August 19, 2008
Finally, the cast of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter season 8 was finally revealed. As always, the contenders will divided into two teams and will be coached by former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and reigning interim heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The two will also figure in a bout for the interim belt at a pay-per-view event in December. This year, the Ultimate Fighter hopefuls belong to the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions.
It is set to premiere on September 17 at 10pm. Similar to last season's format, the 32 finalists will be trimmed down to 16 on the first episode. The teams will battle it out, leading to the two finalists in each weight class, who will meet in The Ultimate Fighter 8 Live Finale on December 13 in Las Vegas live on Spike TV. Read on to see who is slugging it out at The Ultimate Fighter's eights season.
August 1, 2008
UFC 87 (Eighty-seven events? I feel old) has finalized its fight card. UFC 87 will be held in the great state of Minnesota, at the Target Center in Minneapolis on August 9. The main event is a bout between current UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre versus challenger Jon Fitch. This will be St. Pierre's first title defense since regaining the belt in April after defeating upstart Matt Serra at UFC 83. The other big fight involves Brock Lesnar, former amateur wrestler, WWE entertainer, and NFL wannabe. Now plying his trade in the UFC, Lesnar is huge man with lots of potential. He was originally scheduled to fight UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, but Coleman had to withdraw because of an Achilles injury. Lesnar will now be fighting Heath Herring. Below is a full list of main card and preliminary card match-ups.
August 1, 2008
It's something out of an episode of The Simpsons. What sounds like a parody of Hollywood action films is, apparently, a reality. Kimbo Slice, the dubiously popular Mixed Martial Arts fighter who gained recognition thanks to street fights he participated in that were posted on YouTube, has signed on for his first film role. That, in and of itself, isn't terribly surprising. Slice is a hot name right now, and his handlers are going to cash in every chance they can before he loses that new car smell. Then it gets funny – he will be co-starring with none other than Hulk Hogan (whose impressive filmography includes Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny). The film is entitled Kung Fu U. It is about nerdy Southern Californian kids who are sent to a special institution to learn self-defense. Hogan and Slice will be play instructors at Kung Fu U. If that all wasn't enough, Kung Fu U will be filmed in 3D. I don't know whether to jump with joy or reset the doomsday clock to 11:59pm.
July 25, 2008
MMA fans are in for a real treat for UFC 88: Breakthrough, as Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, and Karo Parisyan join the line-up.
Henderson, a Greco Roman wrestling expert, is looking to bounce back after a failed title shot against Anderson Silva. He is up for a huge opportunity to make his way back to contention. He faces Rousimar Palhares in Atlanta. A win would put him right back into the title mix at 185 pounds. It will also be interesting how his style would fare against the not to be dismissed Palhares, who debuted at UFC 84: Ill Will, and trains with the Brazilian Top Team.
July 17, 2008
Two unbeaten sensations will put themselves to the test at UFC 89: “Bisping vs. Leben.” The rumors have been made official, and the news is that light heavyweight champion Lyoto ‘The Dragon' Machida will be facing fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva on October 18. The fight will take place at The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.
The 205-pound Lyoto Machida has won five straight battles inside the Octagon, who boasts of securing victories over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. He also has to his credit other triumphs, notably against former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin, current UFC Lightweight champion and former UFC Welterweight champion B.J. Penn and even Light Heavyweight runner-up of the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter 1, Stephan Bonnar. Machida has earned the reputation of having tactics and moves that are difficult to figure out. Son of Yoshizo Machida, a Shotokan Karate master, Lyoto has a style that could easily frustrate his opponents. Though some claim that this is “boring,” the way he follows might just be his strategy to win. It seems to work for him, as he has been quickly working his way to a title.
July 11, 2008
.jpg)
Challenger Forrest Griffin's win over then champion Quinton Jackson via unanimous decision sparked a lot of controversies among UFC fans. And for good reason, it was such a close battle. The win gave Griffin the UFC Light Heavyweight crown, which is often described as the most hotly contested division in the organization.
The judges scored it 49-46, 48-46, and 48-46; with the smallest of margins separating the two. Controversies crept up, however, as various independent fan sites and experts gave the match to the then reigning champion. For instance, Ropes Ring and Cage scored the bout 48-47 for Jackson.