MMA News

Bungle in the jungle? Well, that's alright by me.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva must be feeling a lot better after taking some time off to heal nagging injuries to his back and shoulder.

"The Spider" has returned to training for his eventual showdown (and UFC 117 rematch) against division number one contender Chael Sonnen later this year in Brazil.

Part of that training regimen, it appears, is wrestling Amazonian tribesmen.

Silva got down and dirty with an indigenous tribe known as the "Kamayura people," wrestling "huka-huka" on the Upper Xingu River in the state of Mato Grosso, according to Brazil's "Sports Spectacular."

Video of his experience, after the jump.

According to this report, Silva got his ass handed to him on two straight occasions, until the tribesmen allowed the combat sports' star to bust out some fancy jiu-jitsu techniques, prevalent in today's mixed martial arts (MMA) landscape.

So not only does Sonnen have to fear the triangle choke in their pending rematch, he must now also fear the way of the Jaguar, taught only to muscular jungle fighters in parts unknown.

Don't be scared, homie.

CHICAGO, Ill. (February 8, 2012) - After a dominating run through the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament, Douglas "The Phenom" Lima (@PhenomLima) is ready for the greatest test of his career when he battles reigning, undefeated Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren (@BenAskren) for a shot at the world title. The two will clash LIVE at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on Friday, April 6. Tickets for this event go on sale at Noon ET on Saturday, February 18 and are available via CaesarsWindsor.com or by visiting Ticketmaster.ca. Tickets are priced from $30-$125 Canadian.

The event will broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open to The Colosseum at 6 p.m. ET, with the first fight entering the cage at 7 p.m. ET. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. CT.

After a split-decision victory over former UFC veteran and Season 4 Welterweight Tournament winner Jay Hieron, the undefeated Askren is well aware of what it takes to hold onto the welterweight strap. Already known as the best wrestler in Mixed Martial Arts, Askren, a former U.S. Olympian, has continued his stand up training with the legendary Duke Roufus and is well on his way to becoming one of the best welterweights in the sport.

"After my fight with Jay, I went back to work the following Monday to continue my training," Askren said. "I made no secret I wasn't happy with my performance in that fight, and now having spent over six months training at Roufusport, I'm really confident in my striking. Douglas is a great fighter, but I don't think he'll be able to handle what I bring to the table."

Lima enters the fight looking to push his win streak into double digits as the Brazilian-born knockout artist is seeking to dethrone Askren as Bellator Welterweight Champion. The thought of becoming Champion has been the driving force for Lima since he signed with Bellator, and with the title just one win away, Lima has taken his focus and determination to the next level.

"There is no question Ben is a great fighter, and I've been focusing a lot of time on my wrestling," Lima said. "This is the biggest fight of my career, and I'm preparing for it. It's all I think about. Every day from the time I wake up, until the time my head hits the pillow, I'm thinking about April 6th and winning the title."

Bellator 64 will also host the semifinals of the promotions Season 6 Featherweight Tournament. Marlon Sandro (@351marlon), Ronnie Mann (@RonnieMannMMA), Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra (@alexandre_popo) and Daniel Straus (@DanielStraus) headline one of the deepest tournaments in Bellator history and only add to a stacked night of fights.

In addition, the night will feature Ontario native and knockout artist Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki (@chrishorodecki) taking on a soon to be named opponent. Still just 24, Horodecki (18-3-1) has the resume of a veteran mixed martial artist, including an impressive 12-fight win streak to begin his professional career.

"The support we have received in Canada has been nothing short of spectacular, so when we had the chance to bring Bellator to Windsor, it was an easy decision, "said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima will showcase two of the best and brightest starts in the world at 170 lbs. The fans watching inside Caesars and the viewers catching the fights on MTV 2 and theScore are in for a great night."

"In the tradition of Caesars entertainment, we are thrilled to bring another exciting fighting championship event to the Colosseum with Bellator 64," Kevin Laforet, President and CEO of Caesars Windsor said. "We are proud to partner with Bellator Fighting Championships whose great reputation brings fans the best MMA fighters to the cage."

Ticket purchases can be made through caesarswindsor.com or at the Box Office located in the main casino building on the second floor, open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8 pm. On concert days, the Box Office is open noon until midnight. Guests must be 19 years of age or older to attend concerts and to enter the casino and all other outlets. Prices listed do not include applicable taxes and fees.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate recently called Ronda Rousey, who will challenge "Takedown" for her 135-pound title on March 3 in Columbus, Ohio, a "one trick pony." She said this, of course, because Rousey has finished all of her opponents inside the first minute of the first round via judo throw into an armbar.

Like clockwork.

But Rousey asserts that Tate is only saying that because she has no footage to study and it simply shows her lack of knowledge:

"I think it's funny that she says that because it's really because she has no footage to study of me. She doens't know anything that I do. She's only seen one of my tricks. And what she doens't realize is with a lot of those matches I did a different takedown, almost every single time, I did a different entry into the armbar a different time, and I did it from a different position every single time. So it might look like one trick to somebody else but there's a lot of knowledge and training that goes into being able to (do that). If you only see the finish, then you're not seeing the whole thing. I think that her saying that kind of speaks to what she doesn't know."

So yes, Rousey is ripping arms off left and right but she's doing it in a completely new and beautiful way each and every time. And Tate's lack of acknowledging as much shows she's uninformed on such things, right?

Either way, all this catty talking will come to an end in less than a month when the two meet in the Strikeforce cage to settle their differences. Anyone think "Rowdy" will add another limb to her already large collection?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently put the finishing touches on its upcoming cable broadcasted fight card from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wed., Feb. 15, 2012.

UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" will be headlined by a welterweight war featuring top division contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger facing off for a spot in the crowded 170-pound title chase. Stefan Struve and Dave Herman are also set to return to the Octagon for a heavyweight showdown in the co-featured fight of the night.

That's not all.

Check out the current UFC on FUEL TV 1 fight card and line up:

Main Event:

170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger

Main Card (Fuel TV):

265 lbs.: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
185 lbs.: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
265 lbs.: Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic
135 lbs.: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson

Preliminary Card (Facebook):

135 lbs.: Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
145 lbs.: Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha
185 lbs.: Sean Loeffler vs. Buddy Roberts
155 lbs.: Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas
155 lbs:. Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Tim Means

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 1, beginning with the cable telecast on Feb. 15. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We're still a one week away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.

To get up to speed on all the news and notes for UFC on FUEL TV 1 check out our extensive event archive right here.

By now you should know that Nick Diaz is not retiring and Carlos Condit's next fight will not be against Georges St. Pierre. Instead, a rematch has been booked with the papers set to be signed and the bout officially announced this Friday (Feb. 10, 2012).

We don't know when and we don't know where but we do know that it's happening. And according to UFC President Dana White, "Carlos wanted it."

This seems like an odd declaration, especially considering the fact that Condit's representatives were absolutely singing a different tune in the immediate aftermath of the UFC 143 main event this past Sat., Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were saying Condit was going to wait for St. Pierre to get healthy because why risk losing out on the shot to unify the titles? After all, they felt the result of the first fight was definitive.

There are plenty who disagree, including Diaz, of course, but his entire camp, as well. That includes Cesar Gracie, never one to mince words and a guy we can always count on for a sound byte or two. He campaigned publicly for a rematch, rallying the Stockton troops and social media blasting those with influence enough to make a rematch come to reality.

And now it's happened.

Unfortunately, this may be sending the wrong message, in more ways than one.

Before Diaz vs. Condit 1, Dana White had been saying that St. Pierre's rehabbing was so far ahead of pace that he could return in the summer and he would have no problem making the fight between Diaz and the welterweight champ at that time.

Then Condit spoiled the party, just like he said he would, and suddenly St. Pierre's injury is still bugging him and he re-injured his knee jumping up watching UFC 143 and now he's still going to be out until late this year.

Uh-huh.

Because of the promotional tactics employed in the lead-up to Diaz vs. Condit, we can safely assume that the powers that be wanted Diaz to win the fight. Who can blame them? With Georges St. Pierre showing some fire we haven't seen from him since the Matt Serra rematch, hype was building to a fever pitch for GSP vs. Diaz, the good guy vs. the bad guy. With Brock Lesnar retired, this would have been the UFC's best -- and likely only -- chance to have a pay-per-view crack the million buy mark.

But Condit screwed that up by teaming up with Greg Jackson to create a strategy that Diaz had no clue how to deal with. A strategy fans the world over despised and decried for its lack of action. "The Natural Born Killer" has made his name by being just that, a man who brutalizes his opponents before finishing them off with no prejudice.

Not a guy who "runs away from a fight" and "plays the game" just to "win on points."

So when that happened, fans revolted and Diaz took his ball and went home. This, of course, put the UFC in a highly undesirable position. A 28-year-old potential superstar had just quit, a championship bout they wanted to put together disappeared into thin air, the guy who took said superstars place is getting smeared in the media (both by pundits and even fellow fighters), and the champion on the sidelines, St. Pierre, is apparently saying he'll give up his title just to fight the superstar who just quit.

Creative solution? Rematch.

This sets a dangerous precedent, though. Essentially, it's the UFC admitting that the outcome of the first fight was not what they desired and they're making the fight again in the hopes they get what they originally hoped for. It would be naive to think otherwise. Dana White himself admitted to scoring the fight for Condit and feeling as though there was no controversy. And really, that's the only reason to make an immediate rematch of this nature, if the result of the first fight wasn't definitive.

The good news for UFC is they can make the argument that it wasn't, even though the mouthpiece of the organization said it was.

The other issue with making this immediate rematch is the UFC has now become the parent who caved to the crying child that didn't get his way. After losing to Condit, Diaz went from a bad boy boxer to an immature fighter and stomped off in a huff, proclaiming he was done.

Now that UFC has come calling with the promise of a rematch to make it all better, what does that say to the rest of the talent on the roster? That if you cry long enough and hard enough -- and find a little bit of support from an online community that adores you -- you'll get your way.

Tsk-tsk.

As our friend Zach Arnold at FightOpinion.com opined, we're basically being asked to forget the outcome of the first fight. But now that the rematch has been made, it raises a simple question Arnold touched on:

I understand why Carlos Condit wouldn't mind a rematch with Nick Diaz - because he thinks he can beat him again. I understand why Nick Diaz wants a rematch. What I don't see is how the rematch is going to produce a dramatically different outcome unless Condit gives up the Greg Jackson counter-strategy that we saw at UFC 143 and decides to go for broke in order for Nick to have a better chance to knock him out.

So, if you hated the outcome of the first fight and the way the judges scored it, what makes you inclined to believe that you want to see the rematch if the fans were bored with the way the fight played out the first time?

And therein lies the rub. What on Earth makes anyone think a rematch will look any different? What information do we have to make us believe Diaz will come with a dramatically different game plan, one good enough to counteract the game plan Condit will surely resurrect?

The biggest criticism of Diaz throughout his career has been his inability to adjust. Indeed, instead of figuring out the best strategy to defeat what Condit was doing in the first fight -- even something as simple as using footwork to cut off the cage to force exchanges -- Diaz threw his hands up and started trash talking in the hopes that would coax his opponent into engaging on his terms. When that didn't happen and he lost, he quit.

Unless he suddenly becomes a different person by the time they step inside the cage to do it again, we're likely looking at five more rounds of the same thing we witnessed at UFC 143.

Who knows, maybe this time the judges feel the pressure and side with Diaz. But if it's another close decision would they do a third bout? Sadly, the feeling is that if Condit wins, it will be considered. If Diaz wins, he'll move on straight to St. Pierre, no matter how he gets there.

Is the wrong message being sent here? Yes. Will it matter to MMA fans? I doubt it.

Am I wrong?

Like any good "Cowboy," sometimes you just have to get back on your horse and keep on riding.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has asked 155-pound standout Donald Cerrone to saddle up against the always-dangerous Yves Edwards on the main card of the UFC on FX 3 event, scheduled for May 15, 2012, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.

The promotion announced the lightweight tilt late last night.

Cerrone (17-4) saw his six-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Nate Diaz, literally, when the lanky Stockton slugger outstruck him across three rounds, sending him to a convincing unanimous decision loss at the UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" pay-per-view (PPV) event last December.

It was "Cowboy's" first defeat since falling to Ben Henderson way back at WEC 48.

Also looking to get back into the win column is Edwards (41-18-1), who fell out of favor with the cageside judges in his unanimous decision defeat to Tony Ferguson.

His loss to "El Cucuy" puts him at 3-2 since returning to the world's largest fight promotion, but with 60 fights to his name, the master of "Thugjitsu" is a considerable threat to anyone in the lightweight division.

UFC on FX 3 is expected to feature a middleweight scrap between Tom Lawlor and Jason MacDonald, while 205-pound smasher Thiago Silva returns from suspension to battle the venerable Igor Pokrajac.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

"Going back to the Diaz/Condit fight, my point about missing things, is I watched the fight at home and when I watched the fight at home, I had a slightly different opinion. When I watched it live I thought that Carlos Condit won it. In the fourth round I said that Condit was winning this fight and when I said that, I was a little bit out of school, because on the scorecards maybe necessarily he wasn't winning, in my head even, but, there was a trend in round three and four where Condit was scoring way more than Diaz was, that's why I was saying that Condit was winning that fight. The bottom line is when I watched it at home I gave Nick Diaz round one, round two and round five. At home when I watched it, I thought Nick Diaz won that fight."

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan talks about why he originally thought Carlos Condit "might have edged" Nick Diaz on the scorecards in "The Natural Born Killer's" five round unanimous decision win at the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) event last Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rogan also explains the difficulty in accurately predicting the outcome of a fight while simultaneously deconstructing it for the viewing audience at home, therefore leading to a change in opinion when he re-watched the Interim Welterweight Championship title fight at home, in a more controlled environment. He also names specific rounds that he believes should be scored in favor of Diaz, but is this an effort to bolster the company's decision to announce a possible rematch? Or does he simply make a convincing argument for a Diaz win?

The official weigh in event for UFC on FUEL TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" is set to take place next Tuesday (Feb. 14, 2012) live from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.

The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 5 p.m. ET.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC on FUEL TV weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

"Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" will be headlined by a welterweight war featuring top division contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger facing off for a spot in the crowded 170-pound title chase. Stefan Struve and Dave Herman are also set to return to the Octagon for a heavyweight showdown in the co-featured fight of the night.

Here is the current UFC on FUEL TV fight card and line-up:

Main Event:

170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger

Main Card (Fuel TV):

265 lbs.: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
185 lbs.: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
265 lbs.: Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic
135 lbs.: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson

Preliminary Card (Facebook):

135 lbs.: Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert
145 lbs.: Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha
185 lbs.: Sean Loeffler vs. Buddy Roberts
155 lbs.: Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas
155 lbs:. Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Tim Means

For those fortunate enough to be in "The Big O" next week, remember the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1:30 p.m. CT. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend a special Q&A session with welterweight contender Johny Hendricks at 2 p.m. local time.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Weds., Feb. 15), which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FUEL TV. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on Facebook.

It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC on FUEL TV coverage you can handle.

For all the latest news and notes on "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is still tinkering with its UFC on FX 3 fight card, tentatively scheduled for the Patriot Center on May 15, 2012, in Fairfax, Virginia.

Originally booked as a rematch between Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera, the hulking Brazilian will instead face Igor Pokrajac after "The Truth" withdrew from the contest to let a few lingering injuries heal.

MMA Weekly brought word of the pending match-up late last night.

The last time we saw Silva (14-2) he was putting a bona fide beatdown on Vera at UFC 125, one so severe it resulted in a gnarly broken nose for the Filipino and a pink slip from the powers that be.

Silva subsequently tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and the result of the bout was overturned to a no contest while he was suspended for an entire year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), allowing Vera to get his job back.

The grudge match will have to wait ... for now.

This may serve as a better comeback fight for Thiago, one that can help him tune in his skills after more than a year outside of the Octagon. "Ring rust" does often plays a part in a fighter's return to the cage, but then again not in all cases.

See Evans, Rashad.

Pokrajac (24-8) is currently on a two-fight winning streak after recently knocking out Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 140 back in December. He has good hands and a solid ground game, which accounts for his 21 finishes in 24 wins.

Anyone think "The Duke" can cause Silva any kinds of problems -- or is it a walk in the park for the returning light heavyweight?

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates to this still-developing fight card.

Let's run it back.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit has had less than three days to enjoy his shiny new belt. No matter, he's apparently headed back to the scene of the crime, quite literally if you're a Nick Diaz fan, to negotiate a rematch.

One that, according to UFC President Dana White, he requested, despite winning a unanimous decision in the UFC 143 main event inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past Saturday (Feb. 4, 2012).

Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, tonight (Feb. 7, 2012) took to Twitter, revealing that the presence of the "Natural Born Killer" was requested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then White confirmed that he would be in town to hammer out the details.

Here's the full snip:

the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur.... carlos wanted it.

Condit earned a unanimous decision over the Stockton, Calif., scrapper; however; the lopsided result, for most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans, went over like a led balloon. Many felt that Diaz, who chased Condit for nearly 25 minutes of their five-round fight, as well as nearly finished him in the waning seconds of it, deserved the nod.

At the very least, a split decision.

However, Condit's accurate counter-striking, backpedaling attack was enough to win the bout in the eyes of the ringside judges, as well as earn him a future date with the true division champion, Georges St. Pierre. Prior to the bout, St. Pierre -- who can't compete until much later this year because of a knee injury -- made it clear that he wanted to fight Diaz, a bout that was originally scheduled to go down at UFC 137 back in Oct. 2011.

But, it never happened for a ridiculous amount of reasons.

And with Condit's win -- one that his trainer, Greg Jackson, and even UFC President Dana White, felt he deserved because the judges got it right on fight night -- combined with Diaz's hasty/bratty post-fight decision to retire from MMA altogether, it seemed that it may never happen.

Never say never.