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UFC Targeting Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy for UFC 111 in March

Posted: Nov 25th 2009 3:15PM by Mike Chiappetta (author feed)
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

The UFC is targeting a March 2010 date for welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre's title defense with No. 1 contender Dan Hardy, a source with knowledge of the situation told FanHouse.

Once formally agreed to by both sides, the matchup would likely be the main event of UFC 111, which is expected to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The 28-year-old St. Pierre (19-2) is one of MMA's hottest commodities after signing major sponsorship deals with Gatorade and Under Armour within the last year. He has been out of action since injuring his groin during the course of a successful defense against Thiago Alves at July's UFC 100.

Continue Reading UFC Targeting Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy for UFC 111 in March

MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Josh Koscheck Is Right, Sort Of

Posted: Nov 23rd 2009 8:16AM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, Welterweights

5 COMMENTS

After his UFC 106 victory over Anthony Johnson, Josh Koscheck proclaimed that he -- not Dan Hardy -- deserves to be the next contender to Georges St Pierre's title.

As you'll see in my rankings of the Top 10 welterweights in MMA, I think Koscheck is right -- sort of. I believe Koscheck deserves to be higher-ranked than Hardy, but I also think Hardy is more deserving of a shot at St. Pierre. The reason is simple: Koscheck has already had a fight with GSP, losing to him at UFC 74. Hardy hasn't gotten his chance yet.

So because I'd like to see GSP get a new challenge, I think Hardy is a fitting No. 1 contender, even though Hardy is just below Koscheck on the list below.

Continue Reading MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Josh Koscheck Is Right, Sort Of

UFC 104 Fight Breakdown: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua

Posted: Oct 23rd 2009 8:04AM by Mike Chiappetta (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

1 COMMENT

In short order, Lyoto Machida has become MMA's golden child, captivating fans around the world with his inimitable style and perfect record. But it wasn't too long ago that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was MMA's flavor of the month.

So will Machida continue his unbeaten run at UFC 104, or will Shogun rediscover the glory that made him one of the sport's rising stars just a few years ago?

Let's take a look at how Machida-Rua will play out.

UFC 104:
Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell Breakdown
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Full UFC 104 Coverage

Continue Reading UFC 104 Fight Breakdown: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua

Rashad Evans: From Contestant to Coach On 'The Ultimate Fighter'

Posted: Sep 28th 2009 12:00PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

1 COMMENT

Rashad Evans was first introduced to UFC fans four years ago, when he was one of the 16 aspiring mixed martial artists competing on the second season of the UFC's reality show The Ultimate Fighter. That went well for him -- he won the season and the UFC contract that went with it -- but Evans says his experience as a coach on the current season was more rewarding.

"I got more out of coaching because I had the previous experience fighting," Evans said in an interview with FanHouse. "I knew what I wished I had -- I knew what it was to be the guy who's just trying to make it and hoping to get instruction from a professional fighter, and I tried to give these guys the coaching I wanted when I was in their shoes."

Continue Reading Rashad Evans: From Contestant to Coach On 'The Ultimate Fighter'

The MMA Hour: Mike Swick on Injury; Phillipe Nover Talks UFN 19

Posted: Sep 15th 2009 10:37PM by Ariel Helwani (author feed)
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

3 COMMENTS

On this week's edition of The MMA Hour, we were joined by UFC welterweight contender Mike Swick to talk about his recent injury, which forced him to withdraw from his UFC 103 bout against Martin Kampmann. Swick also talked about when he expects to fight next and his desire to face veteran Matt Hughes.

Later in the program, we spoke to Phillipe Nover about his important fight at Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 19 against Sam Stout. Nover is coming off two straight disappointing loses and needs a big win against Stout to reignite his career. Check out the show below.

Continue Reading The MMA Hour: Mike Swick on Injury; Phillipe Nover Talks UFN 19

Martin Kampmann Unfazed By Recent UFC 103 Opponent Switch

Posted: Sep 8th 2009 12:00PM by Ariel Helwani (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

0 COMMENTS

Prior to UFC 72, Martin Kampmann was on the verge of fighting Rich Franklin for a future shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva. However, a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the bout. Since then, the 27-year-old worked his way up the welterweight division. He was supposed to fight Mike Swick at UFC 103 for a shot at current 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre, but Swick pulled out late last week after suffering a concussion in training.

Kampmann (15-2) will now face UFC newcomer Paul Daley (21-8-2) on Sept. 19, but as he recently told FanHouse, no title shot will be on the line. Still, the Danish-born fighter, who most recently defeated Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 18 in April, is just excited to return to action. Check out the full interview below.

Continue Reading Martin Kampmann Unfazed By Recent UFC 103 Opponent Switch

Matt Hughes Signs New UFC Deal

Posted: Sep 3rd 2009 3:16PM by Ray Hui (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

15 COMMENTS

Matt Hughes has signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC, officially ending rumors and speculation that the former UFC welterweight champ had fought his last fight at UFC 98 in May.

"Last week I went out to Vegas and I signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC, which is much like my last contract," Hughes wrote Thursday on his blog. "I also brought up the fact that I wanted to do a hunting show and they thought that would be a good thing."

Hughes (43-7) was victorious in his last fight against Matt Serra, but had entered UFC 98 with three losses out of his previous four fights.

Continue Reading Matt Hughes Signs New UFC Deal

Anderson Silva Steals the Show With KO of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101

Posted: Aug 9th 2009 1:14AM by Mike Chiappetta (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

112 COMMENTS

PHILADELPHIA -- Anderson Silva walked into UFC 101 surrounded by boos, a goat, and left bathed in adulation, the G.O.A.T., or at least something close.

Needing a highlight-reel worthy performance to quiet the sudden doubts emanating from two straight lackluster performances, Silva -- fighting for only the second time at 205 pounds -- toyed with former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin before putting him away with a stunning short right in just 3:23 of the first round.

Continue Reading Anderson Silva Steals the Show With KO of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101

Weighing the Chances of a UFC 101 Upset for Kenny Florian

Posted: Aug 8th 2009 11:58AM by Mike Chiappetta (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

1 COMMENT

Kenny Florian PHILADELPHIA -- From the moment he stepped in the octagon for the first time, BJ Penn was a known commodity, so talented he earned a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in three years, so gifted that he'd won the equivalent of the jiu-jitsu world championship just weeks after his black belt ceremony despite competing against lifelong devotees. His reputation was such in the BJJ world that mixed martial arts fans had debated, analyzed and speculated about this wunderkind before he'd ever had a single MMA match. And when he finally debuted, it was not on a regional show like most, but in the UFC.

Contrast that with his UFC 101 opponent Kenny Florian. He entered the world of MMA with no fanfare, was thought to be a major underdog on his season of The Ultimate Fighter, and even after making it to the finals, he was never expected to amount to much. Fighting at 185 pounds, the former collegiate soccer player seemed outsized, outclassed and out of his element.

Yet somehow, their paths are converging Saturday night at the Wachovia Center. Such is the beauty of sports. Such is the beauty of MMA.

Continue Reading Weighing the Chances of a UFC 101 Upset for Kenny Florian

Jon Fitch Talks Facial Hair, Brock Lesnar and Who He Would 'Love' to Face Next

Posted: Jul 24th 2009 12:33PM by Ariel Helwani (author feed)
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

0 COMMENTS

The last time we spoke to Jon Fitch he talked about getting engaged the day after UFC 100. But that wasn't the only exciting thing to happen to him that weekend. Fitch won his second fight in a row (and 17th in 18 fights), defeating Paul Thiago via unanimous decision. The victory surely meant a lot to Fitch because Thiago had shockingly defeated his American Kickboxing Academy team member, Josh Koscheck, in February.

FanHouse spoke to Fitch about what's next for him and the funky goatee he sported on ESPN.com's MMA Live after the bout. The full interview is below.

Continue Reading Jon Fitch Talks Facial Hair, Brock Lesnar and Who He Would 'Love' to Face Next