All UFC on FUEL TV 6 fighters to receive drug testing, no TUEs issued for event
(mmajunkie.com)The UFC has retained an independent drug-testing laboratory to screen fighters for performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse at next week's UFC on FUEL TV 6 card in Macau.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with promotion officials that all 20 fighters on the card will be subjected to testing.
Additionally, UFC officials confirmed that no therapeutic-use exemptions were granted to any fighter on the UFC on FUEL TV 6 card.
John Cofer meets fellow 'TUF: Live' cast member Mike Rio at TUF 16 Finale
(mmajunkie.com)A lightweight matchup between "The Ultimate Figher: Live" cast members John Cofer and Mike Rio is set for December's The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.
UFC officials today announced the new matchup, which is expected to take place on the evening's preliminary card.
The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale takes place Dec. 15 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with a main event between "TUF 16" coaches Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson.
Mike Pierce Replaces Kyle Noke, Meets Seth Baczynski At UFC on FX 6
(mmajunkie.com)After losing original opponent Kyle Noke (20-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) due to an injury, Seth Baczynski (17-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has a new opponent for December: Mike Pierce (15-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
UFC officials today announced the new welterweight bout.
The fight is part of UFC on FX 6, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 15, at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Australia.
The event's main card airs live on FX (on Friday, Dec. 14, in the U.S. due to the time difference) following prelims on FUEL TV.
The latest UFC on FOX 6 lineup now includes:
•Ross Pearson vs. George Sotiropoulos
•Hector Lombard vs. Rousimar Palhares
•"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK" welterweight final
•"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK" lightweight final
•Seth Baczynski vs. Mike Pierce
•Hacran Dias vs. Chad Mendes
•Joey Beltran vs. Anthony Perosh
•Ednaldo Oliveira vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Chael Sonnen hints at rift with Dan Henderson following 'TUF 17' fallout
(mmajunkie.com)Occasional training partners Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson probably aren't as close as they used to be.
During Tuesday's MetroPCS online chat, Sonnen said he hasn't spoken to the fellow Team Quest fighter ever since Henderson posted some critical tweets.
Sonnen, of course, recently leapfrogged Henderson in the pecking order of the light-heavyweight division and got a coaching spot on "The Ultimate Fighter 17" and a promised title shot with champion Jon Jones.
White says Jones-Silva 'absolutely will happen,' Jones expects heavyweight move in 2013
(mmajunkie.com)While UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) vs. welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) is still a strong possibility, UFC president Dana White has strengthened his stance on the possibility of Silva vs. light-heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC).
"I said it in Brazil, and I'll say it again: Hell yes, they will (fight)," he said Tuesday.
Time is ticking, though; Jones said he plans to be a heavyweight as early as next year.
UFC returning to Boston in 2013, Ireland by 2014
(mmajunkie.com)For the first time since 2010, the UFC will return to Boston, likely in 2013.
Additionally, for the first time since 2009, the organization plans to make a return to Ireland no later than 2014.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the plans during a MetroPCS online chat on Tuesday night.
"We're definitely coming back to Boston," White said. "I've actually been working on that lately. We'll definitely come to Boston next year, in '13."
To date, the Massachusetts capital has hosted just one event: UFC 118 in August 2010. The event, which saw then-champ Frankie Edgar retain his lightweight title in a rematch with B.J. Penn, took place at TD Garden. Bolstered by the third UFC Fan Expo, the event, which also saw Randy Couture submit boxer James Toney, drew 14,168 attendees for a solid $2.8 million gate.
John Maguire replaces Besam Yousef, meets Matt Riddle at UFC 154
(mmajunkie.com)A few days after Matt Riddle (6-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) replaced injured Stephen Thompson (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 154, his opponent, Besam Yousef (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), also has been forced off the card.
Replacing the welterweight is veteran John Maguire (18-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
UFC officials today announced the change.
UFC 154 takes place Nov. 17 at Montreal's Bell Centre.
The night's main card, including UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs. interim titleholder Carlos Condit, airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook. Riddle vs. Maguire, which is the card's 13th fight, is slated for the Facebook stream.
Stephan Bonnar retires from mixed martial arts
(mmafighting.com)Fight fans have seen the last of Stephan Bonnar.
Bonner, who recently suffered a lopsided first-round knockout loss at the hands of Anderson Silva at UFC 153, had his fate sealed by UFC President Dana White late Tuesday night.
"Yes, Bonnar will be retiring now," White revealed midway through an online MetroPCS chat with fans.
Bonnar later confirmed the news to MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwan
UFC champ Jose Aldo faces Frankie Edgar on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas
(mmajunkie.com)UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will meet former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) on Super Bowl weekend.
UFC officials announced on Tuesday's new edition of FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight" that the much-anticipated matchup will headline the UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas.
The event, which serves as UFC 156, takes place Feb. 2 at a venue yet to be determined.
The UFC had held a Las Vegas pay-per-view event on the eve of the NFL's Super Bowl every year since 2004. All but one have taken place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, a 12,000-seat venue on the Las Vegas Strip.
'The Ultimate Fighter 16' ratings: Episode No. 7 slips with 676K viewers
(mmajunkie.com)Ratings for the seventh episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson" slipped from the previous week's number with 676,000 total viewers tuning into the broadcast.
The figure marks a 17 percent decrease in viewers from the 811,000 that tuned into episode No. 6.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the ratings information with industry sources.
The one-hour episode featured the sixth round-of-16 fight from the season's welterweight tournament; Team Nelson's Michael Hill earned a controversial split-decision win over Team Carwin's Matt Secor. The result saw Team Nelson tie up the season series 3-3 in the round-of-16 fights
The "TUF: Live" episode-by-episode ratings include:
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 1 ratings: 947,000 viewers
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 2 ratings: 872,000
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 3 ratings: 775,000
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 4 ratings: 1.1 million
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 5 ratings: 624,000
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 6 ratings: 811,000
"The Ultimate Fighter 16" episode No. 7 ratings: 676,000
Ryan Bader: Chris Weidman lost house to Hurricane Sandy
(bloodyelbow.com)It appears that UFC middleweight Chris Weidman has some serious stuff to worry about right now that has nothing to do with fighting. Weidman, who lives near Baldwin Harbor, NY, has apparently lost his home to Hurricane Sandy. Ryan Bader tweeted about it earlier:
Thoughts go out to @chrisweidmanufc & his family. Lost his home in the storm on the east coast.Please show him your support. @magllc @ufc
— Ryan Bader (@ryanbader) October 30, 2012
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney will waive matching period should Eddie Alvarez not re-sign
( mmajunkie.com)Negotiations to keep Eddie Alvarez in Bellator resumed nearly the moment he stepped out of the cage following a knockout of Patricky "Pitbull" Freire.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney now has advanced the timeline on Alvarez's decision, telling MMAjunkie.com that he'll waive a standard 90-day matching period if the ex-champ doesn't initially take a new contract offer.
"Based on our relationship with Ed, there's no reason to hold him to a series of months of not having the opportunity to look at those offers," Rebney said.
Bryan Caraway in for injured T.J. Dillashaw, faces Mike Easton at UFC on FOX 5
(mmajunkie.com)An injury has sidelined T.J. Dillashaw (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), forcing him out of the next UFC on FOX event.
But a Washington native has stepped up to fill the gap at UFC on FOX 5 in Seattle. Bryan Caraway (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will fill in for Dillashaw against Mike Easton (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), UFC officials on Tuesday announced.
UFC on FOX 5 takes place Dec. 8 at KeyArena in Seattle. The Caraway-Easton bantamweight fight will be part of the FUEL TV-broadcast preliminary card prior to the main card on FOX.
Company President Ray Sefo Could Fight At Second WSOF Event
(mmajunkie.com)Ray Sefo could soon turn in his business suit for a pair of fight trunks. For one night, anyway.
Sefo is busy with the final preparations for Saturday's WSOF 1 event, which airs on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The card features notables such as Andrei Arlovski, Miguel Torres, Anthony Johnson, Tyrone Spong and more.
Could Sefo, though, soon join their ranks?
"Absolutely," he joked while in studio with MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "It's my promotion."
Sefo said it became much more likely after he fielded offers to fight in New Year's Eve in Japan, as well as in March in Australia. While Sefo's WSOF partners weren't initially keen on the idea, the outside offers changed their minds.
"I think they're realizing if I'm still very active, why not have it in their own league," he said. "We just talked about it [four] days ago, and they were like, 'We should talk about that.'"
Sefo said they've even discussed a possible opponent for the card, which is expected to take place in January or February.
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