SB Nation Arizona: All Posts by Shaun Al-Shatti

Morning Report: Anderson Silva says Chris Weidman 'needs work' with his striking

2013-06-19T12:00:02Z

For all intents and purposes, Chris Weidman is likely the greatest challenge to Anderson Silva's middleweight reign we've seen in years. With youth and athleticism on his side, plus a decorated background in wrestling and grappling, Weidman is said to have all the tools to dethrone the champion.

But Silva, well, let's just say he isn't worried.

"Weidman got good jiu-jitsu and great wrestling, but he needs work with his stand-up," Silva declared in his official UFC 162 pre-fight interview.

"Every fighter commits mistakes. I just have to look for the right opportunity to capitalize on his mistakes. Everyone has their strong points. Everyone has their weak points."

If fights were won based purely on confidence, then Weidman would already have this one in the bag. Not too long ago, the 29-year-old repeatedly promised to steal Silva's belt and then ever so graciously offer him a rematch at Madison Square Garden.

Though perhaps Silva's manager, Ed Soares, said it best.

"Once the Octagon door closes and you've got Anderson Silva standing across the ring from you, it's not the same game anymore.

"If it was easy, he wouldn't have 16 consecutive wins in the UFC."

Point taken. You can catch the rest of the interview down below in the Stew, but first, without any further ado, let's get to some headlines.

6 MUST-READ STORIES

Lamas off UFC 162. According to a report from Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight, Ricardo Lamas has been paid his show money and pulled from the fight card of UFC 162. Lamas is now eyeing a fight against the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Chan Sung Jung.

Ratner responds to Boston reports. UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner dismissed a report from the Boston Herald stating the UFC's August 17 event at the Boston Garden was in jeopardy of being cancelled. "The show will definitely be taking place," Ratner said, echoing the sentiment of an official statement released by the UFC.

Fight Master preview. Travel to New Orleans to visit the set of Bellator's Fight Master with a behind-the-scenes preview of Viacom's latest venture into mixed martial arts reality television.

Dos Santos on Velasquez. He may be Mr. Nice Guy, but Junior dos Santos is still willing to step up his trash talk game. According to MSN Esportes, JDS said Cain Velasquez "hits like a girl."

Bellator 96 weigh-ins. All 10 main card fighters met their required weight at Tuesday's official Bellator 96 weigh-ins, including light heavyweight headliners Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and Seth Petruzelli.

Lombard moving down to 170. Former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard officially decided to cut down to welterweight, according to a report on UFC Tonight. Lombard hopes to meet Nate Marquardt in for his debut at the new weight.

MEDIA STEW

And with that, the UFC 162 promotional push hits the ground running.

Speaking of Anderson Silva's striking, when's the last time you familiarized yourself with this little gem? (Click to play.)

New Metamoris idea: BJJ in suits? BJJ in suits!

Props to Jakob Rögnvaldsson for the find.

What has Genki Sudo been up to? Well, allow me to show you:

"I actually consider myself very fortunate to have gotten into [MMA] when I did, because in five or ten years, man, there's going to be some real money and some real athletes -- guys that were just a tenth of a second away from playing pro ball [then say], 'Hey, man, I can do that.' And they probably can." -- Forrest Griffin, keeping it real.

You want a brutal regional knockout? Fine, but don't say I never did anything for you.

"King Mo" Lawal is not impressed with Seth Petruzelli's humor. (Click if it doesn't play automatically.)

KING VS. KING

King Mo vs Seth Petruzelli Staredown - Fight wednesday June 19th on @SpikeTV #FakeCrown @MMAELITEBRAND @BellatorMMA pic.twitter.com/MYGWCgGpiC
— King Mo (@KingMoFH) June 19, 2013

Just finished live weigh ins for #bellatormma. #kinginthenorth in full effect! #spiketv hopefully… http://t.co/gl0wbnuIhM
— Seth Petruzelli (@silverbackseth) June 18, 2013

@silverbackseth just showed me his game plan for tomorrow's fight. Said it is cool to make it public. pic.twitter.com/5o7IpgOxt2
— Sean Wheelock (@SeanWheelock) June 18, 2013

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

19 more days till I become World Champ and beat the GOAT Anderson Silva! #teamweidman #ufc162
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) June 18, 2013

IT WAS WORTH A TRY

Looks like mark and I got bumped up to main card status. #ifc162
— Tim Boetsch (@TimBoetsch) June 19, 2013

@BS_Red no
— Tim Boetsch (@TimBoetsch) June 19, 2013

NICE GUY CONOR

Found an injured bird today that cant fly, put him in a box with some food and water, hopefully he recovers #CHIRPY pic.twitter.com/8BcsyeGky9
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 18, 2013

THAT GAME WAS RIDICULOUS

1st game of the @nba finals that I've watched this year...gr8 game, a fan of T.Duncan & Battier, can't deny LBJ's epicness tho...
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) June 19, 2013

Watching the heat pull off this win
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 19, 2013

Or maybe not
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 19, 2013

I can't stand flopping on the floor in basketball or any sport for that matter. I hate people trying to fake fouls. So annoying
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) June 19, 2013

I like to imagine all the Bad Boy Pistons watching this game and throwing elbows at their TVs #StopFlopping
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) June 19, 2013

Holy shit!!!!!! Freaking out here.... #GoSpursGo
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) June 19, 2013

WE ARE HEAT AAL THE WAY #TEAMWORK
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) June 19, 2013

This is one of the best finals games ever.
— Erik Jon Koch (@NEWBREED04) June 19, 2013

#allen u are the men heat
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) June 19, 2013

What a game I love sport
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) June 19, 2013

Like I was saying
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 19, 2013

Fucking Jesus Shuttlesworth....
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) June 19, 2013

HEAT U GUYS ARE REAL FIGHTERS PROUD OF U GUYS
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) June 19, 2013

Can't believe the spurs blew that game but what a finish for the heat ! Damit #Ripcity
— Ed Herman (@EdHermanufc) June 19, 2013

Gr8 game by Heat&Spurs, nail biter, could've gone either way...wonder why fans love close @nba & @nfl games but not fights, hhmmm???
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) June 19, 2013

LAMAS

Sucks lamas got pulled from 162 think he is tough humble dude and I'm a fan
— isaac vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) June 19, 2013

NOPE NOPE NOPE

Anyone seen one of these before? Dangerous? Location is Phuket, Thailand. It's huge! pic.twitter.com/Ns2wTpvguI
— Mike Quick Swick (@officialswick) June 17, 2013

ANTICIPATION

Tattoo time! #InkTherapy
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) June 16, 2013

The master at work. pic.twitter.com/cnIiny7dby
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) June 16, 2013

This tattoo is so good it might break twitter when I post it.
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) June 16, 2013

THE PAYOFF

Here it is. A tattoo of a legend by a legendary tattoo artist. @SkinDesignTatLV pic.twitter.com/BoukSOUkze
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) June 16, 2013

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, June 18, 2013):

UFC 164: Pascal Krauss (11-1) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (11-3-1)
UFC on FS1 #2: Zak Cummings (15-3) vs. Ben Alloway (13-4)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a quick matchmaking forecast, courtesy of 1kaday: Fights to make after UFC 161

Here are some fights to consider at the UFC 161 card in Winnipeg, Canada:

Rashad Evans vs Glover Texeira

Dan Henderson vs Little Nog

Stipe Miocic vs Josh Barnett or Frank Mir

Roy Nelson vs Mark Hunt

If the UFC does in fact decide to sign Roy Nelson again. Because Dana has never liked him and the two never see eye to eye. Goes back to TUF 10.

Pat Barry vs Ben Rothwell

Thoughts?

Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.

Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal unconcerned with Seth Petruzelli's trash talk, skillset

2013-06-18T15:00:05Z

It was one of 2013's most stunning images -- unheralded Emanuel Newton catching an unconscious Muhammed Lawal in his arms, Bellator's prized free agent acquisition felled by the first-round spinning back fist nobody saw coming.

For some, suffering such a shocking defeat would become the stuff of nightmares. But not for the man they call "King Mo."

"Man, I was right back into it the next Monday, I was back in the gym," Lawal reflected on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour.

"I was over it the day it happened. Because the thing is, I got caught. You know what I'm saying? I got caught, I'm going to bounce back. Hopefully I get a chance to fight Emanuel again. If not, then I'll just have the belt and he'll have to work his way to me. I'm just moving forward."

Lawal entered that fateful Bellator 90 bout an overwhelming favorite, buoyed by a thorough marketing push from Viacom across all platforms, including an hour-long television special, King Mo Unrivaled. Lawal was Bellator's latest and greatest toy, a former Strikeforce champion who was supposed to steamroll through season eight's light heavyweight tournament, steal away the Bellator title, and spearhead the promotion's new campaign on Spike TV.

However the promotion's rigid, fast-paced tourney model caters to the unexpected, and once again no one could've predicted this outcome.

Now is Newton slated to challenge Bellator champion Attila Vegh for the light heavyweight title, while Lawal is left to try it all over again as a entrant into Bellator's four-man summer mini-bracket. In Lawal's eyes, the loss to Newton was just a minor setback, one that his past experiences have allowed him to put into perspective.

"I was a favorite to win the Olympics," Lawal explained. "I beat the champion, Revaz Mindorashvili from Georgia. I smashed him when we wrestled. [At the U.S. trials,] I was up one point. With like 15 seconds left, I get taken down and turned. I was up, and if would've won that match, 15 seconds, I would've been an Olympic champion. But I got beat.

"The losses in college and amateur wrestling prepared me for all of this, because a loss is a loss. Some people be like, ‘You lost in MMA.' Well, I lost in amateur wrestling. And to me, my main, biggest dream was to be an Olympic champion. I fell short in the trials. That was the worst thing -- it still haunts me to this day. But as far as MMA, I just want to go out there and fight, have a good time, whatever, make money. What it comes down to is, that loss, I put it back, put it behind me. I cleaned a few things up and it won't happen again."

That last part is important, because if you listen to his critics -- many of whom are quite vocal -- Lawal came into his bout against Newton far too cocky, lowering his hands and showing complete disdain for his opponent's striking. Lawal disagrees with that assertion, but he admits that some "technical stuff" needed to be tweaked.

"The thing is, some times when I go out there, I get so turned up and wired up, that I'm loading up too much. There's no need for me to load up that much with these small gloves on. I worked on that," Lawal said.

"In boxing and even kickboxing, the guys that load up a lot are the guys that get beat up, and there's no point in loading up."

To that end, Lawal takes exception with the notion that his style led to his demise. Like he said, he believes he simply got caught, and if it didn't happen, his critics would be singing a far different tune right now.

"It's not like Emanuel Newton was out there touching me up, boxing me and outstriking me," explained Lawal. "Nothing was really going on. If anything, I was landing more on him. But the thing is, people say you keep your hands down trying to be like (Floyd) Mayweather. Well no, I'm not trying to be like Mayweather.

"I'm not trying to be like Floyd at all, because last time I checked, Floyd don't get kicks thrown at him. I'm just doing what's comfortable for me. If I'm out of range, my hands have got to be up. If I'm in range, my hands are up. If I'm looking to counter you, then yeah, I'll put one hand down to bait you so I can counter you. Some people just think that, oh, people's hands [need] to be up. Motherf--ker, I know what I'm -- my bad -- I know what I'm doing, so just mind your own, don't worry about what I'm doing. Mind your own."

In the meantime, Lawal has been staying busy between training sessions by sharpening his dual-sport skills in the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) developmental league, in preparation for his reintroduction into Spike's TNA Wrestling fold.

Despite any past animosity, when the time comes, Lawal hopes to form a tag-team partnership with Bellator's other notable light heavyweight acquisition, a man with whom he is very familiar, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

"I'm happy for him," Lawal said of Jackson. "I'm happy he's doing something he always wanted to do, he's getting paid. I wish more people could get a deal like that. I'd like to see Cyborg (Santos) or Marloes (Coenen), even Jessica Aguilar or somebody, Jessica Eye, some of them girls out there, even Ronda (Rousey), get a deal doing some stuff with pro wrestling because I think that'd be cool.

"It broadens your horizons, it makes things fun for you."

Regardless of his non-stop schedule, Lawal remains focused on the task ahead. He brushes off recent trash talk made by opponent Seth Petruzelli as background noise and admits to being unconcerned with anything Petruzelli brings into cage. In his own words, Lawal just has to be "solid" to get the victory.

Then it's onward to Bellator's Summer Series crown, and hopefully, a return to TNA in the fall.

"That's the plan," Lawal finished. "I've done about four or five matches for OVW. Everybody, OVW and TNA, seem pretty pleased with what they've seen, so I'm hoping in August."

Morning Report: Kenny Florian says he used to protest Steve Mazzagatti refereeing his fights

2013-06-18T12:00:00Z

Count Kenny Florian as a card-carrying member of the anti-Steve Mazzagatti fan club. Echoing sentiments made by UFC President Dana White on Saturday, Florian took to Twitter to blast the MMA referee's performance during WSOF 3's main event, which saw Josh Burkman choke Jon Fitch unconscious then stand over his foe's fallen body well before Mazzagatti swooped in.

"Mazzagatti has been a ref for so long yet still doesn't know the sport & now (NSAC executive director Keith) Kizer is defending him," Florian wrote. "Unfortunate. He should be reprimanded. Reality is @danawhite is 100% correct on Mazzagatti. Bad refereeing hurts fighters, fight orgs & can cause irreversible damage to a fighter. As a fighter you can train for almost anything that can happen in a cage EXCEPT FOR bad refereeing & bad judging.

"For those who don't know what Mazzagatti fight I'm referring to, it's Burkman/Fitch fight in WSOF. Burkman both won & reffed the fight. Anyone on my team knew that if Mazzagatti was going to ref one of my fights, we were to protest immediately & request another ref. #Truth"

Florian went on to extol the virtues "Big" John McCarthy, Herb Dean and Marc Goddard, three referees who he felt "consistently do an amazing job," before deriding Kizer's assertion that the strength of Burkman's choke was difficult to see.

"It was clear as day," Florian said in closing. "1 way to help you see it as a ref tho is understanding what side the choke is on. Mazzagatti = on wrong side."

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, let's jump into some headlines -- one of which, if accurate, could potentially spell trouble for the UFC.

6 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC Boston. According to a report by Dave Wedge of the Boston Herald, the UFC's August 17 event at the Boston Garden could be in jeopardy due to government officials "refusing the UFC's request to relax rules barring foreign-born fighters from hitting the octagon without Social Security numbers." According to Department of Public Safety spokesman Terrell Harris, "This law has been in existence since we legalized mixed martial arts in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... It's been brought to the attention of the UFC more than a few times since we legalized the fighting here. But they've chosen basically to ignore the law and hope that they could skirt it somehow."

Pettis considers options. Injured and out of yet another title shot, Anthony Pettis reflected on his current situation: "I can't believe it happened, man. I missed another title shot that slipped out of my fingers. I felt fine, I'm a couple weeks out from the fight, probably the best I've ever felt. I felt invincible in training, I was so on point. For this to happen, it's unfortunate. I couldn't sleep the last couple days thinking about what was going to happen."

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour return to your life with another star-studded show featuring Randy Couture, Anthony Pettis, Josh Burkman, Muhammed Lawal, Ed Soares, and MMAFighting.com's own Dave Meltzer.

UFC 161 suspensions. Rashad Evans headlined a list of seven fighters to receive indefinite medical suspensions in the wake of UFC 161. Main card fighters Ryan Jimmo and Pat Barry, and double bonus winner James Krause also received indefinite suspensions.

WSOF 3 salaries. Josh Burkman pocketed $32,000 to lead the disclosed payroll at WSOF 3. Former UFC welterweight Jon Fitch earned $30,000 in a losing effort.

Swick teases 185. Welterweight veteran Mike "Quick" Swick posted this tweet in response to a fan question about his UFC return: "I wanna come back at a big and healthy 185. No more sickly 170 for me! ;)"

MEDIA STEW

Remember folks, Bellator kicks back into high gear tomorrow with its 2013 Summer Series.

I'm not really sure what's going on here, but does it really matter? Yay, Russia!

If you watch only one Japanese brawl today, make it this one. For those that don't know, South Korea's Doo Ho Choi is one of the top-ranked featherweights in Asia, and this, my friends, is a wild fight.

(HT: MiddleEasy)

So, this is a video of Cat Zingano getting her knee drained by that big syringe, if you're into this sort of thing.

If you expected a Dubai-themed version of MMA Ridez to be lavish and excessive, then yep, you're right.

The latest from EA Sports' UFC video game:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=d308e39d-f7a0-4eea-8232-2d821048ddfd&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" mce_href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=d308e39d-f7a0-4eea-8232-2d821048ddfd&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="UFC Video Game Gets Real with EA Sports"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Video: UFC Video Game Gets Real with EA Sports&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This new B.J. Penn highlight by Machinemen is both heartbreaking and brilliant. Tremendous work.

FLORIAN'S TWO CENTS

Mazzagatti has been a ref for so long yet still doesn't know the sport & now Kizer is defending him. Unfortunate. He should be reprimanded.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

Reality is @danawhite is 100% correct on Mazzagatti. Bad refereeing hurts fighters, fight orgs & can cause irreversible damage to a fighter.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

As a fighter you can train for almost anything that can happen in a cage EXCEPT FOR bad refereeing & bad judging.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

For those who don't know what Mazzagatti fight I'm referring to, it's Burkman/Fitch fight in WSOF. Burkman both won & reffed the fight.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

Anyone on my team knew that if Mazzagatti was going to ref one of my fights, we were to protest immediately & request another ref. #Truth
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

To be positive now, @JohnMcCarthyMMA & @HerbDeanMMA are two exemplary referees in the sport of #mma who consistently do an amazing job.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

Yes Marc is excellent & consistent! 👍 "@Official_Maters: @kennyflorian Best Ref in your opinion ? @marcgoddard_uk for me."
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

@marlerjm it was clear as day. 1 way to help you see it as a ref tho is understanding what side the choke is on. Mazzagatti 👉 on wrong side
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 17, 2013

SHOTS FIRED

@danawhite "Vitor Belfort has been 'unjustly beat down for the TRT thing" My opinion. Dana is full of bull crap http://t.co/RglxgLNe9x
— Victor Conte (@VictorConte) June 17, 2013

EBAY IS AN MMA FAN, APPARENTLY

@RH1026 Nice! I got one last week. There's a rare one on eBay, but it's costing 36 bucks at the moment, not sure if I want to pay that much
— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) June 15, 2013

@eBay the auction already ended. I can't find the link.
— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) June 17, 2013

@eBay I've just become a blue star on eBay. I've bought a lot of action figures for my son on eBay this month. Lol and few of my Topps cards
— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) June 18, 2013

LIFE OF A CHAMP

Heading to William Morris office to meet with my agent Ari and brad... Interviewing all day with… http://t.co/ylpWJaPJmy
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 17, 2013

Arthur and Chandler should definitely be at these meetings with me today.. I foresee a Jones brother show in the future
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 17, 2013

Today went phenomenal met some really extraordinary producers.These guys had all types of ideas, I cant wait to see which comes to life
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 18, 2013

MR. CHAEL P. SONNEN

Hey @jimmyfallon, your enormous teeth must be growing into your brain. Learn how to pronounce names of celebrities more famous than you.
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) June 18, 2013

BOOM

Which round is Rory getting melted? #YouChoose #UFConFox8
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) June 17, 2013

@EllenbergerMMA 4some1 with such a week jaw u sure use it alot 2 talk shit when ur done buildin ur self up ill b there 2send u back 2reality
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) June 17, 2013

@rory_macdonald McDummy.. Unless you are using a unit of time as an adjective, the word is "weak", not "week", Stupid.
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) June 17, 2013

@rory_macdonald Let me proof-read your inane comments from now on, y'idiot
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) June 17, 2013

@EllenbergerMMA emotionally struggling knowing inside he is inferior 2 me
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) June 17, 2013

@EllenbergerMMA Dont fool yourself jacob correcting internet spelling wont change your fate #ufconfox8 @ufc
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) June 17, 2013

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, June 17, 2013):

UFC 164: Derek Brunson (10-2) vs. Yoel Romero (5-1)
UFC 164: Magnus Cedenblad (10-4) vs. Jared Hamman (13-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is an experiment from our own heavyfl0w, which didn't really turn out as anticipated: UFC Unleashed: The First Thought You Have

I enjoy watching reruns of UFC Unleashed. This is due to the fact that, for whatever reason, the DVR description of the episodes no longer informs us what fights we will be watching. You never know what you're going to get. You might get something deplorable ("Cooooming up next, it's the Ortiz-Shamrock trilogy! With ALL of the prefight promo packages!") or something awesome (any fight where Brock Lesnar turtles up and gets pummeled). It's a roll of the dice.

Bear in mind, I despise listening to the radio. Not only that, but with the present internet culture that is ripe with podcasts and programs that allow you to listen to whatever music you want, whenever you want, I'm baffled as to how terrestrial radio is even still in existence. Why would I allow someone to dictate what I listen to?

However, I love pretty much all MMA. Terrible MMA is great, as long as it isn't being perceived as good. So my spectrum of taste is pretty broad. To give you an example, I recently watched 620 pound Manny Yarborough (the guy best known for being walloped by the immortal Keith Hackney at UFC 2) record his first and only MMA victory, taking out pudgy, mulleted self parody Tatsuaki Nakano by "smother". It was just as delightful as you could possibly imagine. The fact that I sincerely believe that it was delightful is a cry for help. I'm aware of this.

Let's roll the dice with a column. I recorded a rerun of Unleashed, and I'm going to write about whatever fights happen to be on it. I have no idea what I'm about to see. Think of it as an exercise ... that I'm inexplicably sharing with the internet. Ready, internet? Let's see what's behind Door Number 1 ...

Our first fight is ... *drumroll* ...

Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher

Alright. A fight I haven't seen in awhile. This is what I was hoping for. Stevenson begins the fight by smiling and bouncing around like he just got laid. Joe Daddy was always pretty smooth on the feet with his footwork and feints, but he's one of those guys that just never quite had enough output to be considered a dangerous striker. Then he got T-Boned by a Mac Danzig left hook and hasn't been right since.

Before the start of this fight, Spencer waves off the "lets touch gloves" offer by Joe at least 3 times, as though Joe had AIDS and Spencer mistakenly thought it could be transmitted through UFC gloves. You sure made your point, Spencer. You don't want to touch gloves. Anyway, Joe is taking the occasional Fisher leg kick while boxing nicely and takes the 1st round after taking the back towards the end. Spencer is cut, just like always. We've got a bleeder!

Both men come out boxing to start the second frame, and Stevenson changes levels for the takedown when he sees fit. Spencer looks old, and this fight happened almost 4 years ago. Stevenson works on top for awhile before securing the feared mounted crucifix position. He proceeds to drop 11 rapid fire elbows onto the already sliced up dome of Fisher, and that's the fight. Fisher appeared to tap with his leg.

Fights like this pose an interesting question (at least, to a clown like me): When you think of a fighter, what is the first mental image that your brain conjures up about that fighter? I mean, Stevenson and Fisher are both guys that haven't existed in the part of my MMA fan brain that thinks about relevant MMA topics and fighters in a long time. Stevenson's octagon glory days are long gone, and Fisher is hanging on by a thread of a thread. They exist only in my memory. So what pops into your head, dear reader?

When I think of Stevenson, I think of him getting beaten by Danzig, and I think of him bathing in his own blood and tears against BJ Penn. When I think of Fisher, I think of the flying knee knockout against Wiman. And yet, I wouldn't say that I respected Fisher or even enjoyed watching him fight more than Joe Stevenson. Goes to show that different parts of our brains don't always agree with each other. An interesting thought.

Which brings us to fight number two ...

Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin II

Oh geez. Look, I'm not opposed to writing about this fight, even though these two are far from being the fighters I most revere. But did they have to show the entire prefight promo package? Talk about a column killer. Here I was, thinking that this would be a good writing exercise, with the potential to force me into writing about multiple fights I never would have written about otherwise. And what do I get? A lightweight fight that wasn't even that relevant four years ago and 5 minutes of two awkward weirdos saying tough guy things into the camera, followed by a lengthy commercial break. At least at the end of the commercial break, I'll get to watch a great fight! Hey, wait ...

Snarkiness aside, this 2nd installment in the money grubbing trilogy was pretty much a microcosm of Tito Ortiz. Get a takedown, ground and pound from guard, get tired, stiffen up, stiffen up some more, stiffen up to the point that you stop doing anything, and lose a decision.

I remember watching this fight at a Buffalo Wild Wings with a bunch of people who invited me out to watch some fights. Cool, right? Think again. This was one of those evenings consisting of people chilling out on their respective phones and resisting any actual human interaction. I think I actually fell asleep during the 3rd round. I stopped hanging out with people like that. It's just incredibly boring.

I've always been fascinated by the rabid fanbase of Tito Ortiz. Nobody did more with flame shorts and bleached hair. In the midst of multiple fight losing streaks where he often got tired and didn't do anything, his fans would still come out in droves. "That guy is a badass", they'd tell you. My theory is that Tito became popular right around the whole nu metal era of the UFC, where every fighter would come out to Stemm or Limp Bizkit, where tons of UFC fans were also pro wrestling fans, and what better poster boy for that sort of foolishness than a brash, blond meanie who flipped the bird and had a wrestling base?

My favorite part of this fight was right after it was over. Griffin and Ortiz embraced, and Goldberg said "great show of respect by both men". Based on the personalities of these two, what are the odds that they were actually saying something respectful? 50 to 1? 100 to 1? Come on. They were saying some prison yard s--t to each other. You all know it.

I will be writing and opining about things that matter soon. Calories burned. Exercise over.

Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.

Morning Report: Following upset loss at UFC 161, Dana White elaborates on Roy Nelson contract situation

2013-06-17T12:00:06Z

Roy Nelson pushed his chips all-in on Saturday night. Riding a tremendous three-fight knockout streak into the last fight of his TUF 10 contract, Nelson was poised to make a remarkable jump in pay scale if he just could get by unranked Stipe Miocic at UFC 161.

Unfortunately for Nelson, things didn't quite work out as planned. But if "Big Country" was looking for sympathy, he didn't need to turn towards his boss, UFC President Dana White.

"He was fighting under The Ultimate Fighter contract and he called Joe Silva and said, ‘Listen, I'm fighting tough guys here, and I'm winning.' And Joe said, ‘You're right. We're going to get rid of The Ultimate Fighter contract and give you another contract,'" White explained during Saturday's post-fight scrum. "So Joe Silva offers him a deal for more money, and Roy said that's not enough. This was a while ago. And Joe says, ‘Okay, well this is my offer. I'll rip up the old contract and give you this one.' He said no. Joe said, ‘But it's more money.' [Roy said,] ‘I don't care, it's not what I want.' He f--king fought under The Ultimate Fighter contract instead of taking the new contract from Joe, which was significantly more money.'

"That's the business. Again, there's a lot of reasons why I respect Roy Nelson. Roy Nelson rolled the dice tonight. He had a high stakes poker game tonight, and he lost."

White and Nelson's history is long and tenuous, which is why so much intrigue was generated by his UFC 161 fight. If Nelson won, he'd emerge a people's champion, the owner of a top-5 ranking and suitcase crammed with negotiating leverage.

Instead, Nelson fell short, leaving White to reflect on why the heavyweight has frustrated him for so many years.

"Roy came to me one time and said, ‘I'm having a hard time getting sponsors,'" explained White. "I said, well that's weird. I can't understand why you would have a hard time getting sponsors. How about you cut the hair, lose some weight, get rid of the walk-in song ‘I'm Fat,' and take yourself seriously? You're a tough guy, you've got a lot of talent, you're a very well-rounded fighter. He said, ‘Okay.' I saw him at the next press conference -- his mullet was longer, and he grew a beard down to here, and he was, maybe, six pounds less than the last time I'd seen him. I said, it's good to see you took my advice. It's just, don't complain to me.

"Who wants to put their logo on that?" White continued, "Nobody. Nobody wants to put their logo on that. Burger King? Well that's what he thought. Did you ever watch a Burger King commercial? It's all handsome guys, skinny, and pretty girls. You think Burger King wants people to think that that's what you look like if you eat Burger King?

"People don't relate to him in the way that he looks. If people related to him in the way that he looks, there'd be sponsors stuck all over him. ... What people relate to is that he's knocked out 12 people in a row. You tune in and you watch this guy who looks like he could barely walk up the stairs to the Octagon, and he goes in there are knocks out these guys like Cheick Kongo, this physical specimen -- he hits him in the neck and knocks him out. That's why people like Roy Nelson."

White's sentiment is exactly why the pair's relationship has become such compelling theater. In thought, Nelson represents MMA's counter-culture; the idiosyncratic, mulletted heavyweight who has no qualms about battling ‘the man.' Yet both individuals still function within the employee-employer relationship, and despite his rotund shortcomings, White still clearly respects and values the skillset Nelson brings with him into the cage.

So it's telling that even in the face of each man's stubbornness, both White and Nelson voiced a willingness to continue their partnership on Saturday.

"He wanted to stay under The Ultimate Fighter contract instead of taking the new deal that was offered to him," White said in closing. "It's more money. That's why he can't be knocked out. That's what I told his wife tonight when she was sitting next to me. I said, he's so thick-headed, you couldn't knock him out if you hit him with a f--king truck.

"[But] it's not like we're saying, ‘We're not signing Roy Nelson. We hate him. We don't want him here.' We're trying to come to a deal with Roy Nelson.

"I want Roy Nelson in the UFC."

6 MUST-READ STORIES

Miocic stuns Nelson. Unheralded firefighter Stipe Miocic thoroughly dominated top-5 heavyweight contender Roy Nelson en route to a surprising unanimous decision victory at UFC 161. (Video.) Afterward, Nelson opened the door for a return to the UFC, while a jubilant Miocic reflected back on how he pulled off the upset.

Evans victorious. In a battle to maintain relevance atop the light heavyweight division, former champion Rashad Evans eked out a split decision victory over Dan Henderson at the main event of UFC 161. (Video.) Several pros scored it the other way, but ultimately the Fight Metric report agreed with the final outcome.

Pettis update. Over the weekend, a "very distraught" Anthony Pettis dropped out of his scheduled featherweight title bout against Jose Aldo at UFC 163 due to a torn meniscus. "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung took his place. According to Dana White, Pettis won't require surgery to fix the damage and could return to full health within six weeks. When he does, "he could fight Aldo or he could fight the winner of [Ben] Henderson and T.J. Grant."

Henderson responds. Not long after Anthony Pettis campaigned to replace T.J. Grant in UFC 164's main event, UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson offered this blithe response: "I'll just fight and let the others worry about talking their way into fights."

Burkman rolls. Fighting in the main event of WSOF 3, Josh Burkman avenged his 2006 loss to Jon Fitch by pulling off a remarkable, 41-second 'Submission of the Year' victory, one which saw Burkman play referee during his own fight while Fitch laid unconscious on the mat, choked out by a guillotine.

White criticizes NSAC. In the wake of Burkman vs. Fitch, UFC President Dana White heavily criticized referee Steve Mazzagatti and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Nonetheless, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer viewed the issue as a non-story.

MEDIA STEW

Dana White's rants are either hit or miss, but this time I agree 100-percent with him. Sooner or later, something needs to be done before something awful happens. (Full scrum video here.)

Pat Barry before Saturday night:

Pat Barry after Saturday night:

If we're being honest, this was the real show-stealer of the weekend. The most ridiculous walkoff submission I can remember ever seeing.

That feeling you get from watching yourself shock the world? Yeah, I'd imagine that's a pretty good feeling.

Folks, in case you didn't know, T.J. Grant is a classy fella.

SCORING HENDO VS. EVANS

The judges made the right decision there but the 2nd round was close! Hendo slowed down in round 3, allowed Rashad to take over. #ufc161
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 16, 2013

I thought Hendo sneaked it.
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) June 16, 2013

1-Dan, 2-Rashad,3-Rashad. 29-28 Rashad. IMO.
— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) June 16, 2013

WHAT?!??!!?! #ufc161
— Cyrille Diabaté (@CyrilleDiabate) June 16, 2013

29-28 Evans #whooo #UFC161
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) June 16, 2013

I think it goes to hendo 29-28 but I'm not sure
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) June 16, 2013

COUNTRY FRIED LETDOWN

@roynelsonmma is a G
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) June 16, 2013

This is the Miocic I've been waiting for. This performance & win makes him a top heavyweight period! Stipe fulfilling potential = scary 😱
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 16, 2013

Good to see a game plan being followed in MMA. Love the evolution
— Duane Ludwig (@DUANEBANGCOM) June 16, 2013

I want thank all my fans gave 110% will always be back better then last http://t.co/mkvJXBIplU
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) June 16, 2013

The love and support on here is overwhelming. Thank you so much. I will read every single tweet tomorrow but for now...thank you. @ufc
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) June 16, 2013

And thank you @roynelsonmma for a hell of a fight. You are amazing man.
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) June 16, 2013

A MINOR SETBACK

MA BEST FRIEND!!!! http://t.co/66WaeZL4Dd
— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) June 16, 2013

ON OUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT. THANKS FOR THE LOVE WINNIPEG!!! @trevorwittman @iammclovindoe @rosenamajunas http://t.co/jr325WIUMo
— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) June 16, 2013

THIS CRAZY EYE DID NOT LIKE THE PLANE RIDE!!! http://t.co/ix2thmawra
— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) June 16, 2013

ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT TO SAY!!! http://t.co/ezHIhDdDHB
— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) June 17, 2013

ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT

Ufc has dumped two Shitty cards on my fellow Canadians in recent past... I apologize for ufc, they don't understand how amazing the fans are
— John Alessio (@johnalessio79) June 16, 2013

I promise UFC 162 is going to be better!
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) June 16, 2013

I wonder if I have time to rub one out before the main event. #ufc161
— Justin Buchholz (@jbmma155) June 16, 2013

INJURY BUG BITES AGAIN

@danawhite Thx for the opportunity & concern for @Showtimepettis health. Anthony will rehab & regroup be ready for next @ufc title challenge
— Duke Roufus (@dukeroufus) June 14, 2013

Injuries are part of the sport, Small tear in my meniscus. I was so ready for this fight, this won't stop me!Be back soon. @ufc @danawhite
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) June 14, 2013

Minor set back, still training hard waiting to hear what's officially happening with my fight, thanks @danawhite for the personal phone call
— Ricardo Lamas (@RicardoLamasMMA) June 15, 2013

I'm ready!!!!!!!!
— Chan Sung Jung (@KoreanZombieMMA) June 14, 2013

STUNNER

Avenged. http://t.co/agVq9pVAGm
— Joshua Burkman (@JoshBurkman) June 16, 2013

Sorry to everyone who has supported me. Went for the slam instead of defending the choke. I'll be back.
— Jon Fitch (@jonfitchdotnet) June 15, 2013

Glad Burkman stopped. Mazzagatti is a clueless idiot who will hurt someone and continue to ruin guys legacies. Much respect Josh
— Dana White (@danawhite) June 15, 2013

NSAC needs to seriously do something!! When you have been a ref that long and still don't know what u r doing its time to go away!!!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) June 15, 2013

THE (INTERIM) CHAMP WANTS BACK IN

Hello @danawhite @ufc ! I'm back and I'm very excited to fight again. You can schedule my new fight now. I'm 100%. And could be in Brasil...
— Renan Barão (@RenanBaraoUFC) June 14, 2013

CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP

McDummy Bad News: Fighting Me Good News: Handicapped Parking
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) June 15, 2013

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, June 14, 2013 - Sunday, June 16, 2013):

WSOF 4: Ray Sefo (2-1) vs. Dave Huckaba (20-5)
WSOF 4: Nick Newell (9-0) vs. TBA

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a keepin' it real moment, courtesy of Josh Hall: Somewhere, TJ Grant is Seething...

If you watched UFC 161 last night, I am truly sorry for you. The card was bad on paper, and somehow worked out to being even worse than expected. The most significant development of the evening took place not in the cage, but on the post fight show after the fact. What, you didn't watch it?

Anthony Pettis came onto the post fight show on Fuel with the following announcement:

"I can be 100-percent ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee. With all due respect to TJ Grant, Milwaukee is my town and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years. If it works out, great; if not, I will get my shot very soon. But I think we all know which fight the fans want to see and the entire city of Milwaukee!"

Dana White responded, not so optimistic that Pettis can be ready to fight that soon:

"Anthony Pettis' knee is not bad, but it's not good. He doesn't require surgery, but he's going to have to go into therapy."

White also said he was going to have Pettis flown out to Vegas for a second opinion from Dr. Steven Saunders before making any decisions regarding his next fight. There have been different time frames mentioned for the recovery time for Pettis, and approaching the situation with caution is probably a good idea.

Okay, let me stop here for a minute. I hate to say this, because I am a big fan of Anthony Pettis, but him requesting to be inserted into this title fight is a slap in the face to TJ Grant and one of the bigger signs of disrespect I have seen from on fighter to another as of late. I know this fight is in Pettis' hometown of Milwaukee, but the only reason he isn't on this card is that he didn't want to wait to fight Benson Henderson. He made a choice, and now he thinks TJ Grant should be the person to suffer the consequences?

The UFC was nice enough to acquiesce to the request from Pettis for a title fight at 145 pounds against Jose Aldo, despite the fact that he had never fought at that weight in his career and would be cutting in front of a number of deserving contenders (Korean Zombie, Ricardo Lamas, Cub Swanson). The UFC gave an inch, now "Showtime" is trying to take a mile.

This title fight is already booked. If Pettis was trying to step in for an injured opponent, then that would be great. But it takes a serious lack of perspective to try and alter an already scheduled title fight because he got hurt and missed his shot.

TJ Grant is 5-0 in the UFC at 155 pounds, while Pettis is 3-1. Grant is coming off a shocking total destruction of Gray Maynard and has not lost since 2010. For him to get pulled from this fight to suit the whims of Anthony Pettis would be an absolute sham, and would do a disservice to the credibility of the sport. Anthony, you ask for next. You don't tell somebody to get off the court (or cage in this instance). That's just not right.

Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.

Benson Henderson responds to Anthony Pettis: 'I'll just fight and let others worry about talking their way into fights'

2013-06-17T03:20:16Z

Now that Anthony Pettis' featherweight title hopes have been postponed, the former WEC champion has turned his gaze back towards the lightweight division.

"I can be 100 percent ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee," Pettis said in a statement on FUEL TV's UFC 161 post-fight show. "With all due respect to T.J. Grant, Milwaukee is my town, and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years."

Pettis and Henderson collided once before at the final fight in WEC history. The match became an instant classic, as both fighters battled back and forth for 25 minutes before a stunning fifth-round Showtime Kick sealed the deal for Pettis.

The UFC intended to grant Pettis an instant title shot upon being absorbed into the organization, however circumstances prevented the match from coming to fruition, and Pettis subsequently lost a grinding decision to Clay Guida.

Since then Henderson worked his way to the top of the UFC ladder, being crowned UFC champion and defending his belt a record tying three time, while Pettis' elusive title shot took another hit when the fighter was forced to withdraw from UFC 163's main event due to a torn meniscus.

"It's not bad. Anthony Pettis' knee is not bad, but it's not good. He doesn't require surgery, but he's going to have to go into (physical) therapy," UFC President Dana White said on Saturday.

"He talked to a doctor, and the doctor said he's out for a good six weeks and he needs a good (physical) therapist and he needs to get his knee back," White continued. "That's what our doctor said. He talked to a therapist in Milwaukee who told him three weeks. I could give a s--t what the therapist in Milwaukee thinks. I'm listening to the doctor. And I'm going to fly him out to Las Vegas to see Dr. (Steven) Saunders, too, for a second opinion."

Regardless of White's strong words, if that second opinion comes back positive, Pettis intends to campaign for T.J. Grant's spot on UFC 164 -- a card that takes place in Pettis' hometown of Milwaukee.

Henderson has never been shy about repeating his mantra about fighting anybody and everybody, ‘line ‘em up.' And in this case, regardless of his history with Pettis and the fact that the division's most anticipated rematch would likely draw far better pay-per-view numbers than a bout against the relatively unheralded Grant, the lightweight champ's message is clear.

"As I've always said, I don't care who I fight or when I fight them. I'm going to do what I always do, which is continue training to be the best in the world," Henderson said in a statement to MMAFighting.com. "I'll just fight and let the others worry about talking their way into fights."

Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley fight video highlights

2013-06-16T21:00:04Z

Watch Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley fight video highlights from UFC 161's undercard headliner, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC 161 took place June 15, 2013 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. Former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields (28-6-1, 1 NC) battled Tyron Woodley (11-2) on the night's preliminary card. Check out the video highlights above.

For more on Shields' controversial victory, catch the play-by-play from Luke Thomas.

Round 1: The referee in charge is Yves Lavigne. Both fighters open orthodox. Hard body kick from Woodley. Leg kick from Woodley takes Shields off of his feet, but he stands as Woodley stands back. Shields catches a single, but can't finish it. They're clinched along the fence. The referee separates them....

Video: Highlights: UFC 161: Shields - Woodley

Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton fight video highlights

2013-06-16T17:00:05Z

Watch Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton fight video highlights from UFC 161's main card clash, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC 161 took place June 15, 2013 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. Veteran bantamweights Alexis Davis (14-5) and Rosi Sexton (13-3) squared off in the fourth women's bout in promotion history on the night's pay-per-view card. Catch the video highlights above.

For more on Davis' debut victory, check out the play-by-play from yours truly.

Round 1: Referee Herb Dean oversees this women's bantamweight bout. Both women willing to exchange early. Davis winging straight punches and getting the better of it. Davis clinches and delivers a series of knee from the thai plum. Sexton muscles her way off the fence. Standing elbow...

Video: Highlights: UFC 16: Davis - Sexton

Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson fight video highlights

2013-06-16T06:55:10Z

Watch Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson fight video highlights from UFC 161's co-main event above, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC 161 took place June 15, 2013 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. Top-5 heavyweight Roy Nelson (19-8) took on unheralded Stipe Miocic (10-1) in the night's co-main event. Check out the video highlights above.

For more on Miocic's stunning victory, catch the play-by-play from yours truly.

Round 1: Referee Jerin Valel oversees this heavyweight co-main event. Leg kick early for Miocic. Wild looping hook misses for "Big Country." And another. Miocic finds a home for a right hand. Nelson wades forward with a combination. Nelson misses a big uppercut. Miocic puts together a solid combination. Nelson headhunting with...

Video: Highlights: UFC 161: Miocic - Nelson