Marloes Coenen and other team members RELEASED by Zuffa
by KING JB
Marloes Coenen (19-5), whom is one of the most popular and successful lady fighters in the world, lost her world championship this past Saturday in one of the most technical fights that I have seen recently. This fight was a great fight that I thought was the best fight on the card. However, things took an odd turn today as Marloes Coenen was released from Strikefore and her Zuffa contract after suffering just one loss. This has left most of the MMA community confused, which is leading to a million different rumors of what is going on exactly.
Of course we can look at this as proof that the UFC and Zuffa intends on killing off the women's division. Terminating one of the best women fighters in the world after a great fight and just one loss in my opinion proves that Zuffa wishes to get rid of the women. Keep in mind that they still have not resigned Cyborg either. This can also be taken as another piece of evidence that Zuffa intends on killing off Strikeforce very soon. Think about all the people that are gone from the company, including several world champions for the organization.
Also released were teammates of Marloes Coenen which made this situation even more odd. Valentijn Overeem (31-29), Jon Olav Einemo (6-2), also from Team Golden Glory, along with Alistair Overeem (35-11-0-1) have been released. Is this an issue between Zuffa and Team Golden Glory stemming from the Alistair Overeem situation? Overall, this situation is getting real interesting. I more than likely will be writing an article on this entire situation later today.
FEATHERWEIGHT
Jose Aldo (UFC) 19-1 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. #3 Kenny Florian
Hatsu Hioki (UFC) 24-4-2 NEXT FIGHT: 10/29 vs. George Roop
Kenny Florian (UFC) 15-5 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown vs. #1 Jose Aldo
Chad Mendes (UFC) 10-0 NEXT FIGHT: 8/6 vs. Rani Yahya
Patricio Freire (BELLATOR) 17-1 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Joe Warren (BELLATOR) 7-1 NEXT FIGHT: 9/24 vs. Alexis Villa
Marlon Sandro (BELLATOR) 19-2 NEXT FIGHT: 8/20 vs. Pat Curran
Diego Nunes (UFC) 16-2 NEXT FIGHT: 9/24 vs. Manny Gamburyan
Mark Hominick (UFC) 20-9 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Erik Koch (UFC) 12-1 NEXT FIGHT: 7/2 vs. 9/17 vs. Jonathan Brookins
Mentionables: Pat Curran, Tyson Griffin, Robert Peralta, Manny Gamburyan, Joachim Hansen
LIGHTWEIGHT
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (UFC) 13-1-1 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. #4 Gray Maynard
Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (STRIKEFORCE) 19-2 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Shinya Aoki (STRIKEFORCE) 28-5-0-1 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Gray “The Bully” Maynard (UFC) 10-0-1 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. #1 Frankie Edgar
Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (UFC) 29-11 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Jim Miller (UFC) 20-2 NEXT FIGHT: 8/14 vs. #7 Ben Henderson
Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (UFC) 27-9-2 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. Joe Lauzon
Ben Henderson (UFC) 13-2 NEXT FIGHT: 8/14 vs. #6 Jim Miller
Eddie Alvarez (BELLATOR) 22-2 NEXT FIGHT: 10/15 vs. Michael Chandler Jr.
Jorge Masvidal (Strikeforce) 22-6 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Mentionables: Dennis Siver, Michael Chandler, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis
WELTERWEIGHT
George St. Pierre (UFC) 22-2 NEXT FIGHT: 10/29 vs. #2 Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz (STRIKEFORCE) 25-7 NEXT FIGHT: 10/29 vs. #1 George St. Pierre
Jake Shields (UFC) 26-5-1 NEXT FIGHT: 9/17 vs. #10 Jake Ellenberger
Jon Fitch (UFC) 23-3-1 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown/Injured
Carlos Condit (UFC) 27-5 NEXT FIGHT: 10/29 vs. #6 BJ Penn
BJ Penn (UFC) 16-7-2 NEXT FIGHT: 10/29 vs. #5 Carlos Condit
Jay Hieron (BELLATOR) 22-4 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Diego Sanchez (UFC) 23-4 NEXT FIGHT: 9/24 vs. Matt Hughes
Josh Koscheck (UFC) 15-5 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown/Injured
Jake Ellenberger (UFC) 24-5 NEXT FIGHT: 9/17 vs. #3 Jake Shields
Mentionables: Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, Siyar Bahadurzada, Paul Daley, Nate Marquardt
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Anderson “The Spider” Silva (UFC) 28-4 NEXT FIGHT: 8/27 vs. #2 Yushin Okami
Yushin Okami (UFC) 26-5 NEXT FIGHT: 8/27 vs. #1 Anderson Silva
Chael Sonnen (UFC) 25-11 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. #10 Brian Stann
Michael “The Count” Bisping (UFC) 21-3 NEXT FIGHT: 12/3 vs. Jason Miller
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (STRIKEFORCE) 14-2 NEXT FIGHT: 9/10 vs. Luke Rockhold
Hector Lombard (BELLATOR) 29-2-1 NEXT FIGHT: 8/27 vs. Jesse Taylor
Tim Kennedy (STRIKEFORCE)14-3 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Mark Munoz (UFC) 11-2 NEXT FIGHT: 11/5 vs. Chris Leben
Demian Maia (UFC) 14-3 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. Jorge Santiago
Brian Stann (UFC) 11-3 NEXT FIGHT: 10/8 vs. #3 Chael Sonnen
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Jon "Bones" Jones (UFC) 13-1 NEXT FIGHT: vs. 9/24 vs. #3 Quinton Jackson
Rashad "Suga" Evans (UFC) 18-1-1 NEXT FIGHT: 8/6 vs. #9 Tito Ortiz
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (UFC) 32-8 NEXT FIGHT: 9/24 vs. #1 Jon Jones
Dan Henderson (STRIKEFORCE) 28-8 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (UFC) 19-5 NEXT FIGHT: 8/27 vs. #7 Forrest Griffin
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (UFC) 17-2 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Forrest Griffin (UFC) 18-6 NEXT FIGHT: 8/27 vs. #4 Mauricio Rua
Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi (STRIKEFORCE) 31-3-2 NEXT FIGHT: Unknown
Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (UFC) 9-0 NEXT FIGHT: 8/6 vs. Unknown
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (UFC) 17-8-1 NEXT FIGHT: 8/6 vs. #2 Rashad Evans
Mentionables: Phil Davis, Rich Franklin, Thiago Silva, Randy Couture, Muhammad Lawal
Kendall Grove (12-9-0-1) vs. Joe Riggs (34-13-0-1)
Andre Arlovski (15-9) vs. Ray Lopez (5-2)
Reagan Penn (??) vs. TBA (3-0 midwest fighter announced soon)
Sara McMann (3-0) vs. Raquel Pa'aluhi (3-1)
Mark Ellis (??) vs. Jake Heun (1-0)
Drew McFedries (9-6) vs. Kala Kolohe Hose (7-5)
UNDERCARD Feature Bout
Chris Cisneros (??) vs. Sale Sproat (??)
UFC 133 (Preview)
This is the complete PREVIEW of the event here and will include both the press conference and pre-fight interviews. I will also throw in the weigh-in video and trailer leading up to the event. With that being said, here is the trailer to hype up the show...
(Trailer)
Much like all of you, I am very disappointed in this card and have been basically since the first time I ever looked at the card months ago. I thought Rashad Evans and Phil Davis was a bad main event. I have to admit that I am much more interested in Tito in this main event than Phil Davis. I am atleast interested in the main event now. Of course, the Belfort and Akiyama fight should be fun, but the loser is probably gone from the UFC. Other than those two fights, we do not have very much to look forward to with this card.
Yes, the rest of the card still has some DECENT fights and I love the sport of MMA, so I will enjoy myself regardless, but following the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson card, this is not a good one for the UFC. I do realize that every card cannot have Brock or Silva or GSP. I do not mean to bash this card, because the fights should still be ok to watch. When I speak of this card, I mainly speak of it in terms of marketability. That is why I do love the fact that Tito took the fight however, because now it has a marketable chance out there to be sold.
(Presser Video)
(Conference Call)
(Weigh-In Video)
Wont have until FRIDAY evening...
Main card
Light Heavyweight bout: Rashad Evans (15-1-1) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-8-1)
MY PICK – Rashad Evans via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: I am definitely glad that Ortiz is fighting Evans rather than Phil Davis. After the draw that they had before (In which Tito SHOULD have won), I think a rematch was needed here. Tito is coming off an amazing win (which I picked) over Ryan Bader and Rashad is coming off a long ass layoff. In many ways, this is being considered a #1 contenders fight. I think whom eve wins this fight deserves a shot. I think this is Tito's chance to truly make a splash and come back. Personally, I think the short notice will be what hurts Tito here however. I think Rashad will squeak out a decision win. Regardless, I am excited to see this fight and the end result.
Middleweight bout: Vitor Belfort (19-9) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-3-0-2)
MY PICK – Vitor Belfort via TKO
Pre-Fight Comments: I honestly think this will be the fight of the night, but also a fight that leaves someone without a job. I truly think that the loser of this fight will be released from the UFC. Akiyama has been unimpressive in my book since coming to the UFC. I know a lot of people like him and I do not blame them, but I do not consider him a serious contender. Belfort on the other hand IS a serious contender. Belfort was embarrassed in the fight with Anderson Silva and I am willing to bet my balls that he seriously wants to erase that. I think the talent difference is huge in this fight and Belfort is gonna finish this fight via TKO or KO!
Welterweight bout: Dennis Hallman (43-13-2-1) vs. Brian Ebersole (47-14-1-1)
MY PICK – Dennis Hallman via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: The battle of the old timers here as both men have well over 50 fights. This should definitely be a good one however as they both have huge wins in their career. Most recently, Ebersole upset the much loved Chris Lytle. He has won eight fights in a row. Also inside that win streak is a victory over former UFC champion, Carlos Newton. His last loss was against Hector Lombard back in 2008. Hallman has won two in a row including wins over Karo Parisyan and Ben Saunders. I believe both of those fights ended those men's UFC careers. He beat Matt Hughes back when Matt Hughes was unbeatable. I gotta go with Hallman in this fight by decision.
Middleweight bout: Jorge Rivera (19-8) vs. Costantinos Philippou (7-2-0-1)
MY PICK – Jorge Rivera via TKO
Pre-Fight Comments: This is supposed to be Jorge Rivera's retirement fight. The fight was supposed to be with Alessio Sakara, but for a third time, that fight was cancelled. Many everywhere are saying that fight is cursed. Rivera has some amazing power despite his age and can knock out anyone. Constatinos has never been finished, so this would be HUGE for Jorge if he can pull it off though and it just sounds like a FEEL GOOD story for this guy to end his career. Personally, I think he DESERVED what happened with Michael Bisping due to his mouth, but I still would like him to go out with a 20th pro win and good story. I think this loss will get Philippou cut from the UFC.
Welterweight bout: Rory MacDonald (11-1) vs. Mike Pyle (21-7-1)
MY PICK – Rory MacDonald via submission
Pre-Fight Comments: This should actually be a GREAT fight and deserves to be on the main card regardless of all the injuries. This definitely has potential to end up as the fight of the night. MacDonald has only lost one time in his career and it was that fight with Carlos Condit. Most people know that Rory was kicking Carlos's ass in that fight before making a HUGE mistake with seven seconds left and getting TKO'ed. He would have won that fight if it saw the judges. He is coming off a win over Nate Diaz and I think he is gonna stay on a roll. Pyle has been extremely solid over his career and is on a three fight win streak. Ultimately, this could be the most competitive fight of the night. I definitely believe that the winner of this fight will be knocking on the door of the division's top ten. Pyle gets caught in submissions every now and then and I honestly think that is what will happen here. DEFINITELY a great fight to watch for us fans and in general.
Preliminary card (televised)
Light Heavyweight bout: Matt Hamill (10-3) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (11-1)
MY PICK – Matt Hamill via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: Im going to be honest here. If Hamill loses this fight, I think he will be HONESTLY cut from the UFC. Actually, let me scratch that. With the movie coming out about Matt Hamill's life, I doubt Dana White will let that kind of promotion get away. Regardless, I do NOT think that he is going to lose the fight. Hamill's wrestling is just superb and thats the truth overall. I do not think that Alexander will be able to handle it. Gustafsson's only loss has been to Phil Davis in his career. I think Gustafsson has great jiu-jitsu, but that will do him no good here unless he catches Hamill slipping. This fight is bound to hit the judges.
Featherweight bout: Chad Mendes (10-0) vs. Rani Yahya (16-6)
MY PICK – Rani Yahya via submission
Pre-Fight Comments: Mendes has obviously never been beaten, but I think its because of his boring ass style and the fact that he has never met a man with the ability overall as Yahya. I think we are going to see the upset of the night right here in this fight. Mendes has been to the judges in five of his past six fights. Yahya has lost two of his last three, but still has the ability to beat anyone in the weight class. He has beaten Mark Hominick, Eddie Wineland, and Mike Brown. I think he is about to add another name to his list in this big fight. He will have to get the submission nod, because more than likely if it makes it to the judges, they will give it to Mendes. Remember folks that you heard it here first...UPSET OF THE NIGHT!
Preliminary card (Facebook)
Bantamweight bout: Ivan Menjivar (22-8) vs. Nick Pace (6-1)
MY PICK – Ivan Menjivar via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: Menjivar is one of the most underrated guys in the division as you rarely hear anyone mention his name. I know that he has struggled as of late, losing three of his last five fights. However, his ability is still there and I think he proved it in his last fight against Charlie Valencia. He got the TKO win there and I think he is ready for a bigger challenge in Pace. Pace won his last fight following the first loss of his career. He has some great ability, but experience here should be the key. I think we will see a great grapplers battle here, but Menjivar will take it in the end. There will probably be no finish here.
Welterweight bout: Johny Hendricks (10-1) vs. Mike Pierce (12-3)
MY PICK – Mike Pierce via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: This sounds like a good fight on paper, but Mike Pierce is John Fitch the sequel inside the Welterweight division in my opinion. Johny Hendricks is fun to watch, but definitely has his hands full in this fight. Pierce ACTUALLY has finished his last two fights, which is odd for him considering he is the sequel. His last loss was to the ORIGINAL Jon Fitch back in 2009, but decision, of course. I think he will use his wrestling and take this to the judges. I hope deep down that Hendricks finds a way to make this fight exciting and knock him out, but we all know where this is going. Pierce has never been finished in 15 fights and I do not expect this to be any different. I got Pierce winning this one by decision.
Featherweight bout: Mike Brown (24-8) vs. Nam Phan (16-8)
MY PICK – Mike Brown via TKO
Pre-Fight Comments: This is my favorite fight of the under card. I hated Mike Brown during the Urijah Faber fights because Im such a Faber fan, but I do not wanna see his career in the UFC end just yet. I am definitely fearful that Brown will be released if he loses this fight. He has lost three of his last four fights and four of six fights since the second win over Faber. Its amazing to see him fall apart so quick like that after Jose Aldo whipped that ass. I think Phan has a long way to go however before he can beat someone with the ability of Mike Brown. Yes, Phan has a lot of experience out there, but he has ZERO big wins on his record in my book. He has lost three of his last four fights and is 0-1 inside the UFC. I definitely think that the loser of this fight will be released.
Middleweight bout: Rafael Natal (12-3-1) vs. Paul Bradley (18-2-0-1)
MY PICK – Paul Bradley via decision
Pre-Fight Comments: Natal has a loss and a draw inside the UFC, so this is a must win for him at this point in my opinion. Natal has an amazing submission game as that seems to be his bread and butter. Bradley has an amazingly quiet GREAT record in his pro career. He has won five fights in a row and I truly think he is about to make it six. He has a great all around game and has actually won four of his last five fights by submission. With that said, I think we will see a grappling battle, leading to a decision win for Paul Bradley.
EXTRA COMMENTS: I think that there will be a few cuts from the UFC following this event and below are the guys I think will be gone.
1) Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-3-0-2) I think that another loss would seal his fate. He has lost two fights in a row and BARELY won his debut against Alan Belcher. He is a talent, but three losses in a row will be too much in my opinion. These definitely are NOT the old “HERO or DREAM” days for Akiyama. Its a shame because he went so long without a loss prior to the streak, but it has been TWO YEARS since his last win.
2) Costantinos Philippou (7-2-0-1) After a lengthy career with the Ring of Combat, he is 0-1 in the UFC and a loss here will seal the deal in my opinion. He lost to Nick Catone, now a loss to an old man on his way out would be too much.
3) Nam Phan (16-8) He has lost three of his last four fights and is 0-1 inside the Octagon.
4) Rafael Natal (12-3-1) He has a draw and a loss inside the Octagon. A loss here means ZERO wins in three attempts, which is not something that Dana likes to deal with.
Dana White announced today that there was yet another injury in the UFC altering a fight. Leonard Garcia is apparently hurt and will be replaced in his fight against Bruce Leroy on August 14th.
“Leonard Garcia is out with an injury, so newly signed prospect Jim Hettes is taking his place vs Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres on August 14 in Milwaukee," said White. "Hettes is undefeated as a pro and has finished all opponents by submission. Caceres has also never gone the distance. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.”
Jim Hettes (8-0) is obviously undefeated and Alex Caceres (5-3) gained some hype and fame from the Ultimate Fighter season 12. This fight will be part of the preliminary card of UFC on Versus 5 and could be the end of Bruce Leroy considering he lost his official UFC debut back in March.
This will be HUGE for the sport of MMA in general as well as the UFC, the latest happening being the re-branding of the Versus network. It apparently will be renamed NBC Sports on January 2, 2012. This change has been rumored for quite some time, but will now coincide with the NBC's broadcast of the NHL Winter Classic and the run up to NBC's February telecast of the Super Bowl.
“Our goal is for anyone who sees the name or logo of one of our assets to immediately connect with NBC Sports,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus.
He will officially announce the name change today at the Television Critics Association tour in Beverly Hills, Calif.
I think this will be HUGE for the mainstream evolution of MMA.
Aleks Emelianenko recently had very harsh words for his brother Fedor's trainers, blaming them for the loss to Henderson, and calling them incompetent amoebas. Below noted Russian fighter Sergei Kharitonov responds in an interview with ValeTudo.ru
ValeTudo.ru: What can you say concerning loud statements about you made by Alexander Emelianenko?
Sergei Kharitonov: When I read his interview I laughed out loud. Although he is 30 years old and that’s certainly not the reason for laughter. Firstly, for guys like Alex I am not Serezha but Sergei Valeryevich. Secondly, it’s about time for him to learn how to compress thoughts and, above all, to think before he speaks. He didn’t get a proper upbringing, I guess, but I don’t want to go deeper in it – he doesn’t deserve so much honor. He is a great trash-talker but real fighters prove their strength in the ring.
Alex is a drinker, he is always brawling. Normal man like me or Fedor would never drink to alcoholic mania and fight in the street. But I often hear about Alex getting into scraps like this in different corners of our country. He rampages, harasses the waitresses and other girls, lies, cries on every corner that he is a champion of the world and the strongest man on Earth. I guess, this is some kind of a drug effect.
VT: Is it true that he is not allowed to fight abroad because of medical condition? The rumors are...
SK: All organizations in the world know about his hepatitis C and nobody wants to have business with him. He has drunk himself into this disease. He is drug addicted alcoholic and criminal. All his disrespectful remarks to the athletes are just a bulls---. How can he fight with hepatitis? Nobody gonna take him to any tournament. He lies that he hasn’t been to prison but it’s not true, he has.
VT: What do you know about his business today?
SK: I know that for the present moment Alex doesn’t have neither house nor home. He has spend everything on drink. He doesn’t have a flat, doesn’t have a car. And the only way to make some money for him is to give a scandalous interview and to attract some attention to his person. He is ready for everything to get the bout. He even came to Fedor’s camp with the hope that Fedor would help him to organize a fight somewhere. But he is washed-up.
VT: Do you believe that prison has an influence on him?
SK: I know some people that have been to prison, they reformed, realized their mistakes and improved. Alex hasn’t changed at all. He stayed the same. There were some cases when he could get to jail but Fedor stepped in again. There were also some cases when Fedor literally saved his life. Being honest, prison is the best place for Alex. Fedor made a great push to take him out of a jail as early as possible. I remember 2002 when Fedor said “I’d like Alex to get out of jail somewhat quicker”. Fedor is the reason why Alexander is free now. Actually he owes his brother everything he has at the present moment. Fedor carries him on his shoulders. Fedor gave him an opportunity to step in the ring, to make some money. He used to make good money because of his last name but he could not keep it, swapped everything for drink and parties.
He is likely to give that interview being drunk and drugget-out. You can see it by his voice in his interview about Fedor’s trainers - he was inadequate. He’s gonna be 30 in 2 days, this error was born on August 2nd, day of airborne troops, my holiday. And he is still living from one drunken feast to another, from one scuffle to another. He must be missing the jail.
VT: Did you train with Alexander?
SK: He came to our gym in about a month since he went at large and Fedor asked me not to punch Alex too strong. And after it Alex said in his interview that he had taught me how to punch. What can a criminal teach you in a month after prison?
VT: Do you think there’s a risk for Fedor to be infected when he trains with Alexander?
SK: It’s just not comfortable for Fedor to turn his brother down. The only way Alex can knock somebody out now is the smell of an alcohol from his mouth.
I don’t think it was a good idea to take Alex to the camp. His comment “We were hanging out in Kislovodsk for three weeks” means that he distracted Fedor from training process.
And he always says «We» in his interviews. Who are those “we”? Fedor will get a lot of respect regardless of number of his losses. He is a respectful athlete and worthy person. Concerning Alex I can say that he is the reason why our relations with Fedor became worth. We’ve drifted apart. It would be a great pleasure for me to come to Kislovodsk and train with Fedor but Alexnader’s presence there makes it impossible.
Just recently, the Emelianenko brothers reunited after a brief falling out. Shortly after Alexander Emelianenko witnessed his brother Fedor Emelianenko's loss to Dan Henderson, he went on a RAMPAGE with some harsh words for Fedor's coaches. He talked about it to Lifesports.ru and the interview was translated by Fighters Only. Wow, I have to agree with him in some areas here.
"They sat like two amoebas, and did not know what to say. They were asked direct questions and would say, "It is difficult to say… we will see in the fight," - what kind of a coach says that? Only one who doesn’t understand the sport. I just call them ‘Stopwatch’ and ‘Towel’. That's as much use as they are, that's it,"
"[MMA] is constantly improving, but ‘Stopwatch’ and ‘Towel’ have not changed anything in the program - just frozen in time and not been able to develop the base that Fedor already has. Fedor could train himself, he must take on it personally, to rethink many of the training points to learn and develop. Suffer and work!
"We'll talk with Fedor - whether he wants to change something in his preparation. If he wants to, I will make the effort."
By KING JB
Just last week he signed a deal with Burger King and now apparently, he has took it another step further by signing with Nike. The UFC's Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva has obviously become marketable FINALLY in the eyes of HUGE businesses. This is a great sign for the growth of MMA as it takes steps towards the mainstream.
"Listening to the voice of the athlete is the essence of the culture of Nike. Being able to have an athlete the caliber of Anderson Silva among our partners is a great honor for us. "Said Louis Alexander, director of sports marketing for Nike in Brazil
I wonder what took Anderson Silva so long to get these major deals? I would assume that the language barrier played a major roll with American companies, but now with the growth of the sport, maybe Silva is becoming the official face of MMA and the UFC.
To further add to the death of Strikeforce, it seems as if their Light Heavyweight Champion is next to try to get out of dodge. Dan Henderson stated today that he would like the winner of the UFC 135 championship bout between Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson.
“I think that could be interesting going forward, a unification fight with the winner of that contest would be a good match,” Dan Henderson told Telegraph Sport from his home tonight.
“I’m the Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion, I’ve beaten Fedor, and I’m unemployed, so we’ll have to see what the talks are now after I’ve had a few weeks off. It’s not a bad position to be in though.”
“I’m not really looking to go back to middleweight (vs. Anderson Silva). I’m happy at light-heavyweight. It’s where I feel most comfortable."
With all of this being said, it seems to me like Dan is ready to go ahead and jump ship due to being a free agent. What does this mean for the Strikeforce Championship? Right now, they currently have a vacant Heavyweight championship as well as Welterweight championship. For three of the championships to end up vacant would be a disaster for Strikeforce in my opinion. I truly believe that Strikeforce has around seven months to live. Mark my words.
I have said it over and over again that Strikeforce seems to be on the GREEN MILE walking towards the end of the road. I believe that they are dead men walking due to the obvious fact that they have been bought out by Zuffa as well as their contract with Showtime is soon to expire. They have released their Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem. They lost Nick Diaz to the UFC. Paul Daley has recently lost AGAIN and more than likely will be in BAAMA next chasing Nate Marquardt. Not to mention, Fedor has lost again and even Dan Henderson is looking to the UFC now with his contract expiring. That is THREE major world titles that are NOW VACANT more than likely inside this company that has no where else to go but down.
To top it all off, lets look at the ticket sales for the Strikeforce Challengers event...
The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced the figures earlier today including tickets sold (458), tickets comped (1418), and a live gate ($42,987.50). Also mentioned were the amount of tickets left unsold with the number totaling nearly a fifth of those that had been paid for.
How can a major company in the MMA world survive with this type of revenue and such huge contracts on the roster?
I personally think that this is the end of the road for Strikeforce. These ticket sales are disgusting and even are less than TNA Impact, who basically GIVES all of their tickets away.
Former UFC fighter, Edwin Dewees Jr. (37-15) was arrested and charged last Thursday with two counts of child abuse after the police found his twin boys (2 years old) on the side of the road.
The Daily Courier had the details...
At 2:20 p.m., a person told an officer about two small children walking alone near Road 1 North and Cactus Wren.
The officer immediately found two 2-year-old boys, one wearing just a T-shirt, walking barefoot down Road 1 North, said Cmdr. Mark Garcia of the Chino Valley Police Department.
For nearly two hours, officers tried to find the children's home and their caretaker, but could not, Garcia said.
Dewees says that he put his two children down for a nap and then realized that they were gone when he went to wake them later. Dewees was booked into the Yavapai County Jail and his children were taken into Child Protective Services.
Dewees appeared on the Ultimate Fighter during season four of the show. He is still an active fighter, whom recently fought at Bully's Fight Night 2. He lost to Jacen Flynn via submission earlier this month via rear naked choke. I will continue to follow this story and get you more details when available.
Earlier I reported that Che Mills (13-4) was the 10th Brit added to the UFC 138 card. At that time, he did NOT have an opponent named, but that has all changed now as it is official that he will battle Mr. Whoo himself, Chris Cope (5-1). The fight announcement came from the FIGHT LOUNGE during the broadcast of the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson event on Saturday Night.
Cope, who made a name for himself on this past season of the Ultimate Fighter was a recent guest on the MMA Affiliates Radio program and said that he was recovering from a hand injury. He obviously is ready to get back in the cage over in Birmingham, England. This should be a GREAT fight and I am looking forward to it.
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson (7/30/11) Results & Coverage
We have all waited for this HUGE event and now the wait is over....So...HERE WE GO...
UNDERCARD
Lightweight bout: Gesias Cavalcante (17-4-1-2) vs. Bobby Green (15-4)
MY PICK – Bobby Green via decision or DQ
WINNER – Gesias Cavalcante via SPLIT decision (28-29/29-28/29-28)
Pre-Fight Comments: I truly think that JZ is extremely OVERRATED with everyone inside the MMA Community. I do think he is extremely good, but many people consider him a future world champion. I do not see that out of this young man at all in my opinion. I think that this fight will give us the upset of the night as Bobby Green shocks the world! Green is the current KOTC lightweight champion at the moment and definitely has some talent. JZ has only ONE win in his last six fights and that is the BOTTOM LINE here. Granted, he is losing many decisions, but it doesn't matter, he is STILL losing. Due to Cavalcante never being stopped, I will not say that he is going to get stopped. I am going to take Bobby Green here via decision or DQ! (lol)
Post-Fight Comments: Both men had GREAT and energetic entrances for the fight. JZ came out as aggressive as it gets, but Green fought it off VERY well. He even wagged his finger with arrogance and cut JZ's cheek. I actually scored round one to Green 10-9. Cavalcante has been looking for the KO most of the night and thats the way he fought in round two. JZ landed some great shots, got a takedown, and full mount. JZ got him in a rear naked choke and Green tapped. The REF DIDNT SEE IT THOUGH and the bell sounds. He escaped round two, but JZ evened up the fight 19-19. Round three was JZ and Green both being aggressive and stopping takedowns. Nothing really interesting and I actually would love to score this round a 10-10 draw to score the entire FIGHT A draw...In fact, thats what I am gonna do. I score this fight a fucking DRAW! The judges gave it to JZ by split decision to drop my record to 1-4 on the night!
Welterweight bout: Eduardo Pamplona (15-2) vs. Tyler Stinson (20-7)
MY PICK – Eduardo Pamplona via decision
WINNER – Tyler Stinson via KO (1-0:15)
Pre-Fight Comments: Pamplona has won ten fights in a row and any time you can do that in this sport at the pro level, its saying something. His last loss was a TKO loss to Robbie Lawler back in 2007. I admit that he wins MOST by decision and that's exactly what I think is going to happen here. I honestly don't know SHIT about Mr. Stinson, so I am not going to speak ignorantly. I have to admit, he has an impressive win-loss record as a pro and that always says a lot in my book. This should be a GREAT fight and obviously the fight of the under card.
Post-Fight Comments: No touching of gloves...Stinson lands a combo and then POW...a shot that knocks out Pamplona in seconds. Oh shit is all I can really say right now as I drop to 1-3 with my predictions for the night!
Women's Welterweight (135 lb) bout: Alexis Davis (9-4) vs. Julie Kedzie (16-8)
MY PICK – Julie Kedzie via decision
WINNER – Alexis Davis via decision (30-27/30-27/29-28)
Pre-Fight Comments: Kedzie has won four fights in a row and has a shit load of experience. She has won via decision in all of them last four fights and I think the same thing is going to happen here. She does however have a HUGE gap in her game in terms of getting submitted. The good news for Davis is that she is great with submissions. I am going with Kedzie here based on her experience and ability to grind out decisions. However, I would NOT be surprised if Davis got the submission win.
Post-Fight Comments: Matt Hughes is in the corner of Alexis Davis. Kedzie's striking looked VERY GOOD in the first round, which was a VERY close round. I got Kedzie winning round one 10-9. Second round started with a small exchange and back to the clinch they went. Davis got the takedown on Kedzie, but she got up immediately. A lot of clinch action in this fight. Davis took Kedzie down again and worked for a rear naked with 30 seconds left in round two. The second round was Davis's to tie it up 19-19 going into the third round. The start of round three was much like the other rounds with some striking leading into more clinching. The crowd did their BOOING bullshit. The third round was pretty boring however, and I gotta score it 10-10 for a 29-29 DRAW! The judges scored it for Alexis Davis in the end unanimously. I am now 1-2 with my predictions tonight. DAMNIT!
Middleweight bout: Derek Brunson (7-0) vs. Lumumba Sayers (4-1)
MY PICK – Derek Brunson via decision
WINNER – Derek Brunson via submission (1-4:33)
Pre-Fight Comments: I know NOTHING about Sayers, but I do know that Brunson looks pretty good so far in his young MMA career. Brunson is a hell of a wrestler and as you all know, that is one of the BEST bases to have in this sport. He also have HEAVY hands and can knock a man out as well. I am going with Mr. Brunson in this fight via decision.
Post-Fight Comments: Atleast my prediction record got up to .500 here as I am now 1-1 after Brunson pulled it out. Brunson basically just came right out and got a couple of VERY strong takedowns. There was some trading of strikes, but Brunson nailed him with a huge high kick that was the beginning of the end for Sayers. Brunson followed with ANOTHER head kick which drops Sayers and allowed Brunson to follow him with a REAR NAKED CHOKE for the win. Dominant win here for Mr. Brunson!
Heavyweight bout: Bryan Humes (6-1) vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones (4-0)
MY PICK – Bryan Humes via decision
WINNER – Gabriel Salinas-Jones via submission (3-1:19)
Pre-Fight Comments: I do NOT know anything about either fighter, so I will be watching them both for the first time here. I like seeing fighters for the first time, so I am interested definitely.
Post-Fight Comments: My night started off 0-1 in the prediction department as I suspected it could considering I knew nothing about either fighter. The first round had some mistakes by Humes which led him to not being able to finish Jones. Towards the end of the first round, Jones nailed him with some solid shots as he was on top and Humes was saved by the bell. I personally gave Humes round one 10-9. Humes was already gassed going into the second round, which was a horrible sign. Salinas-Jones tried for several takedowns in the second and finally got on top in the mount. Jones once again lays some SOLID shots to end the round and Humes is again saved by the bell. I gave Jones that round to tie it up 19-19. Humas DROPPED Jones immediately into the third round with a solid right! Jones was able to scramble and end up on top himself after defending a rear naked choke. He then locked in a BRABO CHOKE and gets the submission win! Great fight here and I truly think that Jones showed a lot in terms of ability to come back from punishment. I look forward to seeing him in the future.
MAIN CARD (SHOWTIME)
Heavyweight bout: Fedor Emelianenko (31-3-1) vs. Dan Henderson (27-8)
MY PICK – Fedor Emelianenko via submission
WINNER – Dan Henderson via TKO (1-4:12)
Pre-Fight Comments: Does it get ANY BETTER than this? Anyone that is a long time fan of this sport is 100% in love with this fight. I think that Henderson has the ability to beat anyone, but Fedor is a legit legend as well. Fedor is NOT going to lose three fights in a row after winning 30 in a row. I just do not see it happening for several reasons. First off, the only way Henderson can win his fight is by a decision win fueled by take down points. I do NOT think that will be happening here today. I think Fedor's submission game is what we will see here shine. Much like Anderson Silva did with Hendo back in their epic fight, I think Fedor will expose the ground game in terms of submission game of Henderson one more time. This is going to be a legendary fight, but I got Fedor via submission late in the fight. I honestly cannot believe that people got Fedor losing to a MIDDLEWEIGHT.
Post-Fight Comments: They start off aggressive as can be. Henderson popped Fedor with a left hand and even cut him open. They clinched against the cage for most of the first round. Fedor landed a right hand and dropped Henderson. Fedor went in for the kill and somehow Henderson transitioned and landed a shot while they were getting up that knocked Fedor down. THEY STOPPED THE FIGHT!! THAT WAS THE WORST CALL I HAVE EVER SEEN! FUCK THIS ENTIRE FIGHT! This was not a real win for Dan Henderson. I do not care what ANYONE else says! That was bullshit!
Pre-Fight Comments: This is the baddest female fight in the history of female fights right here in my book. I love Coenen and her story, but Tate is just amazing in terms of RAW TALENT. Miesha Tate's takedowns are just unstoppable and I think she is gonna stay on top throughout the entire fight. I got her taking a 30-27 decision in the end of this fight based on her top game. Don't get me wrong, she could also pull off a submission. She trains at Alpha Male and everyone knows that the choke is something that is legendary out of that camp.
Post-Fight Comments: In the first round, Tate and Coenen were in the clinch for a while before Tate got the takedown. She got caught in a choke, which she got out of...barely. She controlled the rest of the round, which gave her a 10-9 win in my book. Tate got a takedown in round two, but Coenen transitioned perfectly and got Tate's back. She controlled the entire second round to tie this score 19-19 after winning the round 10-9. In the third, Coenen was landing some kicks and Tate was able to get another takedown early in the round. Tate looked to be gassing a little bit, but ended up with two takedowns in the third round and the win 10-9 there. I had it scored 29-28 for Tate going into the fourth round. To start the fourth, Tate got another takedown, but landed in a guillotine. She got out of it pretty quick however. Tate slid in a TRIANGLE CHOKE and got the submission to become the NEW WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION!!! NOW she is gonna get Sarah Kaufman next whom already defeated Miss Tate. I am 4-5 on the night with predictions.
Middleweight bout: Robbie Lawler (19-7-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (13-3)
MY PICK – Robbie Lawler via KO
WINNER – Tim Kennedy via decision (30-27/30-27/30-27)
Pre-Fight Comments: This is ANOTHER amazing fight on this card. Lawler has actually lost two of his last three and three of his last five, which seems like a misprint to me. Yes, I know he really has lost them fights, but he seems like one of the most exciting fighters in the game right now. Lawler's KO ability is so good though, he can catch anyone at any time and I think that is exactly what we are going to see here. Kennedy's submission game is top notch and that is the REAL threat towards Lawler. The real question is whether Lawler can prevent the takedown or not. I think he will and actually catch Kennedy with an uppercut or something at the same time. Regardless, this has fight of the night potential here and there is no doubt in that.
Post-Fight Comments: Round one was Kennedy's barely. Lawler had some GREAT footwork and even took a low blow from Kennedy. Lawler was much faster and had great take down defense. Kennedy got the takedowns three times. I scored it for Kennedy 10-9. Lawler landed a great uppercut that busted Kennedy's nose wide open badly to start the round. Kennedy got a good takedown and controlled most of the round. Lawler landed good strikes from bottom. I gave round two to LAWLER for damage tying it 19-19 going into the third. The third round was HORRIBLE as both men were gassed. Tim Kennedy got a takedown and won the round. Robbie Lawler gave up in this fight and that made me sick. He didn't even TRY in the third round in my book. I scored it 29-28 for Kennedy...Maybe 30-27. Good win for Kennedy and then he gave a corny fucking interview. I am 3-5 on the night.
Welterweight bout: Paul Daley (27-10-2) vs. Tyron Woodley (7-0)
MY PICK – Tyron Woodley via decision
WINNER – Tyron Woodley via decision (29-28/29-28/29-28)
Pre-Fight Comments: Wow, what a fight this is, but I agree with Daley that this fight was stupid to even make. I will explain why and give you my reason for picking Woodley in this fight. As much as I like Paul Daley and wish he would shut all the haters mouths for good, Tyron Woodley's wrestling is just too superior here. Daley says that Woodley's wrestling is not as good as Koscheck's and I am going to have to disagree there. I think Woodley is young, strong, and VERY solid. I appreciated Woodley being a guest on MMA Affiliates Radio a while back and he told me THEN that he wanted this fight way before it was signed. I think Daley did NOT want this fight and Woodley did. That will be the difference in this fight in my opinion. We all know that Daley's wrestling ability and take down defense is pretty horrible and we should see it all again here. I love Daley, but Woodley is gonna grind this one out in my opinion. I think Strikeforce just messed up with this fight however. If Woodley loses, then their up and coming prospect is no longer undefeated. If Daley loses, that's TWO in a row and now he all of the sudden loses SERIOUS drawing power and looks destined for a BAMMA fight with Nate Marquardt. I just do NOT like this fight with a title NOT being on the line here.
Post-Fight Comments: Great first round as we saw GREAT take down defense by Daley as there were no takedowns in the round. There was a low blow in which I believe Daley hit Woodley on purpose to get out of the clinch. Woodley landed A LOT of knees in the clinch, which is why I gave him the round 10-9. Woodley kept arrogantly dropping his hands in the first. In the second round, Woodley got a take down finally, but Daley worked well from his back with defense. Woodley basically just grinded him, but did really nothing else. I gave round two to Woodley to go up 20-18. Daley only threw 7 punches in the first two rounds. When I say punches, I mean strikes. In the third round, Daley came out swinging, but Woodley got another takedown. Daley landed some striking with a minute left and looked good. Amazingly, Daley went for an Omaplata with 20 seconds left and almost got it! I scored the fight 30-27 for Woodley. GREAT FIGHT! I am now 3-4 on the evening in predictions.
Welterweight bout: Scott Smith (17-7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (10-2)
MY PICK – Tarec Saffiedine via TKO
WINNER – Tarec Saffiedine via decision (30-26/30-27/30-27)
Pre-Fight Comments: When it comes to OPENING UP a show, it doesn't get much better and exciting than this fight right here. Scott Smith likes to take a bunch of shots just to give one major shot. I think that will be his problem here as Saffiedine will land a few good ones FIRST and that will be the difference. Scott Smith is getting old and looks more stiff each time we see him. I do think this fight will be exciting while it lasts and that's a GUARANTEE for the most part.
Post-Fight Comments: Saffiedine dominated the first two rounds pretty easily in this fight. In the first round, there was a lot of feeling out, but Saffiedine had great kicks and combos to take it 10-9. The second round was ALL Tarec as he hit him with everything. He out struck him, landed a flying knee, dropped him, busted him open, and hit great elbows! Smith just had no movement ½ way through the second and looks done. Tarec took round two 10-8 to me and went up 20-17 after two. In round three, Tarec dominated again as his energy was like he just started. His striking was crisp and Scott Smith was as stiff as it gets. Scott Smith really looked old and I feel he should retire. I have to admit that his HIGH KICK that missed and hit the top of the cage was funny. I scored this fight 30-26 for Tarec Saffiedine. The judges gave it to him too.
POST EVENT COMMENTS by KING JB: Having no way to view the under card fights really pissed me off tonight with this show. I wanna apologize for my under card report being so small. I had to do a lot of reading to get my details of the results for the under card. This card was great, but the MAIN EVENT pissed me off...My review videos are posted below.
I am not too sure on what to think about Nam Phan's reaction to getting the fight with Mike Brown after reading it today over on the Underground's website. It seems like he has self-esteem issues in my book and thinks pretty low of himself. He basically even said that the UFC might be trying to get rid of him.
“Either they think that ‘Nam Phan, he’s not that bad, let’s throw him up against some big sharks’, or ‘let’s see if we can get him beat, let’s throw him up against some big sharks,” says Nam with an unfiltered laugh.
“The Brown fight, after I broke my foot, I talked to the matchmaker Sean Shelby and he goes, ‘Alright Nam, I’ve got a fight for you,’ and I go ‘Oh, awesome, who is it?’ He says ‘Mike Brown’, and I’m like ‘Mike Brown? Dude, come on! That’s kind of a tough fight. You couldn’t give me a warm-up or something?””
I really hope that Nam is kidding with these comments, because if he is not, he has a SHORT career ahead of him. The truth is that most young lions in this sport WANT to fight the veteran champions from the past that are fading in their careers. Everyone that is coming up in the sport wants good names to add to their resume. Am I reading into this Phan comment too much or does he really think that Brown is too tough of a fight?
Personally, I think this is the fight that BOTH of them need at this point. A fight that can EASILY gain fight of the night honors as well as salvage both of their UFC careers at this point. Mike Brown, a former world champion, needs this win in my book the most.
De Fries has an opponent for UFC 138...Oli Thompson + Another Brit signed for the Event.
by KING JB
I previously reported that British heavyweight prospect Phil De Fries (7-0-0-1) had signed on to compete at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. Well, his wait for an opponent was not very long as it has been reported today that he will be stepping into the cage with Oli Thompson (9-2). Oli is a member of the Wolfslair Academy, which means that he obviously trains with some of the best of the best. This is the 9th British fighter that I am aware of signed for UFC 138.
Big ups to MMAbay.co.uk whom I believe broke this story today. Michael Pepper and his staff usually is on the money, especially when it comes to British MMA.
De Fries is an undefeated prospect with all of his victories coming by submission. Thompson has won five straight fights with four of them coming via stoppage.
In related news, another Brit, the 10th on the card was added when the UFC added Che Mills (13-4-0-1) to the show to fight in the Welterweight division. He competed on the 9th season of the Ultimate Fighter, but lost to James Wilks. Mills is on a four fight winning streak and the signing has been CONFIRMED by the UFC.
I have already stated that I do not like when the UFC fills cards up based on Geography. Actually, I hate that shit.
Canadian fighter TJ Grant is back in action after a near 10 month layoff, as he is dropping from Welterweight to Lightweight to take on Shane Roller at UFC on Versus 6 taking place in Washington D.C. on October 1st. The UFC confirmed this late Friday night as both fighters verbally agreed to the fight. - Rusty Hoyle
I have never in my entire life heard of a World Champion getting cut by their promotion, but we heard of it today as Alistair Overeem has been officially cut by the Strikeforce promotion despite him being their World Heavyweight Champion. Overeem has been dealing with more serious injuries than originally reported, including a broken toe and rib and elbow problems.
Overeem will fight next in October in Russia for the promotion United Glory. No word on who his opponent will be. As more information comes in, we will report it to you!
Main Card
Fedor Emelianenko (223) vs. Dan Henderson (207)
Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135)
Robbie Lawler (185) vs. Tim Kennedy (185)
Paul Daley (171) vs. Tyron Woodley (170)
Scott Smith (171) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)
Preliminary card
Gesias Cavalcante (155) vs. Bobby Green (155)
Eduardo Pamplona (170) vs. Tyler Stinson (171)
Alexis Davis (135) vs. Julie Kedzie (136)
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Lumumba Sayers (184)
Bryan Humes (266) vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones (260)
Agreed today via Twitter, T.J. Waldburger will be facing Daniel Roberts at UFC Fight Night 25: Battle of the Bayou, taking place September 17th. Both of these welterweights are have great submission style and this is shaping up to be a fight that will mainly take place on the ground. Both of these men are looking to avenge a loss in the previous fights as Waldburger got TKO'ed quickly by Johny Hendricks and Daniel "Ninja" Roberts has lost his last 2 fights via decision. This fight will be a win or get cut fight.
Phil De Fries (7-0-0-1) has now officially signed to fight at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. He posted on his facebook today that it is a “dream come true.” He has become the eighth Brit to be added to the card, which is a good thing and bad thing in my opinion both at the same time. I am excited to see these guys get a chance to make their dreams come true, but at the same time, when cards get filled up based on geography, it seems like convenience and not good match making. That's just my personal opinion.
Overall, I am excited to see what this big heavyweight prospect can do in the big time. I wonder who they will give him as an opponent? I think the UFC should go ahead and bring in Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez or Sean McCorkle for this one.
Just confirmed yesterday, Yves Edwards (40-17-1 MMA, 8-5 in the UFC) vs. Rafaello "Tractor" Oliveira (14-4 MMA, 1-3 in the UFC) has been added to the fight card for UFC on Versus 6 taking place October 1st at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. Both of these fighters suffered a loss in their previous matches, Yves Edwards lost to Sam Stout by weigh of Knockout in 3:52 of the 1st round, and Oliveira lost to Gleison Tibau via Submission in 3:28 in the 2nd round. This fight is a must-win situation for Oliveira in his 2nd time around in the UFC, for those of you who do not know, Rafaello Oliveira was released by the UFC in March of 2010 after his 2nd decision loss in 3 UFC fights, he was called back up at UFC 130. But he will go against a Yves Edwards who has been 6-2 in his last 8 fights. - Rusty Hoyle
Rusty Hoyle’s Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Picks
Main Card:
• Heavyweight bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson
This is a battle of 2 former Pride Fighting Championships veterans, transformed into a heavyweight fight in Strikeforce. Fedor is coming off of 2 consecutive losses, but he is facing a 40 year old Dan Henderson, whom is 6 years old than Fedor and is not as good as he was in his Pride days but still shows the fans of MMA that he has what it takes to win. This fight is going to be a test of power and who wants it the most in my opinion.
This is going to a great fight in the Women’s Welterweight division for Strikeforce as the champion Marloes Coenen is going to defend her title again, but as it has seem to appear to other MMA fans, Miesha Tate does have what it takes to take this fight to the ground but the only problem for her would be the submission power of Coenen.
My pick: Miesha Tate by Decision
• Middleweight bout: Robbie Lawler vs. Tim Kennedy
Robbie Lawler has very heavy hands and he looks for the knockout in every fight that I have seen him fight, but he lacks in submission defense in which Tim Kennedy is a great grappling fighter and I believe he will take this fight to the ground and will use his grappling strengths at his advantage.
My pick: Tim Kennedy via Submission
• Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley
Paul Daley also has knockout power, just as much as anyone else in the entire MMA’s Welterweight class, but yet again his ground game and defense against the takedown is very poor and Tyron Woodley was a college wrestler at the University of Missouri, so we know he can take down people, in which I see Woodley scoring multiple take downs and getting his advantage in points that way.
My pick: Tyron Woodley via Decision
• Welterweight bout: Scott Smith vs. Tarec Saffiedine
These two fighters have a 8 year difference in between them, in which Saffiedine has gotten better over his 13 pro fights, and Scott Smith has been slowed down by his 26 pro fight, Smith has been knocked out in his previous two fights.
I wrote an article earlier about the Reem immediately after his release. In this article, I questioned the Reem himself for this release and actually for the first time ever, began to see things just like the Reem haters out there. When Strikeforce released their World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem out of no where tonight, I figured that it HAD to be Overeem's fault. Well, I was definitely wrong in that article as it seems that Reem definitely had a good reason for needing that extra month off before fighting in October instead of September.
Overeem posted on his official website www.TheReem.com a video that proves that his ribs were indeed fractured. Overeem is seen visiting Amstelland Hospital in The Netherlands, where his orthopedist, Dr. A.C.M. Pijnenburg, shows an X-ray that confirms that Overeem has a fractured rib and cartilage damage that obviously give us the reason why Overeem took some time off before getting to training camp.
"I'm very happy that I now have the confirmation for my story to cancel the fight, because canceling a fight is never nice," Overeem says on the video. "I'm the fighter who always wants to fight. The Strikeforce [Grand Prix] is something I really wanted to win. But also, I realize that I have to be fit to fight, of course. I felt I was not fit going into training, and now this to back up my story, feels good."
Overeem defeated Fabricio Werdum last month and then was removed from the tournament a month later for “refusing to fight” in September due to his injury. Dana White didn't seem upset about the injury at all and in fact said that injuries have been happening all year. He seemed like he was used to major injuries like this.
"If you say you're hurt, you're hurt," he said then. "What are you gonna do? There's been a lot of that lately. If I got mad at guys who got hurt, I'd be really pissed off right now. It is what it is." replied Dana White.
Overeem announced this week that he has indeed accepted another fight however OUTSIDE of the Strikeforce and Zuffa brand. He signed to fight in October (the original month he WANTED to fight in) for Glory World Series. Scott Coker later sounded unsure if Overeem would ever fight in Strikeforce again as he prepared for the huge Strikeforce event tonight in Illinois.
"That's going to be something where we'll sit down with [manager] Bas [Boon] and we'll have that conversation," he said.
Here we are, less than two days later and Overeem is now gone from Strikeforce.
Is this a ploy for Zuffa to bring him over to the UFC? I seriously doubt it now that Overeem is coming up with proof in a defensive stance. Earlier I wondered if Overeem was just being too arrogant and now it appears that he may be an actual victim here. I am not sure exactly what is going on as Zuffa has been silent on this matter so far. I am sure that more will come out over the upcoming days.
Are we seeing the BJ Penn incident of 2004 repeated? Will there be lawsuits? Bad Blood?
