And this is for the interim UFC welterweight title.

Originally scheduled between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title, UFC President Dana White had to take the welterweight champion out of UFC 143 after St-Pierre suffered a serious injury that will sideline him for about 10 months.

Of course, we all know the show must go on and that’s exactly what Dana White did, tapping Carlos Condit to face Nick Diaz for what now would be the interim UFC welterweight title. White announced the news on his favorite media channel, Twitter.

”GSP blown acl will be out for 10 mos.,” UFC President Dana White tweeted. ”Now Condit vs Diaz for the interim welterweight title on Feb 4th in Las Vegas!!”

Nick Diaz, a former Strikeforce title holder, was supposed to fight Georges St-Pierre in UFC 137 in a champion vs. champion match. But thanks to Diaz not showing up in a pair of pre-event press conferences, White pulled him off the St-Pierre fight and instead got B.J. Penn.

After earning a unanimous victory over B.J. Penn, Diaz called out St-Pierre, prompting the champion, who was scheduled to fight Carlos Condit, to lobby for a title fight against Diaz instead, leaving Condit hanging.

But because of the injury to St-Pierre, it turned out that Condit…

Read More » Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit in UFC 143

UFC on Fox 2 is on this weekend.

And featured in the co main event is the mercurial Chael Sonnen, the guy who got Anderson Silva before he got careless in the final moments of the final round and let the middleweight champion catch his arm for a triangle choke.

But as far as Sonnen is concerned, he did beat Anderson Silva. He believes it so much that he even got his own UFC middleweight belt to boot, displaying it at the press conference leading up to UFC on Fox 2.

”For those of you that can’t see, this is the world championship title of which I took from Anderson Silva, and in this country possession is nine-tenths of the law,” Sonnen said of his unofficial buckle. ”Finders keepers, losers weepers, and if he wants it back, he knows where to find me.”

Michael Bisping, who faces the self-proclaimed 185-pound king this weekend, quickly chimed in, ”Yeah, I think you can get [that belt] on eBay for about $29.99.”

When asked if Sonnen intended to walk down the aisle on Saturday for UFC on Fox 2 with the strap wrapped around his waist, Sonnen avoided answering while providing a WWE-esque response. ”It’s my belt, I slept with this thing last night,” he shared. ”You’re lookin’ at the reflection of perfection, the one that gets all your attention. You’re lookin’ at the man with the biggest arms, the man with the greatest charm, and the man in Chicago to do a lot of harm to a guy three doors down.”

”I believe that I’m the true champion. This is a true…

Read More » Sonnen defends his unofficial UFC title this weekend

Who will be next to challenge Jon Jones?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship invades the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, January 28 for UFC on Fox 2 with an ultimate tripleheader.

In the night’s main event, former light heavyweight champion “Suga” Rashad Evans takes on undefeated former national champion wrestler Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis to determine the next challenger to the 205-pound title.


The 185-pound division will watch intently as Chael Sonnen meets Michael “The Count” Bisping in the Octagon. Plus, Chris Weidman hopes to keep his unbeaten streak alive as he battles against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia.


This outstanding two-hour broadcast airs live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

History was made when the UFC® debuted on FOX in November, as 5.7 million viewers (8.8 million peak) tuned in to watch Cain Velasquez battle Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight title. Now, fight fans around the world can gear up for another incredible night of action inside the Octagon® live on FOX.


“This is the show that officially starts our deal with FOX and we’re bringing what the fans want – a night packed with great fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re kicking this thing off with an incredible tripleheader. Rashad Evans looked fantastic in his last fight against Tito Ortiz and he wants to get the belt back. But Phil Davis is no joke. He’s undefeated at 9-0 and has stormed through guys like Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson and Rogerio Nogueira. He wants the title shot just as bad as Rashad.”

Jon Jones will have his eyes on the UFC on Fox 2…

Read More » Rashad Evans and Phil Davis headline UFC on Fox 2

Pro wrestling fans are already counting on it.

After he announced his shocking retirement following his humbling loss to Alistair Overeem in the recently concluded UFC 141, rumors have begun to erupt claiming that the UFC’s biggest draw will make his return to the pro-wrestling shenanigans of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Yes, Brock Lesnar retired from the UFC following his loss to Alistair Overeem. Overeem didn’t let Lesnar take the fight to the ground and after punishing the former UFC champion with vicious strikes, a nasty shot to Lesnar’s body eventually ended the career of the self-proclaimed baddest man on the planet.

And it only took Alistair Overeem one round.

With Lesnar done with MMA, will he really return to pro wrestling and come back to the place where he became the big star that he is now? Fans certainly think so.

That’s because as far back as a last year rumors were swirling that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was courting him for his services but was always foiled by UFC President Dana White and his company, which offered Lesnar a much sweeter deal.

Not necessarily in terms of money, although it’s likely better, but…

Read More » Will Brock Lesnar return to the WWE?

In case you didn’t know, Brock Lesnar will climb back to the Octagon this Saturday.

And that will be on December 30, as the UFC sends off 2011 in style with a match between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem who’ll be making his debut inside the Octagon for UFC 141.

The last UFC card of the year features a face-off between big guys, Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, with the winner facing UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. The night of fights will also have a preliminary card available for Facebook viewers and another card available to watch on Spike TV.

The main card remains exclusive on pay-per-view and has been moved back to the 10 p.m. eastern-time start in an attempt by the UFC to regain footing in a slipping pay per view market.

For Brock Lesnar, this means a chance to regain a title he has previously held and successfully defended in the past. A victory also adds to Lesnar’s status as the highest paid athlete in MMA, earning an approximate 5.3 million dollars in 2010. For Alistair Overeem, a victory means a chance to own yet another MMA heavyweight title after only two fights in the UFC.

He could add that to an impressive list of titles including the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Kickboxer, the 2005 Abu Dhabi Combat Club European Trials Champion, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship, the Dream Heavyweight Championship and two-time World MMA awards International Fighter of the Year (2010, 2011).

Overeem is taller (by two inches) and a little lighter than Lesnar possibly making him the former WWE superstars’ most physically intimidating…

Read More » Will the lasting image of 2011 be Lesnar celebrating?

It doesn’t look good, I can tell you that much.

Following his loss to Little Nog in UFC 140, there’s a lot of speculation running rampant about the future of former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.

As he prepares to turn 37 next month, many believe that his worn down body and dedication to his family may sway the Huntington Beach Bad Boy Tito Ortiz to hang up his gloves for good (who wouldn’t want to spend all day with Jenna Jameson rather than step into the octagon with a hungry up-and-comer?) Luckily for fight fans though, Tito is a warrior; fighting is what he does best and he thinks he still has something left in the tank.

Just a few days ago Tito tweeted “I want to thank everyone for the support even after a loss. It hurts to let you all down but next time I will win Big. I will take my camp back to Big Bear for 9 weeks. The fans mean the world to me so I owe this to you and myself.”

So there you have it, Tito is not done, and although he’ll have to do a bit of convincing to Dana White to let it happen, I expect to see him back in the octagon; to go out on his own terms.

It seems not so long ago that Tito was on top of the MMA world, setting attendance records, generating pay-per-view buys, and putting the UFC on the map. He really was the People’s Champ as he took the light heavyweight strap from Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 and went on to defend it against Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Ken Shamrock.

Although he would drop the title to Randy Couture at UFC 44…

Read More » What the future holds for Tito Ortiz in the UFC

We are.

Will Brock Lesnar end 2011 on a high note against Alistair Overeem in UFC 141 and get back in the title picture?

As title eliminators go, the one between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and newly signed Alistair Overeem is about as big as they get. The UFC did the fans a solid by booking it to blow out the big New Year’s show in Las Vegas at UFC 141 on Dec. 30.

It’s a fantasy matchup with all kinds of comic book appeal; reigning champion against former champion, the battle of the thoraxes (one sworded, one sordid), the shifting of tectonic plates where the winner gets a title shot. In other words, this fight between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem is must-see TV. Which means it has a lot in common with every other Lesnar fight. Only different.

Whether you like him or you don’t, the 2.1 million pay-per-view buys Lesnar did in two fights in 2010 means we’ll pay to watch him either way. He draws attention from everywhere, MMA hard-cores go in for nuances, outsiders go in for spectacle, everybody else tunes in out of curiosity.

Yet, when he steps in against former Strikeforce champion Overeem, the drama will just as likely center on the oldest of inherent dramas, that of the unknown.

Nobody knows how Lesnar will look coming back from his second bout with…

Read More » Ready for Brock Lesnar – Alistair Overeem?

If he can, he’ll wrap up 2011 undefeated with the UFC light heavyweight title still around his waist.

Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his crown for a second time when he meets former titleholder Lyoto Machida in the UFC 140 main event Saturday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The clash between two of the sport’s most unorthodox fighters marks the UFC’s third and final trip to the Great White North in 2011.

The defending UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has demonstrated another dimension of his game as of late, winning 2 of his last 3 fights by submission. Overall, Jones has won 5 straight — all via stoppage — since suffering his lone career loss (via disqualification) in December 2009.

Jones defeated Rampage Jackson in his first UFC title defense, becoming just the second fighter to ever submit Jackson (Kazushi Sakuraba in Jackson’s PRIDE debut in 2001). Jones also became the first to knock Shogun Rua out (other TKO loss was via injury), handed Ryan Bader his first career loss, and scored a pair of first-round stoppages during his 5-fight win streak.

On the other hand, Lyoto Machida is coming off a win where he literally kicked the teeth out of Randy Couture en route to the TKO victory. The win helped the former light heavyweight champion stop a two-fight skid.

This is a unique fight in that the styles of each guy will play into…

Read More » Can Jon Jones beat Lyoto Machida in UFC 140?

Two-fight losing streak.

That’s what Antonio Rogério Nogueira is looking to end heading to UFC 140 against the Huntington Beach Bad Boy, Tito Ortiz.

And in case you haven’t been paying attention, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will attempt to end a two-fight losing streak, after dropping decisions to Ryan Bader and Phil Davis. Nogueira is just 2-2 in the UFC since making his Octagon debut in November 2009.

On the other hand, we have Tito Ortiz, who dropped his last bout to Rashad Evans via TKO. Ortiz is just 1-5-1 in his last seven fights, with the lone win coming against Ryan Bader via submission.

The opening minutes of this fight will be huge. If Tito Ortiz can get Antonio Rogerio Nogueira down early and zap some of his gas tank, it will help him out big time later in the fight.

Neither one is known for tremendous cardio, but I’m more concerned about Ortiz gassing than I am Nogueira. Ortiz has faded late in many of his recent fights and he even looked flat as early as the first round against Rashad Evans.

Both are tough to finish, so scoring points and finishing rounds strong will be in both game plans. Ortiz won’t be overwhelmed as long as he stays fresh. He needs a strong start. If he digs a hole early, climbing out will be…

Read More » Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in UFC 140

This is a rematch of of their December 2008 bout which Mir won via TKO.

In case you didn’t know, Frank Mir became the first fighter to ever stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira back in 2008. Following that fight, it was revealed that Nogueira was recovering from a staph infection, which hindered his preparation for the fight.

Heading to UFC 140, Frank Mir won his last two bouts, beating Roy Nelson via decision his last time out. The two served coaches opposite each other during the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. After fighting just once (and losing to Cain Velasquez) in 2010, Nogueira returned in August with a knockout win against Brendan Schaub.

Somehow, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira looked healthier in his last fight than he had in years. His jab was quicker, he moved well and his reaction time seemed much better. That said, he’s facing an uphill battle against Frank Mir, athletically. Mir is explosive. He’s not the brute strength-type, like a Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin, but he generates power using speed and angles.

Both men are durable, but you get a sense Mir can hurt Nogueira on the feet more than vice versa. Nogueira is, of course, a threat on the ground but a submission win over Mir is hard to see. Not only is Mir a black belt, his wrestling advantage makes me think he’ll be able to…

Read More » Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in UFC 140