Wanderlei Silva to Fight in UFC Again, Negotiations Underway for Next Fight

by MMA Weekly

Wanderlei Silva’s days in the Octagon are not done yet.
The former Pride champion and MMA legend has had his share of ups and downs over the last few years, but his career will continue in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC president Dana White has been in talks with the Brazilian lately as they start to hammer out the details of his next bout inside the Octagon.
“Yeah, he’s going to fight again,” White said about Silva following the UFC 150 post fight press conference.
No details were revealed regarding any possible opponents or a timeline for his return, but Silva is definitely coming back for another fight.
Over the last few years, since moving to the UFC, Silva has gone 3-5 while putting on several Fight of the Night worthy performances.
Obviously, Silva has been through the wars in his career as a fighter, but he’s still got a few battles left and they will be in the UFC.

Does Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have enough gas left in the tank for another title run?

by Kevin Iole

The calendar tells one story, but only a part of it. It notes, correctly, that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is a young man, at 30 one who is in the midst of his athletic prime.
Rua, though, is a mixed martial arts fighter, and the age of a fighter is measured not only by a calendar but also by the type of abuse one has taken.
Though Rua insists he’s the same guy who is one of the sport’s icons, his recent history would suggest his decline could come very quickly.
Mauricio Rua is already bruised and bloody in the first round of his fight against Dan Henderson. (AP)
Rua fights Brandon Vera on Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles in the main event of UFC on Fox 4, with a shot at the light heavyweight title hanging in the balance.
UFC president Dana White said the man who looks the best in Saturday’s final two bouts, between Rua and Vera and another between Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida, will fight the Jon Jones-Dan Henderson winner for the title.
By resume, Rua would be an easy choice. But Rua’s 2011 was a very difficult one, and few fighters come back strong after the kind of punishment he took in losses to Jones and Henderson.
Rua insists he’s physically fine and will be the same as he’s always been.
“I had a good break between fights and I am [not limited in any way],” Rua said. “The good thing is, I had no broken bones or other damage like that, so the recovery was simpler.”
Take that, however, with an extremely large grain of salt. The last thing a fighter wants to do before a bout is let an opponent know he’s vulnerable.
No fighter goes into a bout 100 percent. There are always bumps and bruises that are more annoying than anything else.
Rua, though, was battered and beaten so badly by Jones and Henderson that the question of whether he’ll ever be the same is a valid one.
The body can only take so much abuse. It’s why, for example, the average career of an NFL running back is so short. They are pounded repeatedly by extremely large, extremely fit men . It’s no different than running a car into the wall 10 times in a row. Sooner or later, the car will start to break down.
Rua’s bout with Henderson at UFC 139 last November is, arguably, the greatest match in MMA history. The fury with which they went at each other and the punishment each absorbed was jaw-dropping.
“[Rua's] last fight with Dan Henderson was one of the sickest fights I’ve ever seen in my life,” White said.
For Rua, that fight was only eight months after another bout in which he was beaten very severely. He lost his title to Jones at UFC 128 on March 19, 2011, in a frightful beating. His face wouldn’t have looked much, if any, worse than it did after the Jones fight had someone taken his head and slammed it into concrete eight or nine times.
Rua points to the fact that he beat Forrest Griffin after his loss to Jones as a sign that his body is fine. He took abuse from Jones, he said, but recovered to score a first-round stoppage of Griffin just five months later.
“When you are in this business, you are going to get injuries and you’re going to take blows,” Rua said. “But I made sure I took enough time to [recover]. I will be the same.”
But the adage that a fighter can get old overnight has some merit. And that is especially true for a fighter who has been in some of the kinds of high-pace, heavy contact type of battles Rua has been involved in.
If he’s the old Rua, history would suggest he should roll over Vera. Rua has nine wins over men who have held either a UFC, PRIDE or Strikeforce title and has been one of the elite men in his division for years.
He’s also motivated because he wants another shot at Jones. The one-sided loss he suffered doesn’t sit well with him. He’s got the pride that all elite athletes possess and wants another opportunity to prove himself.
His experience, though, has come in handy because he won’t make the mistake that Vera concedes he made when he fought Jones.
“The very first time I fought Jon Jones, I just thought he was some young punk and I didn’t respect him at all,” Vera said. “I didn’t even train hard and I didn’t even pay him a mind, and the outcome showed itself. I got what I deserved for thinking the way I did, so if and when I do get a chance to fight Mr. Jones again, I promise he will have my full and undivided attention.”
Rua isn’t one to make such a mistake. There has been a big outcry that Vera A) got a main event slot and B) could get a title shot with a win. Mostly, that’s because of his middling recent record, in which he’s 1-2 with a no-contest (which was a loss before it was changed after Thiago Silva failed a drug test) and his lack of a marquee win in the division.
Those same arguments can’t be made about Rua. And, to use Vera’s terminology, Vera has Rua’s full and undivided attention.
“He’s a very tough guy as he has proven many times in the past and he’s got a lot of [varied] skills,” Rua said. “I have complete respect for his ability and for what he’s done.”
That leaves one question unanswered: Will it be the Rua of old who shows up on Saturday? Or will it be an old Rua?
Until the bell rings, no one knows for sure, not even Rua himself.
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Chris Weidman Doesn't Want to ‘Share the Cage' with Anderson Silva; He Wants to Finish Him

by MMA Weekly

Sometimes it’s the quiet ones you have to worry most about.
That seems to be the case when examining the short yet impressive UFC career of middleweight contender Chris Weidman.
Undefeated as a pro and now 5-0 in the UFC, Weidman has put together a decisive string of victories capped off most recently with a dominant TKO win over Mark Munoz at UFC on Fuel 4.
Prior to the fight almost every viable middleweight was calling and shouting for their name to be the one to face champion Anderson Silva next. From Munoz to Michael Bisping to Alan Belcher, middleweights were shouting left and right about how they should be the choice to face Silva next.
Meanwhile, Weidman was just putting his head down, focusing on training and getting ready to make his impact in the Octagon. On the Richter scale, Weidman hit with about a 9.0.
Now with five wins in the UFC, three finishes, and two wins over top ten opponents, Weidman believes he has the resume to make the case that it’s time to face Anderson Silva right now.
“Before the fight, there was literally five or six guys that were all trying to petition to fight Anderson Silva next, and I just kind of stayed quiet. I mean, I did just beat Demian Maia, who was a top five guy, and none of those guys have even beaten a top five guy I don’t think for the most part. Bisping hasn’t even beat a top ten guy I think,” Weidman said when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.
“I was just really focused on making a statement in this fight. I really wanted to make it blatantly obvious that I was ahead of the pack, and I think I did jump past those guys that were a little bit better at talking before my fight than I was.”
Last weekend, UFC president Dana White said that there was no clear cut No. 1 contender to face Anderson Silva next, but if they had to declare someone it would be Chris Weidman.
Now the former Division-1 All-American is doing his part to put it in everyone’s ears that he not only is at the top of the list, he is the list.
“I feel like I really deserve it. I beat two top five guys and I think I’m a stylistic nightmare for Anderson Silva. I would love to get that shot. No one else is on a five fight win streak and beat the quality of guys I’ve beaten. I’m ready to speak up a little bit, just be confident in my abilities and respectfully call out Anderson Silva,” Weidman declared.
There is a certain honor and prestige that goes along with fighting for a title in the UFC because so few fighters actually get to that level. Add to that the fact that Anderson Silva is by far the most dominant champion to ever step foot in the Octagon, and as his career starts to wind down the selection of opponents to face him will get even slimmer.
Of course Weidman would consider it an honor to face Silva, but he’s not looking to slap gloves, get knocked out and say “I stood in the cage with Anderson Silva once upon a time.”
No, Chris Weidman wants to be the fighter that dethrones, chokes out, knocks out, and just plain finishes Anderson Silva.
“If I’m fighting Anderson Silva, I’m going in there knowing I belong in there. I’m not going in there to beat him, I’m actually going in there I’m going to try to make a statement. I’m going to try to finish him. I know a lot of people who can’t imagine that happening and think I might be crazy, but as a competitor that’s the way I compete, that’s the way I train to really be the best, and I think I am,” Weidman stated.
“On paper, I’m definitely a stylistic nightmare and he’s going to be going against a guy who’s in there to beat him, and not like some of these other guys that he’s fought that just want to share the cage with him.”
Since Silva’s last victory over Chael Sonnen, the champion’s camp have listed a few possible names of opponents that could interest the middleweight king. While the UFC ultimately makes the decisions, Weidman understands why his name may not be mentioned when it comes to Silva’s team.
Sure, he’s not the most well known guy in the sport, and he won’t sell a fight like Chael Sonnen by talking trash and building up a rivalry.
Weidman knows he would be a huge underdog, he knows he might even be the unlikeliest of contenders, but there is one indisputable truth that the New York native also truly believes.
He can beat Anderson Silva.
“I’m the only guy on a five fight win streak. I’m undefeated. I’m young. I want to be a young champion. I want to have this belt for a long time,” said Weidman. “You have to build names, you have to take risks as far as a company, as far as a promotion. You have to take risks with guys and I’m a good guy to do that with.”
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UFC’s Anderson Silva Challenges Strikeforce Champion Luke Rockhold

by Chris Hall

Immediately after UFC 148, it looked likeUFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva had completely cleared the 185 lb. division and should accept Rashad Evans’s challenge. Or he should move up to Light Heavyweight to fight Jon Jones. Then Chris Weidman decimated Mark Munoz at UFC On Fuel 4 and a brand new challenger was born with the “perfect style” to upset The Spider. Dana White has even said that former Bellator champion Hector Lombard could get a shot if he defeats wild card Tim Boestch in his UFC debut.
Last night, UFC Tonight gave the report from Anderson’s management on who his next opponent should be (Transcribed by MMA Mania):

Hector Lombard
He thinks he needs at least three more impressive wins in the UFC. He said that 85 percent of UFC fans don’t even know who Hector Lombard is, who is of course making his Octagon debut on Saturday night.
Chris Weidman
As for Chris Weidman, he said, ‘Well, there’s another great unknown fighter.’ He doesn’t see those match ups as being money making pay-per-view events.
Luke Rockhold
He did mention Luke Rockhold, who is the Strikeforce middleweight champion. Alas, Rockhold is contractually tied to Strikeforce, so that fight’s not happening. We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, the Anderson Silva camp not too excited about the options out there.

That’s right, Anderson Silva wants a champion versus champion super fight with Luke Rockhold. Rockhold just decisioned Tim Kennedy in the second defense of his title this past Saturday. Rockhold is also completely bound to Strikeforce with a negligible chance of fighting in the Octagon in the foreseeable future. For his part, however, Luke did accept the challenge today.
For those who thought Silva had finally figured out how to sell a fight in the week leading up to his bout with Chael Sonnen, this completely shatters the notion. Of all the options open to Anderson, from incredible to great to predictable, he chooses the one that can’t happen and no one asked for

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2012 Unofficial UFC Knockout of the Year

Edson Barboza KOs Terry Etim

by Thomas Gerbasi

We only go with a Top Five for the unofficial half-year awards, and without fail, the best knockout category is always the toughest to narrow down to single digits. In 2012, it seems like it’s even harder to pick, but hey, here they are, and let the debates begin… 5 – Stephen Thompson KO1 Dan Stittgen When it was announced that Stephen Thompson was making his Octagon debut at UFC 143 in February, diehard combat sports fans were excited to see the unbeaten kickboxing star getting his shot in the big show in MMA. Cynics, on the other hand, were waiting for him to fall so they could say that a pure kickboxer just couldn’t compete at the elite level in this hybrid sport. Thompson answered many of those questions against Dan Stittgen, the main one being, if he hits you flush with a kick to the head, it doesn’t matter who you are – you’re going down. That was the end result for Stittgen, who was knocked out with a picture perfect head kick at 4:13 of the first round (Watch Here).
4 – Dan Hardy KO 1 Duane Ludwig Dan Hardy needed a win bad. Loser of four in a row, the former world title challenger was on the brink of UFC extinction when he stepped into the Octagon to meet up with Duane “Bang” Ludwig at UFC 146 in May. The good news was that he wasn’t going to be facing a smothering wrestler; the bad news was that Ludwig is one of the best technical strikers in the sport today. So with all the pressure on, “The Outlaw” bit down on his mouthpiece, landed a sizzling left hook on the button, and finished “Bang” at 3:51 of the first round (Watch Event). Awesome knockout? Yes. A redemptive one as well? Absolutely. 3 – Michael McDonald KO1 Miguel Angel Torres While former WEC bantamweight champion and pound for pound list entrant Miguel Angel Torres was quietly crafting a comeback, California’s Michael McDonald was loudly crashing the UFC’s bantamweight division with increasingly impressive performances. At UFC 145 in April, these two diverse paths collided in Atlanta, and the 21-year old “Mayday” not only proved that he was ready for prime time by beating Torres (Watch Event), but he proved that he may even be ready for a shot at the title with a crushing first round knockout of the Indiana veteran. If you could think of a better coming out party, I’d sure like to hear it, because this one would be hard to top.
2 – Anthony Pettis KO1 Joe Lauzon Let’s not mince words here. The Anthony Pettis that showed up against Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens just wasn’t the “Showtime” we had come to know and love from his flashy days in the WEC. But at UFC 144 in February, the king of the highlight reel returned in style, knocking out fellow contender Joe Lauzon with a left kick to the head in just 81 seconds (Watch Event). After the bout, the gracious and self-effacing Lauzon simply tweeted “I’m in Japan for a few more days and was gonna look at buying a sword, but I think I’m gonna invest in a helmet instead.” The rest of the lightweight division would be wise to do the same. 1 – Edson Barboza KO3 Terry Etim The ESPYs may have gotten it wrong in not awarding this its Play of the Year award, but the finalist there is a winner here, and in a year with some spectacular knockouts thus far, Edson Barboza’s wheel kick finish of Terry Etim at UFC 142 in January is far and away the best of the half-year. It had it all – speed, power, technique, accuracy, and pure ‘wow’ effect (Watch KO Watch Event). Etim was out the second he got caught by Barboza, and the scary part is that when asked about the finisher, the Brazilian Muay Thai expert said, “To be honest, no, I don’t train that kick much. I like to train the basic things like body kicks or low kicks. But I’ve known how to do that kick since I was eight years old, when I started training Muay Thai. I think I have been keeping it inside of my mind, and when I need it I throw it out.” Wow.
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Canelo to face Lopez on September 15

Canelo to face Lopez on September 15
by Dan Rafael

Junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, in search of an opponent for his Sept. 15 defense after three previous foes dropped out, will face Josesito Lopez, who scored a major upset against Victor Ortiz last month, multiple sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

The deal has been agreed to and contracts have been exchanged, although the paperwork is not yet signed, the sources said.

While there was serious discussion between Showtime and sister network CBS about putting the fight on CBS -- which has a rich history of boxing but has not aired a live fight since the 1990s -- that aspect of the deal ultimately could not be worked out and, according to a network source, the fight will wind up on Showtime.

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer had said during the buildup to Lopez-Ortiz that if Lopez, 27, of Riverside, Calif., pulled off the upset that he would be considered as Alvarez's opponent.

However, few thought Lopez would get the fight given the significant weight disparity. Lopez had never fought heavier than the 144 pounds he weighed against Ortiz and the fight with Alvarez will be at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds, according to the sources.

For weeks, Golden Boy tried to finalize an opponent for Alvarez, one of Mexico's biggest sports stars, to fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day weekend.

The scheduling of the fight has drawn interest -- and heavy criticism -- because it will go head-to-head with rival promoter Top Rank's major HBO PPV show headlined by lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez's fight again titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Mexico's other boxing superstar, at the Thomas & Mack Center, which is down the street from the MGM. The promoters and networks have been battling over the date for weeks.

The 21-year-old Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) was originally scheduled to make his fifth title defense against Paul Williams on Showtime PPV before Williams was paralyzed in a career-ending motorcycle accident on May 27, just a few days after he had agreed to the bout. Then James Kirkland agreed to take the fight, but backed out the next day in a dispute over his purse combined with the fact that his shoulder, which had been operated on in March, was still giving him problems.

Then Ortiz, a former welterweight titlist, accepted the fight, which was still intended for Showtime PPV. But when Ortiz took the fight with Alvarez, he was already scheduled to face Lopez -- a substitute for former welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who was bounced from their rematch after testing positive for a steroid in a random urine test a few weeks before the fight -- on June 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Ortiz planned to go through with the fight against Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) and then move up in weight to challenge Alvarez. However, Lopez, a junior welterweight who moved up in weight in order to fill in for Berto and a major underdog, broke Ortiz's jaw in two places, forcing him to retire on his stool after the ninth round of a fight he had been winning on all three scorecards.

Lopez, who signed with powerful adviser Al Haymon a few days after beating Ortiz, landed the fight with Alvarez despite Golden Boy discussing possible unification bouts with Cornelius "K9" Bundrage and Austin Trout and the fact that the company promotes top contender Erislandy Lara, who was never seriously considered. Rumors also swirled that Alvarez could face long-faded former titlist Ricardo Mayorga.

Schaefer declined to comment.

The co-feature of the card, which Schaefer announced weeks ago, will pit featherweight titlist Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs) and Mexican countryman Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs).

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Wanderlei Silva appearances via MMAppearances

MMAppearances has arranged for Wanderlei Silva's appearance at Legends Seminars in Melbourne, Australia. For more information or if you want to book your own UFC legend contact them at www.MMAppearances.com


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Anderson Silva or Chael Sonnen? UFC 148 picks

Anderson Silva or Chael Sonnen? UFC 148 picks
by Maggie Hendricks

The hype for UFC 148 has been going on for years, and judging by the amount of picks that were made on Cagewriter's Facebook page, you have strong opinions on this card. I've included extra picks of the Silva/Sonnen bout from Cagereaders because you all have plenty to say about the main event.

Kevin Iole -- Silva TKO2 Sonnen: If Silva has a weakness, it's his takedown defense. And clearly, Sonnen has tremendous wrestling ability. That combination is going to cause Anderson some anxious moments. That said, Anderson was clearly intent on walking Chael down in their first fight and he was surprised by Sonnen's striking. This time, there will be no surprises. I think Anderson will utilize his movement and angles and ultimately land something that will decide the fight.

Maggie Hendricks -- Silva SUB2 Sonnen: Silva has had time to learn from his mistakes in the last bout, and he is too good of a fighter not to learn from. Sonnen was unimpressive in his win over Michael Bisping, and despite the trash talk, will not have an answer for Silva.

Cagereader -- Chael Sonnen will win. The thing that separates Chael from Silva's other opponents is that he fully believes he can win. No one else that has stepped in the octogon with Silva didn't believe they were going to win. Believing in yourself and having heart is a huge deal in the fight game. Something has to get you through the tough times and since no one else really expected to win, they accepted their fate. Not Chael Sonnen. -- Katie Simmons

Cagereader -- The Spider will win. In the last fight Silva was injured and still beat Sonnen with a triangle choke. On top of that at the end of the fight Sonnen looked way worse for wear than Silva even though Chael got the best of him for most of the fight. I also think Silva is pissed off because of Chael's trash talk and we will see a Silva that we have never seen before.

Cagereader -- If you remember very well dear MMA EXPERTS, Sonnen had Silva on his back for five rounds, yet he hasn't been able to win, maybe he was able to take down Silva, but what from there? YEAH NOTHING... he did exactly nothing, Silva did not struggle to strike back even if he was pinned down, then after all that work Sonnen did for 5 rounds, he was submitted like a little girl... what does this tell you? This time Silva, will not play around like that, and even if it ends on the ground, Sonnen will get submitted again... end of the story! -- Wahb Mabkhout
And now, for the rest of the UFC 148 bouts.

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