Chuck Liddell teases comeback with Tito Ortiz staredown: ‘Why not?’
(mmafighting.com)Who’s down for round three?
It’s no secret whispers have been growing louder about a potential comeback from former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. Well, the 47-year-old Hall of Famer threw more fuel onto the fire Sunday night on Instagram, posting a staredown opposite his old rival, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” Tito Ortiz.
Kazushi Sakuraba Named as Next 2017 UFC Hall of Fame Inductee
(mmaweekly.com)UFC on Saturday announced that legendary mixed martial artist Kazushi Sakuraba has been named to the 2017 UFC Hall of Fame class as a Pioneer. The 2017 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 6 at 7 p.m. PT at Park Theater in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS.
Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Max Holloway and UFC 212's other winning fighters?
(mmajunkie.com)Max Holloway’s long climb to the top of the UFC featherweight division reached the summit on Saturday at UFC 212, where the Hawaiian finally claimed the undisputed championship from Jose Aldo.
It took a 10-fight UFC winning streak for Holloway (18-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) to earn a fight with Aldo (26-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC). He took full advantage, rallying from an early deficit to halt the Brazilian by third-round TKO in front of Aldo’s hometown fans at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
“Blessed” exited the event with a title belt, naturally making him the biggest winner of all. A number of other significant performances were featured on the pay-per-view main card, with Claudia Gadelha (15-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Vitor Belfort (26-13 MMA, 15-9 UFC), Paulo Borrachinha (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Yancy Medeiros (14-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) emerging victorious.
After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 212’s winning fighters.
Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Jose Aldo and UFC 212's other losing fighters?
(mmajunkie.com)Saturday’s UFC 212 event at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro was an overlooked card that delivered plenty of entertainment value. That won’t matter to the five losing fighters from the pay-per-view main card, though.
In the main event, Jose Aldo’s (26-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) second reign as UFC featherweight champion came to a crushing end courtesy of Max Holloway (18-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC). Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered her second consecutive defeat in the co-headliner. Additionally, Nate Marquardt (35-18-2 MMA, 13-11 UFC), Oluwale Bamgbose (6-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) and Erick Silva (19-8 MMA, 7-7 UFC) were all topped by their respective foes.
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 212’s losing fighters.
UFC 212 bonuses: Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo takes Fight of the Night
(mmafighting.com)Max Holloway will leave Brazil with a shiny new UFC featherweight belt and an extra $50,000 in his pocket.
Holloway’s title-unifying victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 212 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro didn’t just make him the undisputed king of the hill at 145 pounds, it also netted him a little extra cash. His third-round TKO finish earned ‘Fight of the Night’ honors, meaning both he and Aldo took home $50,000 bonuses.
UFC 212 results: Max Holloway TKOs Jose Aldo to unify featherweight title
(mmajunkie.com)After a slow start, Max Holloway took over against Jose Aldo and unified the UFC featherweight title.
Holloway (18-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who came in as the interim champ, seized the undisputed belt after battering Aldo (27-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) until the referee was forced to step in at the 4:13 mark of the third round.
The title fight headlined today’s UFC 212 event at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
UFC 212 early weigh-in results: Jose Aldo (145), Max Holloway (145) on point
(mmajunkie.com)MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
-Champ Jose Aldo (145) vs. interim Max Holloway (145) – featherweight title unification bout
-Claudia Gadelha (116) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115)
-Vitor Belfort (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
-Paulo Borrachinha (186) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (184)
-Yancy Medeiros (171) vs. Erick Silva (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)
-Raphael Assuncao (136) vs. Marlon Moraes (136)
-Antonio Carlos Junior (185) vs. Eric Spicely (184)
-Johnny Eduardo (136) vs. Matthew Lopez (136)
-Iuri Alcantara (136) vs. Brian Kelleher (134)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET)
-Jamie Moyle (116) vs. Viviane Pereira (113)
-Luan Chagas (171) vs. Jim Wallhead (170)
-Marco Beltran (126) vs. Deiveson Alcantara (126)
Bellator chief Scott Coker did lunch with former UFC champ Chuck Liddell
(mmajunkie.com)Bellator President Scott Coker has something in mind for former UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell – but it might not be what you think.
Coker on Thursday told MMAjunkie that the two recently talked over lunch in Los Angeles. But Coker pitched Liddell on working for Bellator as a “brand ambassador,” rather than as a fighter.
Jon Fitch vs. Brian Foster headlines inaugural PFL event
(mmafighting.com)The Professional Fighters League, formerly known as World Series of Fighting, will be hosting their first event later this month, the promotion announced Thursday.
MMA veteran and last WSOF welterweight champion Jon Fitch will be facing Brian Foster in the headlining slot of the card. This event, labeled as PFL: Daytona, will take place on June 30 at the UNOH Fanzone in the Daytona International Speedway. The event will take place following the Firecracker 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race, and it will televised on NBC Sports Network.
Sara McMann vs. Ketlen Vieira set for UFC 214
(mmafighting.com)Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Sara McMann is building her case for another shot at the gold.
McMann, the 2004 Olympic wrestling silver medalist, will meet Brazil’s Ketlen Vieira at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim. The bout was originally announced Thursday on the UFC’s Unfiltered podcast.
Vitor Belfort’s UFC deal won’t end at UFC 212
(mmafighting.com)It turns out that Vitor Belfort’s upcoming bout with Nate Marquardt is not the last one on his current deal with the UFC.
Moments after his loss to Kelvin Gastelum in March, “The Phenom” told the media at the post-fight press conference in Fortaleza, Brazil, that he hoped to fight the last fight of his deal with the promotion on June 3 in Rio de Janeiro.
Samsung Announces Virtual Reality Partnership with UFC
(mmaweekly.com)Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced on Tuesday a VR Live Pass on Gear VR, a lineup of exciting global, live entertainment partnerships with the UFC, X Games and Live Nation. Samsung will stream select live events so fans can enjoy immersive virtual reality broadcasts of their favorite action sports and music events through the Gear VR platform.
Kevin Lee, Michael Chiesa not facing sanctions in Oklahoma for press-conference scuffle
(mmafighting.com)Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa seem to be in the clear as far as discipline goes after a press-conference scuffle earlier this month.
Lee and Chiesa will not receive any sanctions from the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission (OSAC) stemming from the incident, OSAC executive director Joe Miller told MMA Fighting on Tuesday. At the time of the skirmish, neither man was licensed by the OSAC, therefore the commission has no jurisdiction to enact any kind of punishment, Miller said.
Ronda Rousey cast in 'Battle of the Network Stars' reboot on ABC
(mmajunkie.com)Fresh off a guest spot on NBC’s Blindspot, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is expected to be cast in a reboot of ABC’s “Battle of the Network Stars.”
Pop culture website Vulture.com reported today that Rousey will serve as a team captain opposite former Dallas Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware, coaching a rotating cast of celebrities as they compete in various sporting events. The show debuts June 29 on ABC.
10 memorable moments from UFC-Stockholm, with Gustafsson's end to a productive month
(mmajunkie.com)At UFC Fight Night 109, Alexander Gustafsson reminded the world that that when he’s healthy and able to fight, the UFC’s light heavyweight division consists of more than just current champion Daniel Cormier and former titleholder Jon Jones.
Over the course of 21 minutes and seven seconds, Gustafsson used his speed and reach to pick apart Glover Teixeira before finishing him with a series of uppercuts and a final right hook. The knockout win was a return to form for the two-time title challenger, who last won by stoppage in 2014 when he earned a second-round TKO over his current teammate Jimi Manuwa.
In the co-main event, Volkan Oezdemir took another step up the light-heavyweight ladder, earning a quick knockout win over Misha Cirkunov, who was on a four-fight winning streak.
UFC Fight Night 109 took place at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Here are 10 memorable moments from the FS1-televised event.
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