Barao was initially set to fight Ivan Menjivar at 148.  Barao is stepping in for Dominick Cruz who tore his ACL and will have to have surgery. A couple of weeks ago, Urijah Faber had released a video on his website following the news of Cruz’s injury saying his top choice to fight for an interim title would be Barao.

Barao has not lost in 27 fights, has only one loss to his name, and currently holds the record for the longest winning streak in mixed martial arts.  He’s won all three of his UFC fights over Cole Escovedo, Brad Pickett, Scott Jorgensen, respectively.

Renan said of the opportunity, “I’m very surprised to be the No.1 contender to now fight Urijah Faber, but I’m so very excited to fight for the title and replace Dominick Cruz. I’m very confident. I have been training a long time for this chance and I will be ready to go out there and put on a good show.”

McKenzie got the win over LeVesseur with his signature guillotine.  Prior to that he had suffered losses to Vagner Rocha and Yves Edwards.

Mendes is coming off a loss at UFC 142 to Jose Aldo for the UFC’s Featherweight title.  He was 11-0 prior to stepping in the Octagon with Aldo.

“My previous fight was in Moscow and my last fight will be in St. Petersburg on June 21st,” Emelianenko says. “It will be the last fight in my career.”

“Is this your final decision?” the interviewer asks.

“Yes,” Emelianenko says, “I think it’s time to end my career.”

If he in fact retires following this fight, at least he would get to do it in his home country of Russia.  Emelianenko is from Stary Oskol, Russia. His fight vs Pedro Rizzo for the M-1 promotion is scheduled for June 21 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Now at age 35, Fedor has had his share of injuries that he attributed as part of the reason he’s ready to hang it up.  He first mentioned that it might be time for him to step away in his post-fight interview following a TKO loss to Silva in Strikeforce in February 2011. In that interview, Fedor said via a translator, “Something went wrong from the very beginning, and I didn’t readjust myself.  Maybe it’s time leave. Maybe it’s high time. I thank God for everything. I spent a great, beautiful, long sporting life.”

The early part of Fedor’s career was the most captivating to see.  He was never defeated in Pride (he had only one no-contest to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) and suffered only one loss in 33 fights.  Once Pride folded, it was believed the Last Emperor would join forces with the UFC.  Fedor’s management and the UFC Brass never came to an agreement on terms and Fedor subsequently signed with Strikeforce.

In Strikeforce, Fedor suffered 3 consecutive losses to Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson, respectively. Fedor left Strikeforce after his lost to Hendo and four months later defeated Jeff Monson in M-1. He also brought home a win over Satoshi Ishii in Japan’s annual end of the year MMA bash, Genki Desu Ka.

Whether or not you were a fan of Fedor, you have to wonder where his career would have went if not for his management interfering.  Prior to his Strikeforce losses, Fedor was at the prime of his career when he fought in Pride.  He went (14-0, 1NC) while with Pride and had 9 1st round wins.

UFC^® 146 HEAVYWEIGHTS PREDICT

STRIKEFORCE^® HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX FINAL WINNER

Las Vegas, Nevada – While the odds-makers make Josh Barnett the betting favorite to win the STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Grand Prix Saturday night in San Jose and live on SHOWTIME^®, Barnett’s peers respectfully disagree.

As a former UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE^® Grand Prix finalist, Barnett has seen it all during his 15-year, 31-5, career as a mixed martial artist. He has defeated the likes of Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Hunt and has looked almost unstoppable in the STRIKEFORCE GP thus far, tapping out Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov to reach tomorrow’s final.

However, the main and co-main eventers of next weekend’s UFC 146 event all tip 9-0 Daniel Cormier to make a mockery of the odds and win the Grand Prix after he stormed the field as an alternate, defeating Jeff Monson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Junior dos Santos, reigning UFC heavyweight champion, said: “They are both great fighters and this is a fight that could end very quickly for each guy. But Cormier is more explosive and has the better chances to end this early. It could be very exciting, but I think Cormier wins.”

Frank Mir, two-time UFC heavyweight champion, said: “I think Cormier takes this. I can’t see Barnett getting him to the ground, his wrestling is too strong. And on the feet I think Cormier has the power to end things. But with two top heavyweights, anything can happen. That’s why this division is so exciting – anyone who is world class can beat anyone else with one punch. You can’t say that about the lighter weight classes and that’s why heavyweight fights are so cool to watch.”

Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion said: “I pick Daniel Cormier. Number one, because I train with him but also because he’s so hungry in this sport, I don’t think he will be denied. He was really raw when he came into our gym the first time a couple of years ago but he picked up everything a lot faster than most. He has dangerous strikes and I can’t see Josh getting him to the ground. Daniel’s wrestling is too good; I think he takes this fight and makes a statement about his future in the division.”

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who reached the Grand Prix semi-final stage before losing to Cormier, also picked his old rival for the win, saying: “I think Cormier will win this fight and be the Grand Prix Champion. I was very surprised by him in our fight. I think he is too strong, too powerful in this fight. He punches very hard and his wrestling is very good. I think he will win inside the distance unless Josh Barnett gets this to the ground quickly.”

This will be Johnson’s third UFC fight since Strikeforce heavyweights were brought into the promotion.  Johnson has already notched two Knockout of the Night honors, over Joey Beltran and Pat Barry, since he became a part of the UFC .

This also now means that every fight on the main card for UFC 146 has in some way been altered since Alistair Overeem was removed from fighting Junior dos Santos for the title.

Recorded LIVE May 17, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM

Guests: Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez & Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva

MMAFightCorner.com

Recorded LIVE May 16, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM

Guest: Duane "Bang" Ludwig

MMAFightCorner.com

Still training with the Grudge Training Center in Denver, Colorado, Ludwig explained to the MMA Fight Corner that training at the high altitude not only increases his blood flow, but it helps him increase his stamina and endurance going into a fight. “I’m never at a disadvantage.”

While most people will look at this fight on paper and expect an all out scrap with Ludwig and Hardy exchanging punches blow for blow, Ludwig says it’s not that simple.  He said of his opponent, “It’s not that he’s a straight stand-up guy. His wrestling’s okay and he’s got jiu-jitsu as well. I don’t think it’s going to be a straight stand up war.  It’ll be all over the place, that’s what I look forward to.  My bread and butter is my striking, that’s what I do best and that’s what I look forward to doing.”

Ludwig will be looking to rebound from his loss against Josh Neer that happened at UFC on FX 1 this past January.  And Ludwig  knows Hardy will be looking to stop his 4-fight losing streak.  Bang told us, he’s ready for anything Hardy plans to bring his way.  ”I’m in good shape, I’m healthy, so I’m looking for a good fight.  It’s going to be fun.”  Ludwig also brought to light a rumor on a possible future for Hardy that would keep him in the UFC even he suffered a fifth consecutive loss. “I know from what I read they’re kind of scouting Hardy to be one of the TUF coaches in Australia, that’s what I hear.  So that’s a very interesting thing.”

Speaking of interesting, Bang made UFC history in December 2011, when the UFC finally made his 6 second KO over Jonathan Goulet the fastest knockout on record.  The fight happened in January 2006 at UFC Fight Night 3 and was previously ruled as an 11 second knockout.  It took almost five years for the UFC to rectify their records, though the Nevada State Athletic Commission has yet to make it official in their books.  To that Ludwig said, “That’s just typical government work right there.  That’s just how it goes, you can’t rely on the government sometimes.  But I understand, it’s definitely hard to count. It’s hard to count past ten. So I don’t blame them you know.  Even with a video and a stopwatch and everything, it’s hard to do sometimes.”

As for Duane’s career, he’s managed to stay competitive in the UFC throughout his career and broke down what’s kept him the game so long. “I’m always trying to evolve, obviously for myself, for my students, for my training partners.”  He added, “You have to in this sport in this day and age, to step up. And I have to keep my focus, and stay intrigued and happy with training. Do new things, get to the next level, the next step. I’m always trying to mix things up a bit.”

We’ll look for him to do just that next weekend at UFC 146.

Photo courtesy of Zuffa,LLC

We are now approaching Week 11 of The Ultimate Fighter^® Live and the last round of the quarterfinals will happen this Friday.  The last two fights will determine who will reach the semi-finals.  The four fighters spoke to Heidi Fang of MMA Fight Corner on today’s conference call.

Also announced on today’s conference call with the remaining four fighters, was that Dana White will announce who Urijah Faber will fight for the UFC’s Interim Bantamweight Championship at UFC 148 in Las Vegas on Friday’s show airing on FX at 10pm ET/PT.

Andy Ogle vs Al Iaquinta (Both on Team Faber)

Andy Ogle comes from Newcastle, England a place that he refers to as a school of hard knocks, which has made him a tougher fighter.  Being the only contestant from a foreign country vying to win it all, Ogle says he’s definitely out to represent his country. “I’m wearing the flag with pride,” Ogle said.

He’s been one of the more emotional fighters that we’ve seen on the show and Ogle admitted his emotions have fueled him to push forward. “ That’s just me,” he explained. “I’ve got big highs and big lows. And I’ve got a big heart. That’s who I am, and this whole thing means so much to me.”

Al Iaquinta defeated Jon Tuck to get into the house and then Myles Jury to advance to the quarterfinals, both wins were by decision. He’s also Ogle’s teammate and said, “fighting a teammate isn’t too different.”  The hype has already started between the two with Iaquinta stating in an interview on The Ultimate Fighter website that Ogle lacked experience when compared to the other fighters in the competition.

The Long Island, NY native also spoke on the road he’s had getting to the quarterfinals.  He spoke with MMA Fight Corner about his parents concerns with him becoming an MMA fighter, and how they adjusted to his career choice. “I don’t think it was so much that my parents didn’t want me to get involved in MMA, they just saw it as very dangerous and wanted me to go to school as well. They’ve supported me but they wanted me to do school. I think they see now that I can make a living out of it and there’s a lot of options and the sport is growing and blowing up. They’ve definitely been really supportive of me and what I do.”

Vinc Pichel (Team Cruz) vs Chris Saunders (Team Faber)

Vinc Pichel has never suffered a loss in his MMA career and has eight finishes to his name, 6 (T)KO’s and 2 submission victories on the Ultimate Fighter LIVE, making him one of the most feared fighters in the competition.  Hailing from Sherman Oaks, CA, Pichel says he knows that his record can initimidate his opponents.

“My opponents don’t take me lightly, but they’re looking at me like I’m looking at them. I did finish everyone, but I’m looking at every guy like they’re the toughest fight I’ve had. My opponents know I’m dangerous.  But as a fighter, my opponents are thinking what I’m thinking, that’s wanting to take me out.”  Pichel added, “You can’t get overconfident, or that’ll mess with your head.”

Chris Saunders defeated Chase Hackett by decision to get into the house and went on to defeat Sam Sicilia by split decision to get to the quarterfinals.  While he was the last pick overall for the competition and has been viewed as a “dark horse” because of it, he’s also the only one of the remaining fighters to fight in as big a promotion as Bellator where he lost to Chris Horodecki.

Saunders expressed that being the underdog has pushed him to prove people wrong. “How do I prove that I belong here?  Do exactly what I did in my last fight – win and try to finish. That’s how you prove yourself.”

“You remember the press conference (after UFC 141) where I was holding the podium,” White recounted, “I was feeling terrible and things were spinning around.” White told reporters that evening that he was ending the press conference early because he was feeling dizzy. It was in a meeting with the Fertittas last night when the symptoms crept up and required White to take action. He left the meeting in a wheelchair.

Prior to the fights last night, White tweeted, “First fight I will miss in 11 years and it is killing me. I have to have surgery in L.A. tomorrow or trust me I would be (there).” White is hoping he will be totally cured after the surgery today. He will not be able to walk for about a week after surgery.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are three different procedures one can undergo to cure the disease. Because the major cause of Ménière’s is a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, one of the treatments is to decrease fluid production by shaving off some bone to hopefully decompress the fluid sac and attach a tube to drain excess fluid from the ear.  The other option is to cut the nerve connecting balance and movement sensors from the ear to the brain. The third procedure is not applicable in his case, because he has not lost his hearing. It is not known which procedure he is receiving, but chances are good for full recovery.

Good luck, Dana!

The winner by KO – Tom Lawlor.

Lawlor was also celebrating his birthday and thanked the state of Virginia in his post-fight speech with Jon Anik saying, “You guys are definitely one of the best 50 states to fight in.”

Igor Pokrajac vs Fabio Maldonado: The first round was dominated early by Pokrajac who able to maintain top control in half guard throughout the round. Maldonado took over in the last couple minutes of the round with a barrage of punches, landing heavy strikes to Pokrajac’s body.

The 2nd round Pokrajac comes back landing strikes of his own.  He goes for a takedown but Maldonado is able to defend by staying up against the cage.  Maldonado comes back with 3 minutes left in the round landing short punches to the body of Pokrajac.  In the clinch, Maldonado continues damaging the body of Pokrajac.

Round three underway and they exchange back and forth action early on and get into the clinch.  Pokrajac is able to land body shots of his own and a knee to Maldonado.  Pokrajac lands a huge left to Maldonado that lands right on the button, Pokrajac comes right back and follows through with another combo. Pokrajac connects late in round 3 with another hard left that lands. The last 30 seconds the two unload on each landing punches that would have knocked out lesser men. This has Fight of the Night written all over it… for now.

The judges score the fight: 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision: Igor Pokrajac

Yves Jabouin vs Jeff Hougland 

The pace started slow with both exchanging low-kicks, but not finding the range with the punches early.  Jabouin lands a nice push kick land that lands to Hougland’s body.  Jabouin sends Hougland halfway across the cage with a spinning back kick that lands to the body.  Jabouin gets in more punches with Hougland on the ground.  The round ends with a little ground and pound from Jabouin.

The second round begins with Jabouin getting strikes in early. Hougland gets a couple kicks in of his own.  Jabouin continues to land low leg kicks to Hougland and gets a couple good jabs in with his left.  Not much action in between the kicks.

Jabouin comes out drops Hougland with a left and grounds and pounds him.  Hougland gets a reverse on postion that Jabouin quickly reverses and takes top control.  Jabouin continues with hammer fists that land. This round has clearly shown that Jabouin has dominated the fight.

Official Decision: 30-27, 30-26, 30-27 Winner by Unanimous Decision: Yves Jabouin

Donald Cerrone vs Jeremy Stephens

Donald Cerrone sets the tempo of the fight early landing low leg strikes and keeping Stephens at bay, at one point he cuts him over the right eye.  Cerrone lands a couple of flying knees before the round is over to seal a dominant start to round 1.

Round 2 starts with Cerrone trying to throw an elbow from a ducked position. Stephens eye is damaged.  Ref Mario Yamasaki is seen continually looking at Stephens eye.  Cerrone keeps up the tempo landing combos to Stephens.  Stephens can’t help but cover up when he thinks the blows are coming.  Cerrone continues damaging the lead leg of Stephens.

Round three begins with a shot that drills Stephens’ groin. Cerrone continues to feel confidence chopping down Stephens’ lead leg with more Muay Thai kicks and keeping octagon control.  Cerrone continues to pick apart Stephens.  Stephens complains he can’t see, the fight continues.  This one seems sealed in favor of Cerrone.

Official Decision: 30-27 x 3 – Unanimous Decision win for Cerrone

Amir Saddolah vs Jorge Lopez

Jorge Lopez comes out swinging wild.  They get into the clinch and Lopez sinks in his underhooks.  Lopez lands a couple sharp jabs on Saddolah and scores a takedown. Lopez stays on top of Saddolah working a kimura.  Saddolah gets to his feet and starts working the clinch on Lopez, landing knees.

The two get into the clinch early to start round 2.  Saddolah gets a nice kick to the body in on Lopez.  Lopez looks for a single leg, but he can’t get it.  Saddolah gets Lopez to the ground and Lopez scrambles out and gets to feet.  Saddolah lands a couple more leg strikes to Lopez.  Lopez lands a takedown Saddolah to end the round but can’t do much with it.

Jorge Lopez is taking early punishment from Saddolah.  Sadollah looks to crank a guillotine.  Lopez gets out of the submission and lands a single leg takedown on Saddolah, but can’t do much with it.  Saddolah gets more knees in.

29-28 Lopez, 29-28 x 2 for winner by Split Decision Amir Saddolah

Dustin Poirier vs Chan Sung Jung

Poirier gets his The Zombie cuts Poirier early with an elbow.  The fight goes to the ground after Zombie trips up Poirier.  Poirier lands a few upkicks from the ground, sweeps the Zombie to the ground. Zombie takes a minute to stay on one knee against the cage.  Poirier comes up with a nice push kick, but runs into his right hand.

Round 2 starts with The Korean Zombie coming out aggressive landing strikes to Poirier’s head. Poirier throws a hook and ducks a spinning back fist.  Poirier sweeps Jung to the ground.  Zombie is able to land strikes to Poirier from the top position.  Poirier takes a powerful left from Jung.  Poirier gets in an upkick and they stand up. Poirier gets a right hook in, but Jung makes him pay with knee.  Poirier goes for double leg, Jung reverses it and mounts Poirier.  Jung tries for an armbar and can’t get it, the Korean Zombie gets position on a body traingle, Poirier is able to last through the round.

Poirier starts working a few punches & gets his jab going.  The Korean Zombie is looking tired.  Poirier lands a few straight lefts.  Jung gets him to the ground and puts a Twister on Poirier.  Poirier is able to pull off another reversal. Jung lands some body shots, a knee with Poirier up against the cage.  Poirier gets off the cage and continues jabbing away at Jung.

Jung lands a few striaght punches.  He then follows through with an uppercut and a flying knee.  Jung gets Poirier to the ground and takes Poirier out with a Darce choke.

Chan Sung Jung wins by submission at 1:07 seconds in Round 4

The lack of his presence was evident to every hardcore fan who’s ever seen a UFC event.  The MMA Fight Corner would like to wish the President of the UFC all the best for a speedy recovery.

Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung

Both fighters are well-rounded and Jung is coming off of a seven second knockout last December over former title challenger Mark Hominick. In the end the combined wrestling, accurate striking, submissions and conditioning will be too much for the Korean.

My pick: Poirier

Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens

Will Stephens ever break into the upper echelon of the lightweight division? Sadly, I don’t think it will happen. He is just too one-dimensional. The very good and great fighters ahead of him will always be able to see his telegraphed power punches from a mile away and can capitalize on a miss with counters. Cerrone is too fast and accurate and his wrestling and submissions will be too much for the “lil’ heathen.”

My pick: Cerrone

Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez

It is likely that this will be a back and forth bout with both men getting some attacks in here and there. Neither of these two fighters has a ton of power and it is unlikely that this will end with a knockout. Amir should be able to use his footwork and standup to earn the nod.

My pick: Sadollah

Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland

Hougland has had a good run on the regional circuit where he has been able to use his wrestling to control fights, but Jabouin has some serious standup and that should be the difference in this bout.

My pick: Jabouin

Fabio Maldonado vs. Igor Pokrajac

Pokrajac looks to move forward in his fights and is coming off of a 35 second knockout of Krzysztof Soszynski, but Maldonado is an undefeated boxer and will use his superior movement and boxing to win this fight.

My pick: Maldonado

Tom Lawlor vs. Jason MacDonald

Both of these men are on recent rough career patches and a loss for either could mean an exit from the UFC. The real story in this fight is wrestling and clinch game. Lawlor can control both of those areas and MacDonald will be forced to work off of his back. Jason may get a lucky submission if Tom gets tired but the likely outcome is that a decision goes to the “Filthy Mauler” Tom Lawlor. Now that is an interesting nickname ladies and gentlemen.

My pick: Lawlor

Follow me on Twitter @MikeEvansMMA

The “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung has had a exciting, whirlwind duo of bouts in the UFC thus far. Jung tapped Leonard Garcia with the UFC’s first-ever twister submission and followed that huge victory up with a December knockout of former featherweight title challenger Mark Hominick in seven seconds. Korean Zombie has submission skills and accurate striking which is a combination that will give any 145 pound fighter trouble this side of Jose Aldo Jr. that is.

Determining Factors For Victory
1) Experience
2) Striking
3) Takedowns
4) Submissions
5) Heart

Experience

Experience is always an important factor and that will also be the case tonight. However in this bout there is no clear advantage either way in the experience department. This bout is number 14 for Poirer and 16 for Jung. Seeing that they each have experience both in regional competition and inside the Octagon, each fighter should be mentally prepared and ready for this challenge.

Striking

The Korean Zombie of the past was a wild brawler who went to war at WEC 48 against Leonard Garcia in the fight of the year. However, lately he has changed his style to a more methodical attack. The question is whether Jung will overextend himself and be picked apart. Poirer is good at making his opponents play his game and Dustin may look to get the Korean to overextend himself with his striking in order to land counters and combinations after avoiding the haymakers of Jung. In the end there is no clear advantage for either man here because they are both very good strikers.

Takedowns

Poirer will have a clear advantage here. Dustin can mix up his striking and grappling seamlessly and his conditioning will allow him to take the fight down to the mat and potentially control the pace of the bout if he is able to keep Jung there.

Submissions

I’m sure that a lot of people remember the twister that Chan pulled off on Leonard Garcia. Fewer can probably recall the Brado choke that Poirer used to submit Pablo Garza last November at UFC on Fox 1. Although Jung’s was much more rare, Poirer seems to have a more varied submission attack which he can use against Jung. The fact that Poirer has shown that he can attack with a varied submission attack and the fact that he does so more often than Jung gives the American the advantage.

Heart

Listen, I think both of these fighters have a lot of heart. Obviously I am not stepping into a cage tonight to fight another man face-to-face, so I understand how gutsy it is to do what they do. In my book they are both tough, but I’m here to look deep into the issues. Poirer has never been in trouble in a UFC fight to where he has had to dig deep, come back and secure a late-rally victory. Korean Zombie on the other hand has been in a back-and-forth war with Garcia where he showed that he can dish it out and take it with the best of them. The advantage here goes to Chan Sung Jung.

In the end this promises to be a interesting matchup with title implications. Each of the two men can finish a fight quickly and neither man knows how to back up or quit. I think the real separation is the well-rounded nature of attack for “The Diamond”. Poirer can use grappling, ground and pound, combinations and submission attempts to wear out the Korean and he will secure a fight-ending submission in the later rounds.

Follow me on Twitter @MikeEvansMMA

Both Griggs and Davis are coming off of losses.  For Davis, he lost to Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 2 and suffered the first loss of his career. Griggs debuted in the UFC as a heavyweight at UFC 145 and was submitted by Travis Browne.

Aaron Simpson and Jon Fitch are due to fight July 11 in San Jose, CA on the UFC’s Fuel 4 card.  Simpson announced the fight at a question and answer session in Virgnia today and also tweeted the news.  This will be Simpson’s first fight at 170.

Both Simpson and Fitch are coming off losses.  Fitch last fought at UFC 141 in December 2011 and was knocked out by Johny Hendricks in 12 seconds.  Simpson lost to Ronny Markes at UFC on Fuel TV 1 and has since decided that welterweight would be a better home for him.

Recorded LIVE May 14, 2012 Clark County Courthouse, Nevada

Nick Diaz v the NSAC - Part 2

MMAFightCorner.com

Recorded LIVE May 14, 2012 Clark County Courthouse, Nevada

Nick Diaz v the NSAC - Part 1

MMAFightCorner.com

Recorded LIVE May 12, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM at the Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: Mark Beecher, Scott Kent

MMAFightCorner.com

Diaz’s attorney, Ross Goodman presented the case against the NSAC on behalf of Diaz, which attempted to lift the suspension the NSAC had handed down to Diaz after he tested positive for marijuana metabolites after his loss to Carlos Condit for the UFC Interim Welterweight title on February 4th, 2012.  If he had succeeded, Nick Diaz could have returned to fighting within the State of Nevada right away.

Judge Bare who ruled on the case, determined that February 22nd was the official day that Diaz’s suspension began.  The reason the judge used that day as the effective date of the suspension, and not February 9th (the day Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites), was because Diaz was supposed to be heard on that day initially by the NSAC.  Therefore, the judge explained that February 22nd was the first official day the NSAC as a whole recognized the Diaz suspension.

However, the judge did explain to the NSAC that they did fail to process Diaz’s case within 45 days from the suspension date and violated the state statute by doing so.  The judge also added that he didn’t feel that there was enough evidence to prove whether or not the NSAC, or Nick Diaz, had tried to reschedule a disciplinary hearing for a future date.  Judge Bare explained, both parties would have to agree in writing to extend hearing dates.  Since that was not done, Bare advised that the NSAC keep the scheduled May 21st disciplinary hearing date, and be more cautious going forward as to how they handle requests for extensions.

According to NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer who was a witness for the defense,  the NSAC wanted to grant Diaz more time to be able to produce his medical marijuana card in order to give him a fair hearing and requested that he present it to them prior to setting a date.  Because Diaz never produced the card to the commission, they argued that was their reason for not being able to swiftly reschedule a date for Diaz to be heard.

In an exclusive interview with Kizer following the hearing, he said he does feel this was a big win for the commission and explained why they had set Diaz’s hearing beyond the 45 day period. “We want to get these things resolved for the fairness of the athlete, as well for the fairness of the fans for the sport.  I’m not sure again why there’s all this confusion here.  We were waiting for the card.  I think its quite clear here that Mr. Diaz and Mr. Gracie were less than honest with Mr. Goodman about the card. I don’t blame Ross for that.”

Being that this is second time Diaz has tested positive within the State of Nevada, Kizer thinks that may have some bearing on how long Diaz may be suspended.

Kizer also said that Diaz’s case could have set a precedent as to how extensions for hearings of suspended fighters are handled in the future.  It was argued in the case today, that the NSAC did not formally write out anything to Diaz’s camp that spoke of extending his hearing date, and Judge Bare did acknowledge their failure to hear Diaz within 45 days. Kizer said, “We disagree with the judges comment that the 45 days ran.  But nonetheless, it’s better to be safe than sorry.  We can definitely do that in the future.”

When asked if he thought Diaz’s positive test for marijuana metabolites posed any threat to public safety as was stated in court, Kizer stated, “Any fighter fighting under the influence of drugs in his system is disturbing and something [the NSAC takes] very seriously.  Whether you want to argue whether or not marijuana should be on the approved substance list is not the issue here.  It is on the substance list.  He knew that.  Why he was less than honest in our opinion on his medical questionnaire, I think is obvious; but that’s something he’ll have to address.  But fighting with it in your system is obviously a violation and well address that too.”

Here’s a post hearing interview with Keith Kizer after it was ruled that Nick Diaz will not be reinstated to fight.

05-14-12_NSAC_Keith_Kizer_w.Heidi_Fang.MP3 Listen on Posterous

Braulio Estima was understandably upset about the no-show and voiced his opinions. MMAjunkie.com reported on Sunday that Estima was very let down by the fact that Diaz no-showed the event. Estima stated, “For Nick, I gave up a lot of things to make this happen. I came here to fight. You said that you were going to gave this all to charity, make all these speeches and stuff. I’m here now. You let everyone down. You let me down. I think this is very disrespectful. I didn’t expect this from you.”

Diaz has shown similar behavior in the past, not showing up repeatedly for press events prior to UFC 137 last fall. His behavior at that time got him yanked from a title fight. Now, at the present time, Nick is already facing serious heat from the NSAC for his failed drug test and subsequent campaign against the athletic commission. This only adds to the fact that much of the public does not buy his excuses and has a difficult time understanding the man.

The main-event rematch between World Boxing Council light-heavyweight (175-pound) champ Joe Schilling (12-2) and Simon Marcus (23-0) could bring balance to their February meeting which ended with a controversial TKO. Both fighters have nearly 30 KO’s to their name.

The fights take place tonight at 5pm at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Beecher who is of the promotion said to all fight fans, “If you are a fan of MMA and all you like is MMA – come watch the Muay Thai fights!  It’s all punches kicks elbows and knees.  What’s wrong with that?”

The fights will also feature Anderson Silva’s nephew, 19-year-old Guilherme Bertholdo (6-0) who will look to remain undefeated and pave a way of his own as a Muay Thai fighter.

CEO Scott Kent came by the set to let all fans know what an action-packed event fans can anticipate.  He promised non-stop action and that no fan of combat sports will leave the fights disappointed.

http://www.lionfightpromotions.com/

MAIN FIGHT CARD AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO LAS VEGAS:

JOE SCHILLING VS. SIMON MARCUS IN HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED MAIN EVENT GRUDGE REMATCH

SUPERSTARS ROMIE ADANZA AND THANIT “BOOM” WATTHANAYA TO COLLIDE IN SUPER FLYWEIGHT REMATCH

“MALAIPET” TO DEFEND WBC NATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST JUSTIN GRESKIEWICZ

MMA FIGHTERS JAVIER TORRES AND MICHAEL MADRID TO MAKE
MUAY THAI DEBUTS IN 170 POUND CATCHWEIGHT FIGHT

While Lawrence’s career touted over 150 amateur fights and was the #1 pick overall this season, Chiesa utilized his ground game in the 1st round stifling Lawrence’s power early.  Lawrence came back in the 2nd round delivering heavy blows to Chiesa, who continually left himself open for head strikes.  Chiesa fell to the ground late in the 2nd, the result of a rib-cracking body blow that nearly ended the fight.

Luckily for fans, we got to see the fight go to the sudden victory 3rd round.  Chiesa rebounded just one minute into the 3rd round, coming out more aggressive than ever and finding a way to ground and pound Lawrence.  Chiesa finished Lawrence at 1:02 into the 3rd round by TKO.

UFC President, Dana White said, “”I expected a lot more from Lawrence and I underestimated Chiesa. It wasn’t that Chiesa’s more talented or outworked Lawrence, it was the size of his heart. Lawrence defended the takedowns for a while and did a good job, but then Chiesa finally got him down. There was no doubt and no denying that if Lawrence kept it on his feet, he would have won. Lawrence basically gave up tonight. When you go to that sudden-victory round, you see who wants this fight and who wants to continue in this competition – who really wants it. Chiesa went out there and took it.”

Michael Chiesa had lost his father when the season started.  He told Heidi Fang of MMA Fight Corner this week he wanted to win it all in memory of his father. ”The loss of my dad gave me a lot of inspiration… I only went home for less than 24 hours, saw the funeral and came home and I’ve proven a lot about how tough of an individual I am by staying here…I’m not letting my dad down.”

James Vick of Team Cruz also pulled off an upset; defeating Urijah Faber’s number 2 pick, Joe Proctor, who’d trained with Joe Lauzon’s camp prior to his Ultimate Fighter experience.  Vick won by unanimous decision following two rounds.  Vick said following the fight, “”That was the biggest fight of my life and I’m happy that I could come out on top. Joe’s a very tough guy. I was surprised he stood up to those punches, and I wish him the best. As for me, I’m now one step closer to achieving my dream.”

Going into next week Dana White announced the next two fights that round out the quarterfinals will be:

Andy Ogle vs Al Iaquinta – the Team Faber teammates will probably have a long week getting mentally prepared to fight each other ahead of them.

Chris Saunders vs Vinc Pichel – features Faber’s #8 pick and Cruz’s #6 pick respectively.

It was also announced in this episode that Dominick Cruz will be the coach for the remainder of the season despite tearing his ACL.

*Images courtesy of ZUFFA, LLC

John Alessio lost to Mark Bocek by unanimous decision at UFC 145 in his return to the UFC.  He had been on a three fight win streak prior to the loss.  For Alessio, a win over Roller would mark his first UFC win.  He’s sporadically fought for the promotion throughout his career suffering losses to Pat Miletich, Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez.

Shane Roller was a WEC standout and has struggled since becoming part of the UFC.  He debuted with a big win vs Thiago Tavares and scored “Knockout of the Night.”  Since then he’s dropped 3 fights, losing to Melvin Guillard, TJ Grant and Michael Johnson.

A win for Mitrione would put him back in the win column. Mitrione suffered his first loss at UFC 137 vs Cheick Kongo.

For Broughton, the fight is a must win situation.  He’s gone 1-2 since he began fighting for the UFC in October 2010.

The UFC on FOX 4 card is shaping up and now includes:

Hector Lombard vs Brian Stann
Lyoto Machida vs Ryan Bader
Terry Etim vs Joe Lauzon
Matt Mitrione vs Rob Broughton

Diaz is looking to set a legal precedent in a state that approved the medical use of marijuana and precludes employers punishing medicinal users. There is a huge gray area, however, and the NSAC is counting on the state law not applying to the athletic commission rules… not to mention federal marijuana laws. Dana White commented with his interpretation of the law/regulations and shared his own opinion on the matter, saying, “Listen, marijuana is illegal… you can’t smoke it.”

Since Diaz filed the injunction against the suspension, the NSAC has publicly commented that, “Diaz has failed to exhaust his administrative remedies,” and further argues that he is “not likely to succeed on the merits of his arguments.” The legal proceedings are very sticky, especially when considering a legal precedent such as this.

Diaz is likely suing the commission specifically to get the case heard in a state court that is bound by the Nevada marijuana laws as opposed to commission rules. The NSAC infers Diaz doesn’t have a leg to stand on because of administrative slip ups by his lawyer, Ross Goodman. A couple key slip ups include failure to provide his marijuana recommendation to the Attorney General and the fact no temporary suspension was issued when Goodman filed the injunction against it.

The Nevada AG’s office has filed a document with the court that opposes the injunction and cites the administrative mistakes as the primary basis for their opposition. On Monday, a judge will determine if the NSAC can continue with its proceedings or if the case will be heard in state court. Diaz’s future rests in the hands of the judges once again, and that is rarely a good thing. He may be in a precarious situation, but if he is seriously considering retirement this could be his way to publicly voice his disagreement with a policy against marijuana metabolites that arguably has no place on the banned substances list.

Long awaited Belfort vs. Silva rematch to headline UFC 147 at BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL

The finale of the first Brazilian version of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter^® brings as its main attraction the rematch between TUF coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, who meet in the Octagon^® over 14 years after their first encounter. The event will also crown the winners of both weight divisions featured on TUF, with two UFC contracts on the line.

Fans will get a chance to see up close the long awaited rematch between Vitor Belfort (21-9-0) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1), who meet again for the first time since 1998. Back then, in São Paulo, under the previous management of the UFC, Vitor knocked out Wanderlei within 44 seconds of the bout. Since then, MMA fans have been craving a rematch. Belfort is coming off a win over American fighter Anthony Johnson in UFC Rio (UFC 142), whereas Wanderlei knocked out Cung Le in UFC 139.

Minas Gerais will be the second Brazilian state to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship^® event. On June 23, the “Mineirinho” arena, in Belo Horizonte, will host the UFC^® 147, marking the third passage of the organization through Brazil under the Zuffa management. The biggest and one of the most traditional indoor sporting arenas in Brazil, “Mineirinho” fulfilled all of the UFC requirements, rising up as an ideal place to host a show in accordance with the high standards of all the international events and marking the expansion of the UFC throughout the country. Considered one of the biggest markets for the UFC worldwide, next to the United States and Canada, Brazil has already hosted two events, both in Rio de Janeiro. 

 “It is great for our fans and for the UFC to be able to stage events in new parts of Brazil. The UFC is exploding everywhere in the country and Minas Gerais, being the third biggest state in the country, seemed like the perfect place for this. Not only has Mineirinho received some major acts through the years, but it is also located in a central and touristic area of the city. It will certainly be a fantastic experience for the fans”, says Marshall Zelaznik, UFC Managing Director of International Development.

The finalists of each weight division featured on the show, which will have its last episode aired on the Sunday before the event, will face off on the main card. The two winners – a featherweight and a middleweight – will receive contracts with the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Recorded LIVE May 9, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM

Guest: Nate Diaz

MMAFightCorner.com

With his submission win on UFC on FOX 3′s card last Saturday over Jim Miller, Diaz was glad he didn’t get handled by Miller inside the Octagon. “I prepared as well as I could. I have good training partners and a good fight team.  It could have gone that way, or another way, I’m just glad it went that way.”

Diaz now has the choice to wait to fight the winner of the Frankie Edgar-Benson Henderson rematch for the title, or to take on former WEC Champion Anthony Pettis in what would be a title eliminator.  The decision most likely depends on how soon Diaz would want to get back in and fight.  If he waits for the rematch to happen, he could be on the shelf for nearly nine months.  But if he fights Pettis, it could be just months away.

Regardless of who he’ll have to face next, there’s one scenario that Nate wants to steer clear of…and that’s to avoid fighting Ricardo Almeida trained Frankie Edgar.  Almeida was Renzo Gracie’s former prodigy .  Renzo Gracie and Cesar Gracie are cousins.

“I would  rather fight Henderson, because I gotta lot of respect for Frankie.” Diaz explained that Frankie “trains with some people that are affiliated with my team, so I’d definitely rather fight Ben.”   Before the next question was finished being asked, Diaz reiterated, “I don’t wanna fight Frankie. I wanna fight Ben.”

While Diaz said he’s not going to pick and choose who he fights next, he mentioned one priority he does have, “I’m taking whatever fight that they offer me…I’ll still fight whoever they want me to, but I’ gonna take the fight that pays better.  I been getting paid pretty good for awhile, but I’m ready to up my stock. If Pettis is the bigger paying fight, I’ll be fighting Pettis, you know what I’m saying.  Like I said, I want the bigger payday, I want the bigger fight.  That’s what it is.”

As far as Anthony Pettis calling him out, Diaz said, “I’m probably the guy to fight. I’m on a winning streak.  I’ve defeated some top guys.  Of course he wants to fight me.  But, I’m about the bigger fights right now. My whole career I’ve had these up and downs, because I’ve always fought whoever.  And I’ll still fight whoever, as long as it’s worth my while.”

After Nate fought Miller, he spoke with Joe Rogan and prompted people to buy Jim Miller’s walkout T-shirt to help to support his nephew’s polycystic kidney disease foundation.  It was a sign of showmanship and class Nate gave his opponent after the win.  While the Diaz brothers may often be criticized for their antics and trash talk preceding a fight, Nate explained, ”There’s a lot of negatives, people don’t look at the big picture.  They see somebody, they see an angry face or something, and they judge right from there I think.”  He continued, ”If I’m being loud or whatever, I’m fighting, you know. If I’m laying out guys, that’s my choice. It’s on me to say what I gotta say.”

Diaz went on explain that that’s just his way of mentally preparing to fight his opponents, but after the fight, he has no qualms giving props where they’re due. “There’s nothin wrong with the guy, any of the guys I fight…I could respect Jim Miller.  He’s just doing what I’m trying to do, right?  Get to the top of the division, and get paid, and go home.”

To sum it all up, “I think there’s more bad guys out there, the bad guys not the guys who are acting like the bad guy. Maybe it’s the guys who are acting like the good guys who are the bad guys.”  Well put.

In being a member of Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Nate made it clear that he’ll always be a loyal brother and teammate, no matter what the stakes.  When speaking on his teammates, who include Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz, he said of the team, “It’s important. That’s how you get to where you’re at.  This is a team sport.  You don’ just train by yourself.  The partners that you train and grow with, you know, those guys are my brothers.”

When Nate exclaimed in his post-fight speech on FOX that Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez is the best lightweight in the world, he meant it.  He told MMA Fight Corner,  ”That’s because he is above me.”  In addition, Diaz added that Melendez should be brought in to the UFC also, “They brought all these other guys over and they left Gilbert behind. I think it’s pretty unfair. So, I think that he should have had a chance to fight for the belt, but they kept him over there.”

While it’s highly possible that one day soon, ‘El Nino” could make his first wave in the UFC, Diaz expressed his true feelings, stating he’d want to never have to fight his friend, ”I’m gonna do my best to get that belt, and if I don’t, Gilbert’s gonna be right there, fighting the guy who beat me.”

Following that loss he needed to rebound with a big win. This was due in large part to the fact that Alvarez will have fulfilled his current contract soon and will be able to field offers from other promotions like the UFC.

Last month, at Bellator 66, the Philadelphia-based fighter rebounded with a win in a fight that was all about righting a wrong and increasing his stock on the open market. He did not disappoint. In their first fight, Alvarez and Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki squared off at K-1 Dynamite 2008. In that bout Aoki submitted the former Bellator champion in 92 seconds. That is the kind of loss that sticks with you. It bothers you for long afterward. You probably never forget that one, unless of course you get the chance to get that loss back.

Alvarez did just that by finishing Aoki by TKO due to punches in the first round. With his contract expiring any time now, Alvarez has already mentioned that he is thinking about family and future.

The bottom line is that the UFC wants to sign name guys. They want to sign star talent and Alvarez will instantly be a major player in the UFC’s 155 pound division. This is especially true after he was able to finish Aoki so quickly. This was something that Gilbert Melendez was unable to do in his 2010 bout with Aoki.

I think it is highly likely that the UFC will snatch up Alvarez fairly quickly once he is on the market. As with Hector Lombard, Alvarez is a very marketable fighter and he brings in the Philadelphia viewership with increases his prospect status that much more. Odds are that the UFC will have this world-class lightweight on its roster soon.

Follow me on Twitter @MikeEvansMMA

John Jones vs Dan Henderson for Jones UFC LHW title on Sept 1st in Las Vegas!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 10, 2012

 

We’ll forgive the misspellings from Dana and be happy that we’re getting a great fight.

Michael Chiesa vs Justin Lawrence 

Since Lawrence got into the house by knocking out WEC veteran, James Krause and advanced into the quarterfinals by knocking out BJJ ace, Cristiano Marcello.  Michael Chiesa comes into the fight vs Lawrence as an underdog.  Chiesa’s had a rough season enduring the loss of his father in the second week of the show.  He won his fight over Jeremy Larsen to advance to the quarterfinals.

Justin Lawrence on training with Anderson Silva at Black House and what kind of confidence booster that is: “It gives me confidence for sure.  Anderson Silva’s one of the top, best fighters in the world.  That’s what gave me the fight to get in the house.  I guarantee none of these guys have stood toe-to-toe with Anderson Silva before…Back when we had the fights in the house…it was one of the most pressured fights I’ve ever been in, seeing the range of emotions from both wins and losses. You can’t overlook anybody in MMA, once you start doing that the outcome is not so pretty, I can promise you that.”

Michael Chiesa on wanting to win it all to make his father proud: “The loss of my dad gave me a lot of inspiration… I only went home for less than 24 hours, saw the funeral and came home and I’ve proven a lot about how tough of an individual I am by staying here. But in terms of my fight, I wasn’t happy with my win at all I only showed a fraction of my skills. I had a lot of things I had to overcome that fight just ot get in there and fight…I feel blessed that I get a tough opponent in Justin Lawrence. He’s one of the best guys here…A lot of guys get on the show and really cut loose in the wrong ways. I’m glad I’m just taking it all in. I’m not letting my dad down.”

James Vick vs Joe Proctor

Joe Proctor is on Team Faber and defeated Chris Tickle to advance to the quarterfinals in Week 6.  James Vick is on Team Cruz has shown he has heavy hands, but hasn’t shown much in his ground game.  He KO’d Daron Cruickshank to get into the house and won a decision over Dakota Cochrane to advance.

James Vick on not being a great wrestler: “My offensive wrestling is not great. I’m not a takedown guy.  But you can ask anyone on my team, it’s not easy to take me down, it’s very hard to take me down. I didn’t come from a wrestling background and I’m very tall so it’s hard for me to change levels but as far as takedown defense, I think I’ve got the best.”

Joe Proctor on what training with Joe Lauzon has done for his game: “I’m one of the top prospects over there and I’m one of the main training partners.  I’ve got a lot of confidence.  He’s a finisher.  He’s taught me from day one.  I knew nothing and he taught me wrestling, jiu jitsu, boxing.  So yea, it gives me confidence.  I feel confident having Joe Lauzon on my back.”

Thiago Alves hasn’t been able to get much rolling, in his last 3 fights he’s 1-2 with losses to Martin Kampmann and Rick Story.

Meanwhile, Bahadurzada has won seven in a row and on July 21, 2012, he will look to keep the streak alive against Alves in Calgary.   This will be his 2nd fight in the UFC, he debuted on UFC on Fuel 2 and defeated Paulo Thiago by knockout in the 1st round.

Johnson (10-4) will be squaring off against middleweight Jiu Jitsu expert, David Branch (10-2). Between Johnson’s lightning fast striking skills and Branch’s masterful ground game, this should be an exciting matchup. 3 out of 4 of Johnson’s losses were by rear-naked choke, which is Branch’s favorite submission technique, and Branch’s chin hasn’t fully been tested by a striker like Johnson.

There are 5 other fights on the card and the undercard features L.C. Davis and Bill Kamery. “We’ve packed it with exciting aggressive and athletic fighters,” Kelly said, “Titan 22 is the best card yet, and it will deliver for fight fans everywhere.” Titan Fighting 22 will take place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and will air live on HDNet on May 25th.

Jen Wenk was formerly the head of the UFC’s Public Relations, working closely with the UFC Brass, helping the UFC’s publicity machine develop into the well oiled beast it is today. Today, she is the President of Star PR Las Vegas making waves of her own,working as a publicist for UFC stars like Evans, Overeem, Jake Shields and Matt Mitrione, just to name a few. On Saturday, Jen stopped by the MMA Fight Corner to give her very first interview ever and tell us about her journey.

While it’s never easy for women to walk into a male dominated business and not face their share of obstacles, Jen said being a power female may have it share of bumpy roads, but “any adversity that I faced early on, such as being dismissed or not taken seriously because I was a woman in a fighting sport was was easily overcome because I had the full support of the UFC owners behind me. They fully empowered me, and with their backing, I was able to get down to business and start knocking down the media walls that were keeping us from getting to the next level. Also, over time, I believe that the media respected how relentless I was in the effort to earn their support for the UFC. Once we got their support, we got them whatever they needed. I followed through with everything and treated every media outlet with the same deference.”

Though Jen is officially working as president of Star PR, she also still participates in efforts for the UFC.  ”I work with the UFC still almost daily, in one deparment or another, by way of the many top fighters I represent. I have the best of both worlds, I still get to be an extended part of the UFC family, and work in the sport I love so much,” she explained.

Dealing with athletes and representing each individual while respecting their inherently different natures can’t be easy.  But Jen finds that making it work for each person she publicizes isn’t too difficult, no matter how large the personality. “I treat each fighter with same amount of respect, and the work I do with same amount of importance. Because I know there is no difference between the fighters in how important it is to them. Some fighters are in higher demand because of their rank, but I approach each with equal enthusiasm.”

In addition, Jen represents several fighters (like Evans, Overeem, Miguel Torres and Michael Johnson) who have become a part of the “Blackzilians” of the JACO Hybrid Training Center, and are also signed with Authentic Sports Management.  She said, that’s in some way coincidence, but it’s also because, “there is no management entity out there that compares with Authentic Sports Management. It is the first full service MMA sports agency, it has a legal, marketing, finance and PR dept. On top of that, it owns a new state of the art training center and employs a world class coaching staff. Glenn Robinson, who is the head Blackziian so to speak, and the owner, is a guy who is already tremendously successful in his other businesses. The fighters are drawn to Glenn because he’s does what he says, and genuinely cares about their well being. He and I work very well together, because we share the same principles — the fighters are the ones who benefit.”

Off the air, MMA Fight Corner spoke to Jen in-depth about other projects with which she’s involved.   Her most recent project, “For Authentic, I’m focused on launching an anti-bullying group called Fighters Against Bullying.  I’ve been working with a national organization for the past year in its formation and messaging, and it will be launching soon. I signed two new clients this past couple of weeks, for the local MMA organization World Series of Fighting, which I am thrilled about because Sig Rogich is involved and I get to work with him directly. We are working on the launch strategy. Also, I signed the new K-1 organization. I will be handling their PR and building their media structure from the top down. I’m really excited about working with both of these organization, and sharing my expertise and kicking some ass in PR.”

For all the experiences she’s been able to have throughout her career and meeting fighters from every walk of life, Jen is rarely phased by meeting big names in sports.  But she did say meeting one celebrity sports star did catch her off guard.  ”For the first time in my career, I was really nervous and a little star-struck when I was introduced to Tiger Woods.  It was really an incredible moment for me. He is the first to market greatness in the sport of golf. People are always and forver going to be compared to Tiger Woods…and i think he deserves a lot credit for that.”

The New York Daily News stated that Silver said, “It will not come to the floor this year.” However, the bill could potentially pass in the upcoming years.  He claimed the reason was that the bill lacked enough support from the assembly to be brought to the floor in the preliminary conference’s informal voting.

Silver reasoned that the bill did not have enough support to make it to the State Assembly floor for a vote, though the bill had passed in the Senate 43-14 in favor of lifting the ban. Just like last year, the bill passed at the Senate level, but can’t seem to make it to the assembly floor for a vote.

Proponents of the bill such as Queens Assemblywoman, Aravella Simotas, and Manhattan Assemblyman, Micah Kellner, expressed their disappointment that the bill did not even make it to the floor for an official vote. “This is legal in [most] states, it’s highly regulated and it generates economic activities for small business and creates much needed revenue for the state,” Kellner told the NY Daily News.

Simotas added, “Mixed martial arts is an art form,” she said. “I don’t believe there is inherent violence in it.”

The NY Daily News article also states that “a source” revealed to them that an informal vote was taken to decide whether or not to bring the bill to the Assembly floor.  According to that source, 25 people raised their hand against the bill and 60 raised their hands in favor of the bill.

This will come as disappointing news to Zuffa, LLC who sued the state of New York last year, claiming MMA is a sport for public entertainment and that the state had violated their 1st amendent right to freedom of expression with the MMA ban in place.

Dana White himself had told MMA Fight Corner in January that he “guaranteed” the MMA ban in New York would be lifted this year.  Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait to next year to see if this can come to fruition.  Click here to read the transcript of Dana’s interview with MMA Fight Corner.

According to MMAWeekly.com, Cruz suffered the injury while training on the set at The Ultimate Fighter.   As far as ACL injuries go, it normally takes a year for athletes to recover.

It is unknown at this time if there will be a replacement fighter for Faber, or if this fight will still be the co-main event status.

Following a big night of fights in New Jersey, many new matchups are now on my mind as future possibilities. Below are five fights that I would like to see booked in the near future.

Alan Belcher vs. Vitor Belfort/Wanderlei Silva winner

Belcher has now four straight fights over three years. The long layoff was due to a career-threatening eye injury. Beating Rousimar Palhares is a huge step forward, however this is one those divisions in the UFC where you don’t want to throw the guy up there too quick. Anderson Silva is sitting on that hill. He finishes people like a pissed off ninja. Vitor was knocked out by Anderson in the first round by video-game face kick. Vitor would still need another big win to get back to the belt. And if Wanderlei wins he would steal Belfort’s momentum and Belcher would still be an appropriate opponent at that point. This fight needs to be booked for late this year.

Lavar Johnson vs. Roy Nelson/Dave Herman winner

Johnson battered Pat Barry with a combination of pure fury, trapped against the cage Barry was finally battered to the floor. After a victorious UFC debut on a major stage, and a first round knockout no less, Lavar should get a big fight right away. A good matchup for him would be the winner of the Dave Herman vs. Roy Nelson fight at UFC 146 later this month. That fight would be a step forward, but not too far. Plus either fight should produce a good scrap and I’m pretty sure that is why we are here.

Josh Koscheck vs. Diego Sanchez 2

Just thinking about this matchup gets me intrigued. Both of these men have something to prove coming off of a loss. Diego has said that he may go back to 155, but I doubt that he would pass on a chance to erase an earlier loss to Koscheck. The UFC likes to book winners against winners and losers against losers. When you could that with the fact that this could be a great co-main event rematch of two UFC and Ultimate Fighter season one veterans. This is a fight people would want to see.

John Hathaway vs. Mike Swick

Mike Swick hasn’t had an MMA fight in over two years. On Twitter recently he hinted at a possible return. John Hathaway is an up-and-comer who needs a solid challenge. This fight could make sense for both fighters and it would great to see “Quick” Swick in the Octagon again. It seems like its been years. Oh yea, it has been. This fight needs to be booked.

Danny Castillo vs. Jim Miller

Why not? Castillo may not have had the fight of the night, but he did win his third a row. Miller lost in decisive fashion and will need to take a few steps back after being stopped the way he did. This matchup would provide a battle of two wrestlers. Miller will not let Castillo hold him down. If Danny is gonna win this one he will have to work for it. The step up in competition is necessary at this point.

Recorded LIVE May 5, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM at the Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: James McSweeney and Jen Wenk

MMAFightCorner.com

Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz

It seems that a lot of people are praising the wrestling ability and control of Miller and ignoring what Diaz just did to Donald Cerrone’s face. I have not forgotten. I picked against Diaz last time and he made me like a fool by whipping “Cowboy” all over the Octagon. Although Miller does have great wrestling, he has disadvantages in boxing, reach, etc. which I see Diaz exploiting. This fight will be a war of attrition but don’t be surprised if Miller loses by TKO due to doctor stoppage.

My pick: Diaz

Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks

Koscheck has been in some personal turmoil with leaving his former training camp at AKA and an ambiguous stature in the welterweight ladder of the UFC. Hendricks is coming off of a stunning one punch knockout of Jon Fitch. Dana White has stated that Hendricks will fight for the title with a victory and that motivation should drive him in this bout. Both of these men have great wrestling backgrounds and both have heavy hands. I think the southpaw stance and power of Hendricks will be the difference in this bout.

My pick: Hendricks

Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares

Palhares is favored to win this fight and many experts agree with that assessment. I am unconvinced. Belcher seems to be on another level recently both mentally and with his MMA game. Palhares will be looking to take a leg, but Belcher will use his technical striking to win this bout.

My pick: Belcher

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson

Both Barry and Johnson will be looking for the knockout. It is doubtful this fight will end up on the mat for any period of time, if at all. The difference in this bout will be the fact that Johnson is bigger and can take a better punch than Barry can. I see this ending in a similar fashion as the Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell bout at UFC 145 last month.

My pick: Johnson

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Two of the fighters who are competing tonight have title shot implications weighing heavy on their minds. Both Nate Diaz and Johnny Hendricks have been guaranteed title shots if they emerge victorious.

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller promises to be a complete war. “These two are going to go in there and go at it. For one round or five rounds, they’re going to go, ” said UFC President Dana White. And I am inclined to agree. This fight should deliver. Below are the determining factors for victory in the Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller main event of UFC on Fox 3.

Determining Factors for Victory

1) Boxing
2) Wrestling
3) Submissions
4) Takedowns
5) Cardio

Boxing

Both Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are complete martial artists. They both have well-rounded skills and they both are seasoned UFC veterans. Although both have good boxing skills, I feel that Diaz has the edge here. Not only does Diaz have a reach advantage, his volume punching gives him the advantage on the feet.

Wrestling

Diaz and Miller both possess a mixture of MMA skills. However, as far as wrestling goes, Diaz has show a weakness to powerful wrestlers who can hold him down. In fact, all four of his losses in the UFC have come by decision to wrestlers who have been able to hold him down. Jim Miller has a strong wrestling background and this will give him the edge in this department. If Miller emerges victorious tonight it will be because of his power wrestling.

Submissions

With the wrestling pedigree of Jim Miller, it is likely that Diaz will spend some time on his back in this fight. However, Diaz is very dangerous off of his back where he has submitted with triangle chokes often in his career. Miller actually has 12 career submissions to Diaz’s ten, but with the way that Diaz can attack from offensive and defensive positions with submissions, I have to give the advantage to Nate.

Transitions

Diaz has great submissions from a number of positions. Miller will attack with takedowns and big punches. But, who will have the advantage in transition situations? The length of Diaz will make the difference in transitions in this fight. When Miller gets Nate to the ground, Diaz can control the smaller man. When Miller tries to clinch and push Nate around, Diaz will use his length to control the clinch game. Diaz will control the transitions in this fight.

Cardio

We have finally arrived at a time when all UFC main events are five five-minute rounds. Although this could prove a detriment to some men, both Diaz and Miller have excellent conditioning. There will be no clear cut advantage here because both men are in superb shape and should be able to scrap at full speed for the entire bout.

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In the 1990s there was no better linebacker in the National Football League than Junior Seau. Seau was passionate, aware, ruthless and he executed his profession as good as any man has ever done before or after him. In fact Seau played the game for 20 seasons which is far longer than others. He was amazing to watch.

The sad part of this story is that I am forced to use the past tense because Wednesday the world was robbed of a true sports icon. That morning, Junior Seau was found dead in his San Diego home. Later, the San Diego County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.

The real question here is why. Why did such a successful person with the world at his feet do such a thing? Many have speculated that repeated head trauma and concussions could have lead to his death and it does appear that this fits a pattern. Seau is not the first retired NFL player to take his own life and, with the concussion problem not going away, he is unlikely to be the last.

So, why, with all of these deaths attributed to repeated concussive blows to the head is there not more being done? In the sport of MMA, the UFC and other organizations are constantly under fire because of concussions and violence. The NFL athletes seem to suffer even more trauma to the head, yet it is the sport of MMA that gets the black eye.

I always come back to way in which the NFL and the UFC each respectively deal with concussions. One example that always sticks out in my mind is the amount of time allotted for recovery after the incident. A couple of seasons ago, Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, suffered a concussion early in the season. After passing a few tests he was allowed to take the field the very next week. To me, this is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Even with the data on concussions growing, NFL players are regularly allowed to take the field far too soon after concussive head trauma.

Then there is the UFC. The sport of MMA, with the UFC being its flagship organization, are constantly under fire for a myriad of issues. Dana White often points out that the UFC is highly regulated with its athletes being tested more closely than other major sports. With the recent random drug test failure of Alistair Overeem, a man who was set to fight on May 26 in the main event of UFC 146, it is clear that the UFC is prepared to test its top athletes just the same as the newcomers.

Another big issue is concussions. Like the NFL, the problem is of growing concern, but unlike the NFL, UFC fighters are not thrown right back into the Octagon after suffering concussive blows. New York congressman Bob Reilly seems to be on a personal campaign to keep MMA out of his state, yet he constantly ignores the facts. In the NFL a player can take the field one week after suffering a concussion if he can pass a few tests. In the UFC after a fighter is knocked out there is a minimum 60 day, and often 90 day, suspension with no contact. After this time period the fighter must then be cleared by a doctor before he can even schedule his next bout. Which is safer, the sport that throws athletes back into the fire days later or the sport that makes its athletes wait months before lacing up gloves again?

The bottom line here is that concussions are a very serious issue moving forward and the NFL must start to address these problems with more care and regulation. It cannot be proven at this point if concussions have lead to the outbreak of NFL player suicides, however it can be prevented with action. The NFL is such big business that I think people want to ignore the problem more. The UFC is an organization that has existed for less than 20 years. With its visceral nature and the fact that many do not understand yet understand it, the UFC continues to come under fire. But, if people will look at the medical facts, there is more being done to protect MMA fighters than NFL players.

In Bellator 67 tonight, Chandler proved he’s someone to be reckoned with, defeating Akihiro Gono in a non-title fight with a quick first round TKO.  Chandler came out aggressive and laid down a left hook, followed by a right hand that put Gono down.  Gono turtled up and did not intelligibly defend himself leading Yves Lavinge to stop the fight.  For Gono, it was the former Pride and UFC fighter’s third loss in a row.

Other impressive performances in Bellator 67 came from Bryan Baker, who advances to the welterweight final with a unanimous decision victory over Ben Saunders.  Though I agreed with the decison, the scoring was questionable in my eyes, with two judges scoring the fight 30-27 for Baker. Now Baker will have to wait for the results of Karl Amoussou and David Rickels to find out who he faces in the finals.

Ryan Ford brought home a come from behind win over Luis “Sapo” Santos who had dominated Ford in the first round landing brutal elbows, high kicks and punches.   But Ford persisted, ending the fight by a 2nd round TKO that started with a knee to Santos’ head and ended with follow-up punches.

To round out the main card, Damian Grabowski won by unanimous decision over Dave Huckaba all judges scored the fight 29-28.

MMA Junkie spoke with Zuffa CEO, Lorenzo Fertitta who said, “”Vermont’s legislation of the sport of MMA is further evidence of the continued growth and success of our sport in this country,” UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta stated. “We are pleased that fans in Vermont will now have the opportunity to watch a live UFC event in their own backyard and look forward to making that happen.”

“We are thrilled with the state of Vermont becoming the 46th state to regulate the sport of mixed martial arts,” UFC vice president of government and regulatory affairs Marc Ratner stated. “We look forward to working with their athletic commission in forming the rules and regulations of this great sport.”