It looks like the Motor City will host UFC 123 according to an MMAFighting.com report. The Palace of Auburn Hills will be rocking when two former lightweight champs Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida meet in the octagon. The last time the UFC was in Detroit was at UFC 9 way back in 1996 when Dan Severn defeated Ken Shamrock in one of the worst fights in MMA history.

In addition to Machida vs. Rampage other fights for the show include;

Matt Brown vs. Rory MacDonald
Dennis Hallman vs. Karo Parisyan

The new Jens Pulver documentary looks pretty good. Pulver is a legend but lately can’t win a fight. He has overcome some long odds to make a name for himself in the sport. The DVD will be released Nov. 1st and is available here.

Marcus Davis may have won a “Fight of the Night” bonus for his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 118 last weekend but an accidental headbutt early in the first round made his face swell up like the Elephant Man. Davis released a statement to the Portland Press Herald updating his condition.

I am now home resting with my family. I want to thank all the people who supported me and all the people with team Irish MMA, team Gurgel, and team Sityodtong for all the help preparing for the match.
I left the fight in the puddles of sweat on the floor of Sityodtong. I was over trained and never took the rest to recuperate that I should have. Within minutes of the first round my legs felt like I had just ran a marathon and they never came back. Today my thighs feel as though I spent the weekend lifting weights. I am known to have good footwork but had none that night.
The accidental head clashes caused most of the damage to the right side of my face and eye. I have three lacerations, two over the right eye and one under it. My CAT scan came back good. No brakes or fractures. The eye itself is being looked at. I had my second appointment today and my next one is in a week. Although I’m having some cloudy vision it is much better than it was initially and with rest it should return to 100 percent.
I apologize to my supporters, team, friends and sponsors for not performing to my full potential. Being recognized for fight of the night honors is great and that’s why I fight- to entertain- but I wish I could have done so the way I have done in previous fights. Thank you again.

A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood…
General S. Patton

Marcus

Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization, will follow in the footsteps of US Presidents, British Prime Ministers and heavyweights from the political, scientific and sporting arenas when he addresses Oxford University’s famed Oxford Union Society on October 13th, 2010.

Founded in the 11th Century, Oxford University is the oldest surviving seat of learning in the English-speaking world. The Oxford Union was formed by Oxford University students in 1823 as a “haven for free speech during an age noted for University repression” and boasts a guest speaker tradition second to none.

Previous speakers at the Union include former British Prime Ministers, former US Presidents Carter, Nixon and Reagan, over a dozen heads of state from around the world, including the Queen of England, such notables as US Civil Rights activist Malcolm X, US Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, biologist Richard Dawkins, theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, and popular icons such as Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood and Martin Sheen.
Read the rest of this entry »

Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of undefeated MMA prospect Chris “The Assassin” Lozano to its already impressive roster.

Sporting an impressive undefeated record of 5-0, Lozano has dominated all of his fights to date, beating all five opponents he has faced by TKO or KO, with four of the five stoppages coming in the very first round. In his most recent outing, Lozano took out well rounded Pride/UFC veteran Jason Dent via fourth round TKO in an extremely impressive showing.

Growing up in Cleveland, Lozano struggled to find positive sports programs before eventually turning to MMA for his competitive release. Currently training out Strong Style Gym in Ohio, Lozano began boxing and Tae Kwon Do when he was a child. In middle school, Lozano turned to wrestling where he quickly made the Ohio National team for his age group and weight class before ultimately setting his sites on mixed martial arts.

“Chris Lozano brings proven knockout power to the welterweight division.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He is a big welterweight that has tremendous potential to accomplish great things in Bellator at 170 lbs.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Ultimate Pros and undefeated UFC star Ryan Bader today announced the launch of his new web site and fan club at www.ryanbader.com plus an incredible opportunity for one lucky fan to join him in his new gym for a training session.

Fans who register on the new site or those who text Bader to 53016 on their cell phones (txt msg rates apply) will be automatically entered into the contest. (No purchase necessary. See web site for full contest rules. Void where prohibited).

Ryan puts his undefeated record of 12-0 on the line September 25th at UFC 119 when he takes on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3) in Indianapolis. A win here puts him right in place for a title shot very soon.
Read the rest of this entry »

Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that the promotion will make its debut in Pennsylvania when Philadelphia native and Bellator Lightweight World Champion Eddie Alvarez (20-2) squares off against former UFC Star Roger “El Matador” Huerta (24-4-1) in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.

“Bellator 33: Alvarez vs. Huerta” is set to take place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21st.

For explosive Bellator World Champion Eddie Alvarez, momentum is on his side, as he enters the Superfight with an impressive five-fight win streak on the line where the longtime knockout artist has finished all of his most recent victims by submission. In his most recent trip to the cage, Alvarez put rugged UFC veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer to sleep with a nasty rear-naked choke during Bellator 17 in Boston on May 6th of this year.

Alvarez is admittedly excited about the opportunity to compete in front of his hometown fans in Philly for the first time in the top lightweight’s career that currently spans 22 professional fights, from Japan to Boston, against many of the toughest 155 lb fighters in the business.

“Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st… this is a dream fight for me,” said Alvarez. “I’ve never even lost a fight here in the United States, so I’m definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That’s not going to happen. Not a chance.

“I’m not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It’s important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I’m one of the best lightweights in the world.”

In the case of Roger Huerta, the electrifying 27 year old lightweight is eager to return to the cage after suffering a defeat in his previous outing when Pat Curran shocked the MMA world and defeated “El Matador” by unanimous decision in the semifinal lightweight tournament at Bellator 17. As the first MMA fighter ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Eddie Alvarez will be the toughest fights that Huerta has encountered is his MMA career.

Although fighting in Alvarez’ backyard of Philadelphia, Huerta expects for the advantage to ultimately lie in his favor, stating, “The cheers or jeers won’t affect me one way or the other. The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He’s going to bring the best out of me. The best. It’s going to be scary.

“This is a fight that I’ve always wanted. It’s a dream come true. It’s going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It’s going to be a potential fight of the year. I’m going in there expecting a war, and I’m going in there trying to finish Eddie.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Krzysztof Soszynski and Stephan Bonnar put on a hell of a fight at UFC 116. It’s a no brainer that eventually the two get a rubber match in the octagon. But first things first, “The Polish Experiment” must get by Goran Reljic at UFC 122 in Germany because you don’t want to lose two straight in the UFC due to the fear of being released.

Now that BJ Penn has dropped two straight to UFC lightweight champ where does “The Prodigy” go from here? Despite two straight defeats Penn is one of the biggest draws in the company. It’s doubtful Penn will be regulated to the first fight of the night against someone like Sam Stout or Mac Danzig. The former champ will still likely be in the co-main event when he does step back into the octagon.

Let’s look at some potential future opponents who are available and the odds of them actually facing Penn.

Takanori Gomi 30%
Gomi is coming off an impressive first round KO win over lightweight contender Tyson Griffin at UFC on Versus 2. For years Gomi ruled the PRIDE lightweight division and Penn vs. Gomi would be a dream match from a few years ago. The fight is easy to promote and it’s one that Penn would likely be the favorite. Gomi isn’t booked for a fight right now and it could be a good matchup for one of the super shows the UFC likes to do at the end of the year.

George Sotiropoulos 25%
Sotiropoulos has won six straight fights in the UFC. He has defeated two of the divisions toughest guys in his last two fights (Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino). I don’t want to say that BJ Penn is the gatekeeper of the division but with a win over Penn Sotiropoulos would have to be the new #1 contender. If the UFC is serious about Sotiropoulos we should see him face Penn. But it wouldn’t surprise me to see the UFC set him up against Ross Pearson or someone like that to test him some more.
Read the rest of this entry »

Shine Fight Promotions(Shine Fights) COO Jason Chambers, a veteran of both the MMA game and Hollywood, is a rare combination in the sports world. A man that has experienced success in both the sports and acting worlds,Chambers sports an impressive 18-5-2 record in the cage, where he faced well-known MMA veterans such as ultra-tough Japanese fighter Michihiro Omigawaand current UFC star Thiago Alves. He has also appeared on several television programs during his career, hosting the very popular History Channel series“Human Weapon.” With his combination of good looks and athletic talent,Chambers has garnered a reputation as a unique personality with an interesting story.

Born in Chicago, IL, Jason “Hollywood” Chambers,as he is known in the MMA world, is a former professional fighter with a record of 18-5. Perhaps best-known as the host of the hit History Channel Series“Human Weapon,” Jason traveled the globe to explore the history and technique sof various martial arts as part of the show. A diverse artist in every sense of the word, Jason is a certified Jeet Kune Do Concepts Instructor, and a brownbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jason’s career, though, has often blurred the lines between cage and stage. Jason has been involved in the entertainment field since 2002, when he began to study the craft of acting in Chicago at “Act One” studios, as well as improvisation at the world famous “Second City.” Chambers solidified his decision to pursue the entertainment field in 2003 by moving to New York to further study his craft, while continuing his BJJ training at Renzo Gracie’s academy.He quickly landed appearances in established television series such as “GuidingLight,” “All My Children,” “Can You Tell?” and most frequently on “As the World Turns.” Jason has done numerous commercials and has also been a guest star on“Days of Our Lives,” “The Middleman,” and “CSI: NY.” In addition to acting,Jason can be seen on G4’s “Attack of the Show,” where he gives his insights on upcoming MMA fights in their “MMA Chokehold” segment, and in FIGHT! Magazine,where he is a regular contributor. Jason continues to train in BJJ and MMA inhis free time. His unique combination of in-the-cage and on-the-air experience will bring great insight to Shine Fight fans worldwide.
Read the rest of this entry »