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Edgar-Penn Rematch in Works for Late Summer / Fall
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A rematch of last Saturday’s UFC 112 lightweight championship tilt between Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn is looking likely for late summer or fall.
Representatives in both fighters’ camps told Sherdog.com on Tuesday that UFC officials have approached both sides to lock down a second bout between the lightweight fighters. No date or venue has been solidified yet. Edgar earned a unanimous decision over Penn at UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., to become the promotion’s lightweight champion.
Edgar’s victory, which delivered Penn his first loss in the 155-pound division since 2002, did not come without controversy. Both the media and fans were split on the bout’s outcome, as the 28-year-old New Jersey fighter was awarded 50-45, 48-47 and 49-46 scores in a tight contest some thought Penn had won.
Edgar told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “It’s Time” show host Bruce Buffer on Tuesday that he’d agree to the rematch.
“If anybody’s earned a rematch, it’s B.J.,” said Edgar. “He’s a legend at 155. I’m ready for it if that’s definitely going to happen. I’m the champion. I don’t get to pick who I fight; they tell me who I fight.”
From Sherdog.com – Click here for full article
Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Update
Posted by: | CommentsThis is an unexpected update, to say the least.
After all, UFC 112 was supposed to be fairly status quo, marked by two straightforward and easy title defenses for pound-for-pound stars Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn. In actuality, “The Spider” turned in a positively surreal performance, which sparked enormous debate over his psyche, desire to compete and status as the sport’s top fighter. As for Penn, a more-competitive-than-expected bout with Frankie Edgar went from pleasantly surprising to all-out shocking when “The Prodigy” lost a unanimous decision on the scorecards.
Penn’s fall makes the lightweight division vastly more intriguing in the immediate future. For the first time in quite a while, there arises a legitimate debate as to who can call himself the true king of a particular weight class. Better still, three of these pound-for-pound entrants are in action in the next two weeks, including Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, who meets Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce crown on April 17. Will we get lightweight clarity in Nashville, Tenn.?
From Sherdog.com – Click here for full list
Edgar Shocks Penn; Silva Plays with Maia
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A man who had been urged by many to drop to 145 pounds ended the reign of the sport’s most dominant lightweight Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 112 at the Ferrari World Concert Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Frankie Edgar used his speed, movement and a pair of takedowns, as he outpointed B.J. Penn to capture the lightweight crown. Scores were 50-45, 48-47 and 49-46, all in Edgar’s favor, as he authored what will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest upsets of 2010. The decision seems certain to inspire debate in the mixed martial arts community.
“This is it. B.J. is the greatest lightweight ever, and I just beat him,” Edgar said. “I just hope I can be half the champion he was.”
Penn, bearing bruises under both eyes, seemed resigned to defeat as he awaited the decision from the judges. The 31-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt had not lost as a lightweight in more than eight years.
From Sherdog.com - Click here for full article
Silva Says Challengers Still Remain In Middleweight Division
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Though challengers seem to be in scarce supply for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, he said he hasn’t given up hope on the division.
The 34-year-old Brazilian striker meets Demian Maia at UFC 112 “Invincible” on April 10 at the Ferrari World Concert Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Maia, a jiu-jitsu black belt, is replacing Vitor Belfort, who withdrew eight weeks out from the bout with an injured shoulder.
“I’m actually far from cleaning out my division,” said Silva through an interpreter Tuesday during a UFC 112 conference call. “I feel like there may be guys that are even better than me coming into the UFC. Proof that there’s tough guys in the division is Demian Maia right now… (the fight’s) going to be a big challenge for me.”
Fans might beg to differ with Silva, though. Regularly listed on pound-for-pound lists for the sport, the seasoned muay Thai stylist has defended his middleweight title five times since his first-round decimation of Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October 2006. A majority of those bouts were deemed non-competitive. And though Silva said the 185-pound division will provide him with competition in the future, he has already widened his net and moonlighted at light heavyweight two times for the promotion. He doesn’t plan on stopping there either.
“My goal is still to put on as many great fights in the UFC, as many victories as I can throughout the three divisions — middleweight, light heavyweight and possibly heavyweight,” said Silva. “Heavyweight is definitely something I have in mind. It’s in my plans. I’ve been adapting my training and ever-changing to take on that challenge.”
From Sherdog.com – Click here for full article
Mir Pledges ‘Vicious’ Win Saturday In Crusade To Rematch Lesnar
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Frank Mir’s thoughts never stray too far from UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Which makes Shane Carwin, the man that Mir faces for the interim heavyweight title this Saturday at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J., an unfortunate obstacle in the Las Vegas fighter’s eyes.
“The fight with Shane Carwin this weekend means a lot to me — obviously, winning the title back, I have to get the interim title first and move on,” said Mir on Wednesday at a press conference held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. “And any other dreams of anything that’s going to happen after that will be stopped real quickly if I’m not successful on Saturday.”
On Saturday, Lesnar will not only serve as Mir’s mental motivation; the 300-pound former NCAA wrestling champion will also be in Mir’s eyeline. The 32-year-old champion, who’s been absent from the cage battling a serious intestinal infection since his brutal UFC 100 victory over Mir last July, plans to attend Saturday’s event at the Prudential Center. UFC President Dana White said the reclusive Lesnar will watch the bout from cageside — the winner will unify the two heavyweight titles against Lesnar this summer.
Lesnar’s reaction to Saturday’s outcome will probably play heavily into the pay-per-view broadcast. Both Mir and Carwin have voiced dislike for Lesnar, who earned the title in only his fourth professional fight against Randy Couture at UFC 91 in November 2008. However, the heat between Lesnar and Mir seems to be mutually stronger.
From Sherdog.com – Click here for full article
Father Knows Best: Marquardt Declined Bisping at UFC 114
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BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Middleweight contender Nate Marquardt turned down a potential matchup with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping at UFC 114 “Rampage vs. Evans” on May 29 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He made the revelation during a question-and-answer session on Saturday at the 1stBank Center.
Marquardt and his wife, Tess, are expecting their first child — he has a daughter from a previous relationship — two days prior to the event, and the former middleweight King of Pancrase did not want to risk missing the birth while preparing for the fight.
“Lucky for Bisping,” he said with a smile.
The 30-year-old Marquardt has not competed since he dropped a unanimous decision to Chael Sonnen in the co-main event at UFC 109 “Relentless” last month in Las Vegas. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak for the Coloradan and kept him from a rematch with UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva.
“It’s something I still think about every day,” Marquardt said. “Something happened in that fight [with Sonnen]. I went into the fight trying for the knockout, and when you go forward too aggressively against a wrestler, that’s when he gets the takedown. I went too far forward, and he was able to get in every time. I don’t want to make excuses. I lost the fight. I just need to make myself better.”
From Sherdog – Click here for full article
Buentello Surprised To Be Underdog Against Kongo
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With almost twice as many fights as his opponent Cheick Kongo, Paul Buentello didn’t expect to be the underdog this Sunday at UFC on Versus 1 in Broomfield, Colo. Yet here he as high as a +330 bet on some wagering sites.
“I thought it was funny,” Buentello said on Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show” on Wednesday. “There it goes again with the critics. They’re looking at my last performance. You’re only good as your last fight in the critics’ world. It motivates me a little bit but it also makes me feel comfortable because there’s no pressure on me.”
Sunday’s bout will be Buentello’s first under the tutelage of trainers Trevor Whitman and Mike Van Arsdale in Denver, following a close majority decision loss to Stefan Struve at UFC 107 last December. The move from the American Kickboxing Academy to Grudge MMA has done wonders for “The Headhunter.”
“It’s very interesting because these guys have a totally different style,” said Buentello. “Trevor’s trying to work with these new techniques and these new drilling things we’ve been working on and I try to go against these guys and try these techniques out and these guys all know it. They hit me with everything they’ve got. Everybody in Trevor’s gym is a specialist in something and they bring something different every time. Every time I spar with somebody different. It’s crazy. The first four weeks have been hard.”
From Sherdog - Click here for full article
Mir Buying in Bulk Against Carwin
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Much was made about Frank Mir’s decision to add some 20 pounds of muscle to his frame in advance of his UFC 107 matchup with Cheick Kongo. However, the brief bout with the chiseled French kickboxer lasted barely more than a minute and shed little light on whether or not a bulkier Mir was a better Mir.
That figures to change when he takes on the hulking Shane Carwin in the UFC 111 “St. Pierre vs. Hardy” co-main event on March 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
“Carwin’s been an athlete his size a lot longer than I’ve been at mine,” Mir said during a Tuesday teleconference to promote the interim heavyweight title bout. “The greatest indication of whether [adding more weight has] been beneficial will be whether or not I can negate some of his strength.”
From Sherdog.com – For full article click here
Hardy Embracing Underdog Role Against St. Pierre
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If you’re stepping into the Octagon against UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, you better be comfortable with the term “underdog.” Dan Hardy, who meets the French Canadian sensation at UFC 111 on March 27 in Newark, N.J., appears to have not only welcomed his role as longshot — he’s derived inspiration from it.
“I’ve been in this situation a hundred times before. Every time I step into the Octagon I’m expected to lose,” said Hardy during a teleconference call on Tuesday promoting the championship bout. “Marcus Davis was supposed to put me out; he was too strong for me and Swick was too fast for me. I’ve heard it all the way through my career. I’m stepping into this fight a bigger underdog than I’ve been before, which is just going to make me perform even better. I take that pressure and I deal with it better because it raises my game. It forces me to fight better.”
From Sherdog.com – Click here for full article
10 Bouts Booked for UFC 113
Posted by: | CommentsJoey Beltran will meet undefeated heavyweight prospect Chad Corvin in a preliminary matchup at UFC 113 “Machida vs. Shogun 2” on May 8 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Ten bouts are now official for the event, which will feature the ballyhooed rematch between light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
From Sherdog.com - Click here for full article
