UFC Press Conference on July 31 st , Espn TV Deal ? UFC Buys Affliction ?

UFC to hold press conference on July 31 to announce "a lot of crazy things"

The UFC is on the verge of some major announcements.During a guest spot today on the ESPN 1100 Radiothon, a 24-hour fundraiser for The Caring Place cancer charity, UFC president Dana White said the organization will soon hold a major press conference, tentatively planned for July 31.He referenced the media event when asked about reports of Affliction halting operations and becoming a UFC sponsor, the possibility of the UFC acquiring Affliction contracts, whether or not Fedor Emelianenko could be signed to the UFC, and whether a rumored deal with ESPN could come to fruition."We're working on some big things," White said without going into specifics. "It's going to be a lot of crazy things. … There will be a laundry list of things addressed."On the show, White also confirmed that ESPN executive John Skipper, widely regarded as the "No. 2 guy" at the sports-media powerhouse, was in attendance at UFC 100.Sources have told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of ESPN airing live UFC shows at some point, though nothing appears definitive and official confirmation has been impossible to get. On the radio spot, White simply referred to the increased coverage ESPN can bring to its existing events, which air on pay-per-view and Spike TV."He got it," White said of Skipper's UFC 100 trip. "He saw the people. He saw the energy. All the things you get from the UFC live event, he felt, and that's why we're starting to get more coverage on ESPN."As for Emelianenko, who was slated to fight at the Aug. 1 "Affliction: Trilogy" event before its cancellation earlier today, White said he's definitely interested in the fighter."My job is to put on the best fights with the best fighters and give fight fans the fights they want to see," White said. "What I think … doesn't matter. I've been trying to get this guy in the UFC. I want it because you (fans) want it."Additionally, if Emelianenko is signed, expect him in a championship bout immediately."He'll fight for the title first," White said.Finally, as for Affliction, White remained tight-lipped and wouldn't confirm today's earlier report that the UFC would again allow the company to sponsor fighters (with the organization ceasing the promotion of MMA events).However, he dropped a big hint."These guys are good at making clothes," he said. "They're not in the fight business. We are."

Affication sells out and joins UFC ?

After promoting two critically acclaimed but financially disastrous mixed martial arts cards, Affliction on Friday first canceled its pay-per-view card scheduled for Aug. 1 and then opted to get out of the promotional business.
Affliction released a statement Friday evening in which it announced “a collaboration with the UFC.” It confirmed that it will cease operations as a fight promoter and that its clothing division will become a UFC sponsor.
“Our brand is synonymous with the ‘Live Fast’ approach to life and UFC is the perfect venue for us to market our brand. We have come to an agreement with the UFC which we feel will be the best for the sport and will help the UFC continue delivering the highest caliber of fights.” said Eric Foss, co-founder of Affliction.
Affliction had a card slated for Aug. 1 with a main event of Fedor Emelianenko, the No. 2 fighter in the Yahoo! Sports mixed martial arts rankings, against former UFC champion Josh Barnett at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
But Barnett tested positive for an anabolic steroid and on Tuesday was denied a license to fight by the California State Athletic Commission.
That left Affliction scrambling to find a replacement for Emelianenko. With no viable alternatives – the best was former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, who was already down to 195 pounds for a scheduled middleweight fight – Affliction early Friday opted to scrap the show.
Later in the day, Affliction came to terms on a deal with the UFC in which it would quit promoting fight cards. The UFC is likely to absorb the contracts of all Affliction fighters except Emelianenko.
Emelianenko’s contractual status is not known, though UFC president Dana White said Friday he is trying to negotiate a deal with the Russian.
Multiple sources had indicated to Yahoo! Sports that Affliction was on the verge of a deal with Strikeforce for some sort of merger, but that fell apart in the last 24-48 hours. That’s when talks began anew between White and Affliction. They had spoken earlier in July about such a scenario, but were unable to come to a deal

Affliction 2:Watch Fedor vs. Arlovski Knock Out Video And More !

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The legend of Fedor Emelianenko added another chapter Saturday night at the Honda Center.
And for the third time in his career, he appeared in trouble. And for the third time, just seconds later, he was the winner.
Emelianenko stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in 3:14 of Round 1 to retain his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title in the main event of Affliction: Day of Reckoning.
Arlovski had just connected with a push kick to the chest that backed Emelianenko into the corner. Arlovski went in for one of his bread-and-butter moves, the flying knee, and while Arlovski was in mid-air, Emelianenko threw an overhand right. Arlovski went down like he was shot.
“I knew that Arlovski was prone to make a mistake and I saw the opportunity and I capitalized on it,” said Emelianenko (29-1, 1 no-contest) through an interpreter after the fight.
Arlovski’s superior boxing technique gave him a slight advantage in the three minutes of the fight, up until his mistake.
“I read what he said in a Russian newspaper about this not being a boxing match, but being an MMA match, and I guess he was right,” said Arlovski, who felt he was controlling the fight until throwing the knee.
Emelianenko downplayed Arlovski’s early advantage or that he was really hurt by the push kick that knocked him backward.
“No, not really. I didn’t get hurt at all,” he said. “Andre’s punches were mostly glancing blows. They didn’t hit me on the button and I didn’t feel them too much.”
Emelianenko had two prior fights where it appeared he was in serious trouble. One, against Kazuyuki Fujita, saw him seriously stunned by a punch, but he recovered and quickly choked Fujita out. Another, against Kevin Randleman, saw him picked up and suplexed on the back of his head, but he got right up from the fall and submitted Randleman seconds later.
But Arlovski believed Emelianenko was vulnerable.
“I let myself down and I let my trainers down,” he said. “They gave me a game plan and I don’t know why I didn’t follow the game plan and threw the flying knee.”
For the second time, Affliction Entertainment proved to be able to put on a strong live show and drew an announced crowd of 13,228, only slightly down from its packed first show in July in the same venue.
But with a huge payroll for the event, reported by MMAWeekly.com at $3.3 million, the question remains whether the company is in it for the long haul. Getting that many fans to the Honda Center was a huge success considering there were another 20,000-plus fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito boxing match. But success or failure depends more on pay-per-view numbers, which Affliction vice president Tom Atencio wouldn’t discuss.
The first event did about 100,000 buys, which was the best number for a non-UFC MMA event in history, but a major money loser for an event Atencio had previously said would need 250,000 buys to break even.
No date or place was announced for a third show, with Atencio only estimating in about four months and that they would have to sit down with their partners, M-1 Global, the company that represents Emelianenko, The Trump Organization and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on Monday to start to work on it.
De La Hoya praised the show as the best MMA event he had seen and emphasized what more in the arena came away with: that Emelianenko is every bit what he’s cracked up to be with his tag as the new “baddest man on the planet.”
“This is not a short-term relationship,” he said, giving the impression he was impressed by the prospects of a new sport for his company. “This is going to be a long-term relationship.”
Atencio said he was working on Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett for the main event on the next show. Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel in a third-round stoppage in the show’s semifinal match.
“I always said that the Fedor-Arlovski winner would face the Barnett-Yvel winner,” said Atencio. “That’s a fight I would like to see and it’s a fight the fans, especially in Japan [where Emelianenko and Barnett have fought primarily the past several years] would like to see.”
Barnett (24-5) would be Emelianenko’s last top level non-UFC heavyweight challenge. Barnett controlled Yvel (35-13-1) on the ground for most of their fight. He damaged the left side of Yvel’s face with punches and elbows before Yvel tapped out at 3:05 of the final round.
But neither participant seemed thrilled about the prospect of the match, even though both said they were open to do it.
When asked if he wanted to fight Barnett next, Emelianenko said, “No, he’s my friend.”
“I don’t care about rankings and belts,” said Barnett. “I just want to fight and beat the hell out of my opponent or give an exciting performance.”
Barnett said he had a lot on his mind going into the fight, as his boxing coach, Oscar Muniz, was involved in a serious auto accident Friday and in intensive care. He also noted that he was good friends with Justin Levens, the fighter who is believed to have died along with his wife last month in what police termed a possible murder-suicide.
Barnett, whose face was a mass of cuts and bruises from Yvel mostly punching upward while on his back, felt disappointed with his performance.
“It was a game plan to wear him down over the fight,” he said. “But the game plan was to finish him right away. I thought they were going to stop the fight in the first. I’m not happy about my performance. I couldn’t get the submission.”


Like Mike Tyson, Fedor Emelianenko hits with fists of iron
Fedor Emelianenko attends the news conference promoting his mixed martial arts fight.
The Russian mixed martial arts star brings the same assassin's mentality to his work as Tyson in his prime.

Ghost of Mike Tyson's past, make room for Fedor.Many have said that the cold-blooded Tyson we knew in his days of real damage had nothing on today's mixed martial arts dynamo, Fedor Emelianenko. Saturday night at the Honda Center, the burly Russian with the assassin's gaze underscored this view with a coldcock right hand for the ages, a punch that knocked out Andrei Arlovski, dropping the challenger like a bag of stones tossed from a bridge.The blow came toward the end of a tense first round. For much of that round, the two men measured each other and grappled while standing on the ropes. Then, for a few moments, Arlovski pressed the action.With Emelianenko, who goes by Fedor, backed into his own corner, Arlovski went airborne with a flying kick. Seeing an opening, Fedor let loose with a right hand that caught Arlovski's bearded face flush. Knockout.From the amped crowd came a percussive roar. Meantime, with the Belorussian challenger flat on his back, Fedor was expressionless. Just as Tyson would have in the late '80s, he seemed completely unfazed as he surveyed the damage, even as he was mobbed in the ring by his supporters and a beaming Donald Trump."I knew Arlovski was prone to making mistakes," Fedor said through an interpreter, speaking in his typical simple, matter-of-fact way. Arlovski presented an opening, and "at that moment, I caught him."You really don't expect that [a knockout] is going to happen, but it did happen."For his part, Arlovski, in his thickly accented English, explained the knockout as brought on by a momentary slip. "I tried to do something flashy and I am really upset with myself. . . . I don't know why I changed my tactic and did flying knee."By winning this fight, Fedor defended his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title and put a chokehold on his reputation as the best, most feared man in the still-growing sport. He came to Anaheim following a thorough demolition of Tim Sylvia, one of the MMA's most dominant fighters. Arlovski was expected to provide a tough test. He had little chance."I didn't really think I was in any danger," said Fedor, who lives in Ukraine. "Now," he said, "I just want to go home."Simple, pure, foreboding.Fedor versus Arlovski was not the only fight on the card. There were 11 others, and it was like watching 11 car crashes. But through it all, the stands buzzed with more energy than you'll find in 11 1-0 Dodgers wins. This was sort of like a Lakers game, but with more anger, fewer silicon injections, an even younger vibe and far more muscled-up dudes in the stands who looked like they would drop you in a flash if you laid an eye on their girlfriend.Full disclosure: This was the first time I've watched MMA live. All night, watching blood fly, I felt accosted by two opposing sides of my psyche.There was the peaceful part of me that thinks we should not give too much glory to this kind of brutality. And there was the side that burns with anger and won't compromise and likes blood -- face it, all of us have it. Saturday night, the angry side won.All evening, a rush of adrenaline pushed through my veins. What a show. The stands rocked and heavy metal, hip-hop and flashing strobes filled the air. It was gaudy, the way all sports that are not played in country clubs are these days. But there was also a nice minimalism, too. Hardly anything in the way of equipment: no shoes, no socks, only shorts and tiny, four-ounce gloves that don't cover the fingers. And from the fighters, a mental minimalism: What is either complete "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" nuttiness or utter bravery. No in-between. No extra fluff. Nice.How do I feel about this sport now? I'm still skeptical, maybe not all the way there yet.But after watching the guts, the coldly delivered moves and barely controlled chaos, and watching a stunningly powerful fighter like Fedor -- tough and simple as Tyson as he left a post-fight news conference with a quiet, assassin's smile and a simple "I want to go home" -- you can now count me as an MMA fan.After the fight, "I really didn't think I would knock him out but it happened. You don't expect it to happen but it did... I had a feeling he was going to make a mistake and I was waiting to capitalize."Emelianenko, who improved his professional MMA record to 29-1, is expected to fight.
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Top 10 MMA Fighters ( Ranking )

By D. Doyle,

The first month of a two-month span in which most of the best fighters in the world compete is complete. They may as well have been grappling for position in the rankings, given all the comings and goings. To wit:
• Rashad Evans enters the poll at No. 6 following his impressive win over Forrest Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight title on Dec. 27. Evans never seemed to get his due on his way up, perhaps because he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first two marquee matches – a draw against Tito Ortiz and a split decision over Michael Bisping. Since then, though, Evans has come into his own, with a versatile approach that includes one of the most effective counter-striking games in the sport.
• From the “wow, tough crowd” file: Griffin fell out of the Top 10, finishing 11th. This is still the same guy who finished Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson back to back, and won the first two rounds against Evans before losing to his unbeaten foe in the third.

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fell out of the Top 10 after his listless loss to Frank Mir at UFC 92. Never say never, but it looks like Big Nog’s UFC interim title reign could have been the legendary heavyweight’s swan song at the top. Mir, for his part, showed up in the “votes for others” category with five points, five behind the man he beat in February, Brock Lesnar.
• Welterweight Thiago Alves, who finished 11th last month, eased into the 10 spot without fighting.
Alves, of course, is expected to meet the winner of the Jan. 31 megafight between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. The match between No. 4 Penn and No. 3 St. Pierre highlights a month that also includes No. 2 Fedor Emelianenko against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski, No. 7 Lyoto Machida vs. unbeaten Thiago Silva, and No. 9 Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver.

Note: This month’s poll was compiled before Shinya Aoki’s win over Eddie Alvarez in Japan on Dec. 31 and thus the poll does not reflect the result.

10. Thiago Alves
Points: 19
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight
Hometown: Fortzleza, Brazil
Record: 16 (won last seven)
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Recent results: def. Josh Koscehck, unanimous decision, Oct. 25
Analysis: Seven straight victories and the most complete Muay Thai game this side of Anderson Silva makes Alves a dangerous foe for the fighter who comes out of the Georges St. Pierre-B.J. Penn match with welterweight gold.
9. Urijah Faber
Points: 24
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Featherweight
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 21-2 (lost last one)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: lost to Mike Brown, R1 TKO, Nov. 10
Analysis: Faber faces Jens Pulver on Jan. 25 in a rematch with little upside. The former featherweight champ already handled Pulver in their June meeting. A loss or poor showing against Pulver, who has lost four of his past five matches, will only serve to drop his stock.
8. Lyoto Machida
Points: 28
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Belem, Brazil
Record: 13-0
Last month’s ranking: 10
Most recent results: def. Tito Ortiz, unanimous decision, May 24
Analysis: Machida might not be the biggest ticket seller, but an impressive win over fellow unbeaten Thiago Silva in January will make it very hard to deny “The Dragon” a light heavyweight title shot.
7. Quinton Jackson
Points: 47
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Record: 29-7 (won last one)
Last month’s ranking: 9
Most recent result: def. Wanderlei Silva, KO R1, Dec. 27
Analysis: Just to review, “Rampage” has won seven of his past eight fights; beaten the likes of Matt Lindland, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva; and his only loss in that span was a coin flip of a decision against Forrest Griffin. Jackson’s résumé over the past three years holds up against everyone ranked ahead of him.
6. Rashad Evans
Points:59
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC light heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Lansing, Mich.
Record: 13-0-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Most recent result: def. Forrest Griffin, R3 TKO, Dec. 27
Analysis: Evans was doubted by fans and media alike throughout his rise to the top. But the tremendous counter-striker, whose success may be the biggest testament to Greg Jackson’s training style, has both the gold and the last laugh.
5. Miguel Angel Torres
Points:98
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: East Chicago, Ind.
Record: 35-1 (won past 16)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Most recent result: def. Manny Tapia, TKO R2, Dec. 3
Analysis: How good is Torres? He beat Tapia using just his standup – Tapia’s strength – simply to prove he could. Word on the street has Torres’ next title defense, against Brian Bowles, taking place in Chicago in the spring.
4. B.J. Penn
Points: 128 (one first-place vote)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
Record: 13-4-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: def. Sean Sherk, R3 TKO, May 24
Analysis: The Jan. 31 megafight between Penn and St. Pierre marks just the second time two top-five fighters have met since the Y! poll began. The first was in September 2007, when then-No. 4 Jackson defeated then-No. 3 Dan Henderson.
3. Georges St. Pierre
Points: 133
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight (UFC welterweight champion)
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 17-2 (won past four)
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: def. Jon Fitch, unanimous decision, Aug. 9
Analysis: When St. Pierre and Penn met last at UFC 59, Penn tagged GSP early and won the first round, forcing St. Pierre to rally. The welterweight champ has rarely allowed himself to be put in such a position since.
2. Fedor Emelianenko
Points: 135 (4 first-place votes)
Affiliation: Affliction/M-1 (WAMMA heavyweight champion)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Record: 28-1, one no-contest (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: def. Tim Sylvia, R1 submission, July 19
Analysis: After losing in the world sambo championships a couple months back, Emelianenko decided to skip the media hype for his upcoming match so he could regain his focus. That could be very bad news for Andrei Arlovski come Jan. 24.
1. Anderson Silva
Points: 154 (11 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 23-4 (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: def. Patrick Cote, R3 TKO, Oct. 25
Analysis: Silva is at his motivated best when he’s challenged by elite competition. Thales Leites, his rumored next foe, doesn’t quite fit the bill.
More

• Votes for others: Forrest Griffin 15; Brock Lesnar 10; Eddie Alvarez 6; Frank Mir, Dan Henderson 5; Shinya Aoki 4; Mike Brown, Carlos Condit 3; Jon Fitch, Andrei Arlovski 2; Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 1

• Upcoming matches for ranked fighters: No. 2 Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski, Jan. 24, Anaheim; No. 3 Georges St. Pierre vs. No. 4 B.J. Penn, Jan. 31, Las Vegas; No. 7 Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva, Jan. 31, Las Vegas; No. 9 Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver, Jan. 25, San Diego.

Big Knock Outs For UFC 92

Dramatic UFC wins for Rashad Evans, Frank Mir and Rampage Jackson
A dramatic title-changing night in Las Vegas at UFC92, with triumphant returns for Frank Mir against the odds, Rashad Evans continuing his rise to usurp the light-heavyweight title, and for Quinton Jackson, sweet revenge over his nemesis Wanderlei Silva.

By G. davis

Another one bites the dust: Frank Mir delivers the final blows to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during the second round of their UFC fight.

Rashad Evans packs a right to Forrest Griffin during their UFC light heavyweight fight.
UFC’s end in 2008 sets up an intriguing plot for 2009. The re-match between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar for the outright claim to the heavyweight title, ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s full rehabilitation, and the rise and rise of ‘Sugar’ Rashad.
Evans versus Anderson Silva for the light-heavyweight title could be a potential classic encounter, for example, in 2009. Or, indeed, Evans v Jackson. Mir against Lesnar, the return, sells itself. The three mainline contests saw three dramatic stoppages, by KO and TKOs. This was thrilling fare in front of a sell-out MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Between the lines, moreover, two of those three victories represented significant notches for the Wolfslair Academy, the UK training base in Widnes, of Michael Bisping - and now ‘Rampage’ Jackson. With Rashad Evans continuing his rise to become UFC light-heavyweight champion with a third round TKO of Forrest Griffin, Bisping’s split points decision loss to the American 13 months ago augments his case as a title challenger, and even more so at middleweight.
There was another Wolfslair success, indeed, at heavyweight, with Frenchman Cheick Kongo, also based at the Widnes Academy, defeating Mostapha Al Turk in emphatic style. Kongo, 6ft 4ins tall and 240 lbs, a former professional kickboxer, dominated with knees and elbows in the first period, putting Mostapha down with a left-right followed by a ground and pound elbow assault which opened up a gash in the UFC debutant’s forehead.
Several hammer fists later saw the fight’s stoppage at 4 mins 37 secs of round 1. This was only a sign of fights to come. Ultimate 2008 was a night of stand-up, of dramatic action, of punches and strikes.
Jackson, promising to avenge his two previous defeats to the Brazilian Silva, fought cannily, and on his feet, not rushing the action. He meant business, KO-ing Silva with a left hook flush on the chin, in what had been a cagey, rather than frenetic first round. Jackson looks so much more dangerous when he is measured in his approach. He ended the proceedings clinically here with a flush left hook, the fight stopped 3 mins 21 seconds into the opening period.
“I went to the Wolfslair, got my wolf on, I moved my training camp there, and I want to give thanks to them,” said Jackson. Will he be back for the light heavyweight title ? “That’s up to the UFC to decide.” On this evidence, the new Jackson with his self-belief restored will not be too long in getting that call up.
The upset of the night, but one which I had predicted might happen, was Frank Mir stopping Antonio Nogueira by TKO for the interim heavyweight title. Mir fought as close to a perfect fight as he could have, came in great shape, won the stand up, and showed that Nogueira’s many wars may have taken their toll. Mir stopped the Brazilian, the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history, for the first time in his career.
“I faced my mythological monster in there. I have never been as frightened as I walked into the Octagon,” said Mir, who put Nogueira thrice on his backside with clinical strikes. “I faced emotional demons after my [motorbike] crash and I’ve come back to defeat the greatest heavyweight in the UFC. People say you can’t do things, but if I was a betting man I would not have been on Mir’s side. But I proved that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve great things.”
After dominating the first round in the stand up, Mir put Nogueira down with a left hook in the second period before a ground and pound assault took him to victory.
Lesnar awaits. Mir can beat him again.
The main event of UFC 92 produced a phenomenal finish by Rashad Evans against Forrest Griffin, who lifted the UFC light-heavyweight title, to become the third holder of the belt in 2008.
Evans improves his all-round game exponentially with every contest. Again in a stand up fight until the final few dramatic seconds, Evans overcame significant height and reach advantages enjoyed by Griffin, to win with a ground and pound finish in round three of the championship contest. Evans has become a devastating finisher. I must eat my words on this - I underestimated Evans, again.
While Griffin won the first and second rounds (which resembled a kickboxing bout) outscoring Evans with leg kicks, one of them punishing to the body, and jabs, Rashad had some success with his fast hands. In the third, keeping his distance, Evans showed again how he can produce a sudden finish – as he did against Chuck Liddell – nullifying the first two rounds’ deficit.
After catching a kick to his body, Evans dropped Griffin with a right hand, then launched into the champion with a ground and pound attack after Griffin attempted to take his guard. Stunned, Griffin’s defence was ineffective. Griffin looked out before the referee came between the two warriors.
A dozen devastating punches proved exactly why Evans can now be considered one of the most lethal finishers in the division.

My thoughts on what needs to come after tonight ...Rashad Evans vs Rampage has to happen and would draw in HUGE PPV numbers. I thought Rampage beat Griffin and he should certainly get a shot after that KO against Wanderlei SIlva.Obviously Mir and Lesnar are going to fight to unify the heavyweight championship belt. After tonight and after watching the Lesnar fight against Randy there is no way I would bet against Mir or lesnar in those fights. both men are on a mission at this point.Maybe we also need to see Big Nog fight Randy Couture with the winner being next in line to fight the unified champion. Just a thought. These two really need to fight although I have serious doubts about both of their longevitity in the sport after their last two devistating losses. In all honesty Randy looked much better in his loss than Big Nog.Either the winner of Dan Henderson vs Rich Franklin and Machida vs Thiago Silva should get the winner of Rampage vs Evans. I think we will probably see Evans vs Rampage or the winner of Hendo vs Ace fight Evans next because those are big name fighters unlike Machida and Thiago Silva.Maybe we see Shogun Rua fighting the winner of Machida and Thiago Silva if he can get past Mark Coleman (which he should). If Shogun looses this fight all his pride luster is completely gone. It was pretty much gone after he lost to Forrest Griffin but hardcore fans still remember his performances. I'm also really looking forward to the Fedor and Arlovski fight as that is in my mind the fight for the best heavyweight fighter on the planet. One more thing ...We all know how Dana loves these champion vs champion fights. Maybe just maybe we see Anderson Silva fight Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title. That would be just as sick as the GSP vs BJ Penn fight. Knowing BJ Penn's history (moving upt to heavyweight to fight Machida) he would probably want to move up to middleweight and fight Anderson Silva if he beats GSP. Maybe we could see GSP move up in weight. I don't think we have seen the end of these champion vs champion superfights this year for the UFC.

UFC 92 Results

Ryo Chonan vs. Brad BlackburnRound 1Blackburn walks into the Octagon to the perfectly suited "Bad" from Michael Jackson. No moon walk is performed, unfortunately. They exchange kicks to the body. Good combos from Blackburn early; punches and kicks. Loopy left hook glances Chonan's head. Short left hook from Chonan inside. Not much action. Chonan misses a flying knee and falls onto his back. He springs back up. Blackburn with good leg kick, right cross combo. And another. Chonan is pushing the pace but Blackburn is more active. Close round. 10-9 Blackburn. Round 2Chonan starts the second round with a head kick but it’s blocked. Chonan slips as he's punched as he falls onto his back. Blackburn pounces. Chonan is let back up after no damage is inflicted. Hard right- and left-handed punches score for Blackburn. Blackburn shoots for a takedown but it’s stuffed. The pace slows considerably. Hard kick to Blackburn's ribs. A leg kick connects for Chonan. And another. The close round goes to Blackburn, 10-9. Round 3Left kick to Blackburn's ribs. And another. Blackburn continues to back away to his left. Very little action. Chonan throws a head kick and it’s blocked. And two more, all of which are blocked. Chonan is starting to look desperate. Blackburn is not taking any chances. The crowd is getting restless. Chonan catches a leg but he can't sweep for the takedown. A hard right uppercut rocks Blackburn with 40 seconds left. Blackburn is retreating. A big straight right by Chonan followed by another uppercut. The third frame is all Chonan, 10-9. All three official judges score the contest 29-28 for Brad Blackburn.

Matt Hamill vs. Reese AndyRound 1The fighters trade punches but nothing clean lands. Hamill dumps Andy onto his back. Andy gets up. Left head kick by Hamill but it’s blocked. Good left kick to body from Andy. Andy tries a takedown but is stuffed and caught in a loose guillotine. Hamill lets it go. Left jab by Andy. Gash opens under Hamill's right eye. Very little action. Looping right hand by Andy near bell. 10-9 Hamill. Round 2There's a mouse under Andy’s left eye. Good right hand by hamill. A left and right by Hamill. A hard right knee in the clinch from Hamill. Andy is in trouble. Hamill unloads a furious barrage of punches and another knee. Andy takes another knee and falls. Hamill pounces along the fencing, teeing off with punches. Dozens of punches rain down though most are blocked. Hamill takes his opponent’s back and unloads again. Referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in to halt the bout at the 2:19 mark of round two.

Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike WesselRound 1Wessell comes right at Hardonk and pushes him to the floor. Wessell pounces but is sucked into Hardonk's guard. Hardonk secures an armbar. Wessell escapes and scrambles to his feet. They clinch along fence. A series of knees from Hardonk land. Wessell looks tired already. More knees to body and head from Hardonk. Wessell desperately looks for a takedown. Hardonk pulls guard. The action slows considerably and the crowd is booing. Hardonk just misses another armbar. He goes high with his hips in search of a triangle, but the round ends. 10-9 Hardonk. Round 2Wessell scores a quick takedown. Hardonk is playing a high offensive guard. Hardonk sneaks out the back door and takes his opponent’s back. He's softening him up with punches. Wessell turtles to avoid the rear-naked choke. Wessell rolls over but is stuck, fully mounted. Hardonk tees off with punches. Wessell rolls back over and eats more punches. Yves Lavigne saves him at 2:09 of the second.

Yushin Okami vs. Dean ListerRound 1Lister enters the cage sporting a pre-fight black eye. Lister misses badly with a wild right hook. Lister tries a single-leg, but it is stuffed. Lister is able to pull guard but he can't keep Okami down. Okami lets him up. Okami is dragged to the ground after another single leg. Okami gets back up. A hard left hand by Okami connects. And another. Lister wants the fight down and pulls guard. Lister rolls to rubber guard but nothing unfolds. Okami’s round, 10-9. Round 2Head kick by Lister misses and Okami is pinned against the fence. They separate. Left hand by Okami lands. A takedown by Lister is stuffed. Lister lays on his back to try and lure Okami into his guard. The crowd boos. He does it again. More boos. They're up and clinch along fence. Lister pulls guard. Lister applies an omaplata but Okami escapes. Okami lands three hard punches from on top. Lister scrambles out of danger. He tries to pull guard again. Three more hard right hands from Okami connect. The round ends as the arena showers the Octagon with boos. 10-9 Okami. Round 3Lister comes out firing, but misses wildly. Lister is trying more takedowns but his shots are telegraphed. Lister tries pulling guard again. Finally he successfully pulls guard, but Okami lands two more right hands. Very tedious fight to watch. The crowd is restless and are begging Referee Herb Dean to stand the fighters. Okami lands a decent right and left. Lister is unable to pull any submissions. Dean stands them. Lister misses badly with looping punches. Lister tries another single leg. It’s stuffed. 10 seconds left and the crowd boos. 10-9 Okami. All three official judges see the bout 30-27 for Yushin Okami.

Cheick Kongo vs. Mustapha al Turk Round 1The fighters exchange jabs to kickoff the heavyweight contest. Kongo catches an al Turk kick and trips him to the canvas. Al Turk drops levels for a takedown, but Kongo defends it well with underhooks. Al Turk switches to a double-leg attempt and then gives it up. The fighters clinch against the fencing and Kongo delivers a knee to the body. Al Turk fires back with a knee, but it’s low. Referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in to give Kongo, who absorbed the strike on his groin protector, a reprieve. Action is resumed and al Turk drops for a single-leg takedown. Kongo stuffs it and blasts al Turk with a knee that lands south of the border. Al Turk is given time to recover. Mazzagatti gathers the fighters and tells them to keep it clean. Kongo drops al Turk with two right hands. Kongo pounces with elbows and punches, opening up a huge gash over the right eye. Referee Steve Mazzagatti finally saves al Turk after a savage beating at 4:37 of the first. The stoppage should have come quicker. The gash is about as bad as anything you’ll see in MMA. Starting from above the eye, it follows a jagged path well into the hairline.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton JacksonWanderlei Silva enters the Octagon to the sounds of Darude’s“Sandstorm,” the theme he used for years in the Pride fighting championships. Quinton Jackson follows as WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres snaps a picture with his cellphone as “Rampage” passes. Round 1Jackson storms forward and takes the center of the cage. Jackson lands a left straight and a right hand. Silva loads up on a right hand that is blocked by Jackson’s left glove. Silva goes to work on Jackson’s lead leg with a low kick. “Rampage” drops down for a takedown, but Silva is game. He sprawls on it and lands two low kicks. Jackson catches a low kick attempt but loses his balance trying to take the Brazilian down. Jackson knocks Silva out cold with a left hook counter punch. Jackson unnecessarily nailed his fallen foe with three right hands to the face as referee Yves Lavigne pulled him off at the 3:21 mark of round one. Silva lay with his legs quivering for several tense moments, but appeared to be OK as he left the cage under his own power.

CB Dollaway vs. Mike MassenzioRound 1Dollaway attacks Massenzio’s body with a kick. Massenzio, whose left knee is heavily bandaged, appears to be slow in his movement around the Ocatgon. Massenzio hurts Dollaway with a right hand. Dollaway is hurt and is forced to fend off a tight guillotine choke. Dollaway escapes and then has to defend a Massenzio triangle choke attempt. Dollaway gets out of danger and moves to side control. To mount goes Dollaway. He punches the head, forcing Massenzio to give up his back. Dollaway flattens out Massenzio and cracks the head with both hands until referee Yves Lavigne steps in at 3:01 of the opening frame.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank MirRound 1Mir fires a head kick that misses. Mir goes to the inside of Nogueira’s front leg with a low kick. Mir is picking Nogueira apart with punches and kicks early. Mir trips Nogueira to the mat and enters his guard. Mir stands and invites “Minotauro” to follow. Mir blasts Nogueira with an uppercut and another low kick. The pace slows a bit as Mir appears to tire. Nogeuria takes the center of the cage looking fresh with his jab. Mir drops Nogueira to the canvas with a right hand. Mir pounces but patiently stands back to his feet once Nogueira had recovered. To the body with a knee and a left kick goes Mir. Nogueira gets off with his hands for the first time in the bout. Mir scores another knockdown with a right hand at the sound of the bell. TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 MirMike Fridley scores the round 10-8 Mir Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mir Round 2Mir attacks with a flurry of punches that come up short. Nogueira answers with a stiff low kick to Mir’s right leg. Mir’s lateral movement is good as he bounces on his toes, moving away from Nogueira’s power. Frank Mir steps forward in the pocket and puts Noqueira down with two left hooks. Mir finishes the Brazilian with punches on the floor. Referee Herb Dean stops the mauling at 1:54 of the second stage.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad EvansRound 1Griffin stalks the challenger around the cage, but Rashad connects first with a left hand. Grffin misses on a low kick. Griffin loads up a right hand that nearly connects. Griffin lands a low kick and a foot to the body. Evans returns the favor with a hard low kick of his own. The champion throws three jabs but they all fall short of their target. Griffin abandons his jab with a punching flurry and is cracked with a straight right to the ribs and a low kick. The champion again goes at Evans’ left leg with a kick. Evans switches to a southpaw stance to avoid punishment on the leg. He switches back to orthodox and gets the best of a punching exchange. A hard body punch prompts Griffin to take a deep breath. TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 GriffinMike Fridley scores the round 10-9 EvansJordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Griffin Round 2Griffin takes the center of the cage and moves toward Evans. Griffin lands a low kick and a right hand. Griffin gets busy from the Thai clinch with knees to the chin and body. Evans eats a punch and then taunts the champion by blowing a kiss and then touching his athletic cup. Evans, still smiling, absorbs another low kick to his left leg. And two more. Griffin is scoring big with his low kicks. The challenger attempts to kick back but his balance has been affected by the abuse to his legs. Evans connects with a clean straight counter right to the chin. Griffin shakes it off and stays busy with kicks and punches from the outside. A hard right from the champion closes the period. TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 GriffinMike Fridley scores the round 10-9 GriffinJordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Griffin Round 3Griffin slips during an exchange and is forced to work from his back. Evans pounds away with punches from both hands as referee Steve Mazzagatti looks on closely. Griffin hangs on and recovers enough to attempt a triangle choke and an omaplata. Evans lands five hard right hands from the top position that hurt the champion. Evans pours it on with left-handed power shots until Griffin taps out from the abuse. Rashad Evans claims the UFC light heavyweight title at 2:46 of the third round.

Affliction still going strong ! & Sign Tito Ortiz !

By D Doyle

LOS ANGELES – Challenging the mixed martial arts industry-leading Ultimate Fighting Championship has proven a Herculean task. Several would-be promoters have found that the organizational muscle required to carve out a niche in a market dominated by the leading brand has been too much to bear.
But the biggest remaining aspirant to the UFC’s throne prefers to use a different character in Greek mythology to describe his situation.
“I’ve kind of seen myself as Sisyphus these past few months,” said Affliction vice president Tom Atencio. “Roll the boulder up the hill, get it to the top, then have it fall down and have it start over again. That’s sort of how it’s been.”
Right now, the boulder is back at the top of the hill. Atencio hosted a news conference Wednesday at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for Affliction’s second card, to be held Jan. 24 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

“In and of itself, just getting back to the point that we’re here, and we’re putting on a press conference and have another show lined up, is an accomplishment,” Atencio said. “There were a lot of twists and turns getting here.”
The show, which features the No. 2 ranked fighter in the , Fedor Emelianenko, against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, is the long-awaited follow up to the company’s debut on July 19. On that critically acclaimed card, Emelianenko destroyed two-time former UFC champ Tim Sylvia and Arlovski beat Ben Rothwell in a thrilling brawl.
Affliction was the buzz of the MMA world coming out of that night. But the MMA business for those who would challenge the UFC cratered between then and now. The International Fight League went out with a whimper after millions of dollars in losses; Elite XC’s death was a spectacular, nationally televised fiasco.
Affliction itself had to pull the plug on a planned October card in Las Vegas, as tickets went on sale right when the economy started going south.
But Atencio was determined to keep going, even after others had thrown in the towel. “We have a different business model than they do,” he said. “We’re about a brand and a lifestyle. I don’t spend time worrying about what other people are doing.”
The contraction of the non-UFC mixed martial arts industry makes for a ripple effect from promoters down to fighters, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Ortiz, who had his final fight with the UFC in May, has yet to sign with another group. His side of the story is that his UFC contract gave his former employer the option to match any other offers he might get for a year, and he doesn’t want to go back and work for UFC. But he acknowledged times have gotten tough.
“A lot of companies have gone through a lot of money and went out of business,” said Ortiz, who was announced as the color commentator for the pay-per-view portion of the Jan. 24 card. “A lot of people didn’t know what they were doing, and that made it tough for everyone. But there’s a reason why Affliction is still standing. They understand business and understand how to treat the fighters.”
Next month’s card is Affliction’s first since announcing a promotional partnership with Golden Boy Promotions. The first idea for the show was a combined MMA and boxing card. But, in a curious move for a newly announced team, Golden Boy is instead promoting head-to-head in the market on Jan. 24, as WBA welterweight champ Antonio Margarito defends his title against Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Atencio says he’s not bothered by the perception of competition from a new promotional partner. “We will have boxing and MMA combined cards in the future,” he said. “It’s still on the table. Right now boxing and MMA have two separate audiences, but I think as time goes on you are going to see more crossover.”
That said, Atencio points to the depth of his card, from the Emelianenko-Arlovski main event down to the appealing show-opening lightweight showdown between Chris Horodecki and Dan Lauzon, as the reason why he feels fans will choose his product.
“All I’ll say is, look at the choices that weekend, and I think fans will come to the conclusion we’ve got the deepest card. The other guys have a strong main event, we’ve got a strong main event, but I think if you look at our top five pay-per-view matches, or even our whole card of 11 matches for the fans going to the show, they’re going to conclude they’ll get the most bang for their buck by getting Affliction.”
So Atencio watched as the news conference unfolded according to form. The fighters streamed to the mic one by one and thanked anyone who would listen for the opportunity to fight on a major card.
Vitor Belfort inexplicably told the throng at Cinegrill about his fear of flying, to which his opponent, Matt Lindland, said, “Tell you what, if you’re afraid to fly, you’ve picked the wrong guy to fight.”
Josh Barnett’s most noteworthy talent these days – putting on interviews so entertaining that the bulk of the MMA media ignores the fact he keeps getting massive paychecks for one-sided fights while avoiding the Fedors of the world – was on display as he dazzled the assembled with quips about his match with journeyman Gilbert Yvel.
And so on.
The ordinary news conference provided a moment for the self-proclaimed Sisyphus to stop and take a deep breath. But Atencio knows he has to guard against the rock rolling down the hill again.
“No one said it was going to be easy,” he said. “We’ve gotten this far and we’re not planning on giving up any time soon.”

Affication Fight ( Fedor Vs. Tim Sylvia )

The myth of the quiet but unbeatable Russian, Fedor Emelianenko, turned into an undisputed reality as he destroyed former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in a scant 36 seconds in the main event at the Honda Center. Emelianenko, 28-1, who was the PRIDE heavyweight champion from 2003 until the company closed in 2007, became the first World Alliance of Mixed Martial arts heavyweight champion with the win.

It was billed as for the first undisputed world heavyweight title, although clearly “undisputed” is the wrong word to describe the first title created by an outside sanctioning body as opposed to a champion declared by a promotional company.



The industry already has two UFC heavyweight champions, in Randy Couture, the last champion who never lost, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who the company is recognizing as interim champion due to Couture’s resignation from the organization. There will be an Elite XC champion after a match with Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers on Saturday night in Stockton, Calif. Strikeforce also has a heavyweight champion in Alistair Overeem and IFL has one in Roy Nelson.

Emelianenko, showing amazing reflexes for a heavyweight, came out throwing punches before Sylvia even realized what hit him. The 6-foot-8 fighter, who weighed 263 at weigh-ins but was probably closer to 280 come fight time, went down from the initial barrage. Emelianenko, 6 feet and 230 pounds, choked him out on the ground before the sellout crowd of 13,988.