Weekly Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing News – 08/24/2012
By PDG Staff
UFC 151 Cancelled – Jones vs. Belfort at UFC 152
For the first time in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a UFC champion has refused to face an alternative challenger after an injury to his original opponent, forcing the organization to cancel an event. After challenger Dan Henderson suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones refused an alternative opponent, forcing UFC president Dana White to cancel the entire UFC 151 card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas next Saturday.
Here are links to all the pertinent information:
– UFC 151 Cancelled; Champion Jones Refuses New Opponent
– Machida Explains Decision to not Except Jones Fight
– Catching up on the madness surrounding the UFC 151 and 152 events
– UFC 151 Cancelled Discussion Thread
UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort – Fight Card Update
UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort
September 22, 2012
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Main Card (PPV):
Jon Jones (16-1) vs. Vitor Belfort (21-9) – UFC light-heavyweight title
Joseph Benavidez (16-2) vs. Demetrious Johnson (15-2-1) – UFC inaugural flyweight title
Michael Bisping (22-4) vs. Brian Stann (12-4)
TJ Grant (18-5) vs. Evan Dunham (13-2)
Matt Hamill (10-4) vs. Vladdy Matyushenko (26-6)
Cub Swanson (17-5) vs. Charles Oliveira (16-2)
Preliminary Card (FX):
Igor Pokrajac (25-8) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (9-5)
Jimy Hettes (10-0) vs. Marcus Brimage (5-1)
Seth Baczynski (17-8) vs. Simeon Thoreson (17-2-1)
Mitch Gagnon (8-2) vs. Walel Watson (9-4)
Preliminary Card (UFC Facebook):
Kyle Noke (19-6-1) vs. Charlie Brenneman (15-4)
Sean Pierson (12-6) vs. Lance Benoist (6-1)
Heavyweight Kickboxing Superstar Tyrone Spong Signs Exclusive Agreement with GLORY
Heavyweight kickboxing KO artist and former Ernesto Hoost protégé Tyrone “The King of the Ring” Spong (68-6-1, 42 KO’s) of Amsterdam, Netherlands has signed a multi-fight, two-year exclusive deal with GLORY to compete in the world’s premiere kickboxing league. He is slated to make his GLORY debut at the GLORY World Series mega-event in Tokyo, Japan on a December date to be announced soon.
The 26-year-old, 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in), 103.5 kg (228 pound), former It’s Showtime World Champion, has scored KO’s in over 60 percent of his victories, including his latest conquest, a third-round stoppage of all-time great Peter Aerts in Brussels, Belgium on June 30, 2012.
Spong made an immediate impact in the kickboxing world in 2003, his first year competing as a professional, and reeling off 12 consecutive wins in a span of as many months. He notched his first major victory on Oct. 1, 2006 when he scored a thunderous, first round (1:55) KO on world champion Kaoklai Kaennorsing of Bangkok, Thailand in Almere, Netherlands. A marquee moment in his career was as a 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix finalist from the old K-1 organization.
“I am very happy to join GLORY and take part in their heavyweight division. It was clear to me that GLORY World Series represents the toughest challenge in kickboxing,” said Spong, who recently relocated to South Florida where he trains alongside UFC superstars Alistair Overeem and Rashad Evans. In addition to being mentored by kickboxing legend Hoost, Spong has trained under professional boxing guru, Floyd Mayweather, Sr.
“The best stand-up fighters in the world are taking part in this league,” Spong continued, “and I want to prove that I am the best. I will be the king of the Glory ring”
Spong is renowned for his incredible athleticism and technical fluidity, attributes that allow him to move with a level of speed that is comparable to a lightweight.
“We are delighted to welcome Tyrone Spong to the GLORY heavyweight division,” said GLORY Ambassador, Cor Hemmers. “He is a very exciting fighter and has a very impressive highlight reel. Fans can expect some superb performances and lots of knockouts.
“Our roster of heavyweight superstars is beyond anything kickboxing has ever seen and, with the acquisition of Tyrone, it just became that much more outstanding,” commented Marcus Luer, Managing Director of GLORY Sports International.
Born in Suriname and raised in Amsterdam, Spong started his career as a middleweight where he won two different European championships, and has steadily climbed through the weight categories over the years, winning a cruiserweight title on his way to heavyweight.
UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva – Fight Card Update
UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva
October 05, 2012
Target Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Travis Browne (13-0-1) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (16-4)
Jake Ellenberger (27-6) vs. Jay Hieron (23-5)
John Dodson (13-5) vs. Jussier da Silva (14-1)
Matt Mitrione (5-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-7-1)
Justin Edwards (7-2) vs. Josh Neer (33-11-1)
Jeremy Stephens (20-8) vs. Yves Edwards (41-18-1)
Darren Uyenoyama (7-3) vs. Phil Harris (21-9)
Carlo Prater (30-11-1) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (21-6)
Aaron Simpson (12-3) vs. Mike Pierce (14-5)
Michael Johnson (11-6) vs. Danny Castillo (14-4)
Shane Roller (11-6) vs. Jacob Volkmann (14-3)
Dennis Hallman (51-14-2) vs. Thiago Tavares (17-4-1)
Diego Nunes (17-3) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-15)
Dantas, Daley, Ford Tapped for Bellator 79 in Ontario
After hosting a collection of the most memorable and jaw dropping moments in Bellator history, Bellator Fighting Championships is returning to Casino Rama on November 2 for Bellator 79 LIVE on MTV2, The Score in Canada and in commercial free HD on EPIX beginning at 8 p.m. EST. Doors open at 6pm EST, with the event also being broadcast on mun2 in Spanish language, as well as streamed on Spike.com.
“From Michael Chandler’s vicious knockout of MMA legend Akihiro Gono to Douglas Lima’s brutal finish over Ben Saunders, we’ve seen some tremendous fights at Casino Rama, and I expect the same on November 2,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Our fans in Ontario have always been top notch, and they are for another great night with names like Eduardo Dantas, Paul Daley and Ryan ‘The Real Deal’ Ford.”
Known as one of the greatest bantamweights in MMA, Eduardo Dantas burst onto the MMA scene in 2011 with three impressive victories to capture the Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament crown, and guarantee his shot against then Bellator Champion Zach Makovsky. With momentum clearly on his side, Dantas was in complete control and eventually secured a second round submission victory over Makovsky to become Bellator’s youngest champion. Only 23, Dantas is ready to defend his title at Bellator 79 on November 2.
After making quick work of Rudy “Bad News” Bears at Bellator 72, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley will return to the Bellator cage in welterweight action. Known across the MMA landscape as one of the hardest hitters in the sport, “Semtex” will be eyeing another victory as he prepares for his first Welterweight Tournament appearance in early 2013 on Spike.
With one of the largest fan bases in all of Canada, Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford is ready to collect another Bellator win as he re-enters the Bellator cage at Casino Rama. Ford made his Bellator debut at Casino Rama earlier in 2012, defeating 53-8 Luis Santos in dominating fashion. Ford had the Ontario faithful on its feet, and the Tristar Gym product will be looking for the same November 2.
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy – Fight Card Update
Gilbert Melendez, Strikeforce lightweight champion and one of mixed martial arts’ top pound-for-pound fighters, will make his next title defense against veteran and red-hot number one contender Pat Healy, when Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy comes to Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, Sept. 29th.
“There’s no doubt that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he’s facing a tough test when he defends the Strikeforce lightweight title against Pat Healy in Sacramento,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. “Pat has been around the sport a long time and has put together an impressive winning streak. This is the biggest fight of his life and he doesn’t want to waste this opportunity.”
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy
September 29, 2012
Power Balance Pavilion
Sacramento, California
Main Card (Showime):
Gilbert Melendez (21-2) vs. Pat Healy (28-16) – Strikeforce lightweight title
Guto Inocente (6-0) vs. Gian Villante (10-3)
Josh Thomson (19-5) vs. Caros Fodor (7-2)
Mike Kyle (19-8-1) vs. Dion Staring (28-7)
Isaac Valli-Flagg (13-3-1) vs. Adriano Martins (23-6)
Preliminary Card (Showtime Extreme):
Jorge Santiago (25-10) vs. Quinn Mulhern (18-2)
K-1 and SPIKE TV Agree To Multi-Platform Partnership Deal
Spike TV and K-1, the world’s premier kickboxing organization; have agreed to a strategic partnership that will begin this fall with live fights streamed on Spike.com beginning Saturday, September 8 at the U.S. World Grand Prix Championships in Los Angeles. There will be a total of four events that will be streamed live in 2012. In 2013, the K-1 events will move from Spike.com to Spike TV to coincide with the network’s extensive coverage of Bellator Fighting Championships.
“We are thrilled to be in business with the world’s preeminent kickboxing organization,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multiplatform Events, Spike TV. “Spike has the most passionate and knowledgeable fans of combat sports and we are confident that they will enjoy the high-action of K-1, which serves as the perfect complement to our Bellator coverage next year.”
“K-1 is excited to join forces with Spike TV, a powerful and highly experienced cable network known nationally for its combat sports programming, presenting our live K-1 events,” said Doug Kaplan, CEO, K-1. “Spike is the perfect television home and stage to introduce our K-1 warriors and the fast-paced, aggressive style of K-1 fighting to fight fans across America.”
Spike.com’s 2012 coverage will include unprecedented access to K-1 events, from live streaming of the weigh-ins the day before the bouts, to locker room interviews, to live coverage of every fight on the card, including all the prelims.
The four K-1 events in 2012 include:
September 8 – Los Angeles – U.S. Grand Prix Championship
October 14 – Tokyo, Japan – World Grand Prix Final
December 8 – Athens, Greece – MAX Final
December 26 – New York – World Grand Prix Final
The addition of K-1 to Spike TV’s lineup next year further establishes the network as the premier television destination for combat sports. Spike TV will debut Bellator Fighting Championships in January 2013 with a weekly live fight card featuring some of the best rising stars in the mixed martial arts world.
Guram vs. Garner III at M-1 Challenge tournament in St. Petersburg
Third battle between Georgian wrestler Guram Gugenishvili and American knockout puncher Kenny Garner will take place in St. Petersburg on November 15th. The score is even at the moment. Their first fight happened in October 2010: Kenny looked good from the start and probably won the first round only to get caught in a guillotine choke in the second round. This victory made Georgian the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion in history and few months later he successfully defended his belt against tough Russian striker Maxim Grishin.
Garner lost the battle, but he wasn’t going to lose the war. Five stoppage victories in the row, including the wins against Russian heavyweight prospects Grishin and Magomed Malikov made him M-1 interim heavyweight champion, so the second fight with Guram was only matter of time. The second fight took place in June 2012 in St. Peterburg. This time Garner was in the better shape than him opponent, so after three rounds of heavyweight war the doctor was forced to stop the contest and declare Kenny as the winner and new M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion.
This time Guram is going to fix the mistakes he made in June and be in his best shape to take the belt back, but it’s obvious that Garner has different opinion about the outcome of their third match. Whose hand will be raised after the last fight of their trilogy? You will find it out on November 15th in St. Peterburg!
UFC 153: Aldo vs. Koch – Fight Card Update
Heavyweight Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga, a native Brazilian who now lives and trains in Western Massachusetts, will return to his homeland to welcome knockout artist Geronimo “Mondragon” dos Santos to the UFC
TUF Brasil’s Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo, who competed on the show at middleweight, returns to his natural weight class of 155 pounds to take on Gleison Tibau, a UFC veteran who will enter the Octagon for the 17th time in October. Plus Luiz “Banha” Cane will get a second chance to score a UFC win in Rio as he meets TUF 11’s Chris Camozzi at middleweight.
UFC 153: Aldo vs. Koch
October 13, 2012
HSBC Arena
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Main Card (PPV):
Jose Aldo (21-1) vs. Erik Koch (13-1) – UFC featherweight title
Quinton Jackson (32-10) vs. Glover Teixeira (18-2)
Jon Fitch (23-4) vs. Erick Silva (14-2)
Phil Davis (9-1) vs. Wagner Prado (8-0)
Demian Maia (16-4) vs. Rick Story (14-5)
Preliminary Card:
Rony Jason (11-3) vs. Sam Sicilia (9-0)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Geronimo Dos Santos (31-14)
Diego Brandao (14-8) vs. Joey Gambino (9-1)
Francisco Trinaldo (11-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (25-8)
Sergio Moraes (6-2) vs. Renee Forte (7-1)
Luiz Cane (12-4) vs. Chris Camozzi (17-5)
Cristiano Marcello (12-4) vs. Reza Madadi (12-2)
UFC legends Royce Gracie, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz gather around the Roundtable to give some love to the lightweights
From the PunchDrunkGamer Forums:
* K-1 has not paid Braddock Silva for his fight against Badr Hari
* Bellator 73 – Information, Event Coverage & Results!
* Miguel Torres cut by UFC – Headed to Titan FC
* CES MMA “Real Pain” – Card Updates
* Frankie Edgar moves to Featherweight
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