Tag: UFC

UFC184: A history making night 

As most of you may know we here at WNB are huge advocates of the females in the sports industry. More specifically in the world of Professinal wrestling and MMA.

This Saturday at UFC184 at the Staple Center in Los Angeles history will be made. For the first time ever both Co Main & Main events feture women.  The co main will feature the #12 athlete in the women’s Batemweight divison Requel Pennington vs the #13 seed and former 10 time boxing Champion Holly Holm.

The co main event is just as high profile as the main event and that is because Holly Holm has been one of the most talked about athletes in awhile. Not to mention her KO victories serve as a human highlight reel. Many people believe Holm is the favorite to win this fight.

Raquel Penninton on the other hand is coming off a recent victory at UFC182. She defeated Ashley Even’s smith impressively in the last 10 secs of the 1st round via Bulldog choke. Not to mention Pennington is an alumni of The Ultimite fighter season 18. Her fight with Jessamyn Duke is highly regarded as one of the best WMMA fights and it was a fight that earned the title “fight of the season”.

If that’s not enough Dana White spoke highly of Pennigton telling her she was one of the best in the divison. Pennington made it to the semi finals but then lost to the seasons winner Juliana Peña. Many people see Pennington as the underdog in this fight but that’s a situation Pennington is comfortable with.

In the main event we have two undefeated athletes Ronda Rousey holds a record of (10-0) while Cat Zingano holds a record of (9-0) Both athletes are coming off wins. Zigano earned a TKO victory against Amanda Nunes back in September as where Rousey is coming off an impressive record setting 16 sec TKO in the women’s Batemweight divison against Alexis Davis from UFC175

Let’s not forget this is a fight that has been a year in the making. In late 2013 Zignano beat standout Miesha Tate via TKO earning her a future title shot. She was also slated to couch opposite Rousey of TUF18 but all of that was put on hold after she suffered an ACL injury. Her return was then pushed back further when tragedy struck in her personal life after her husband/couch took his own life.

Both athletes in the main event have battled their fair share of injuries and personal struggles. They both have something to prove and neither of them want to see that 0 disappear from the record. Wether you’re Team Rousey or Team Zingano, the fight fans are in for a treat.

The full fight card is as follows:

Early preliminary Card live on UFC Fight pass 4P:30T/7:30ET

James Kruse vs Valmir Lazaro

Masio Fullen vs Alxander Torres

Preliminary Card live on FoxSports1 5PT/8ET

Derrick Lewis vs Ruan Potts

Dhiego Lima vs Tim Means

Romam Salazar vs Norifumi Yamamoto

Mark Muñoz vs Roan Carnieo

UFC184 live on PPV 7PT/10ET

Lightweight bout: Tony Furgeson vs Glieson Tiabu

Welterweight bout: Alan Joban vs Richard Walsh

Welterweight bout: Jake Ellenberger vs Josh Koscheck

Co main event women’s Battemweight Raquel Penninton vs Holy Holm

Main event for the women Battwmweight title: Ronda Rousey (C) vs Cat Zingano

I will be doing play by play coverage starting with the prelims at 5PT/8ET @WrestlingNewsBlog on Twitter so you won’t want to miss it.

If this didn’t hype you to enough feel free to watch countdown to UFC184 here http://youtu.be/jRVNn3RM8O8

 

Vanessa (@GreatLove91)

UFC Fight Night 61: Bigfoot VS Mir – 2/22/15

UFC Fight Night 61: Bigfoot VS Mir – Sunday, February, 22, 2015 on Fox Sports 1

Main Card on Fox Sports 1, 8PM/5PM ETPT – Prelims on Fox Sports 1, 6PM/3PM ETPT & Early Prelims on UFC Fight Pass, 5PM/2PM ETPT.

Heavyweight: #8 Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-6, 1NC) VS #13 Frank Mir (16-9)

 

Lightweight: #6 Edson Barboza (15-2) VS #12 Michael Johnson (16-8)

To see the full card go to UFC.com.

 

 

UFC announces drug testing changes

In the wake of Anderson Silva’s 3 failed drug test for PED’s followed by a failed drug test by Hector Lombard, the UFC had no choice then to take action.

A press conference was held this afternoon where UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Feritta discussed the matter.

White had this to say at the press conference. “”What happened was we started spending half a million dollars on out of competition testing,” White said. “And I think when a guy like Anderson Silva gets caught, it definitely sends a message. I think that shocked the entire MMA community and the sports world. It shocked me. We were pretty blown away by it. And now we’re going to dig in.”

Feritta later echoed Dana’s statement by saying this. “We’ve been working on this for a couple of years,” “We’ve been in conversation with third parties for at least six or seven months. We made a lot of progress.

“What the Anderson Silva thing has prompted us to [do is] come out and address these issues, to make sure we’re speeding up the process. We don’t have the luxury of kind of sitting back and being academic and debating all these legal points. We just got to go. And however the cards fall they’re going to fall. But we’re going to make sure that fighters are being tested, and the results will be what the results will be.”

Epstein added that the UFC still supports Silva, who is entitled to his due process with the Nevada Athletic Commission, and that his they would continue to do so as things unfold.

“Regardless of what happens, Anderson Silva has been a great champion and he’s been a great representative of the sport,” Epstein said. “If something bad happened here, the Nevada Athletic Commission will handle that. But, he does have, he had a great career, and we’ll continue to honor that and stand behind him regardless of what happens with the athletic commission.”

It was also said that from this point forward every single fighter on the roster would be tested for PED’s and if it cost extra the UFC wok be willing to cover the cost. Dana also pretty much said “if you’re using PEDs your going to get caught” he went on to say that if you need PEDs to fight then maybe you shouldn’t be here” it was also said that if champions fail test that they would be stripped of their title.

I think this is a positive step for the UFC. Now maybe the sport will start gaining the respect of the naysayers. What do you guys think of this ground breaking announcement? Do you agree or disagree?

The audio from the press conference can be heard here http://youtu.be/I8B6wKg5gT8

-Vanessa (@GreatLove91)

Anderson Silva Failed UFC 183 Post-Fight Drug Test

Anderson Silva failed second drug test administered by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC)  following victory vs. Nick Diaz on Jan. 31 at UFC 183. Silva tested positive in post-fight urine test for steroid drostanolone, same banned substance found in system during out-of-competition test  Jan. 9, as well as anti-anxiety medication Oxazepam and Temazepam, which is used to treat sleep deprivation.

Source: Fox sports 1

The beast vs The Warmaster?

With Brock Lesnar’s contract coming to an end after WrestleMania there is speculation that the beast in carnet will return to the Octagon. After all Dana White has went on record saying that he would welcome Lesnar back.

With the rumors of Lesnar’s return comes the potential of another return. That return could be none other then “the Warmaster” Josh Barnett. The last time we saw Barnett in the octagon was at UFC 168 in December of 2013. He was finished early by Travis Browne which came as a surprise especially after making quick work of Frank Mir with a deviating Knee months prior. Following the lost to Browne Josh underwent successful knee surgery in April of last year.

Since Josh has been MIA from the MMA scene he has went on to capture the Metemoris Heavyweight title by defeating Dean Lister; someone who hasn’t been submitted in 19 years!, He was picked up by NJPW to do English commentary and started his own podcast (which since then has been put on a hiatus.) Before all that though Josh gained a collective number of wins in the UFC, strike force and PRIDE.

Barnett was recently a guest on the MMA hour and he expressed interest in returning to the octagon as soon as possible. His opponent in mind? None other then the current WWE world Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Barnett had this to say about the potential match up.

“For me I think of it as the business side of things. Not the business side of oh, I’m going to make so much money, but the business side of two pro wrestlers, the styles, seeing the two of us go out it is because people will find interest in it and the fight will be interesting itself. Not just in ‘Hey, I’m some guy who’s going to bully some other guy who’s got less experience, and then I act like I’m king shit of turd mountain.’”

One thing is Forsure if this bout does indeed happen it is sure to be a good wrestling match up of sorts between two former heavyweight champions. It should be noted the even if Barnett vs Lesnar doesn’t happen Barnett still wants to make a return sometime soon.

Are you excited about the possible match up of the beast vs the Warmaster? If not Lesnar who else would you want to see Barnett face? Further more do you think the 37 year old catch wrestler still has one more ufc world Heavyweight title run in him? If the match up between Lesnar and Barnett happens will the Warmaster be the one to defeat the 1 in 21-1? Or will Lesnar conquer Barnett just like everything else?

All these questions and more will soon be answered. Stay tuned.

-Vanessa (@GreatLove91)

UFC Fight Night: Henderson VS Thatch – 2/14/15

Fox Sports 1 Main Card – 10PM/7PM ETPT

Welterweight: Benson Henderson (21-5) VS Brandon Thatch (11-1)

Featherweight: #13 Max Holloway (11-3) VS Cole Miller (21-8)

Welterweight: Neil Magny (13-4) VS Kiichi Kunimoto (18-5-2, 1NC)

Middleweight: Dan Kelly (8-0) VS Patrick Walsh (5-2)

Lightweight: Michel Prazeres (18-1) VS Kevin Lee (9-1)

Flyweight: Ray Borg (7-1) VS Chris Kelades (8-1)

 

Fox Sports 1 Prelims – 8PM/5PM ETPT

Featherweight: #8 Nik Lentz (27-6-2, 1NC) VS Levan Makashvili (9-1)

Lightweight: Efrain Escudero (23-9) VS Rodrigo de Lima (8-2-1)

Featherweight: Chas Skelly (13-1) VS Jim Alers (13-1)

Flyweight: #10 Zach Makovsky (18-5) VS #11 Tim Elliott (10-5-1)

 

UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims – 7:30PM/4:30PM ETPT

Lightweight: James Moontasri (7-2) VS Cody Pfister (11-3-1)

Anderson Silva Failed Second Drug Test?

MMAJunkie.com reports that Anderson Silva failed an additional drug test for his UFC 183 comeback fight against Nick Diaz. A date of the failure or any other additional details have not yet been revealed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has not confirmed this.

Source: WrestlingINC.com

Silva’s UFC 183 Win Over Diaz Overturned – No Contest

Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has overturned Anderson Silva’s victory or Nick Diaz in his comeback fight at UFC 183 following Silva’s positive test for performance enhancing drugs in a pre-fight screening.

NSAC tested Silva for banned substances January 9th, but only received the results of the failed drug test the day after the UFC 183 pay-per-view fight.

NSAC executive director Bob Bennett the news to Brazilian outlet Fohla:

“It will be ruled a NC (no contest). I don’t know if he will receive the win bonus after this change. That’s UFC’s call, but a percentage of his purse will be held because of this episode.”

Source: MMA mania

Urijah Faber pulled from UFC fight night 62

Bantamweight Standout Urijah Faber has been pulled from the Rio de Janeiro card on March 21st.

After the withdrawal of his original opponent, Raphael Assuncao — who was still recovering from a broken ankle and would not be ready in time for the March event — Faber has been pulled from the card entirely and will not be given a new bout on the show.

Faber vs. Assuncao meant to put two of the best Bantamweight fighters up against one another and it was safe to say that the winner would have been in line for a title shot. It is being said with Faber being pulled from the card he will get an entirely different opponent on a different card.

The new main event and fight order for Fight Night 62 has yet to be announced but more then likely we will see Maia vs. LaFlare as the new main event.

Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more details:

-Vanessa (@GreatLove91)

Anderson Silva Denies Using PED’s

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva has denied ever taking performance enhancing drugs after testing positive for two of them in a pre-fight test for his comeback fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 183. Silvs tested positive for Drostanolone metabolites and Androstane metabolites.

Silva released the following statement through manager Ed Soares:

“I’ve been competing in this sport for a very long time. This is my nineteenth fight in the UFC. I have been thoroughly tested many times and I have never had a positive drug test.

I have not taken any performance-enhancing drugs. My stance on drugs is and will always be, the same. I’m an advocate for a clean sport.

I’m consulting with my advisors right now to explore all of my options and intend to fight this allegation and clear my name. I will not make any further comments until my team advises me to do so.”