UFC main event unclear as challenger Alistair Overeem fails drug test
Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN Sports) – The anticipated clash between heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and vaunted big-time knockout king Alistair Overeem is likely not going to happen in the main event at UFC 146 after the latter failed a pre-fight drug test. The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Wednesday that Overeem, the No. 1 heavyweight contender, failed a random test conducted last week. The tests, administered following the UFC 146 press conference, involved Overeem, Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva all tested. The other five heavyweight fighters on the card all passed their tests. Overeem, who had endured a volatile seven-month stretch since joining with the UFC, must appear before the commission at a future date to be determined. The commission also has the discretion to grant an application for a fight license by the former Strikeforce and K1 champion Overeem. It is not the first time Overeem had to contend with the NSAC. The Dutch kickboxing champ almost blew a UFC 141 bout with Brock Lesnar when Overeem missed an NSAC-ordered drug test. Overeem eventually got a conditional license for the fight with Lesnar, but he had to pass a test prior and had to agree to random testing for the following six months. Overeem was also cited for a misdemeanour battery charge at a Vegas nightclub after his victory in his UFC debut. The charges were dropped last week when he agreed to 50 hours of community service and other terms. Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC), one of seven high-caliber heavyweights who signed with the UFC last year after the promotion purchased rival Strikeforce, was slated to headline UFC 146 against dos Santos on May 26. The event’s main card features all heavyweight bouts. Meanwhile, former champion Mir campaigned for a title shot against dos Santos after news of Overeem’s failed drug test spread Wednesday. Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) is slated to meet fellow former champion Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the co-main event, with the winner getting a shot for the title. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Bellator Fighting to spawn more contenders, title bouts in 2013
Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor Chicago, IL, United States (AHN Sports) – Bellator Fighting Championships is expected to stage thrilling title bouts in 2013 with the expansion of its events to three hours starting in January next year. The addition of an hour would translate to more fights on the main cards. It would revolve around tournaments in each weight class thereby producing enough title challengers, according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. Apart from resulting to another tournament for the season, it would also create thrilling clashes as champions will be kept busy especially with the increase of legitimate contenders. Barring injuries, most champions would be expected to defend their respective crowns at least twice annually. After capturing his crown in June 2009, middleweight champ Hector Lombard only defended his belt once, but he has fought nine non-title bouts since then. Lombard still rules his weight class. Eddie Alvarez, who captured the lightweight belt at the same event as Lombard, but had just two fights afterwards. Alvarez, however, lost the belt to Michael Chandler, who is the current lightweight champ. Heavyweight titleholder Cole Konrad and bantamweight champion Zack Makovsky need to defend their respective titles since becoming champions in October 2010. The expansion will coincide with the move by the 2nd largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world and largest tournament-based MMA organization in the world to Spike TV. Bellator, established in 2008, has held four tournaments per season until this year. Bellator’s sixth season, which began on March 9, 2012, is aired on MTV2. The sixth season features five tournaments, with notable signings such as UFC veterans Brian Foster and Maiquel Falcao. The seventh season in the fall will also have five tournaments. The promotion also runs an abbreviated summer series with one tournament. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
UFC Flyweight tournament semifinals plagued by scoring error
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Sydney, Australia (AHN Sports) – It took 19 years for the UFC to add a Flyweight weight class. It took one night for the division to erupt in chaos. The semifinals of a four-man tournament to determine the UFC’s first Flyweight champion was held Friday night in Sydney, Australia. The 125-pounders didn’t disappoint in the cage, providing a pair of high-energy, closely contested bouts. The same couldn’t be said about the athletic commission. A member of the commission wrote down a score incorrectly in the first Flyweight bout—between Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. The fight should have been ruled a draw, requiring Johnson and McCall to fight a fourth, “sudden death” round—a rule implemented specifically for the Flyweight tournament. Instead, the bout was announced as a majority decision win for Johnson. The error was not detected until later in the night, too late for a winner to be determined in the cage. “It seems like controversy has stuck to us like glue lately, but these things happen. Human error happens. I’m not going to lose any hair over it,” UFC president Dana White, who is bald, said in the post-fight press conference. The fight was worthy of a fourth round as the two fighters inaugurated the UFC’s lightest weight class with speed and aggression. The first two rounds were extremely close, which led to the contested result. McCall scored an early takedown in the first round and briefly got to full mount before Johnson was able to reverse. Johnson appeared to have the advantage standing up, landing solid punches, although McCall staggered Johnson with a right hand midway through the first round, setting up a second takedown. The second round was a tactical struggle as some of the best blows were landed as the fighters were working unsuccessfully for takedowns. Johnson again landed well while standing up, but again, McCall staggered him with a right. McCall controlled the third round, scoring an early takedown after catching a flying knee attempt from Johnson. After Johnson fought back to his feet, McCall took him down again with a throw and moved into back control. McCall battered Johnson with ground and pound, and Johnson began to bleed. After a brief scramble, McCall ended the fight in full mount, grounding and pounding until the final horn. McCall had a lopsided …
UFC Fight Night: Jake Ellenberger survives against Diego Sanchez
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Omaha, NE, United States (AHN Sports) – Jake Ellenberger survived a late rally from Diego Sanchez to win a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night on Fuel TV Wednesday night in Omaha. The card was on free cable TV, which was a good thing for Ellenberger. A few months ago, the UFC made all pay-per-view main events five-round fights. A five-rounder with Sanchez could have resulted in a different outcome, after Ellenberger easily won the first two rounds, then ran low on fuel. “It was a tough position,” Ellenberger said. “I was tired and just trying to fight through. I’ve been there a million times. You’ve just got to stay in there mentally.” Going into the third round, the last thing it seemed like Ellenberger needed to worry about was fighting to survive the fight. He had controlled the pace of the fight up until that point and neutralized the aggressive Sanchez’s usual high work rate. Ellenberger caught an onrushing Sanchez with a knee to the face midway through the first round, opening a cut on his face. Sanchez, who has had a problem with serious cuts in the past, seemed distracted by the blood. Ellenberger landed a counter combination in the final minute of the round, dropping Sanchez with a left and right as he came in. A solid Ellenberger right at the bell punctuated the round. In the second round, Ellenberger again kept Sanchez from mounting any offense. With just over a minute left in the round, he took Sanchez down and battered his face with elbows. Sanchez was bleeding heavily from the nose, and it appeared he may have broken it. With one round remaining, Ellenberger had landed 30 more strikes than Sanchez, including a 14-2 advantage when the fighters were on the ground. In the third round, Sanchez was finally able to score with his wild charges. He landed a shot that opened a cut on Ellenberger’s face. Ellenberger responded by taking Sanchez down, but Sanchez was able to sweep out and get Ellenberger’s back. He controlled the rest of the fight with heavy ground and pound and had a 44-16 advantage in strikes in the third to even up the punch statistics. “He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever fought,” Ellenberger said. “A true warrior. He was in there every minute…
UFC’s Nick Diaz tests positive for marijuana, faces suspension
AHN Sports Staff Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN Sports) – UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana following a post-fight urinalysis last Saturday at UFC 143, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Diaz lost a close decision to Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight championship in Las Vegas. Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer said that Diaz’s license has been temporarily suspended and he will have 20 days to respond to allegations that a urine sample submitted after the fight tested positive for marijuana metabolites. “We’ll give Nick ample opportunity to provide any defense, if any, that he wants to,” Kizer said. The loss to Condit snapped Diaz’s 11-match win streak and the positive test throws the possibility of a rematch up in the air. UFC president Dana White said on Twitter Wednesday that Condit agreed to a rematch with Diaz. Condit won the interim welterweight title and a shot at fighting Georges St-Pierre. “I am beyond disappointed that he tested positive for marijuana,” the organization’s president, Dana White, said in a statement. “It is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.” Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Carlos Condit upsets Nick Diaz for UFC interim title
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN Sports) – Carlos Condit upset Nick Diaz to win the UFC interim Welterweight title Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 143. Condit will face longtime champion Georges St. Pierre once St. Pierre recovers from the ACL injury that made the interim crown necessary. Diaz appeared to be surprised by Condit’s game plan and never adjusted. Diaz is a skilled boxer, and Condit refused to engage him. Instead, he backed up and kept Diaz at bay with kicks to the legs. “I did what I went in there to do,” Condit said. “If I went in there and fought like Nick Diaz, he would be sitting here with the belt.” Condit started out with a steady diet of leg kicks, also keeping Diaz at a distance with spinning back fists. Diaz was clearly the aggressor in round one, but he was unable to land consistently, and all three judges awarded the round to Condit. Diaz landed with more accuracy in the second round, throwing a series of punches to the body late in the round, but Condit continued to execute his plan, kicking and backing away before taking too much damage. The second was clearly a better round for Diaz, but two of the three judges still saw it for Condit. Condit only won round three on one scorecard, although he landed his first solid shots of the fight with a pair of early kicks to the head. In the fourth, Condit went back to peppering Diaz’s legs and body with kicks and swept the round on all three cards. The fifth round went much the same way until Diaz managed to get his back in the final minute. The dominant position didn’t help much, as Condit won the round on two of three scorecards. For the fight, Condit oulanded Diaz 146 to 110, including a huge 104-19 edge in kicks. The judges clearly credited Condit’s game plan more than Diaz’s aggression, which often didn’t lead to much success. Two judges scored it 49-46, and the third had it 48-47, all for Condit. AHN’s unofficial scorecard had it even going into the final round and had Diaz’s back control tipping the fight in his favor, 48-47. An angry Diaz said afterward, “I think I’m done with this MMA. I don’t need this (garbage). I don’t want to play this game no more.” Condit shrugged off any controversy saying he was aggressive enough. “I kicked him in the face. I landed more strikes,” he said. Condit won his fifth straight fight and improved to 28-5. The interim title is his first championship since he successfully defended the WEC Welterweight crown three times …
Jones-Evans, Silva-Sonnen: should we have wanted these UFC fights?
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Chicago, IL, United States (AHN Sports) – The UFC got the two title fights everyone wanted in the aftermath of UFC on Fox 2. The question is whether or not we should all want them. Chael Sonnen won a tight decision over Michael Bisping Saturday night to earn a rematch with Anderson Silva. Sonnen poked a big hole in Silva’s air of invincibility in their last bout, dominating the fight for 23 minutes before getting caught in a submission hold in the closing minutes of the bout. Sonnen was determined and effective in the first Silva bout and shocked everyone by the ease with which he handled the champion. He was also under the influence of performance-enhancing drugs, according to the California State Athletic Commission, who suspended him after the bout. There is bad blood between the two fighters, primarily thanks to Sonnen’s non-stop trash talking, and with several months before the mid-summer rematch, we’re likely to see the hard feelings intensify on both sides. The bout will be one of the most anticipated of the year, but will it end up matching the drama of the first one? All signs point to the answer being no. The first fight was a perfect storm for Sonnen. He was focused and determined heading into his long-awaited title shot. His artificially enhanced physique also worked in his favor. Silva, meanwhile, had been virtually untouchable since entering the UFC. He held records for most consecutive wins and most title defenses. Nine of his 11 wins had been by stoppage, and he won the two decisions by a combined score of 296-275. Sonnen was a 10-loss fighter considered by many to be more talk than action. It was natural that Silva might overlook him while preparing for the bout. He also reportedly suffered a rib injury during training but went ahead with the fight anyway. Silva was on Dana White’s bad side after showboating during his previous defense against Demian Maia, and pulling out of the fight wouldn’t have helped. Silva also suffered a broken rib during the fight which hampered his ability to mount an offense. Sonnen will have Silva’s full attention this time around. He will be …
Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen earn title shots with UFC wins
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Chicago, IL, United States (AHN Sports) – Rashad Evans earned a title shot with a unanimous decision victory over Phil Davis in UFC on Fox 2. Evans dominated the previously unbeaten Davis, taking a clear advantage in striking and on the ground against the former Penn State wrestler. Davis tried to catch Evans with kicks to the head, but Evans easily dodged the attack. He caught a Davis kick in the first round to get a takedown. Evans quickly moved into side position and finished the round with Davis caught in a crucifix, absorbing strikes to the head from Evans. The second round was fought nearly entirely from a standing position. Evans countered Davis’ attacks, landing with much higher punching accuracy. He backed Davis up with flurries of punches several times. With 30 seconds remaining, he caught a Davis kick and scored another takedown, again getting side control. Davis came out in the third round trying to get a takedown of his own. Evans stuffed it. Then, when Davis tried to finish a takedown shot against the cage, Evans reversed it to get a takedown of his own. Evans moved into back control, then, when Davis fought back to his feet, battered him with solid right hands. Davis finally got a takedown at the end of the round, but that was the extent of his offense for the night. Evans again stuffed a Davis takedown and ended up in back control following a scramble in the fourth round. A solid right hand seemed to stand Davis up in the waning seconds of the fourth. Davis clearly needed a stoppage in the fifth to have any chance of winning. Instead, his kick attempt led to another Evans takedown, and again, Evans caught Davis in a crucifix from side mount. A big right hand from Evans buckled Davis’ knees near the end, putting an exclamation point on an Evans shutout. All three judges matched AHN’s unofficial 50-45 scorecard. “I fought at a pretty high pace,” Evans said. “I wanted to put him away, but I didn’t get a chance. I’m disappointed.” “I just couldn’t score the points I needed,” Davis said. “He used his hand speed to be more offensive than I was.” Evans won his fourth straight and moved to 17-1-1. The win earned him a title shot against UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 145, April 21 in Atlanta. Davis lost for the first time after nine wins to start his career. “This fight was like …
Zuffa’s early-August massacre may signal beginning of end for Strikeforce
Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) – Call it the early-August massacre. In the span of a few days, Zuffa has cut many of the sport’s biggest names and put the future of Strikeforce in serious doubt. The first blow came when Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem was given his walking papers. Overeem was scheduled to fight in the next round of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix this fall. When Strikeforce gave him a September date, he pulled out of the tournament, saying he wouldn’t be recovered from an injured toe by then. The injury withdrawal was thought to be the reason behind Overeem’s dismissal, but in short order, Zuffa cut three other members of Overeem’s Golden Glory training team, including his brother Valentijn, and women’s fighter Marloes Coenen, who lost the Strikeforce 135 pound title last weekend to Miesha Tate. UFC President Dana White explained, “If you look back throughout history, we haven’t had any Golden Glory guys fight with us since Semmy Schlitz (who’s last UFC bout was in June, 2001)…and the reason is we have very different business practices. It’s tough to do business with them.” White ripped the organization for demanding to be paid directly, instead of the fighters themselves getting the money. “You don’t pay the managers, and the managers pay the fighters,” he said. “You pay the fighters, and the fighters pay their manager.” Coenen fired back at White on Twitter, even posting a photo of her paycheck from last Saturday’s fight to prove she got her money, although, as White said, the check came from Golden Glory, not Zuffa. Sergei Kharitonov, a Golden Glory fighter still alive in the Strikeforce Grand Prix, also doesn’t look to be long for the organization. When asked if he’d be cut if he lost, White replied, “Yeah.” And if he wins? “Probably.” The Overeem cut means that two of Strikeforce’s five men’s weight classes have a vacant championship. Nick Diaz gave up his welterweight crown to challenge Georges St. Pierre for the UFC version of the title later this year. A third class may be in limbo soon. Light heavyweight…
© 2012 Windham Media Network. 
|