Anderson Silva In Budweiser Commercial With Steven Segal
Source: Youtube
Check out the latest Budweiser commercial starring Anderson Silva and Steven Segal. The commercial is pretty funny with a couple of sequences of The Spider re-enacting scenes from The Karate Kid, Kill Bill, Enter the Dragon. It seems the commercial for Budweiser will only air in Brazil but its a step in the right direction for the UFC to start promoting its stars to a more main stream audience. Silva is already a big star in Brazil and his appeal and fame will only get bigger if he continues to dominate fighters the way he has been. Look at what he did to Vitor Belfort–that is going to go down as one of the greatest finishes in UFC history. Anderson has already done a commercial for FOX so he is no stranger to doing commercials. Jon Jones also recently did a Bud Light commercial with Dana White for US audiences only to see him get arrested on suspicion of DUI yesterday morning. He was bailed out by his mother. Jones wrecked his Bentley hitting a pole, there has been no word for Jones’ camp regarding the DUI and arrest but lets hope that the same fate doesn’t happen to Silva the way the Madden curse hits NFL players.
Anderson Silva has always had a pretty good reputation much like GSP. They are pretty clean guys as far as we know. Jones’s marketability will most likely take a hit. The guy had such a squeaky clean image as well. Rashad Evans was the only guy that would call Jones out or call him a fake. And to think, Jones was aiming for such high sponsors like Nike, not sure that will happen any time soon. I am sure Jones will rebound since he is so young but a lot will depend on how he approaches and addresses the media after this incident. As usual though, America is forgiving as long as you keep winning. Think Kobe Bryant. The only person that hates on Silva is Chael Sonnen. I am sure Brazilians don’t like that Sonnen is always criticizing their middleweight champion. Sonnen will get his punishment when Silva and Sonnen square off for their rematch at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both guys though are so confident I am not sure who is going to win. Silva’s injury most likely hampered his ability to fight the way he usually does the first time they fought. I am thinking this time around, we are going to see Silva performing at his highest ability. It will be interesting to see how Sonnen will adjust to Silva in July.
Gilbert Melendez Edges Josh Thomson, Daniel Cormier Unanimous Over Josh Barnett, Strikeforce Results
Source: MMA Mania
Gilbert Melendez squeaked by a split decision against Josh Thomson Saturday night from San Jose, CA at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final to retain his lightweight title. The fight was not without controversy as many who saw the fight, myself included, thought Thomson did enough to take the title from Melendez. Apparently Fight Metric reported that Gil beat Josh in every category and so should have won the fight. But from what I saw, Thomson won the fight. Even if Gil was able to get 5 of 10 take downs to the ground, he didn’t do any damage. Josh was able to take Gil down and take his back almost finishing him in the fourth round. Additionally, Josh was more aggressive than Gil was pushing the action in the championship rounds. The disappointing thing for Josh is that he probably won’t get a rematch even though the fight was close. And the thing I have been saying all along about Strikeforce is that they don’t have a stable of talent to throw at Gil. So while Gil was not impressive tonight, he won’t be given quality fights to prove himself either. Lets see what Strikeforce will do with these two guys but I think they will have Gil move on possibly against a Pat Healy or maybe even KJ Noons.
In the main event of the night, Daniel Cormier, a fighter who was an alternate at the Grand Prix, winds up winning the tournament with his high level wrestling. Cormier, an Olympic caliber wrestler and AKA teammate, used his wrestling to keep Barnett at bay. Barnett was never really able to threaten Cormier except in the fourth round when he had a hold of Cormier’s ankle and was attempting a heel hook which Cormier slipped out of. A lot of people are calling Cormier “Black Fedor” for his physique and stand up game which resembles Fedor Emelianenko. The name is fitting as Cormier has been on a tear lately. He is 4-0 in Strikeforce and 10-0 in his MMA career. Cormier has looked better and better each time he has fought. He has to be considered a legit contender at heavyweight except for his size. But the way in which Cormier was able to take down and slam the larger Barnett, I don’t see him having a problem with his smaller size. There is no word on who Cormier may face for his final fight in Strikeforce. It would have been interesting to see Black Fedor fighting the original Fedor. That won’t happen now that Fedor has already said his fight with Pedro Rizzo next month will be his last. You never know though, one more fight in America could lure the Russian out of retirement. This match up would be a nice way for Strikeforce to send off its heavyweight division for good.
Here are the event results:
Main Card
Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett via unanimous decision
Gilbert Melendez def. Josh Thomson via split decision
Rafael Cavalcante def. Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine)
Chris Spang def. Nah-Shon Burrell by TKO
Undercard
Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Gesias Cavalcante by split decision
Guto Inocente def. Virgil Zwicker via unanimous decision
Gian Villante def. Derrick Mehmen via unanimous decision
Quinn Mulhern def. Yuri Villefort via split decision
Bobby Green def. James Terry via split decision
Jon Jones Looking For Nike Sponsorship
Source: MMA Weekly
Have you taken a look at what Jon Jones has been wearing lately? If you have, then you probably noticed that Jones hasn’t been wearing his usual Form Athletics gear. That is because Form, which was founded by bantamweight contender Urijah Faber, owned by shoemaker K-Swiss, has gone bankrupt. K-swiss wanted to enter the world of MMA but its model proved too costly resulting in a loss of $4 million. With the shoemaker out of the Jon Jones sponsorship deal, there was a big opportunity for another sponsor to come in and snatch him up. You could make the argument that Jones is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC, so his brand is only going to grow brighter. Unfortunately, the only sponsor Jones is looking for, Nike, doesn’t seem to want to enter the MMA market just yet.
So for now, Jones struck a deal with the UFC to wear UFC sponsored gear. It seems strange for a fight promotion to pay its fighters to wear its brand, but it also makes business sense considering the type of fighter and personality Jon Jones is. Jones confirmed the sponsorship deal with the UFC but added that a deal with Nike is what he is ultimately looking for. Jones’ approach to sponsorship deals is similar to what GSP did a couple years ago before he landed a deal with Under Armor. The contract Jones has with the UFC allows him to leave the deal for a sponsorship deal he wants at any time. If Jones wants Nike that badly, I can see Nike entering the MMA market in the near future. MMA is a burgeoning industry and with a fighter like Jones promoting it, Nike will only profit from Jones’ popularity. Its a win win situation for both parties. It just goes to show you what you can get if you become the UFC’s light heavyweight champion.
Update 5/19/2012: I am not sure if this will hep his endorsement with Nike but Jon Jones was involved in a one car accident in his hometown of Ithaca, NY at 5AM this morning. Jones totaled out his Bentley when he hit a pole. Police subsequently arrested Jones on suspicion of DUI. There has been no official word from Jones or his management. The news was first reported by TMZ.
Donald Cerrone Wants Anthony Pettis At UFC 150, Manager Says Pettis Won’t Be Ready
Source: ESPN
A little overshadowed by the Korean Zombie‘s upset of Dustin Poirier on Tuesday night was Donald Cerrone’s devastation of Jeremy Stephens. Cerrone’s return to the octagon since a loss to Nate Diaz showcased just how sharp Cerrone can be when he follows his game plan. The “Cowboy” was able to dominate Stephens with his sharp leg kicks and crisp boxing. Stephens never posed a threat in the fight succumbing to a unanimous decision loss. You have to give credit to Stephens for staying alive. Cerrone was on his game, I thought he was going to finish Stephens but the guy is a lot tougher than I thought he was. After the fight, Cerrone expressed his interest in fighting in his hometown of Denver at UFC 150–headlined by the rematch between Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar. A quick turn around would be good for Cerrone since he likes to stay busy but there are not that many fights available to him at this point. Cerrone has said he would like a rematch with Nate Diaz which is not likely to happen now that Diaz has already been given the next title shot. Diaz also holds a win over Cerrone so a rematch would not make sense unless Cerrone wins at least two more quality fights.
The lightweight picture is a little murky at the top right now. The one fight that makes sense for Cerrone would be Anthony Pettis. Pettis’ manager Mike Roberts has said Pettis would be available in September at the earliest as he is still recovering from surgery he had two months ago. From a timing standpoint, the fight does not make sense. But the issue is even more muddled because Pettis also expects a title shot. Pettis has been leapfrogged by so many fighters since he joined the UFC as the last WEC champion. He has seen Gray Maynard get a rematch, Benson Henderson take the title from Frankie Edgar, and now Nate Diaz offered the title shot over him when he just came off an impressive knockout victory over Joe Lauzon. Then, there are fighters like Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, and young prospect Edson Barboza clawing their way back into title contention as well. For Cerrone, a fight with the winner of Maynard/ Guida could make sense if the winner walks away unscathed next month. Again though, the timing of that fight would not be possible for the Denver card due to the quick turn around. I don’t see Cerrone fighting in Denver unless its against a lesser opponent just to stay busy. If he has to wait, it’ll be worth his while to get an opponent that can get him back into the title picture. Either way, Cerrone looks ready to make another run like he did last year before being derailed by Diaz.
Dominick Cruz Pulls Out Of UFC 148 With ACL Injury, Urijah Faber Fight Undecided
Source: MMA Weekly
Bad news today, Dominick Cruz had to pull out of his rubber fight with Urijah Faber at UFC 148 with a knee injury. Dana White revealed that Cruz “blew his ACL”. The injury occurred during this season of The Ultimate Fighter Live while Cruz was training his team and training for his fight with Faber this summer. White did not reveal how long Cruz will be out or if it will require surgery but with everything we know about ACL injuries, Cruz should be out for at least the rest of the year. I am afraid the injury could be worse and this could be another GSP incident that backs up the bantamweight division the way it did the welterweight division. But hopefully Cruz will get surgery asap and be on the mend for the rest of the year. Although it might be difficult considering that he and Faber are currently committed to coaching the current season of TUF. So if Cruz were to have surgery, who would fill in for him as coach? These are tough questions, no pun intended, but news should come in the next few days.
The news is truly disappointing since we are going to be robbed of an amazing trilogy fight this summer between Cruz and Faber. I think the way both of them are fighting, it would have been an epic fight. But I think the UFC could salvage this fight by setting Faber up with Renan Barao. Barao was scheduled to fight Ivan Menjivar on the same card anyway so he would be ready to go against Faber. Many argued that Barao was the next fighter in waiting after Faber, so setting up a fight between the two would keep things going while Cruz recovers from his injury. The only issue would be whether Faber is willing to take a fight in the mean time and risk losing his title shot. Considering that Faber is on such a tear lately, taking time off might hurt his momentum, just ask Rashad Evans. Plus I don’t think Faber would turn down the fight if he was compensated adequately–money talks. But the scary thing is I think Barao could be good enough to beat both Faber and Cruz. Rushing Barao in against Faber right now may be a little premature as he might not be ready yet but if he were to beat Faber, Cruz would go down as well. Barao is the future of the division, its just a matter of when he is given the opportunity. With the Cruz injury, it may be sooner rather than later.
Update 5/8/2012: Dana White has confirmed that Urijah Faber will remain on the UFC 148 card and will be fighting for an interim title. White said that typical ACL injuries keep guys out for 9 months which is the case with GSP, so an interim title was justified. The only issue now is who gets to fight Faber for the interim title? Renan Barao, Michael McDonald, and Ivan Menjivar top the short list of names currently at the top of the division.
Update 5/16/2012: Dana White announced he is going to reveal Urijah Faber’s opponent for the UFC interim bantamweight title this Friday on TUF Live. No doubt, the news is sure to boost TUF’s viewers since the show has been struggling all season.
Update 5/18/2012: As expected, Renan Barao will be facing Urijah Faber at UFC 148 for the UFC interim bantamweight title. Dana White made the announcement on TUF Live tonight. There is no word as of yet if Barao’s opponent Ivan Menjivar will remain on the card.
Rumor: Fedor Emelianenko To Face Rolles Gracie This Summer?
Source: Cage Potato
When news of Alistair Overeem‘s positive drug test for steroids surfaced, there were many of us that were secretly hoping this was the chance for exiled Fedor Emelianenko to save UFC 146. We were hoping that M-1 Global would make the right power play and call Dana White to get Fedor into the UFC at all costs. But it never happened. News came out a couple of days ago that Fedor would be fighting in the summer in Russia. It was another let down by M-1 Global not realizing the opportunity they had. Fedor’s last chance to return to the US and make a run at being the unbeatable fighter he was when he was in Pride. Even if he couldn’t be that guy anymore, he could at least fight where the best fighters are–in the UFC.
But truthfully there is a part of me that hopes he doesn’t fight in the UFC because he might be exposed further as a fraud. Look at what Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva, and Dan Henderson did to him. They destroyed his aura. I just hope he takes some decent fights and finishes his career with some semblance of the fighter he used to be against lesser opponents. There were some rumors that he would get to fight Bobby Lashley, but even that fight fell through. Lashley has been confirmed for a fight against James Thompson and his exploding ear in Super Fight League. A fight with Lashley would have been decent considering Lashley has some fame behind his name and Fedor could prove that he is still better than the wannabe fighters. A couple days ago, Rolles Gracie confirmed on his twitter that his people are in negotiations for a fight with Fedor. Rolles? Yes he is on a three fight win streak but he lost to Joey Beltran in the UFC. And then he requested to leave after he felt he was not refined enough as a fighter for the big stage. Rolles recently beat Bob Sapp, but who doesn’t? This is the guy that is going to get to challenge Fedor? M-1 Global is doing a horrible job with Fedor. They blew it with the UFC and now they are getting him fights with guys that don’t feel they are ready for the UFC. Seriously, great job M-1.
Update 4/20/12: It looks like Rolles Gracie’s people were not successful in securing a fight with Fedor this summer. M-1 Global confirmed today that Fedor will face former UFC and MMA vet Pedro Rizzo. Rizzo hasn’t fought in two years but most likely had the name recognition Fedor’s people are looking for.
Update 5/18/2012: I am not sure if it was a ploy or not but Fedor announced that his fight with Pedro Rizzo on June 21 will be his last. Fedor cited the mounting toll of fighting on his body and the need to spend more time with his family as the reason for his retirement. I think its a good call considering he is no longer getting the headlining match ups that would interest him.
Strikeforce Cuts Heavyweight Division
Source: MMA Fighting
Strikeforce President Scott Coker cited a lack of depth for the reason they are going to cut the heavyweight division moving forward. Strikeforce will continue with the Heavyweight Grand Prix final between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier some time in the spring and then cut the division. It is not known what will happen with the fighters but there is already speculation that they will be brought into the UFC to help bolster the UFC heavyweight division.
Update 5/18/2012: All fighters for tomorrow’s Strikeforce card in San Jose, CA made weight without issues.
Chael Sonnen Promotes UFC 148 On Jim Rome Show
Source: Youtube
Chael Sonnen recently appeared on Jim Rome’s new show to promote his rematch with Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sonnen was his usual candid self which got a lot of snickers out of Rome. One of the funnier things he said about the his last fight with Silva was that he did not know tapping out would end the fight. Sonnen “pleaded ignorance” saying he thought tapping out meant he would forfeit the round but not fight. I guess he knows now. When Rome asked Sonnen how things have gone so badly between him and Silva, Sonnen said he didn’t know which was pretty funny considering how Sonnen insulted Silva by calling him a “fake Brazilian” and insulted Silva’s wife repeatedly in the past. Although Sonnen claims Dana White is the promoter in the company, you have to love Sonnen for suddenly becoming a one man promoting machine. He somehow stole a page out of the WWE but made it work for the UFC. A lot of people aren’t like Sonnen for it but I like it.
Unfortunately for Sonnen, promoting fights is only one aspect of being a fighter, the other part is winning fights. I don’t think Sonnen has a good chance against Silva but I am sure he will give it a good try. Unless Silva has not been doing his wrestling homework, I don’t see how Sonnen can get this fight to the ground again. And even then, Silva still has his excellent submission skills to win the fight. I think an even more pressing issue is the latest news coming out that the NSAC is reviewing Sonnen’s license regarding his therapeutic use exemption. Sonnen has yet to be granted a TUE until he can prove that he medically needs synthetic steroids to supplement his low testosterone levels. It sounds pretty complicated but I expect the hearing, which is Monday May 21, to be a formality. Sonnen should be granted a TUE and be ready for the rematch of his life. If Sonnen was not granted a TUE, it would mean he will not be licensed to fight Silva in the rematch. That would be a complete disaster for the UFC after losing the Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber trilogy fight. But don’t worry, Sonnen should become the fourth fighter to be granted a TUE by the NSAC. Interestingly, Nick Diaz’s case will also be heard on Monday regarding his positive post fight test for Marijuana use. Sonnen looks to have a more positive outlook than Diaz at this point.
BJ Penn Remains Uncertain About Return
Source: ESPN
BJ Penn seems to be enjoying the retired life. Penn told ESPN that he has not thought about returning to the octagon since his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137. While Penn admitted losses to Frankie Edgar (twice) and GSP at UFC 94 still haunt him, they don’t fire him up enough to get back into the cage. Dana White revealed that the UFC would like to host a fight card in Hawaii but without Penn, it would not happen. Penn said he didn’t want to waste White’s time. Penn went on to say that although he still goes to the gym to train for the love of the sport he doesn’t mind sitting out his prime years because his mind is not into fighting like it used to be. His future remains uncertain, but Penn sounds like a man that is retired.
Update 4/15/2012: BJ told Fuel TV after the Gustafsson/ Silva fight that he will remain retired for now. Sad news for all of us BJ Penn fans indeed. BJ says its not about timing or match ups but that he just doesn’t see a scenario where he wants to come back and fight when he just enjoys teaching, training, and watching his girls grow up. BJ even said he has had a couple conversations with Dana White but the itch wasn’t there to make a return to the octagon. I think this is the end for BJ, but it was a good ride while it lasted.
Update 4/22/2012: Dana White has said don’t believe everything you are hearing about BJ Penn retiring. White said he has had a conversation with BJ and believes BJ will fight in the UFC at least one more time. I knew it! BJ is back!!!
Update 5/3/2012: Dana White revealed that BJ did turn down a fight with Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight title. But White mentioned that when the fight was offered, BJ was not ready to return and felt like he had retired. Things have changed though, White confirmed that things are happening behind the scenes and that BJ is set to return soon as a welterweight. BJ Penn fans have to be a little worried considering BJ hasn’t done well at welterweight lately but White mentioned that age may be a factor for Penn in cutting weight. White also said he feels bad since he was ready to set up good fights for Gilbert Melendez but with his falling out with Showtime officials, Gilbert is left fighting Josh Thomson again.
Update 5/7/2012: BJ Penn told MMA Hour that the reason he didn’t accept the Gilbert Melendez fight was because he would be “downgrading” to a lower organization by taking the fight. BJ said even if he were to win, he would be a champion to a lesser organization when he had been in the UFC for the longest time. The idea of “downgrading” just didn’t make sense to BJ and his people. Can’t argue with him there. No one wants to fight for Showtime, the guys that are there are either stuck with a contract or are not good enough to be in the UFC. BJ still did not have a timeline for his return but said if Dana put something together he would consider it. That something just might be a money offer, just saying.
Update 5/17/2012: There was some exciting news last night when Josh Koscheck tweeted that he had verbally agreed to a fight with BJ Penn. Koscheck said UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn…I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let’s scrap bra.” But today, BJ responded by tweeting out to Koscheck “@joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars and you need big fights. But sorry, I’m not coming back anytime soon.” Although disappointing, Koscheck wouldn’t get me back into the octagon either, its not intriguing and it has no value to me since KOS is coming off a loss. I know BJ is waiting for something better or maybe a better offer money-wise.
Dana White Has Meniere’s Disease, Operation In Los Angeles
Source: Yahoo
Dana White was sorely missed at UFC on FUEL TV 3 yesterday when the Korean Zombie shocked the MMA world walking through featherweight contender Dustin Poirier. White revealed that he has a condition known as Meniere’s disease. The disorder affects the inner ear sometimes causing vertigo, tinnitus, and sometimes even hearing loss. The disease affects only one ear and usually comes and goes in bouts so the individual never knows when it will happen. White said he first noticed symptoms back in December while he was on vacation in Fiji and at the UFC 141 post fight conference which he had to end early when he started feeling sick. White said Meniere’s disease is like “Vertigo but on steroids.” The UFC president is scheduled to have the surgery in Los Angeles today. He was busy tweeting fans throughout the whole FUEL TV card yesterday and even gave out Fight of the Night honors on twitter. White has not sent out any tweets today as he is probably in recovery but said yesterday that he was hoping to be “in and out quick.” The fight was the first in 11 years that White has missed since taking over the UFC.
While White is expected to be out one week, he is scheduled to appear on TUF Live this Friday to announce Urijah Faber’s opponent for UFC 148. Faber and the unknown opponent will fight for the UFC interim bantamweight title while Dominick Cruz is on the mend from an ACL injury he suffered while training for the fight. Cruz is still keeping up with his coaching responsibilities on TUF Live but is expected to be out for at least 6-9 months. Speculation has been mounting in the last few days since Cruz was scratched from the fight that the opponent is expected to be either the Brazilian phenom Renan Barao or young contender Michael McDonald. I have been going back and forth between the two guys and think Barao is the favorite. If McDonald were chosen, he would be the dark horse. McDonald does have a knock out of former champion Miguel Torres on his resume which could put him over the top. Either way both guys are well qualified and could give Faber a run for his money. We are going to have to tune in on Friday to find out.
- Anderson Silva In Budweiser Commercial With Steven Segal
- Gilbert Melendez Edges Josh Thomson, Daniel Cormier Unanimous Over Josh Barnett, Strikeforce Results
- Jon Jones Looking For Nike Sponsorship
- Donald Cerrone Wants Anthony Pettis At UFC 150, Manager Says Pettis Won’t Be Ready
- Dominick Cruz Pulls Out Of UFC 148 With ACL Injury, Urijah Faber Fight Undecided
- Rumor: Fedor Emelianenko To Face Rolles Gracie This Summer?
- Strikeforce Cuts Heavyweight Division
- Chael Sonnen Promotes UFC 148 On Jim Rome Show
- BJ Penn Remains Uncertain About Return
- Dana White Has Meniere’s Disease, Operation In Los Angeles
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