right now. Dan is a very good striker, he has that edge over GSP, but Dan’s best weapon is his belief in himself. He won’t beat himself before the fight starts. And even if GSP starts taking him down and things don’t go to plan, Dan won’t crumble psychologically.  He’s not going to out-grapple GSP, we all know that. But he’s got an advantage on the feet and he’s a very hurtful puncher…

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