Add Alan Belcher To The Growing List Of Fighters Wanting A Crack At Anderson Silva


As soon as Anderson Silva concluded his second-round TKO stoppage of Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, the question immediately popped to the fore.

Who is next?

Chris Weidman staked his claim by dominating Mark Munoz at UFC on Fuel TV 4 a few days later, and former champion Rich Franklin has expressed his interest in making another run at Silva before they both call it a career.

But after the explosion of attention surround Silva vs. Sonnen II, everything else seems to pale in comparison.

One other man that wants to lay claim to the coveted UFC middleweight title shot is Alan Belcher.

“I’ve put together a nice little streak,” Belcher remarked on a recent edition of AXS TV’s (formerly HDNet) Inside MMA.

That he has.

In his last seven trips to the Octagon, Belcher has only one blemish on his resume. He lost a split decision – in a fight many felt he won – to Yoshihiro Akiyama three summers ago at UFC 100.

He has since put together four consecutive victories over the likes of Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote, Jason MacDonald, and Rousimar Palhares, finishing all of them, only Cote making it to round two. Belcher most recently TKO’d Palhares at UFC on Fox 3 in May.

Whether or not that adds up to a shot at Anderson Silva is another matter.

“It’s all up to the UFC, what they think, what they want,” said Belcher.

“I think that I can challenge Anderson Silva. I think I have the tools to do that as good as anyone in the division right now.”

Tim Boetsch and former Bellator champion Hector Lombard square off at UFC 149 this weekend, and Michael Bisping is slated to fight Brian Stann in September, so there will soon be no shortage of fighters that want to take a crack at Silva.

It will just be up to the UFC to separate the wheat from the chaff and determine who will be the one to next step inside the Octagon with the widely regarded top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/add-alan-belcher-to-the-growing-list-of-fighters-wanting-a-crack-at-anderson-silva

New MMA Series ‘Fight Factory’ Features Cain Velasquez And AKA


What’s going through an MMA fighter’s mind as he’s walking to the cage to take a shot at a career-making fight? And later, bloodied and bruised, how do you think he feels about his role in the world’s toughest sport?

Former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez and other MMA superstars provide the answers as they take you behind the scenes of MMA, as part of a new series entitled Fight Factory.

Fight Factory takes place at Javier Mendez’s American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. Current plans are for the series to air on nuvoTV, an English language network that caters to the Latino population.

Fight Factory premiers on Aug. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on nuvoTV.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/new-mma-series-fight-factory-features-cain-velasquez-and-aka

Freshly Shaven For Success? Cheick Kongo Says 'Life Is Beautiful' Prior To UFC 149


A bearded Cheick Kongo told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) at UFC on FUEL TV 2 that the next time he was clean-shaven, his problems would be behind him.

At UFC 149, Kongo (17-7-2 MMA, 10-5-1 UFC) showed up looking Mr. Clean and talking about how beautiful life is.

"Everything is good now," Kongo on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com. "I came back in shape and more focused, and fortunately with a good win on Saturday."

That's native French speaker Kongo's way of saying he's going to beat Shawn Jordan (13-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC 149, which takes place at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Kongo vs. Jordan serves on the pay-per-view main card, which follows prelims on Facebook and FX.

Jordan steps in for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who is still recovering from a broken arm suffered against Frank Mir at UFC 140.

Jordan, who beat Oli Thompson in his UFC debut, has but a fraction of Nogueira's notoriety. But at an event that's been ravaged by injuries, fans have been forced to make concessions.

Some aren't happy to do so, but Kongo asks them to give it a chance.

"Some say, 'I don't like him. I don't like him.' Whatever," he said. "Just come and watch, guys. Enjoy. We want your support."

Kongo's good spirits could mean good things for delivering a crowd-pleaser. He wouldn't go into the problems that ailed him prior to a first-round knockout at the hands of Mark Hunt at UFC 144. He'll only say that they were really bad, and that things are now better with the help of his friends and family. After so many years in the game, he said he's still learning about life through fighting.

Two years ago, he was more hovering. A back injury forced him to withdraw from a fight at UFC 116. He then fought Travis Browne to a draw in a lackluster showing in UFC 120. After back surgery in December 2011, he rebounded with a spectacular knockout of Pat Barry and workmanlike decision over Matt Mitrione.

At 37 years old, he said he's got no immediate desire to call it quits. He's not fighting because he'll be in financial trouble if his career comes to a halt. He still enjoys himself, but noted he needs to "correct some stuff."

"I need to keep staying stronger, as I used to do," Kongo said. "And just be happy and stay confident about what I'm doing every day. You never know what's going on. I used to cross a really bad time, and to come back to be here today, thanks to God and my family. Nobody knows what happened, and I'm still on track.

"If I have a chance to keep doing this sport and try to reach the top, I will. I should have already reached the top, but now I'm in a poor position."

Saturday, of course, Kongo hopes to improve that. Jordan, a former Louisiana State University football player, brings a resume heavy on TKOs and KOs and promise of a slugfest.

With a 10-5-1 record, the title may be a long ways away for the Frenchman. But for now, just the idea of coming back is strong enough to keep him moving forward. From where he's been, wherever that was, it's already a massive improvement.

"I'm here to keep going," Kongo said. "If I have to stop, I will. But the time has not arrived."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29759/freshly-shaven-for-success-cheick-kongo-says-life-is-beautiful-prior-to-ufc-149.mma

Cheick Kongo on Shawn Jordan Fight, Rampage, Dropping to 205 lbs + PEDs in MMA

Chris Clements' UFC 149 Plan: Punch Matthew Riddle 'Right To The Middle Of The Nose'


Chris Clements is a fight fan.

If the Canadian welterweight had his way, he'd likely come out Saturday, sock his opponent a clean one in the kisser, watch him drop, get his hand raised, change clothes and come back out to watch some fights cageside.

Clements (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) opens the pay-per-view main card of UFC 149 against Matthew Riddle (6-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC). And even though he has a three-second knockout on his resume, he's realistic about his chances to watch the rest of the main card up close – thanks to his buddy Burt Watson.

When Clements fought Keith Wisniewski on the Facebook prelims portion of UFC 145 in April, picking up a split decision win, he had 10 fights in front of him he could've watched. But Watson, the UFC's site coordinator and famed "babysitter to the stars," wouldn't let him leave backstage to find his wife in the stands, let alone watch some fights from a seat on the floor.

A little tough love for the UFC rookie? Perhaps. But Saturday in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Clements can at least have some hope again – and he'll also take comfort in the fact his fight has a pretty firm start time since it opens the pay-per-view.

"Most of my career, the last couple years I've been the main event on smaller shows before I got to the UFC," Clements on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I always hated waiting – I hated being the main event, just sitting there waiting, wondering, 'When's it going to happen? When's it going to happen?' Now I know it's right on schedule."

Clements would love, this time, to see a few free fights when he's done. Particularly, he said, he's curious what former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard will bring to the table in his UFC debut later on the main card against Tim Boetsch.

"I can just get (to the arena) and get ready and get my work done," Clements said. "I love that I'm not right at the end anymore and I can actually sit back and enjoy a fight or two after. I just don't like that anticipation of being stuck backstage. I'm a huge fan of the sport, so if I can get my fight in and watch the show after, that's a double-win for me."

Against Riddle, Clements sees a foe not unlike himself. Like Clements, Riddle is coming off a split-decision win – against Henry Martinez at UFC 143 in February – and is looking to put together a streak.

"I think he's a great opponent," Clements said. "He's a character like me – he really enjoys being in the cage. He brings it and fights with a smile on his face, a lot like I do. That's kind of the same model I bring to being in the cage.

"I'm just looking to put on a fight, and Matt's the kind of guy who seems to oblige that."

And to that end, if that means a war like Clements had with Wisniewski, so be it. But his strategy against Riddle, he said, will be pretty clear.

"I keep my game plan pretty simple. I'm just looking to punch people in the face," Clements said. "An overhand right, right to the middle of the nose. I like it straight to the face – and bring some blood for the crowd to see."

And if everything goes as planned, head to the back, fend off Watson and be back out in time for a few free fights.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29753/chris-clements-ufc-149-plan-punch-matthew-riddle-right-to-the-middle-of-the-nose.mma

UFC 149 Newcomer Ryan Jimmo: 'Patience Is A Virtue, And I've Nurtured It'


Canadian fighter Ryan Jimmo is seemingly one of the few fighters who hasn't been touched by an injury leading into this weekend's UFC 149 event.

But around the start of the year, that wasn't the case, and his story perfectly encapsulates the dilemma experienced by so many on Saturday's card.

Now, he's healthy and ready to make his octagon debut, and if he's learned anything from that experience, it's that sometimes it's good to be conservative in fighting.

Jimmo (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets Anthony Perosch (13-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) on the FX-televised preliminary-card of UFC 149, which takes place Saturday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The fight comes after prelims on Facebook and leads into main-card fights on pay-per-view.

Jimmo was scheduled to meet Karlos Vemola at "UFC on FX 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" but suffered an ankle injury in training that gave him pause.

"To be honest with you, I probably could have just taped it and gone out there and fought," he today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "But first impressions are hard to remake, so I didn't want to be going in there less than my best, and if something else happens, if I get injured, I'm out longer.

"So I took a little more safe conservative road, and I chose to withdraw from the fight. I waited until now."

Saturday's fight is already something of a second impression. He made it through tryouts for "The Ultimate Fighter 8" before being beaten in the elimination round and sent packing from the reality show.

Going back to the regional circuit, Jimmo redoubled his efforts and put together a string of wins that culminated in winning the MFC light-heavyweight belt. But when he got that call to go into the UFC, he was faced with the choice of competing at less than 100 percent against a guy he felt he could beat.

He wanted to fight, of course. His doctors disagreed. Eventually, he withdrew.

"We sent them the doctor's papers," Jimmo said. "[The doctor] said there was no way. I was at maybe 50 percent activity rate on my ankle, so there's no way I could have fought that week. By doctor's orders. By fighter-tough-guy orders, most guys would have done it.

"That was a good matchup for me, and by all shapes and measures I should win. But I didn't want to go in there less than my best and lose a fight that specifically favored me."

Jimmo admits he fought conservatively while building his win streak, but he said it was for a purpose.

"When I was fighting in MFC, I thought I was above most of the competition," he said. "So I didn't want to have some guy hit me with a lucky punch and knock me out because I was fighting risky and wanted to be flashy and have him ruin my UFC dreams. I fought more conservatively because the stakes were a little bit higher. The risk wasn't worth the reward of me doing something stupid."

Now, the reward is worth it. The $750 bonuses handed out in the regional MMA player have swelled to the tens of thousands of dollars in the industry-leading promotion. An impressive win over Perosh could mean measurable change in Jimmo's life.

"You wouldn't gamble your house on $20, but you would gamble your house if you could make a million," Jimmo said.

So he's putting his chips on the table.

"A lot of guys in the UFC now, they get in there and they have seven fights because they're with a bigger camp, and they're in and out," Jimmo said. "Their skill set is not ready. In boxing, guys have, like, 120 professional fights. We don't see that same infrastructure in MMA.

"It's not building the depth of skills that guys need to take it to the top. I'm glad that I took a more cautious route and I was able to build my skills, and when it's time to go, it's time to go.

"Patience is a virtue, and I've nurtured it."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29755/ufc-149-newcomer-ryan-jimmo-patience-is-a-virtue-and-ive-nurtured-it.mma

Ryan Jimmo Shows Off His Robot Dance Moves

Bellator 72's Travis Wiuff: 'I Only Care About One Belt, And That Belt Is Gold'


Travis Wiuff's Bellator opening-round tournament fight didn't end with a win over Chris Davis, but rather, in the arena's parking lot, where he did a few wind sprints.

"Of course I was happy with finishing him as early as I did, but at the same time, I needed to get a workout," Wiuff recently told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com).

Now in the semifinals of the promotion's "Summer Series" light-heavyweight tourney, he expects Tim Carpenter to provide more pushback, but he said the effort won't matter anyway.

"I want to dominate everyone I fight in this tournament," Wiuff said of the eight-man field, which earns the winner a title shot. "I didn't sign up for this tournament to come out and put together three boring decision wins and take criticism every step of the way. I came here to finish my opponents, and I came here to finish them in dominant fashion."

Wiuff (67-14 MMA, 3-0 BFC) meets Carpenter (9-1 MMA, 4-1 BFC) on Friday at Bellator 72, which takes place at USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla. The event's main card airs live on MTV2 while preliminary-card fights stream on Spike.com.

Wiuff, a longtime and well-traveled veteran of the sport, did take a few boos when he smothered Davis against the cage and appeared to stall an otherwise promising fight. But he managed to pound out Davis late in the first round, and he notched another dominant performance. During his current 3-0 stint in Bellator, he won a decision over current champion Christian M'Pumbu in a 2011 non-title fight.

Short-notice tourney replacement Carpenter didn't fare so well against the champ; he fell to his punches in the first round of their semifinal-round fight in season four's tournament. But he's since earned two finishes, including a second-round submission victory over Beau Tribolet. In that fight, he spent quite a bit of time on his back before locking in an armbar.

Wiuff could use that intel to his advantage, but he's fought so many times – 82 to be exact – that he's not at all concerned with what his opponent brings to the table.

"I haven't watched much tape on Tim going into this fight," he said. "Obviously he's a tough fighter, or he wouldn't be here in the Bellator semifinals with me.

"But I don't really worry about what my opponent's doing. I take care of myself and work on my strengths and weaknesses. I can't control what my opponent's going to do. Trying to predict what my opponent might do is just a waste of energy for me."

Of Carpenter's black-belt in jiu-jitsu, Wiuff said: "I only care about one belt, and the color of that belt is gold."

The winner of Friday's fight meets the winner of a semifinal bout between Attila Vegh and Emanuel Newton. After that, M'Pumbu awaits the eight-man tourney's winner.

Wiuff has his eye on that prize.

"I know M'Pumbu is not looking forward to having to fight me again," he said. "The great thing about fighting is that I can go out there and break somebody. I can make it so that person never wants to fight me again.

"I'm going to continue making statements with my actions in the cage until I can get Christian in the cage again and take what I have coming to me: the light-heavyweight world championship."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29738/bellator-72s-travis-wiuff-i-only-care-about-one-belt-and-that-belt-is-gold.mma

Ben Saunders Hopes Win At Bellator 72 Catapults Him Back Into Welterweight Title Hunt


Ben Saunders has gotten close enough in Bellator twice before that he's hoping to get a third shot and make it the charm.

Saunders (13-5-2 MMA, 4-2 BFC) on Friday meets Brian Warren (18-5-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) in a 178-pound catchweight fight at Bellator 72. And the UFC and "TUF 6" veteran is hoping a win puts him in line for another chance at Bellator gold.

"Being a champion is pretty much what I got in this game for," Saunders on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "That's definitely part of the plan. As far as this fight coming up, it's just – get back in the win column and put that loss behind me."

After being cut from the UFC with a 4-3 record, Saunders picked up a regional win and then signed with Bellator. He got two finishes in the promotion's Season 5 welterweight tournament to reach the finals, but was knocked out by Douglas Lima.

Looking for redemption earlier this year in the Season 6 tourney, Saunders reach the semifinals, but was ousted by Bryan Baker. Though it's no guarantee, Saunders hopes a win over Warren on Friday gets him into the next 170-pound tourney.

Saunders said his loss to Baker, as well as his losses to Lima and Mike Swick, Dennis Hallman and Jon Fitch in the UFC, taught him important lessons that he still carries with him.

"I'd say every loss I've ever had is a different story," Saunders said. "At the end of the day, it really just comes down to I'm gaining lots of experience out there. People say time and time again you learn more from a loss than a win. But I'll say it's only a loss if you don't learn form it. I I learn from everything I do.

"Even if I'm out here destroying someone, I wonder why I couldn't finish faster. When I go through a loss, I'm even more critical upon myself. You live and learn. It's a crazy fight game, and if this was easy everyone would be doing it. That's not the case, so it's just staying strong mentally, believing in your skills and preparing yourself every day to go into battle with someone as good or better. You've got to make it happen and come out on top."

Saunders' loss to Fitch, a unanimous decision setback at UFC 111 in March 2010, may have taught him the most, though. Despite a 30-27 sweep for Fitch from the judges, Saunders gained the kind of confidence that helped lead him to a 5-2 record since his release from the UFC.

"(I learned the most from) Fitch, without a doubt," Saunders said. "I learned that I could compete with the best. It wasn't my night, and it was unfortunate the fight went that way. But that guy's a monster and I was able to see where I was at and test myself. That experience alone I can take into every fight."

At 29, Saunders isn't a spring chicken in the sport. But he's no old man, either. He believes he's about to enter the prime of his career, which makes that title chase all the more important starting with what he hopes is a win over Warren – who has won five straight and seven of his last eight.

"I guess I'm getting toward (my prime)," Saunders said. "I'm fortunate to do what I'm able to do, but we'll see what happens on Friday night to determine where my career is headed."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29739/ben-saunders-hopes-win-at-bellator-72-catapults-him-back-into-welterweight-title-hunt.mma

Bryan Baker Fighting For More Than A Tournament Title At Bellator 72


Since joining Bellator in 2009, former middleweight tournament finalist Bryan “The Beast” Baker has been one of the promotion’s most consistent fighters, going 8-2 in his time with the company.

Still, with success, Baker felt he needed more of an edge, so he moved down to welterweight and joined Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico. Things couldn’t be going more swimmingly.

“It was just the best decision for me and my career to go to a camp that offers world class competition and evolve into the next portion of my career,” said Baker. “It’s allowed me to settle in, be comfortable and take in the game plans, rather than just trying to only use my speed or athleticism.

“I understand angles more, where I can be comfortable more, and where I need react more. Also, the probability of certain moves; how much of a success you’ll have. And being able to really understand the type of fighter I am now and continue to build to.”

Baker’s changes have paid off, as he’s made it to the finals of this season’s welterweight tournament against Karl Amoussou at Bellator 72 on Friday night in Tampa, Fla. It’s the kind of match-up that Baker told MMAWeekly.com is truly finals worthy.

“It will be real explosive and there should be fireworks in the first round; I’m sure of it,” said Baker.

“Amoussou is a hard starter, and I’m kind of a grinding fighter. So he’s going to give me everything he has in the first round, and I’m going to do everything I can to nullify him and catch him when I can as the rounds go on. I’ll pick my shots and work my technique more, so he won’t want to be in the cage any more, and I think that’s what will lead to the finish.”

Having been unable to win a Bellator tournament in his previous attempts, defeating Amoussou is especially important to Baker.

“Being entered into the tournament twice before and making it to the finals the first time, it’s just a set goal (to win the tournament) that I’ve set in my heart and I really want to fulfill it,” said Baker. “I’ve sacrificed so much to get in this position again, and now that I’m here I really want to cap off this tournament with a win.

“If I don’t win, it’s going to be completely devastation in my spirit knowing that I can win and be a champion one day and end up having to settle back in and get back on track and try to go for the title once again after this. I feel like this is my time and I’m ready to make it happen.”

Baker knows that this fight could very well determine where his career goes from here on out, making it even more important than just the opportunity to fulfill his goal of becoming tournament champion.

“I’m about two months away from renegotiations with contracts, and with the name I’ve built for myself and how high my stocks are in the fight game, it’s a crucial part of my career,” Baker said. “I have to do everything I can to come out with the best victories I can to be able to take care of my family for this last half of my career.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/bryan-baker-fighting-for-more-than-a-tournament-title-at-bellator-72

Bellator Season Seven Welterweight Opener To Feature Lyman Good vs. Jim Wallhead This September


With Bellator Fighting Championships set to host it’s latest event this Friday with a stacked card from Tampa, Florida, news of a Season Seven Welterweight tournament matchup surfaced today at ESPN.com.

Meeting on September 28, 2012 at Ceasars Atlantic City will be former 170-lbs promotion champion Lyman Good (12-2) and returning fighter, ‘Judo’ Jim Wallhead (23-6) who will meet as part of the upcoming Bellator 74 event.

Good, who was won the inaugural welterweight title back in June 2009 and subsequently lost to current champ Ben Askren a year later, earned his way into the tournament this past April. At Bellator 65, Good earned a swift knockout finish of opponent LeVon Maynard with a thirteen second finish to qualify for season seven. The victory allowed him to bounce back from a split decision loss to Rick Hawn at Bellator 39 in the semifinals of season four.

Wallhead returns to Bellator on a two fight win streak, having gone to the UK to compete for the BAMMA promotion for those matches. His last fight went down this past December, with a 48-second knockout finish of veteran Joey Villaseñor at BAMMA 8. The other win for ‘Judo’ took place in September of last year at BAMMA 7, with a split decision win in a middleweight bout with Frank Trigg. Wallhead’s two previous matches were with Bellator, which ended being a decision loss to Rick Hawn at Bellator 35 and a decision win versus Ryan Thomas at Bellator 32.

http://www.themmanews.com/bellator-season-seven-welterweight-opener-to-feature-lyman-good-vs-jim-wallhead-this-september/

Tim Sylvia Signs With Strikeforce, Meets Daniel Cormier At Sept. 29 Event


After a long and vocal campaign, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia apparently is getting one last chance to make good in the big show.

Or, for now, the smaller brother to the big show.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) that Sylvia (30-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has signed a deal and will fight recent Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champion Daniel Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) at an event planned for Sept. 29 at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif.

Sylvia and his manager, Monte Cox, declined to comment.

Regardless, Sylvia is now headed to Showtime for his Cormier bout.

Interestingly, Sylvia signed a multi-fight deal despite the impending close of the Strikeforce heavyweight division.

The five-time heavyweight champ has racked up three wins since a first-round TKO loss to "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran Abe Wagner that drastically set back his comeback. Overall, he is 7-3 since he fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 and lost by third-round submission.

Since that fight, Sylvia's career has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. He's lost to Fedor Emelianenko by submission in 36 seconds and been knocked out by former boxing champ Ray Mercer in nine seconds. Since then, however, his only setback has been to Wagner, though most of his competition has been against regional talent.

Cormier is now recovering from a broken hand following his win over Josh Barnett in the grand prix finals, which took place in May.

Earlier this year, Sylvia vigorously campaigned for another shot in the UFC and urged his Twitter followers to do so. At one point, he even shot a video of a workout and posted it online, presumably to show he was fit enough to compete in the UFC.

But UFC president Dana White flatly rejected the idea of a Sylvia return.

"No," White then told MMAjunkie.com when asked whether Sylvia could possibly be seen again inside the octagon. "I don't even know what Tim Sylvia's done. The last Tim Sylvia fight I saw, he got knocked out by a boxer. What has he done since then?"

White, in fact, also denied rumors of a potential Strikeforce deal just this week.

A dearth of heavyweights in Strikeforce may have provided the golden opportunity, though. Cormier and Barnett were the only two heavyweights official to Strikeforce, and after Cormier outpointed Barnett, few options were apparent for a final Strikeforce-Showtime fight required before the disbanding of the division.

Sylvia is undoubtedly happy to take that role.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29803/tim-sylvia-signs-with-strikeforce-meets-daniel-cormier-at-sept-29-event.mma

Former UFC Fighter Sherman Pendergarst Passes Away At 45


Former UFC heavyweight Sherman Pendergarst has lost his long time battle with cancer and has passed away at the age of 45.

A member of Team Pat Miletich for many years, Pendergarst was a mainstay in the Midwest fight scene and had his lone appearance in the Octagon back at UFC 65 in 2006.

Over the years, Pendergarst faced some of the stiffest competition while working in regional promotions and took on names like Shane Carwin, Joey Beltran and Houston Alexander.

Despite an ongoing ordeal with cancer, Pendergarst still got back in the cage as recently as Feb 2012 in a bout in Fargo, North Dakota.

“One of my best friends and long time training partners just passed due to a long fight with cancer,” wrote former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

Pendergarst was a teammate at Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) for many years where he worked with some of the top fighters in the sport, including former training partner and friend Mike Ciesnolevicz who had this to say about his fallen friend.

“Fighting in UFC, Bellator and every where in between. I knew Sherman from the east coast long before our MFS days. I picked him up at the airport his first day in Iowa. We spent many years battling in the toughest room on the planet. I was there for his UFC debut and cornered him in a few other fights,” Ciesnolevicz wrote on Facebook.

“Sherman was a huge part of MFS over the years. He showed up to practice everyday and put in work. He had a dream and went for it. I’m glad he got to live it at MFS.”

Pendergarst’s career record in MMA was 11-18 overall.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/former-ufc-fighter-sherman-pendergarst-passes-away-at-45

One FC returns for its fifth event on Aug. 31 in the Philippines for “Pride of a Nation.” A month and a half out from the show and fights for the event are starting to leak out.

MMAWeekly.com sources on Monday revealed that former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski would square off with Sao Palelei as part of One FC 5, as well as a bout featuring former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver facing Eric Kelly.

Arlovski (17-9) has had a difficult time gaining traction since he left the UFC in 2008. He won his first two bouts out of the gate, but then fell into a four-fight skid that saw him lose all three fights under his Strikeforce tenure.

He has bounced back recently winning back-to-back bouts over Ray Lopez and Travis Fulton under the resurrected ProElite banner.

Palelei (17-3) is also a UFC veteran, but had only one fight in the Octagon before he was sent packing off of a loss. He returned to Australia and is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Bob Sapp in May.

Having contemplated retirement when he exited the WEC, Pulver (26-16-1) has instead weathered on, going 4-3 since he left the Zuffa family. He’ll face a tough test in Kelly, who is 7-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, including two under the One FC banner and five fights in the Philippines.

One FC 5 is also expected to feature the promotional debuts of former Dream champions Shinya Aoki and Bibiano Fernandes, who both recently signed with the promotion.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/andrei-arlovski-jens-pulver-signed-to-one-fc-5