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Bibiano Fernandes: Homelessness in the jungle made me strong

OKMike — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:24:25 GMT

Bibiano Fernandes is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best fighter outside the UFC.

Fighters coming from an underprivileged background is so common it is beyond cliche. However, Fernandes, rose up far higher from far lower than anyone in the history of the sport.

As reported by Jonathan Snowden, author of Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting and lead combat sports writer for Bleacher Report, Fernandes started as a homeless child in Manaus, Brazil and the surrounding jungle.

Fernandes' mother died when he was just seven, and his father was ill-equiped to care for five children, and so Fernandes and his siblings were abandoned.

He credits the experience for a career that has seen him win the Mundials three times in the black belt division, win the DREAM FC DREAM featherweight and bantamweight titles, and earned a shot at Koetsu Okazaki for the Interim ONE FC bantamweight championship at ONE FC 9: Rise to Power on May 31.

"He explained to me that he had no choice," said Fernandes. "I understood his decision. There were five of us kids and we all went because it was too much for him to handle on his own after my mother's death. It was not easy and looking back, I'm really surprised I managed to go through that. I constantly searched for food to keep myself going."

Soon they found themselves just a few miles down the road but a world away. Soon he was living in the jungle.

"It was mainly just looking for food," said Fernandes. "Hunting and scavenging. Me and a few of the other people also took care of our shelter to make sure we at least had a roof to protect us from the environment. We ate whatever we found. We would hunt and gather food. Shelter was built from trees and branches."

"I was there for about three years. I'm not really sure the exact number of years and it all seems like such a surreal experience now."

"I went years without seeing him while I was in the Amazon," Fernandes said of his father. "I had malaria on several occasions. I almost died. My father decided enough is enough and asked me to return to the city... I have no regrets about my past. I know my father did what he thought was best for us and I don't have any hard feelings towards him. Life in the jungle made me strong and taught me many life skills some people will never experience."

Fernandes found jiu jitsu while cleaning car windows outside a local dojo.

"I could not afford to join. It was only after a friend volunteered to pay for me did I get into it," said Fernandes. "My coach saw the potential and after the first month, allowed me to train for free if I cleaned up the gym every night. I loved everything about it, the competition, the knowledge, the technique, the mental battles. It was just so exciting to me and even today, I still love every second of Brazilian jiu jitsu."

"I think the time spent (in the jungle) made me a stronger person which benefits me when I compete as I don't give up. My coach made it all happen and I just followed his instructions. It was a far journey but the experience was amazing."

Keen to test himself against the best, Fernandes jumped immediately into the deep end�and drowned. Kid Yamamoto was the best featherweight in Japan. Urijah Faber occupied the same place in the pecking order in America. Fernandes fell to both in his second and third pro fights respectively.

"When I fought them, I never really had proper striking coaches," said Fernandes. "I just wanted to test my Brazilian jiu jitsu against other martial arts. I learned from that experience that to be the best, I have to round off my game to incorporate everything and not just focus on BJJ."

The losses led Fernandes to Canada, where he lives in Vancouver and frequently trains with famed MMA coach Matt Hume at AMC Pankration in Seattle, Washington. He has now won six in a row.

"I want to thank God for all I have. I never thought I will be where I am today," said Fernandes. "Life now is amazing compared to my childhood. I have a beautiful wife and three beautiful children. I have a good job, a nice home. I can't ask for more."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...d-of-the-flies

Donald Cerrone makes most of UFC's compensation system

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:53:52 GMT

Cowboy' Cerrone: Injury is just another shot of whiskey

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Donald Cerrone has developed a reputation as a fighter who works as hard as he plays. Considering how expensive his preferred methods of play can be, he has to.

On his sprawling ranch outside Albuquerque, Cerrone has built his own little playground, complete with a garage full of motorcycles and ATVs, a barn full of horses, and a front yard full of livestock.

From watersports to rock climbing, he lives what he gently refers to as "an active lifestyle." and that's just the fun stuff.

It doesn't even include his full-time job as a professional fighter, which Cerrone (19-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who faces K.J. Noons (11-6, 0-0) on Saturday at UFC 160 in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view), approaches with a zealotry driven by financial ambition.

"My girlfriend told me yesterday, while we were out on the lake having fun and I said I had to go train, 'What do you have to go and do that now for?'" Cerrone said. "I said, 'Because that's the reason we get to do this.' In order to live life how I like it, I have to go in and perform well."

In eight fights with the UFC, Cerrone has done that. More important, he's done it as ferociously and as often as his body will allow, since that's the surest path to financial security as an MMA fighter, he said.

It seems like a relevant lesson now, after UFC lightweight John Cholish retired from active competition after a submission loss this last weekend. The New York-based fighter criticized the UFC's fighter pay structure on his way out the door.

Whereas a lower-level UFC fighter like Cholish might make around $8,000 a fight (and another $8,000 as a win bonus), someone of Cerrone's stature is likely to earn in the neighborhood of $30,000/$30,000 to $60,000/$60,000.

Cholish said that his job as a commodities trader gave him options most UFC fighters lack.

"I know the Zuffa higher-ups probably aren't happy with what I'm saying, but I'd like to think I can speak for the lower portion of fighters," Cholish said. "A lot of guys I'm sure would love to say the same thing but aren't in a position where they have another source of income."

On the flip side, Cerrone has yet to fight for a UFC title and currently sits just outside the top 10 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA lightweight rankings. But his aggressive style has earned him $410,000 in fight-night bonus money alone over the last two years.

"My thing is, for instance on Saturday, all I've got to do is go out there and throw down, and if I do an extra good job, they might give me a $100,000 bonus," Cerrone said. "Usually they send you a bonus in the mail � a discretionary bonus � on top of everything else, too."

Those paydays do come at a price. Cerrone's fan-favorite style takes a toll on his body. When your financial well-being is tied to your willingness to make sure the night ends with blood on the mat, you can't afford to think too far ahead.

"Never have I thought, I'm going to be sore tomorrow," Cerrone said. "Being injured, that just means another shot of whiskey to me."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ystem/2344149/

White's UFC 160 vlog, day 1

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:44:17 GMT

Today UFC President Dana White posted his first video blog for UFC 160 which features behind the scenes action from UFC 159.

Official Rankings Update: 5.20.13

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:14:28 GMT

POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Anderson Silva
2 Jon Jones
3 Georges St-Pierre
4 Jose Aldo
5 Benson Henderson
6 Cain Velasquez
7 Demetrious Johnson
8 Renan Barao
9 Dominick Cruz
10 Frankie Edgar

FLYWEIGHT
Champion : Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 John Dodson
3 Ian McCall
4 John Moraga
5 Jussier Formiga
6 Louis Gaudinot
7 John Lineker
8 Chris Cariaso
9 Darren Uyenoyama
10 Timothy Elliott

BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion : Dominick Cruz
1 Renan Barao (Interim Champion)
2 Urijah Faber
3 Michael McDonald
4 Eddie Wineland
5 Brad Pickett
6 Raphael Assuncao
7 Scott Jorgensen
8 Brian Bowles
9 Mike Easton
10 Ivan Menjivar

FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion : Jose Aldo
1 Chad Mendes
2 Ricardo Lamas
3 Frankie Edgar
4 Chan Sung Jung
5 Cub Swanson
6 Dennis Siver
7 Dustin Poirier
8 Clay Guida
9 Nik Lentz
10 Erik Koch

LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion : Benson Henderson
1 Gilbert Melendez
2 Anthony Pettis
3 Gray Maynard
4 Josh Thomson
5 TJ Grant
6 Donald Cerrone
7 Nate Diaz
8 Jim Miller
9 Pat Healy
10 Rafael dos Anjos

WELTERWEIGHT
Champion : Georges St-Pierre
1 Johny Hendricks
2 Carlos Condit
3 Rory MacDonald
4 Jake Ellenberger
5 Demian Maia
6 Nick Diaz
7 Martin Kampmann
8 Tarec Saffiedine
9 Robbie Lawler
10 Josh Koscheck

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion : Anderson Silva
1 Chris Weidman
2 Vitor Belfort
3 Yushin Okami
4 Michael Bisping
5 Costa Philippou
6 Ronaldo Souza
7 Luke Rockhold
8 Mark Munoz
9 Chael Sonnen
10 Tim Boetsch

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion : Jon Jones
1 Lyoto Machida
2 Alexander Gustafsson
3 Dan Henderson
4 Glover Teixeira
5 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
6 Rashad Evans
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Phil Davis
9 Gegard Mousasi
10 Ryan Bader

HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion : Cain Velasquez
1 Junior dos Santos
2 Daniel Cormier
3 Fabricio Werdum
4 Antonio Silva
5 Alistair Overeem
6 Roy Nelson
7 Frank Mir
8 Minotauro Nogueira
9 Mark Hunt
10 Travis Browne

WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion : Ronda Rousey
1 Cat Zingano
2 Sarah Kaufman
3 Miesha Tate
4 Sara McMann
5 Liz Carmouche
6 Alexis Davis
7 Amanda Nunes
8 Julie Kedzie
9 Germaine de Randamie
10 Sheila Gaff

US and Canadian MMA promoters missing in Mexico, believed kidnapped

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:11:06 GMT

American Craig Silva and Canadian Diego Hernandez have been missing since 8 May 2013, shortly after they promoted an MMA event in Mexico. They were last seen around 5 pm in Puerto Vallarta, driving a 2003 black Chevy trailblazer.

Vancouver's Vivian Luk of the Huffington Report has the story.

The disappearances of a Canadian man and a U.S. man in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta has their families frantically searching for information in what they believe could be a kidnapping.

Diego Hernandez, a 22-year-old Canadian martial arts instructor, and his friend and business partner Craig Silva vanished on May 8, just days after Hernandez put together a mixed martial arts sporting event in the city.

The pair was last seen in Silva's truck, a black 2003 Chevy Trailblazer, which has since been recovered by Mexican authorities.

Reached in Puerto Vallarta, Hernandez's mother, Melissa Canez, said her son and Silva had been planning to withdraw money from Silva's account to pay for some of the event's expenses. Soon after they obtained the money, they dropped off Silva's girlfriend at a local university and intended to pick her up after class, she said.

Canez said she suspected the two men were kidnapped when she was told the next day that they did not return to pick up Silva's girlfriend.

"They're both martial arts instructors, they're disciplined individuals," she told The Canadian Press in a phone interview on Monday.

"As soon as she said they hadn't come back and they didn't answer their phones, for me, I knew somebody had my son against his will because he would not do that. He wouldn't just take off."

The online newspaper Noticias PV says Puerto Vallarta's director of public safety, Silvestre Chavez, didn't learn of the men's disappearance until five days later and has launched an investigation.

Canez said her son's girlfriend filed a missing persons report within 48 hours.

Hernandez's girlfriend also received a call from someone who claimed he saw the two men being arrested by municipal police on the same day they went missing, Canez said.

"Of course that changed everything because then it's like, what are you talking about?" she said.

Since the missing reports have been filed, the local authorities and the Canadian consular have been of little help, Canez said.

She said she has seen surveillance footage of an unknown man withdrawing money at a bank using Silva's card.

There is also apparently another surveillance video that shows Hernandez withdrawing cash at an ATM while being flanked by two masked people, she said. One of the men's bank card was also used at a convenience store, she added.

Hernandez lived in Coquitlam, B.C., Canada, before moving to Puerto Vallarta two years ago.

The mixed martial arts event that he put on earlier this month was in collaboration with another business partner who was mostly in charge of the finances.

According to Canez, Hernandez was approached a few days before the event by somebody who wanted a percentage of the earnings. Her son refused, Canez said.

"I was terrified," she said. "I said to him, 'You can't say no to those people...I think you should leave, like get on the plane right now.'"

Canez said the event was extravagant and televised, and Hernandez and his business partner were having trouble paying some of the expenses.

As a result, Silva, whom Hernandez has known for over a year, became a partner as well and offered to put up what Canez said was a substantial amount of money to cover the outstanding expenses.

All of those events have led Canez to suspect that someone close to Hernandez and Silva has something to do with their disappearance.

"I think that somebody tipped these people off that Diego and Craig were going to have a substantial amount of cash on them that day, I think they were followed," she said.

"They know Diego doesn't have money, and his family doesn't have money...but in Craig's case, those people who were close knew that he had some financial backing because how could he just come up with that money to invest overnight and become part of this whole thing?"

Canez said she hasn't received any ransom calls, but she is not sure whether the same can be said of Silva's family. She said she has been in touch with them, but they prefer to keep their distance.

"We want Diego and Craig home alive and we are not looking for anyone to be brought to justice, nor will we do any further investigating," Canez said. "We just want them to be given back to us safe and sound."

Puerto Vallarta police said no information would be given on the case at this time.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada confirmed that consular officials are providing services to the family of a Canadian citizen reported missing in Mexico, and that they are in contact with local authorities.

A Facebook group has been set up to collect tips about the men's whereabouts. Word of the case has also spread through social media, with many sharing photos of the men on Twitter.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05...n_3306841.html

FILA moves on from MMA, IMMAF pledges to continue sport's development

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:04:29 GMT

The International Wrestling Federation, FILA, recently announced it has removed its claim to be the governing body for MMA on a worldwide level, opening the door for the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation to become the official oversight organization for the sport.

FILA elected to remove MMA as a sport from its federation � though a statement from the IMMAF said FILA will continue to back MMA competition it already has announced oversight of. But once those are complete, FILA essentially will be out of the MMA business altogether.

The IMMAF in a statement said it has offered its cooperation to FILA so organizations operating under FILA will be able to have a smooth transition.

"This was the best decision possible that FILA could make regarding MMA," stated IMMAF President August Wallen. "Now we can start to heal the fragmentation within the MMA community and secure strong and unified international representation for MMA everywhere. We hope FILA takes our offer of cooperation, as well as accepts our sincere support in their important task to save one of the oldest sports in the world on the Olympic program. As representatives of MMA, we fully support the continued opportunity for wrestlers around the world to compete in the Olympics."

FILA presumably will be hard at work trying to keep the sport of wrestling in the Olympics, rather than the announced plan of it potentially being phased out of the games starting in 2020.

The IMMAF said one of the reasons it backs FILA removing itself from the MMA governance game is that "MMA is unique and cannot be governed by (any) of the numerous sports which each represents a fraction of the techniques that together make MMA a distinct sport."

Started in 2012, the IMMAF was created to "further the development and recognition of the sport of MMA, enabling international competition through the organization of national federations around the world."

Recently, athletic commissions in France and Brazil joined the IMMAF, which also has received support from the UFC, the world's largest MMA promotion.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/0...ts-development

Overeem vs. Browne confirmed for August 16th on FOX Sports 1

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:02:52 GMT

Alistair Overeem's return to the octagon has been shifted from UFC 164 to the promotion's debut event on FOX Sports 1.

Mutiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is set to meet fellow standout heavyweight Travis Browne (14-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1, which takes place Aug. 17 at TD Garden in Boston.

Although the fight will be part of the night's main card and a major attraction, it won't even be the main event, UFC President Dana White subsequently told MMAjunkie.com. That assures at least one other significant bout will be added to the card.

Overeem originally was targeted to appear at UFC 164, which takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Recently, the ex-Strikeforce champ tweeted, "Training hard and looking forward to aug 31!"

Overeem previously was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos this weekend at UFC 160, but he was forced to withdraw from the event with an injury.

In his most recent performance at UFC 156, he suffered a knockout loss to underdog Antonio Silva, who is set to meet champ Cain Velasquez in UFC 160's headliner this weekend. That followed another setback when he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone prior to a scheduled fight with dos Santos at UFC 146, which effectively barred him from competition for nine months.

Browne most recently fought at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, where he earned a first-round knockout win over onetime heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga. Afterward, Gonzaga appealed the bout's official result, claiming the fight should be changed to a no-contest due to illegal strikes thrown by Browne. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied his request.

The win put Browne back in the winner's column after a first-round TKO loss to Silva at UFC on FX 6, which came after he tore his hamstring early in the fight.

Overeem currently is ranked No. 4 and Browne No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/0...-non-headliner

Matt Serra retires at 38 following medical issues

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:38 GMT

Matt Serra felt pain while sitting in the corner during an MMA fight. Nothing unusual for the lifelong fighter, except for one unique distinction this time: he wasn't the one fighting.

Instead, the former UFC welterweight champion from East Meadow was cornering one of his fighters at Ring of Combat in Atlantic City on April 5. It was a pain that would put Serra in the emergency room for four days, lead to the surgical removal of one of his ribs and now, cause his exit from mixed martial arts competition.

"It's hard to say it," Serra told Newsday. "It's like you can't say it, even though it probably is true. I would love to put closure on my career with one last fight at the Garden, but at the same time, if that doesn't happen, I definitely consider myself done. It's hard to say the 'R word.' I might never say the 'R word.'"

That thrill of fight night, when the adrenaline pumps through the veins, the fans scream and invincibility consumes the brain and body -- putting that in the past is never easy. Not for Serra, the only man on the planet to knock out Georges St-Pierre in a pro fight. Not for many athletes, regardless of sport.

"I really think I'm walking away," he said. "I'm going to be 39, I just had my rib taken out. I'm having my third kid. My schools are doing well. What am I doing, looking for another pay day? It's not really for that. I mean, it doesn't stink, but it's not really for that. Am I still trying to hold on for the glory? Glory is a drug, dude. I'm telling you, that's the problem. It really is. I know why guys can't walk away. I absolutely get it."

Serra had always contemplated one more fight, but the ordeal of the past six weeks has forced him to face a new reality.

Serra first felt pain in his left arm after a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training session at one of his academies two days before the Ring of Combat event. He figured he had just pulled a muscle.

He came home to Massapequa after the fights. The pain never left. It intensified. Serra couldn't bend his arm. He couldn't lift his hand to touch his neck. He got out of bed around 2 a.m. and drove to the emergency room at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola. Tests revealed two blood clots in his arm and another in his lungs.

"Then I got freaked out," Serra said. "You don't catch that [and] after the lung, that stops your heart or your brain. Then you're done. I'm very fortunate to, basically, be here. Sounds kind of morbid. If I didn't catch that -- I was about to go to bed. I'm like, man, something's not feeling right."

Serra was put on blood thinners to address the clot in his lungs. He must now inject himself in the stomach with Lovenox, an anticoagulant, every day for the next three months.

The clots in his arm created a significant health issue as well. Serra's collarbone and first rib were compressing a blood vessel and restricting blood flow, a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome. Serra had the first rib on his left side removed in early May, a procedure performed by Dr. George Hines, chief of vascular surgery at Winthrop. Hines estimated that Winthrop does about six of these surgeries a year.

"It's like taking out the floor of the whole area," Hines said. "You remove the rib and everything drops into place."

The procedure can take up to two hours to complete, and patients typically return home the following day.

"They had to cut me open through my armpit and cut through whatever they had to cut through and get my rib out," Serra said. "It's definitely strange and I'm feeling it in there."

Doctors told Serra he would need six to eight weeks just to recover from the rib removal. A month or so after that, Serra is expected to no longer need to take blood thinners and can resume active jiu-jitsu teaching and training.

"I need my jiu-jitsu, man," Serra said. "I don't need to spar. I don't need to kickbox or box every day. Even if you see me with some pasta, I'm still strangling and arm-locking people at least five days a week and I need that."

Serra could not bring himself to actually say the word "retire," but his active MMA career is essentially over. Serra (17-7, 7-7 UFC) last fought Sept. 25, 2010, a unanimous-decision loss to Chris Lytle at UFC 119. He turns 39 next month and doesn't want to be one of those athletes who hangs around too long.

"An aging fighter?" Serra said. "You know, it's like an aging stripper, but not as funny. Not a lot of people want to see that."

The biggest moment of Serra's career also serves as one of the greatest upsets in UFC and MMA history. On the night of April 7, 2007, inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Serra did the unthinkable. A 9-1 underdog, Serra took St-Pierre's welterweight title with a first-round knockout.
St-Pierre has since credited Serra with helping him become the fighter he is now, one who beat Serra in the rematch and has eight straight title defenses, second best in UFC history behind Anderson Silva's 10.

Serra earned that title shot by winning Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter." That comeback season, the only one in the show's history, featured fighters who had competed in the UFC but never won a title.

"I know I can be beat by some of these guys, but I know I can still knock some of these guys out and be a threat on the ground," said Serra, the first American to earn a black belt under Renzo Gracie. "But at the same time, it used to be that the thing that made me happiest was the next fight. Now, I whistle to work going to my schools. I love hanging out with my kids, my family. That's something you never really anticipate or understand it until you have a family. I love spending time with my girls. I'm a very involved dad."

Serra runs successful BJJ academies in Levittown and Huntington and recently opened a third in Bayside. He is also working to create affiliate Serra BJJ schools across the country, a system where those who earned their black belts under him would open academies under the Serra BJJ flag.
Serra and his wife, Ann, have two daughters with a third due in June. Angelina is 4, Maria is 2.

"Angelina is already arm-locking me, and I have her teaching Maria," Serra said. "They're doing it on the teddy bears. It's awesome."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/mixed-...-mma-1.5315512

Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic added to UFC 161, Soa Palelei an alternate

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:58:42 GMT

When UFC 161 headliner Renan Barao dropped out due to injury, the UFC needed to add some weight to the card.

So Roy Nelson has been added, vs. Stipe Miocic, on the main card. Nelson is coming off a three-fight, first-round-KO win streak, over Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione and Dave Herman. Miocic is coming off a loss to Stefan Struve in September; it was the first loss of his career.

UFC VP for Talent Relations Joe SIlva is searching for an alternate opponent for Eddie Wineland, who had been slated to fiight Barao. Should an opponent be secured, the main event will feature six fighters, rather than the usual five.

Miocic had been scheduled to fight Soa Palelei, who is now without an opponent, and will serve as an alternate, should

out of his scheduled fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 on June 15 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, according to UFC officials.

Miocic is now left without an opponent, and will be on standby should there be a dropout by any of the four heavyweights on the card - Roy Nelson, Stipe Miocic, Pat Barry, and Shawn Jordan.

Palelei, who returned to the UFC on an eight-fight win streak, remained positive.

�Good things come to those who wait,� he tweeted.

With Renan Barao hurt, Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson headlines UFC 161

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:57:27 GMT

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, UFC interim champ Renan Barao is injured and out of next month's UFC 161 event. With little time to find a suitable replacement, the night's co-feature between Rashad Evans (17-3-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) and Dan Henderson (29-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has been promoted to headlining status.

UFC officials today made the change. Evans vs. Henderson remains a three-round bout.

UFC 161 takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in the Canadian city of Winnipeg. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Evans, who had won four straight fights after losing his title to Lyoto Machida in 2009, looks to end a two-fight losing streak after dropping back-to-back decisions to current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

The 33-year-old had flirted with the idea of a potential move down to middleweight in recent months but instead will face Henderson, who dropped a close split decision to Lyoto Machida this past month at UFC 157. The loss, which snapped a four-fight win streak and came after a 15-month injury layoff, likely cost the 42-year-old a title shot.

Barao looked to defend his interim title for a second time as champion Dominick Cruz recovers from a knee injury. Barao, who's won 30 straight fights (and five straight in the UFC), defended his interim belt for the first in February with a submission win over Michael McDonald.

His original opponent, Eddie Wineland, a former WEC champion, recently fought his way back into title contention with back-to-back wins over veterans Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett. Wineland's next move has yet to be announced.

With the loss of the Barao vs. Wineland contest, the UFC 161 main card has room for one more fight. It's currently unknown if UFC officials will secure a new opponent for Wineland or promote another contest from the evening's preliminary card.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/0...dlines-ufc-161

Josh Barnett returns to the UFC

OKMike — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:55:38 GMT

USA TODAY: Former UFC champ Barnett returns to promotion with multi-fight deal

Heavyweight Josh Barnett (32-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor once more.

USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with promotion officials that former UFC heavyweight champion Barnett has signed a new multi-fight deal with the promotion and is expected to make his return to the octagon later this year. An official announcement is expected soon.

Barnett is currently ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA rankings and was considered the world's most-talented free-agent heavyweight. His return date and opponent have yet to be determined.

Barnett has been fighting professionally since 1997 and made his promotional debut in 2000 with a TKO victory over Gan McGee at UFC 28. He would suffer a knockout loss to Pedro Rizzo in his next appearance before rattling off victories over Semmy Schilt, Bobby Hoffman and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. The win over Couture scored Barnett the UFC's heavyweight title, though he was later stripped of the belt in 2002 after failing the evening's post-fight drug test.

Barnett spent much of the next six years fighting in Japan, where in 2006 he made it to the finals of that year's PRIDE open weight grand prix before losing to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

In 2008, Barnett returned to the U.S., where he earned victories over Gilbert Yvel in Rizzo under the Affliction banner before that promotion folded up shop. He would later sign with Strikeforce, where he advanced to the promotion's heavyweight grand prix final before falling short against undefeated contender Daniel Cormier. Barnett bounced back with a January win over Nandor Guelmino in Strikeforce's final event.

Earlier this year, Barnett and the UFC appeared close to signing a deal, but the talks stagnated and talks briefly dissolved. However, the two parties have now reached an agreement, and "The Warmaster" is now set for an octagon return.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/0...lti-fight-deal

Best MMA FOAT fight this weekend!!!

oswal — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:44:30 GMT

Cain_Velasquez_401.jpg

:fighting: Bigfoot

Attached Images

Cain_Velasquez_401.jpg (79.8 KB)

<<-The MMA Discussion Thread->>

Azazel — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:45:03 GMT

<<-The Official MMA Discussion Thread->>

In This Thread Discuss about anything MMA Related from Promotions to Fighters and Up Coming fights to Negotiations and News/Updates or anything else MMA Related Etc...

Due to a little bit of wind

KesslerGunn — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:32:16 GMT

We've got no MMA news this week :sad:

Shannon Knapp warns about shady manager

OKMike — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:54:37 GMT

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp recently took to Facebook to denounce an unnamed management company that is allegedly using her name in an attempt to sign female fighters.

I have received numerous complaints again about a manager making false claims to sign athletes to their management company and/or personally using my name to gain an athlete�s trust to sign or intimidate them into signing with the management company. I am a professional and do not form personal friendships with managers for these very reasons.

Invicta FC is a company that supports and employs the athletes not the managers! NOBODY can get an athlete blackballed from our promotion or stop an athlete from an opportunity to compete in the organization except for the athlete themselves. I know that I have posted about this before, but strongly feel the need to reiterate again how important it is to do your research when hiring a manager to represent you. A manager is employed by the athlete and is a representitve of the athlete and their brand. Please do your research and be cautious when employing someone that will speak on your behalf. When in doubt about a manager contact that manger's past and present signed athletes and do the research! I can not begin to express how important this will be in your career and how doing your research will save you a lot of grief in the end.

I am not only the president/owner of Invicta FC, but most importantly, I am a HUGE advocate for the athlete and the sport. If someone is spreading false information about Invicta FC employment policies and/or alleging that they have a friendship with me that gives them an advantage, or alleging a friendship to intimidate you into signing a management agreement, please contact me immediately.

https://www.facebook.com/shanknapp?fref=ts