MMA Junkie News
MMAJunkie News

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- Watch tonight's Bellator 69 event live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET May 18, 2012You can watch a live web stream of tonight's Bellator 69 event live on MMAjunkie.com beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). The event takes place at L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La. The event includes the season-six middleweight-tournament finale and a welterweight-tourney semifinal. Prelim bouts include the likes of Mark Holata vs. Abe Wagner, Booker Arthur vs. Shanon Slack, and Andrey Koreshkov vs. Derrick Krantz.
- Bellator 69 discussion thread May 18, 2012Welcome to our discussion thread for tonight's Bellator 69 event. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) from L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La. Stay tuned for a full recap of the event, which includes an MTV2 main card with a season-six middleweight-tournament finale of Maiquel Falcao vs. Andreas Spang, as well as a welterweight-tourney semifinal of Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels.
- 'Strikeforce: Grand Prix Finale' weigh-in results: Barnett (248), Cormier (238) official May 18, 2012SAN JOSE, Calif. - MMAjunkie.com was on scene and reporting live from today's official "Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale" fighter weigh-ins, where all 18 fighters successfully made weight for their upcoming matchups. Today's festivities took place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., which also hosts Saturday's Showtime- and Showtime Extreme-televised event. Headlining the event are heavyweight grand prix finalists Josh Barnett (248 pounds) and Daniel Cormier (238), who each weighed in comfortably under the heavyweight limit.
- 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' episode No. 11 discussion thread May 18, 2012The 11th episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" airs tonight on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT. This serves as tonight's discussion thread for the double-fight episode, in which the tournament's quarterfinal round continues. Follow along with tonight's episode and live elimination fight on FX, and discuss it in the comments section of this thread. We'll then have an episode recap posted at the show's conclusion.
- Strikeforce's Cormier skeptical about what's next after tourney, Barnett doesn't care May 18, 2012SAN JOSE, Calif. - Tomorrow, the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix will come to an end. But then what? Officially, the winner gets one more fight under the Strikeforce banner before the division is folded. But in reality, there isn't much of a division to fold. Finding the guy who wants to fight the winner of the tourney isn't going to be an easy sell, finalist Daniel Cormier told MMAjunkie.com.
- UFC on FUEL TV 3 medical suspensions: Stephens, Eduardo suspended indefinitely May 18, 2012Nine fighters from this week's UFC on FUEL TV 3 card have received medical suspensions, and two have been suspended indefinitely. Main-card fighter Jeremy Stephens and preliminary-card competitor Johnny Eduardo both have been suspended indefinitely due to eye injuries and must received medical clearance before returning to competition. MMAjunkie.com today received the list from Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
- Featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie added to UFC 148 May 18, 2012Former title challenger Chad Mendes will serve as the welcome wagon for the debut of former lightweight Cody McKenzie in the featherweight division. UFC officials today announced that verbal agreements are in place for the 145-pound fight. It'll be part of July's already-stacked UFC 148 lineup on Independence Day weekend.
- Missouri's ShoFIGHT launches pro series June 16 with Bailey-Parisyan, Grove-Martin May 18, 2012ShoFIGHT, a Missouri-based promotion with 19 amateur fight cards under its belt, has scheduled its first professional event for June 16. Determined to make waves from day one, the debut card features Shamar Bailey vs. Karo Parisyan in the main event, with Kendall Grove facing Terry Martin in the co-feature. The 15-fight lineup also features a host of additional notables on the card, including Marcus Aurelio, Lyle Beerbohm, Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett and Shonie Carter, among others.
- Bellator 69's Karl Amoussou plans to attack David Rickels' mind May 18, 2012It's the stark raving mad psychos who get all the press. The quiet ones always fly under the radar - until they snap. Former cop and current Bellator welterweight Karl Amoussou isn't certifiable, of course, but he uses mind games with his opponents. His next one, welterweight-tournament semifinalist David Rickels, better be ready to play.
- HDNet Fights Video Vault: Jorge Patino vs. Clay Hantz in Legacy FC 11 title fight May 18, 2012When injured Jesus Rivera was forced out of a main-event title fight, Clay Hantz looked to seize an opportunity. With just a week's notice, Hantz stepped in to fight Jorge "Macaco " Patino earlier this month at Legacy Fighting Championship 11. In the latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault - our fight-of-the-week feature - we look back at the title fight, which ended in violent fashion.
- Bellator 69's Ron Sparks: 'The crowd is going to love' tonight's fight with Kevin Asplund May 18, 2012Ron Sparks doesn't see his first professional MMA loss as a positive, but he admits the setback was certainly a perspective-changer. "I wouldn't say it's the best thing to happen to me because I hate to lose to be honest," Sparks told MMAjunkie.com Radio earlier this week, of his first-round knockout defeat to Eric Prindle this past October. "But I got caught. Just like any fighter when you lose, it sucks. But the positive thing is, it humbled me. It brought me back to planet Earth."
- MMAjunkie.com Radio (noon ET): Bjorn Rebney, Don Frye and Joey 'CoCo' Diaz May 18, 2012MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney, who helps preview tonight's Bellator 69 event. We also catch up with the always-entertaining Don Frye and Joey "CoCo" Diaz. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
- Strikeforce grand prix finalist Josh Barnett: I'm the fighter 'all the hipsters love' May 18, 2012SAN JOSE, Calif. - Josh Barnett may be the best heavyweight in the world, but by virtue of fighting outside the UFC, he'll remain unknown to a large swath of fans who think the promotion and sport of MMA are synonymous. As well-known as he is in hardcore circles both stateside and abroad, you might say Barnett is the equivalent of the popular indie band that hasn't sold out yet. "I'm the one that all the hipsters love," he told MMAjunkie.com. "I'm like, 'Have you ever heard of Josh Barnett? Of course you haven't. You're not cool enough.'"
- Strikeforce's Daniel Cormier: Josh Barnett's generation 'starting to slow down' May 18, 2012SAN JOSE, Calif. - Even Daniel Cormier learned a few new things about Josh Barnettwhen Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker listed the veteran's achievements at the press conference for "Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Finale." The list stretched back to 2002 and included Barnett's win over Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title. "I really had no idea," Cormier told MMAjunkie.com during the gathering. "I didn't know he beat that many guys."
- 'Strikeforce: Grand Prix Finale' preview: Scenarios abound in Barnett-Cormier headliner May 18, 2012Fifteen months after it blasted out of the gate with an impressive array of talent, the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix is nearly at an end. And while a number of circumstances outside the cage have robbed the competition of much luster, the finals promise an exciting clash between two of the best big men outside the UFC. The winner, of course, takes one step closer to that promotion. Before that, the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix title serves as the final belt handed out before the Zuffa sister promotion shutters its big-man division completely.
- The Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription! May 18, 2012As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET. All topics - including this weekend's Strikeforce and Bellator events - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner. Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
- Strikeforce's Mike Kyle angered at perceived title-shot snub May 18, 2012SAN JOSE, Calif. - Mike Kyle couldn't leave the building fast enough after hearing Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker's carefully worded view of the 205-pound division. "I'm really upset by it," Kyle said as he stood outside the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., following Strikeforce's press conference on Thursday. "It makes me really not even want to fight. I don't feel like I'm getting nowhere in the sport. All the changes I've made in my life and the things I'm doing, there's no recognition for it."
- UFC 146's 12-bout broadcast plans complete with FX, Facebook specials May 17, 2012The UFC's first-ever five-bout all-heavyweight main-card broadcast will be complemented by "UFC Prelims" specials on both FX and Facebook. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the plans with sources close to the event, and UFC officials are expected to make an announcement shortly. "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir" takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The night's main card, which features UFC champ Junior Dos Santos vs. former titleholder Frank Mir, airs on pay-per-view
- Late replacement Lavar Johnson prepping for UFC 146 dogfight May 17, 2012Lavar Johnson heard on Wednesday that he might be fighting Stefan Struve at UFC 146 and immediately consulted his coaches, who liked the matchup. But Johnson said he wouldn't have heard about it at all had his manager, Bob Cook of American Kickboxing Academy, didn't feel the same. "Pray for me that I come out of this one OK," Johnson joked to MMAjunkie.com.
- Mark Hunt forced out at UFC 146, Stefan Struve now meets Lavar Johnson May 17, 2012
- Bellator 69 weigh-in results: Maiquel Falcao good on second try (Updated) May 17, 2012Bellator 69's official fighter weigh-ins are in the books, and all but one of four co-headlining tournament fighters successfully made weight on the first attempt. Middleweight tournament finalist Maiquel Falcao weighed 188 pounds on his first attempt but was able to drop down to 186 pounds on a second try. Today's weigh-ins took place at L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La.
- Johny Hendricks cleared to fight, ready for UFC title shot or another fight May 17, 2012The eye injury that made Johny Hendricks see double during a fight with Josh Koscheck is already a concern of the past. Hendricks was inadvertently poked by Koscheck in the first round of their fight at UFC on FOX 3, and he received an indefinite suspension pending an opthalmological exam. But the fighter recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio that he's been cleared to fight. Now, the issue is when he'll do so.
- UFC on FUEL TV 3 salaries: Cerrone ($60K), Sadollah ($48K) earn top paydays May 17, 2012UFC lightweight Donald Cerrone ($60,000) and co-feature participant Amir Sadollah ($48,000) were the top earners at Tuesday's UFC on FUEL TV 3 event. They accounted for 22 percent of the event's $481,000 payroll. MMAjunkie.com today requested and received the list of official disclosed paydays from Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
- Reminder: 'UFC Primetime: Dos Santos vs. Mir' returns Friday on FX May 17, 2012As a reminder, "UFC Primetime" returns tomorrow night in anticipation of UFC 146's heavyweight championship headliner. The three-part series focuses on UFC champ Junior Dos Santos and former titleholder Frank Mir, who headline this month's UFC 146 event. Episode No. 2 of the series debuts Friday night at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on FX. The final episode airs next week.
- MMAjunkie.com Radio: C.B. Dollaway, Karl Amoussou, UFC 146 media call May 17, 2012MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show C.B. Dollaway, who meets Jason "Mayhem" Miller at next week's UFC 146 event. Additionally, Karl Amoussou previews his Bellator 69 bout with David Rickels, and the guys listen in on today's UFC 146 media call. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio, or watch it live on select television markets as part of Fight Now TV.
- Bantamweight Michael McDonald auctions off UFC 145-worn fight shorts for charity May 17, 2012Bantamweight slugger Michael McDonald is offering up a unique piece of fight-worn memorabilia in effort to raise funds for one of his favorite charities. "Mayday" recently placed up for auction the actual shorts he wore during his UFC 145 knockout of former WEC champ Miguel Torres. Interested buyers can bid on the shorts at ebay.com, and McDonald has committed to giving 100 percent of the proceeds to Crossover International, Inc., a 501.3c organization "that promotes using sports to spread God's word."
- Fight Path: Meet Bellator 69's Shannon Slack, Dominick Cruz's own Henry Cejudo May 17, 2012When Shanon Slack first met Dominick Cruz, he was asked to make a phone call. Cruz discovered that Slack, through wrestling connections, knew Henry Cejudo, who in 2008 had been a 55-kilogram Olympic gold medalist wrestler. Slack placed a call to Cejudo's brother and put them in touch. Cruz was looking for wrestling help, but Cejudo knew something the future UFC didn't. The guy who made the phone call was every bit as capable of helping as the guy who won the medal.
- Urijah Faber hosts UFC Fight Club Q&A session prior to UFC 146 weigh-ins May 17, 2012While his next fight is currently uncertain, former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber will take center stage prior to next week's UFC 146 weigh-ins. UFC officials recently announced "The California Kid" hosts this month's pre-UFC 146 Fight Club Q&A Session. The session takes place at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, May 25, prior to the day's official weigh-ins for "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir."
- UFC awards $5K to New York academy in latest 'Octagon of Excellence' grant May 17, 2012The Ultimate Fighting Championship still can't legally promote events in New York, but that isn't stopping the world's largest MMA promotion from getting involved with the Empire State. Earlier this month, the UFC continued its "Octagon of Excellence" community outreach program by committing $5,000 to The Urban Assembly's Bronx Academy of Letters. "We got involved after we learned that even though this school is based on the academic principles of literature, they had sanctioned an ongoing jiu-jitsu club," UFC exec Reed Harris stated.
- Watch today's Bellator 69 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 2 p.m. ET May 17, 2012L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La., plays host to today's official Bellator 69 fighter weigh-ins, and we're providing a live video stream of the proceedings at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT local time). Bellator 69 takes place Friday and features Maiquel Falcao vs. Andreas Spang (middleweight-tourney final) and Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels (welterweight-tourney semifinal). In addition to the live weigh-ins, we'll have full text results posted after the proceedings.
- After UFC on FUEL TV 3 questionable calls, Alex Davis says criticism must be heard May 16, 2012Tuesday night's UFC on FUEL TV 3 card provided a "Fight of the Year" candidate in Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier, but there were also a few less honorable moments on display. From a handful of questionable judges calls to a referee's ill-timed approach at monitoring a fighter's consciousness, UFC on FUEL TV 3 did not feature flawless work from the officials in charge. Veteran manager Alex Davis said he has seen it all before. And while generic griping has become commonplace in the MMA community, Davis believes more specific discussions are needed.
- UFC confirms Urijah Faber's new opponent to be revealed on Friday's edition of 'TUF: Live' May 16, 2012Friday's 11th episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" features the season's final two quarterfinal fights, but the most newsworthy moment of the night will involve one of the season's coaches. As expected, UFC president Dana White will on Friday announce Urijah Faber's new opponent for UFC 148, where "The California Kid" and the soon-to-be-named foe will compete for the newly minted UFC interim bantamweight title. The replacement slot was necessitated when opposing coach and current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz was forced to bow out of the card with a blown ACL.
- Lineup for season-ending Bellator 70 event official, Konrad-Prindle headlines May 16, 2012The lineup is set for next week's Bellator 70, which concludes the organization's current sixth season. As previously announced, the event features a championship main event between heavyweight titleholder Cole Konrad and recent tournament winner Eric Prindle. Bellator 70 takes place next Saturday, May 25, at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and features 10 bouts.
- UFC on FUEL TV 3 ratings: Event draws 173,000 FUEL TV viewers May 16, 2012Tuesday's live broadcast of UFC on FUEL TV 3 drew 173,000 viewers. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the ratings information with an industry source. The three-hour, six-fight main-card broadcast fell a bit short of the first two UFC on FUEL TV cards, but out of seven live UFC cards that have aired on the fledgling cable station, Tuesday's show ranked third.
- Fans invited to Thursday's 'Strikeforce: Grand Prix Finale' press conference May 16, 2012The long-awaited conclusion to Strikeforce's 15-month-long world heavyweight grand prix comes Saturday. As part of the buildup to this weekend's event, fans are invited to Thursday's press conference. The pre-event presser takes place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Doors open at 11 a.m. PT (local time), and the free event - which includes Scott Coker, Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson - begins an hour later.
- Rafael Natal vs. Andrew Craig slated for UFC on FUEL TV 4 May 16, 2012A middleweight bout between Rafael Natal and Andrew Craig is slotted for July's UFC on FUEL TV 4 event. Natal today announced the fight via Twitter. UFC on FUEL TV 4 takes place July 11 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The event's main card airs on FUEL TV, and Facebook is expected to carry the preliminary card.
- FUEL TV debuts 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' on June 10 May 16, 2012The first international edition of the UFC's reality series finally has a U.S. television debut date. "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," which airs each Sunday on Globo in Brazil, currently is available only online in the U.S. However, FUEL TV will debut the show June 10 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT), officials announced during Tuesday's UFC on FUEL TV 3 broadcast.
- Medical Beat: Meniere's disease keeps UFC boss Dana White from UFC on FUEL TV 3 May 16, 2012UFC president Dana White is scheduled to undergo a procedure today in Los Angeles for a condition called Meniere's disease, which affects 50,000 to 100,000 people per year. Because of the procedure - which ideally will eliminate some of the symptoms he's had for the past few months - White had to skip last night's UFC on FUEL TV 3 event in Fairfax, Va. It's the first UFC show White couldn't attend in an 11-year span that's included 168 consecutive events under the current Zuffa LLC ownership.
- Nick Penner vs. Tom DeBlass targeted for UFC on FUEL TV 4 May 16, 2012UFC light heavyweights Nick Penner and Tom DeBlass will meet this summer at UFC on FUEL TV 4. MMAjunkie.com confirmed the planned matchup, which theScore.com first reported earlier today. UFC on FUEL TV 4 takes place July 11 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Broadcast plans for the event haven't been announced, but main-card action airs on FUEL TV, and prelims are expected to stream on Facebook.
- MMAjunkie.com Radio (noon ET): Bellator 69's Ron Sparks, trainer Marc Laimon May 16, 2012MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show Ron Sparks, who meets Kevin Asplund on the main card of Friday's Bellator 69 event. We also catch up with Team Takedown head coach and former MMAjunkie.com Radio cohost Marc Laimon. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
