MMA Junkie News

MMAJunkie News

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• The Sunday Junkie: Feb. 5 edition February 5, 2012
  The MMAjunkie.com e-mailbox could hardly contain the flood of entries that came in this week for The Sunday Junkie. Nor surprisingly, Carlos Condit's heavily debated victory over Nate Diaz in Saturday's UFC 143 headliner was a popular topic, and readers tackled all aspects of the pay-per-view fight. This week's winner of our weekly reader-feedback feature, Indiana reader "Gallbladder_Flush," thinks angered Diaz fans need to look at the facts and realize there was, in fact, a clear winner in the title fight.
• UFC boss praises Roy Nelson's durability but unsure what his future holds February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Roy Nelson did what Roy Nelson does best: Walk forward, opponent be damned, and wing right hands. And while his gutsy performance earned "Big Country" one-half of UFC 143's "Fight of the Night" bonus, the loss leaves Nelson at just 1-3 in his past four fights. So despite earning one of the loudest welcomes of the night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd, is Nelson's spot in the UFC's heavyweight division secure?
• Will Nick Diaz's retirement stick? Following UFC 143, UFC boss not so sure February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - UFC president Dana White understands why Nick Diaz is upset, even if he doesn't agree with the fighter's belief that he won Saturday's UFC 143 main event. He also understands if Diaz goes through with an announced retirement, even if he thinks it'd be financially foolish to do so. Quite simply, White has given up on trying to predict the 28-year-old's often-erratic behavior.
• UFC 143 winner Barao wants title shot; boss says contender becoming Brazilian treasure February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - The Ultimate Fighting Championship's own media notes on Brazilian bantamweight Renan Barao sum it up nicely: "Has best record, on paper, in all of MMA." On Saturday night, Barao earned his 28th-straight win by downing onetime title-challenger Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision. The 24-year-old is now 5-0 under the Zuffa banner, and while UFC president Dana White isn't ready to grant him a title shot just yet, he admits the Nova Uniao product is quickly becoming one of Brazil's most popular fighters.
• With Josh Koscheck's AKA relations strained, is Jon Fitch fight finally possible? February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - UFC 143 winner Josh Koscheck dropped the first hint of trouble at this past Thursday's pre-fight press conference, when he talked about the importance of "Team Me." Following his split-decision win over Mike Pierce at Saturday's event in Las Vegas, Koscheck opened the flood gates. "I'll be training out of Fresno for now," Koscheck told MMAjunkie.com. "I'm no longer affiliated with some of the people at the gym that I've been training at."
• Dana White, new champ Carlos Condit perfectly content with UFC 143 result February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Depending on who you talk to, Carlos Condit's unanimous-decision win over Nick Diaz in the main event of Saturday night's UFC 143 event in Las Vegas was either a brilliantly designed and perfectly executed gameplan or a mockery of mixed martial arts. While it's obvious, of course, which Condit believes, you can also count UFC president Dana White among those who thinks the "Natural Born Killer" did all the right things. "Carlos Condit won," White said following the evening's post-event press conference. "He went in there, and he fought a great fight."
• Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II set for June in Brazil February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - The rematch is happening. At Saturday night's UFC 143 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White confirmed that both UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and his nemesis Chael Sonnen have verbally agreed to meet in Brazil on an as-yet-undetermined date in June. Silva was in Las Vegas for Saturday's fight card, and White said an agreement was reached during the event.
• UFC 143 draws a reported 10,040 attendance for $2.3 million live gate February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Saturday's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event drew a reported 10,040 attendees and generated a live gate of $2.3 million. UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com attended. Featuring an interim welterweight title contest between former WEC titleholder Carlos Condit and former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz, UFC 143 marked the company's first 2012 event in Las Vegas.
• UFC 143 bonuses: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum and Nelson earn $65K awards February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Stephen Thompson, Dustin Poirier, Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson each earned $65,000 fight-night bonuses for their performances at Saturday's UFC 143 event. Thompson earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" award, Poirier picked up the "Submission of the Night" bonus, and Werdum and Nelson earned "Fight of the Night" honors. MMAjunkie.com learned of the bonus winners and award amounts at UFC 143's post-fight press conference.
• UFC 143 results: Disciplined Carlos Condit tops stifled Nick Diaz, wins interim title February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Carlos Condit solved one of the most challenging puzzles in MMA. The former WEC champ implemented a remarkably effective game plan and won the UFC's interim welterweight title by stifling ever-active but ultimately frustrated ex-Strikeforce titleholder Nick Diaz, who suggested he may retire after the loss. The fight headlined UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
• UFC 143 results: Fabricio Werdum tops Roy Nelson in successful UFC return February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - After three-and-a-year absence from the organization and picking up some major wins in Strikeforce, Fabricio Werdum made a successful return to the UFC. The Brazilian heavyweight outlasted and even out-struck fellow big man Roy Nelson en route to a unanimous-decision victory. The fight co-headlined UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
• UFC 143 results: Josh Koscheck edges 'stepping stone' Mike Pierce via split decision February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - After Mike Pierce called him out on MMAjunkie.com Radio and ultimately got the fight he wanted, opponent Josh Koscheck labeled him a stepping stone and promised to send him back to the welterweight division's middle of the pack. Koscheck earned a close decision win, but Pierce's stock will suffer little. The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• UFC 143 results: Renan Barao makes it 28 in a row, tops Scott Jorgensen via decision February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Renan Barao survived arguably the biggest test of his MMA career and scored a unanimous-decision victory over former WEC bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen. The impressive performance earned Barao his 28th straight win and solidified his status as one of the UFC's top 135-pound contenders. The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
• UFC 143 results: Ed Herman continues momentum, taps Clifford Starks February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Ed Herman's career resurgence shows no signs of slowing down. For the third time in three fights since an extended injury layoff due to knee injuries, the veteran middleweight picked up an impressive victory - this time against a game Clifford Starks. The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
• UFC 143 results: Dustin Poirier taps Max Holloway with dual-submission finish February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Max Holloway showed promise, but he couldn't derail Dustin Poirier's momentum. The featherweight newcomer and injury replacement showed toughness early, but Poirier ultimately got the fight to the mat and scored a first-round submission victory with a combination mounted triangle choke and armbar. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook.
• UFC 143 results: Edwin Figueroa edges Alex Caceres thanks to two-point deduction February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - A rare two-point deduction for accidental low blows cost Alex Caceres a victory. After twice connecting on the illegal shots, Caceres was deducted two points in the second round, and fellow bantamweight Edwin Figueroa squeaked by him for a dubious split-decision victory. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook. It preceded a pay-per-view main card at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• UFC 143 results: Matt Brown staggers, drops Chris Cope for second-round KO February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - As mounting punches clearly took their toll, Matt Brown finally landed the fight-ending blow. Facing fellow welterweight scrapper Chris Cope, Brown chipped away with dirty boxing before staggering his opponent with a right hook to the ear that set up a second-round knockout victory. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook. It preceded a pay-per-view main card at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• UFC 143 results: Matt Riddle edges hard-hitting Henry Martinez via split decision February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - Taking a fight on a week's notice and in a heavier weight class is usually a surefire recipe for disaster. For UFC newcomer Henry Martinez, it proved an opportunity to prove his big-show worthiness, but he ultimately suffered a close split-decision defeat to welterweight Matt Riddle. The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook. The main card aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• UFC 143 results: Though tested, Rafael Natal bests newcomer Michael Kuiper February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - It wasn't easy - and it took some a late-fight survival - but Rafael "Sapo" Natal got the win. The middleweight scored a unanimous-decision victory in a hard-fought bout and delivered Dutch newcomer Michael Kuiper his first career loss. The bout was part of the UFC 143 preliminary card and streamed on Facebook from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. It preceded additional prelims on FX and a pay-per-view main card.
• UFC 143 results: Stephen Thompson blasts Dan Stittgen with head-kick KO February 5, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - "Wonderboy" lived up to his nickname. In a clash of UFC welterweight newcomers, champion kickboxer Stephen Thompson connected on a vicious head kick to Dan Stittgen that prompted a stunning first-round knockout The bout kicked off the UFC 143 preliminary card and streamed on Facebook from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. It preceded additional prelims on FX and a pay-per-view main card.
• UFC 143 play by play and live results February 4, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC 143 event. The event, which features an interim welterweight title fight between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, takes place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time) for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.
• UFC 143 discussion thread February 4, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's UFC 143 event at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC 143 live-results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below. Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time) for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.
• MMAjunkie.com Radio (1 a.m. ET): Post-UFC 143 show with Miesha Tate, Tom Atencio February 4, 2012
  MMAjunkie.com Radio goes "prime time" following the conclusion of tonight's UFC 143 event. Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate and Affliction executive Tom Atencio are in studio, and a few UFC 143 winners may join the program as well. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs tonight from 1-3 a.m. ET (10 p.m. to midnight 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.
• Watch tonight's post-UFC 143 press conference live on MMAjunkie.com February 4, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - UFC 143 take place tonight at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. As usual, you can catch a live video stream of the night's post-fight press conference here on MMAjunkie.com at approximately 1 a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT local time). Expected to take part in tonight's press conference are UFC president Dana White, headliners Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, and winners from the night's main card.
• Brandon Vera injured, out of UFC on FX 3 rematch with Thiago Silva February 4, 2012
  A scheduled rematch between Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera will have to wait. UFC officials today announced that Vera has suffered an undisclosed injury, and a replacement is being sought for his light-heavyweight bout with Silva at May's UFC on FX 3 event. The show is scheduled for May 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. The night's main card airs on FX.
• UFC veteran Tito Ortiz hopes to end career with Forrest Griffin rubber match February 4, 2012
  Tito Ortiz thinks he has just one more fight left in his illustrious career, and he hopes it'll come against Forrest Griffin. The former light-heavyweight champion and future UFC Hall of Famer joined MMAjunkie.com Radio on Friday night and confirmed that his next fight will be his last. "I just turned 37 years old," he said. "I've been in the game for 15 years and competing only with the UFC. I know it's time for me to kind of hang 'em up."
• UFC 143 preview: Against Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit looks for upset in interim-title fight February 4, 2012
  Nowadays, Nick Diaz's plan of attack isn't just strategy - it's philosophy. Fans can pretty much bet that he'll walk down his opponent and throw punches until he buckles under the pressure. That's real fighting, the way he sees it, and though the variables may change inside the cage, his approach is the same. Carlos Condit is next in line to accept the Diaz challenge. Will he be able withstand the onslaught?
• Manager: If victorious at UFC 143, Carlos Condit unlikely to wait for champ GSP February 4, 2012
  Malki Kawa understands why Cesar Gracie's highest-profile client, Nick Diaz, would wait on the sidelines if he's victorious at tonight's UFC 143 event. Diaz and Carlos Condit headline tonight's pay-per-view event and fight for an interim welterweight title, and injured champ Georges St-Pierre awaits the winner in the fall. And while he understands the financial benefits of waiting for St-Pierre, Kawa thinks his client, Condit, would be better off taking another fight instead of waiting.
• With conclusion of 'Primetime,' UFC 143 fighters switching over to 'dark side' February 4, 2012
  We see the "before" of a UFC fighter before he steps into the octagon in snapshots: interviews, the press conference and weigh-ins. When he enters the cage in a bad mood, we know why. It's a job requirement. What we don't see is the hundreds of hours leading up to those public moments, and in particular, the changeover that happens as a fighter realizes the time is near to put everything on the line.
• With Izquierdo out, Means faces Magalhaes at UFC on FUEL TV 1 February 4, 2012
  Yoislandy Izquierdo will soon fight in the UFC, but it won't be at UFC on FUEL TV 1. UFC officials recently announced that Izquierdo has withdrawn from the Feb. 15 event, and Tim Means now faces Bernardo Magalhaes in a lightweight bout on the evening's preliminary card. UFC on FUEL TV 1 takes place Feb. 15 at Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb. The main card airs on FUEL TV, and prelims stream on Facebook.
• The Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription! February 4, 2012
  As 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 UFC 143 event - 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.
• MMAjunkie.com's John Morgan on pre-UFC 143 'Fight Day' show at 6 p.m. ET February 4, 2012
  MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter and MMA insider John Morgan is a guest on today's official UFC 143 pre-event show, "Fight Day." The show, hosted by Dave Farra and Megan Olivi, also includes perennial UFC lightweight contender Clay Guida and Strikeforce female title challenger Ronda Rousey. You can watch the show, which airs live from Las Vegas, from 6-7 p.m. ET at www.heavy.com.
• UFC 143 weigh-in photos: An MMAjunkie.com image gallery February 4, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's official UFC 143 weigh-ins, where all 22 competitors successfully made weight for Saturday's pay-per-view event. The action went off without a hitch and - perhaps surprisingly - even headliners Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit stared each other down without a hint of a pre-fight physical altercation. Nevertheless, both were received with a mix of boos and cheers during today's festivities took place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• Bellator 63 hosts season-six welterweight tourney, War Machine pulled from lineup February 4, 2012
  With War Machine (formerly Jon Koppenhaver) apparently returning to jail in two weeks, Bellator has given Chris Lozano his slot in the promotion's season-six welterweight tournament, officials today announced. Lozano now meets Karl Amoussou in the headliner of Bellator 63, which takes place March 30 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The event's main card, which airs on MTV2, features the opening round of the eight-man tournament.
• Radio (8 p.m. ET): Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Gil Melendez, Miesha Tate, Joey Diaz February 4, 2012
  MMAjunkie.com Radio goes prime time after tonight's UFC 143 weigh-ins and welcomes to the studio UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, Strikeforce champions Gilbert Melendez and Miesha Tate, and comedian/MMA fan Joey "Coco" Diaz. We also talk to ex-champ and MMA legend Tito Ortiz. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs tonight from 8-10 p.m. ET (5-7 p.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.
• UFC 143 weigh-in results: Diaz (169) and Condit (169) cleared for title fight February 4, 2012
  LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" official fighter weigh-ins. The festivities take place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and the first fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). Join us for live text-only updates in this post, or catch a live video stream of the proceedings on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
• Main card, prelims set for 'Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey' in Ohio February 3, 2012
  The lineup, including the preliminary and main cards, is set for next month's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event. The show takes place March 3 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The main card, including a title fight between female bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey, airs on Showtime. Prelims air on Showtime Extreme.
• Independent firm to drug test UFC 144 fighters; 15,000 tix sold for Japan show February 3, 2012
  The UFC has retained an independent drug-testing laboratory to screen fighters for performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse later this month at UFC 144 in Japan. The event's headliners - lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson - will be tested along with six to eight random competitors on the fight card, a source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com Approximately 15,000 tickets have been sold for the show, the source said.
• Reminder: 'UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit' concludes tonight on FX February 3, 2012
  As a reminder, 'UFC Primetime' returns to FX tonight in anticipation of UFC 143's interim championship main event. The well-received three-part series focuses on former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz and former WEC titleholder Carlos Condit, who headline Saturday's UFC 143 event. The first two episodes provided insight into both fighter's lives, and UFC president Dana White promises even more drama in the final episode, including a series of missed flights by Diaz, as well as both competitors tapping into their "dark side" as they get ready for the fight.
• MMAjunkie.com Radio (3 p.m. ET): Alves, Chandler, Melendez, Mendes, Munoz and Lin February 3, 2012
  MMAjunkie.com Radio's studio is star-studded for today's show, which begins at a special time of 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) with Bellator champ Michael Chandler, Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez, UFC contenders Chad Mendes and Mark Munoz, and MMA photographer Esther Lin. UFC on FX 2 headliner Thiago Alves also calls in. MMAjunkie.com Radio airs today 3-5 p.m. ET (12-2 p.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.