Stipe Miocic TKOs Shane Del Rosario In Action-Packed Slugfest


Stipe Miocic certainly looked the part of famous Croatian fighter Mirko Filipovic, wearing similar checkered shorts to those that "Cro Cop" often sported.

But Miocic's opponent Shane Del Rosario was actually the more effective striker, mimicking Filipovic's famous high kicks.

In the end, though, standing strikes played no part in the clash of undefeateds, and Miocic ended Del Rosario's perfect record on the ground with brutalizing elbows.

The main-card bout was part of UFC 146 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Del Rosario, who was returning to the cage for the first time in 14 months from a debilitating car crash, controlled the first round with a series of low and high kicks that knocked Miocic off his stride and forced him to duck for cover. At one point midway through the opening round, Del Rosario nearly followed up a staggering blow with a fight-ending kick.

Instead Miocic survived until the second round and decided he was better off getting things to the ground. He landed a single-leg takedown to take control, and he settled against the fence with a series of hammer fists as Del Rosario started trickling blood from his nose. Moments later Del Rosario was on his back and in a world of trouble as Miocic followed with razor-sharp elbows that eventually opened a huge gash over his right eye and forced ref Yves Lavigne to stop things at the 3:14 mark of the second round.

"Keep throwing them and stop the fight," Miocic said of his strategy. "He hits hard. If I would have caught more (of his strikes), they would have hurt me."

Del Rosario's (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) feel-good story ends with his first career loss while Miocic (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), the brawny striker from Ohio, continues on his unblemished march in the heavyweight division.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28917/ufc-146-results-shane-del-rosario-vs-stipe-miocic.mma

Stefan Struve Submits Lavar Johnson With 65-Second Armbar


Stefan Struve quickly alleviated any fears of a plodding pace to the UFC's first modern-day all-heavyweights main card.

In the first main-card bout of UFC 146, Struve pulled guard and quickly submitted knockout artist Lavar Johnson with a slick armbar.

The bout took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

While critics worried that a heavyweights-only bill could produce slow and boring 15-minute snoozers, Struve got the night off to a quick and entertaining start.

After eating an early uppercut, Struve got an underhook and pulled guard. He quickly went high with the guard, and just seconds later, he secured the armbar and forced a quick tap-out from Johnson, who appeared to suffer a broken arm in the process.

The entire sequence took the 6-foot-11 Dutchman a mere 65 seconds.

"It feels really good," Struve said. "One minute and five seconds is always a good time to win a fight.

"Everyone kept telling me I was going to get knocked out. I didn't want to give him a chance to do what he does best. They way he was holding me, I felt like I could get the armbar, so I went for it."

Struve (24-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) now has won three straight fights and five of his past six. Meanwhile, Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), a late replacement who fought just three weeks ago, snaps a two-fight win streak that followed his move over from Strikeforce.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28916/ufc-146-results-lavar-johnson-vs-stefan-struve.mma

Gas, of both the theatrical and combative variety, played a part once again in another Jason "Mayhem" Miller defeat inside the octagon.

While the former star of MTV's "Bully Beatdown" might have had the crowd on his side with his walkup antics — which included him wearing a paper bag and a gas mask, along with camo shorts and a canteen in honor of Memorial Day — his act was short-lived in the cage as C.B. Dollaway utilized a strong dose of takedowns to earn a unanimous-decision victory.

The fight was part of UFC 146 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and prior to the pay-per-view main card.

Miller's showboating carried over at the start when he kept switching stances with long scissoring strides. He performed a noogie to the crowd's delight while simultaneously firing a punch. But Dollaway provided most of the round's action and forced Miller to the ground after catching him with a punch. As Miller fell to the canvas, his bandaged knee seemed to buckle, and it was never close to 100 percent for the remainder of the fight.

From there, the former Arizona State wrestler looked to earn the win with an awkward kimura attempt before Miller rolled his way out of the hold.

Miller bounced back in the second and rocked Dollaway with a big right hand that staggered him. Both fighters slipped and slid their way around the cage. Dollaway recovered and was once again able to secure top position to earn the round.

Dollaway, who was coming off a hip surgery, again neutralized Miller and prompted a chorus of boos from the stands when he opened the third round with another takedown. At that point, Miller looked as gassed and frustrated as he was in his lopsided loss to Michael Bisping at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale back in December.

The judges all had Dollaway winning easily with scores of 29-28, 30-26, 29-28.

"The game plan was to stand trade and get takedowns when I could," Dollaway said. "I did what I had to do off the hip surgery. It was not an easy fight to come back to.

"It's been a long road after the injury. Twenty-one days in crutches and a four-month recovery afterward, but I wanted a tough fight."

Dollaway (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) bounces back after back-to-back losses while the fan-favorite Miller (23-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) still can't get into the win column in the world's largest MMA promotion.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28913/ufc-146-results-c-b-dollaway-vs-jason-miller.mma

Dan Hardy Saves Job With Spectacular KO Of Duane Ludwig


With the chips down and his future hanging in the balance, Dan Hardy put together one of his most impressive performances.

The former UFC welterweight title challenger snapped a four-fight win streak and avoided a surefire UFC release with a first-round knockout of fellow striker Duane "Bang" Ludwig.

The fight was part of UFC 146 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and prior to the pay-per-view main card.

As expected, the fight started with the trading of leather, but Hardy got the better of the exchanges, especially when clinched against the cage. After some early exchanges, the Brit then got some distance and unloaded a left hook that instantly dropped Ludwig.

Clearly ecstatic, Hardy immediately raised his arms in celebration before darting in to finish off the dazed kickboxer.

The end came at the 3:55 mark of the opening round.

"It felt great out there," Hardy said. "You can put all the work in, and if it goes wrong for 15 minutes, then none of it matters. I've had a bad run. I took some time off, and then I changed everything. New team, new training.

"It feels great. When you connect with the right shot, you know it's over. I put my arms up in celebration a little prematurely, but when he looked back up, I wasn't going to let it slip away. So I went in and got the finish."

Hardy (24-10 MMA, 5-4 UFC), who was given a longer leash than most fighters during his losing streak, picked up his first win since November 2009. Ludwig (21-13 MMA, 4-4 UFC), meanwhile, now faces questions about his own future as he suffers his second straight loss and falls into a 2-4 skid.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28912/ufc-146-results-dan-hardy-vs-duane-ludwig.mma

Arianny Celeste Arrested In Las Vegas, But UFC Boss Pledges Support To Octagon Girl


Arianny Celeste was arrested early Saturday morning in Las Vegas on a charge of domestic violence, but UFC president Dana White is not pulling his support from the UFC octagon girl.

According to records with the Clark County inmate database, the 26-year old Celeste was booked into the Clark County Detention Center under her real name, Arianny Lopez, at 7:30 a.m.

She was held on $3,000 bail and released after 7 p.m. PT. Celeste is slated for a hearing on May 30.

Celeste missed the majority of the UFC 146 event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but was met with a resounding cheer from the crowd when monitors panned to her sitting next to fellow octagon girl Brittney Palmer just before Roy Nelson's knockout victory over Dave Herman. Prior to her arrival at the MGM Grand, White released a statement showing his support for Celeste.

"Arianny is our baby," the statement read. "She has been with us for over five years. She is a good girl and an amazing ambassador for the UFC. I don't know all the details of what happened but we have her back and support her 100 percent."

Celeste joined the UFC in 2006 and has since become the longest-tenured and most popular octagon girl. In addition to her duties with the UFC, the Las Vegas native has modeled and appeared in Maxim, FHM, and was on the cover of Playboy in November 2010. She was named Ring Girl of the year from 2009-2011.

Celeste was active on her Twitter page in the hours leading up to her arrest today.

Near midnight, she posted a photo of her herself in evening attire sitting at a table, with a caption that read: "Dinner at Mizumi," refereeing to a new restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas.

A few hours later, she tweeted another photo of herself with a male companion who was kissing the side of her face, with a caption: "??! forever n always??"

An additional tweet came around 3:30 a.m. with her making a crazy look and the caption: "I be going crayyyy ha hey bay bayyy."

Celeste's arrest comes on the heels of a couple of high profile issues with fighters within the UFC.

Light heavyweight champ Jon Jones was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after crashing his Bentley into a telephone phone in Binghamton, N.Y. on May 19. Also, his past week welterweight title contender Nick Diaz was suspended for one year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana metabolites following his interim title fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4.

"I'm going straight home tonight so I don’t get arrested," White joked with MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) at Saturday's post-event press conference.

Nevertheless, he said the recent issues haven't necessarily raised any serious concerns about issues among his employees.

"These are all real people," White said. "These are human beings with real lives. Bad things happen sometimes. We're just going through a streak of bad things happening."

In Celeste's case, White said fame and money didn't play any factor in her arrest.

"There's always a level of fame, a level of money," he said. "And it's always hard to manage. It's not as easy as everybody thinks. But that wasn't the case with Arianny. Arianny's been around for a long time and she's been making money for a long time.

"This was just a personal issue that I don't know enough about. But I know enough about her that we've got her (back)."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28925/arianny-celeste-arrested-in-las-vegas-but-ufc-boss-pledges-support-to-octagon-girl.mma

UFC Boss Confirms Jason 'Mayhem' Miller Done With Organization


Jason "Mayhem" Miller (23-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) made his name in MMA, in part, because of his outlandish antics, but apparently unknown theatrics also cost him his job under the Zuffa banner Saturday night.

"Something happened backstage afterwards … 'Mayhem' is done," UFC president Dana White said, addressing a large gathering of media members after UFC 146 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. When pressed about the specifics of the situation, White declined.

"Just some [expletive] I don't want to talk about," White told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com).

Miller's action in the octagon probably didn't help his cause as former Arizona State wrestler C.B. Dollaway grinded out a unanimous decision victory over the former star of MTV's "Bully Beatdown" during a preliminary bout broadcast on FX.

The crowd supported the showboating star, who donned a paper bag with a painted on smile over his head, camouflage shorts, a beige vest and a canteen (presumably in honor of Memorial Day) during his walkout to the octagon. While he didn't gas in the first round like he did during his lopsided loss to Michael Bisping at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale back in December, the 31-year-old Miller looked equally fatigued and frustrated in the final round against Dollaway.

Miller — who also lost his debut bout in the UFC to Georges St-Pierre via unanimous decision back at UFC 52 in April 2005 — staggered Dollaway in the second round with a big right hand. But he couldn't capitalize as he slid around the octagon allowing Dollaway to recover. Dollaway then wrestled his way to victory, much to the chagrin of the crowd, with takedowns and a grind-it-out ground game in the final round.

White admitted he was surprised that Miller didn't fare better in his UFC bouts.

"When you have all these other organizations and people start saying this guy is the best and starts getting ranked and he hasn't fought the best guys in world yet … (this can happen)," White said. "That's why I always call [expletive] on all these other organizations and their rankings."

Miller — whose over-the-top entrances, featuring a plethora of girls and glitzy get-ups made him a star in Japan during his DREAM fighting days — seemed to irk the UFC boss during Friday's weigh-ins.

"When you get embarrassed the way he did against Michael Bisping, then you show up in that pink whatever that thing was, I'm not into that stuff," said White of Miller's outfit, which included a pink boom box, pink boa, and pink Hello Kitty underwear. "It's not my thing. I guess I don't really care if guys do it because you see it at weigh-ins all the time. Just take this thing serious. If you want to be a clown do that stuff on your reality show."

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28927/ufc-boss-confirms-jason-mayhem-miller-done-with-organization.mma

It’s amazing how much difference one fight makes when it comes to judging a fighter on their overall performance.

Take for instance current UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit.

Through 27 wins in his career, Condit had only gone to decision one time up until his victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 earlier this year. In the fight, Condit was elusive and game planned perfectly to avoid Diaz’s move forward boxing style, and won a unanimous decision.

Still despite the scorecards reading heavily in Condit’s favor, many journalists and fans alike panned the New Mexico fighter for ‘running’ and ‘not coming to fight’, and he has been branded by these monikers in almost a permanent way ever since the fight ended.

Condit’s career statistics seems to speak loud volumes about his ability to finish opponents as opposed to this one fight where he fought a smart strategy and came away with a victory.

Well, count Ultimate Fighter Live main event fighter Jake Ellenberger as a fighter who understands what it means to be a ‘prisoner of the moment’ when it comes to post fight criticism.

In his last fight, Ellenberger dominated former Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez for the better part of 10-minutes in their fight that headlined the first ever UFC on Fuel TV card. In the third round however, Sanchez battled back and ended up with Ellenberger in a bad position late in the fight when time ran out.

It appeared as the third round wore on that Ellenberger’s gas tank was depleted while Sanchez remained ready to fire on all cylinders.

See, despite the UFC’s recent decree that all non-title main events would be five round affairs, the bout between Ellenberger and Sanchez was only scheduled for three, and thus when the fight ended it was Ellenberger who won across the board because of his dominance in rounds one and two.

But after the fight, Ellenberger dealt with the brunt of criticism flung his way. ‘He can’t go five rounds.’ ‘Did you see his cardio fading?’ ‘If that fight had gone on for one more round, Sanchez would have finished him.’.

“Well first I think Diego is an extremely tough fight. I think he’s a tough fight for anybody in the world. He would be a tough fight for anybody who competes in MMA. I say that because you can watch this guy on TV and say wow he looks tough, but anybody who fights him and you’ll see how tough he is,” Ellenberger explained about the third round with Sanchez when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.

“He’s not going to roll over, he fights with a lot of heart and that’s not that common. A lot of guys don’t have a lot of heart and he definitely does. He definitely had me in a bad position in that third round. That’s a very hard position, but I actually love that position. I do that position a lot myself so I know how extremely tough it is to get out of it.”

Is the criticism fair or foul? Was Ellenberger’s cardio really failing in that third round?

“In the last fight could I have gone five rounds? Absolutely. I think people need to take in mind (saying) ‘oh he looked tired.’ Well, he had my back. That is the worst position to be in, in a fight. I’d rather be mounted than for someone to have your back because it’s so hard to escape. I obviously escaped the position at the end of the fight, but could I have fought two more rounds? Absolutely,” Ellenberger stated.

“People can speculate but if I had to go five (rounds) I absolutely could.”

For his next fight coming up this Friday night in Las Vegas, Ellenberger may very well get the chance to prove that theory. He faces Martin Kampmann in the main event of the Ultimate Fighter Live season finale, and it is scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.

Of course like any fighter, Ellenberger’s goal is to put Kampmann away fast and quick in the first round, but if it doesn’t go that way he’s prepared for a 25-minute war of attrition.

“People talk all the time, I don’t really care to be honest. I’m just going to control what I can control, and I’m going to prepare myself for five rounds knowing that this fight could definitely go five rounds,” said Ellenberger.

Ellenberger admits that in the sport of MMA just about everybody is judging on the last performance they saw. Good or bad, right or wrong, every journalist, fan, or critic alike can be guilty of being stuck as a ‘prisoner of the moment’.

Looking back at the Condit/Diaz fight, Ellenberger can sympathize with what the current UFC interim champion is dealing with.

“That’s the thing about this sport, people generally judge on one fight,” said Ellenberger. “I’m a fan of Carlos and honestly if I was going to fight (Nick) Diaz, I’m not going to stand right there in front of him and box him. That would be stupid, who would do that? I thought Carlos fought smart and he won the fight. He did what he had to do to win, and I didn’t think it was a close fight even. I thought he won that fight.”

So if people are going to question Jake Ellenberger’s cardio after one round of one fight that he ultimately won, he can’t do anything about that except train his hardest and if his bout with Martin Kampmann goes past the third round, he’ll happily prove every doubter wrong.

“People are always going to judge and say what they want, and jump ship, but that’s the sincerity of this sport,” said Ellenberger. “People like to make opinions and change their minds on very small things.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/jake-ellenberger-i-can-absolutely-go-five-rounds

Roy Nelson Had A Message For Dana White And Lorenzo Fertitta After His UFC 146 Win


Judging by the aftermath of UFC 146, Roy Nelson‘s fight against Dave Herman really was make it or break it for the former Ultimate Fighter winner.

UFC president Dana White said after the event ended that he met with Nelson along with UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta recently and had a very long talk about his future with the organization.

White says the meeting was similar to conversations he’s had about Nelson in private and public, and that his long term goals for him are always the same: take fighting more seriously, get in shape, and make a run at this thing or it may not work out.

“We had a conversation with him. I’ve said it a million times, I’ve said it to him and I’ll say it again in public, I respect him, he’s got an incredible chin, he’s got punching power, and I always talk about him taking his career serious and not training in his garage, and being in really good shape. The guy is tough,” White said after UFC 146 ended.

Nelson has never shied away from being the “every man” when it comes to his physique in MMA. He’ll probably never have six-pack abs or a chiseled frame, but Nelson goes out and fights with as much heart as anybody in the UFC.

White recognizes Nelson’s heart and determination, but just wishes he’d put the same effort he gives in the Octagon to his training and also his appearance, and it’s not just about having a gut.

“When he shows up and asking me why he doesn’t have any sponsors, and how can I help him. I’m not a fan, I don’t even know what that is, I think that thing is beyond a mullet, I don’t know what the hell that is now. It looks like a wig, he’s got the big beard, his beard is grey,” White said describing Nelson’s appearance.

Well, grooming criticisms aside, the best way for Nelson to guarantee his future with the UFC is to go out and win fights and on Saturday night he certainly did that.

Nelson clocked opponent Dave Herman with his signature overhand right that put the former Sengoku fighter out with one punch.

The win marked Nelson’s second in four fights, and after recent struggles, it certainly seemed to reinvigorate the former Ultimate Fighter champion.

Following the knockout, Nelson climbed the Octagon cage and shouted something in the general direction of White and Fertitta. What he said exactly isn’t known, but White gave a pretty good indication of what it was following Saturday night’s event.

“That was Roy Nelson’s (expletive) you to me and Lorenzo,” said White. “Did you see him come over and yell at us after the fight? It was.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/roy-nelson-had-a-message-for-dana-white-and-lorenzo-fertitta-after-his-ufc-146-win

What Would The UFC Be Like Without Dana White At The Helm? We May Soon Find Out


What would the UFC be like without company president Dana White around on a day-to-day basis?

That’s a question that has been often asked, but we have yet to experience… although we may soon get a taste for what it would be like without the UFC’s brash head honcho around.

White has developed disorder called Meniere’s disease. It’s a disorder of the inner ear that affects hearing and balance to varying degrees, often times accompanied by extreme cases of vertigo. That description probably doesn’t do the symptoms justice.

“I didn’t miss a fight for 11 years. I’ve had the flu, I’ve had food poisoning, I’ve had everything. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life and I don’t ever want to experience that again,” White said when explaining the symptoms.

He was initially slated to go in for surgery last week to help deal with the disorder, but the doctors at the last minute instead talked White into trying medication to deal with it instead. But White now insists that he wants to have the surgery done, as it has a better chance of staving off a recurrence.

The greatest caveat to surgery? Doctors say White would be sidelined for around a month or so. The procedure, according to White, involves cutting nerve, and then he would have to undergo rehabilitation than includes relearning to walk, picking up objects as simple as a water bottle, and the like.

Although White says he doesn’t have time to be out of the game for a month, that he’d instead plan on a two-week return, it would be the longest span of time that the UFC would be without White out front.

White is involved in all matters UFC, across the board, from the details of fights to production to media and more.

He says anybody can do what he does.

But what would the UFC be like without Dana White standing front and center on a day-to-day basis? We may soon find out.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/what-would-the-ufc-be-like-without-dana-white-at-the-helm-we-may-soon-find-out

Former Strikeforce and EliteXC heavyweight Brett Rogers has signed with Bellator Fighting Championships and will debut for the promotion on June 22 at Bellator 71.

There was a time in the not so distant past that Rogers was a rising star with all the potential in the world.

Rogers knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in just 22 seconds, and that earned him a shot at then top ranked fighter and former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko.

The Minnesota based fighter held up well in the battle with the veteran Russian fighter, landing some nasty punches and ground and pound until a comeback from Emelianenko ended the fight in the second round.

Since that time it’s all be down hill for Rogers.

The massive heavyweight was arrested for domestic violence in Minnesota, and was promptly released from Strikeforce. Rogers then went on to lose in his first bout after exiting the promotion, and also has a no-contest in another fight since that time.

Now, Rogers will get a second chance in a major promotion as Bellator will give him a shot to prove himself in the cage again.

“I am incredibly thankful to Bjorn Rebney and Bellator for giving me and my family this opportunity,” said Rogers. “I feel that I am still one of the top heavyweights in the sport and now I have the opportunity to prove it with Bellator. I love the tournament format as it will give me the chance to regain my top position, of course with a lot of hard work.”

Rogers said a big part of his return has to do with cleaning up his personal life, including the relationship he has with his wife and children, and now he’s ready to get back into the fight business.

“Over the past year I have been challenged in my personal life, but all is now good in the Rogers family,” Rogers said. “Everyone makes mistakes in life, but it’s how you recover that really counts. I spend every day with my wife and kids and enjoy every minute of it. Fighting is my job and I love it, but I also love my family and that’s why I made things right before returning to the cage. All I can say is get ready for a new and improved Brett Rogers.”

There’s been no word on his opponent for the upcoming Bellator show, but he is hopeful to get a win and gain entry into the next heavyweight tournament that should kick off later this year.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/bellator-signs-wayward-heavyweight-brett-rogers

Bellator Fighting Championships will once again head to the Sunshine State as the promotion will host Bellator 72 from The University of South Florida’s Sun Dome in Tampa on July 20 live on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. The night will feature the Season 6 Welterweight Tournament Finals as the explosive Karl “Psycho” Amoussou takes on Bryan “The Beast” Baker, plus it’s the semifinals of the Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament, and the highly anticipated trilogy fight between Waachiim Spirtwolf and Marius Zaromskis.

Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, by visiting the Sun Dome Box Office and at all Ticketmaster outlets including Wal-Mart. Ticket prices range from $30 – $120.

For Amoussou, the French natural born finisher has produced fireworks throughout his impressive tournament run, collecting a devastating submission victory over Chris Lozano and a split-decision win against David Rickels in a spectacular fight in the tournament semifinals. Only one win away from a guaranteed title shot, “Psycho” knows what’s on the line July 20.

“This is the biggest fight of my career,” said Amoussou. “I’m going to win this tournament, and then I’m going to win the belt. I’m coming for Ben Askren.”

Long time Bellator veteran Bryan Baker is no stranger to tournament finals, as the former middleweight contender has three tournaments under his belt, including a Middleweight Finals appearance in 2010. With decision victories over veterans Carlos Pereira and Ben “Killa B” Saunders in the Season 6 Welterweight Tournament, Baker is ready to collect his first Bellator Tournament Title.

“I’m 100 percent focused on this fight and nothing else,” said Baker. “I want to make this a professional fight and just put on the best show possible for the fans. I know Karl is going to come out aggressive like always, and I don’t have much doubt this fight is going to end with a stoppage. I want this Tournament Championship more than anything, and I’m going to get it.”

Known across the MMA world as one of the most dynamic fighters in the game, Marius Zaromskis will once again lock horns with knockout artist and fan favorite Waachiim Spiritwolf. The two met at Bellator 68 as Zaromskis walked away with a controversial TKO victory after it was determined by ringside physicians that a cut above the right eye of Spiritwolf was too severe to continue. A 2010 matchup between the two welterweights was also marred in controversy, as their fight was stopped six seconds in due to an inadvertent eye poke to Spiritwolf. Now the score will finally be settled at Bellator 72 from The University of South Florida on July 20.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/bryan-baker-vs-karl-amoussou-heads-bellator-72

Canadian Lightweight Guillaume DeLorenzi Signed By Bellator Fighting Championships


The lightweight division just got stronger as Bellator Fighting Championships has signed Canadian knockout artist Guillaume DeLorenzi to a promotional agreement. DeLorenzi will make his Bellator debut later this year and already has his sights set on a future Bellator Lightweight Tournament.

“All I’m thinking about is collecting some victories and getting into the next lightweight tournament,” said DeLorenzi. “It’s a huge honor to be fighting with Bellator, and I want that belt.”

Entering Bellator with an impressive 9-1 record including a dominating victory over Bellator veteran Nordine Taleb, DeLorenzi trains under the well-respected Firas Zahabi and alongside Ivan Menjivar, Yves Jabouin and Thierry Quenneville. After suffering a devastating injury in 2010, DeLorenzi is eager to get back into the cage.

“I’ve been away from the MMA world for so long, it’s going to be great to get back into the cage and show the world what I’m capable of.”

“Our talent development team has been focused on Guillaume DeLorenzi for some time,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s a dynamic fighter who has great potential in the coming years.”

http://www.themmanews.com/canadian-lightweight-guillaume-delorenzi-signed-by-bellator-fighting-championships/

Strikeforce's Cormier Welcomes Fights With Emelianenko, Kharitonov, Rizzo Or Sylvia


Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champion Daniel Cormier is far too beaten up to dwell on his future at this moment.

Five grueling rounds with Josh Barnett earlier this month at "Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final" left him with a broken right hand (his third in eight months), a split eyelid that winked to the press in red, and the biggest win of his brief fight career.

"It's not that day when you get up and go out and go to a family barbeque," Cormier told MMAjunkie.com Radio (http://www.mmajunkie.com/radio) of the aftermath following the tourney finals, which took place May 19 in San Jose, Calif. "I was laying in bed. I was crying to my mom. I felt like a 4-year-old."

Strikeforce owes broadcast partner Showtime another Cormier (10-0 MMA, 6-0 SF) fight before the end of the year. A medical suspension could keep him out six months, though a doctor can clear him before that. Following hand surgery, a PR rep told MMAjunkie.com the fighter is likely to return in the fall.

Many say Cormier is a shoo-in for a move to the UFC and perhaps an immediate title shot. He isn't yet joining that chorus, but he does have a greater sense of what's possible inside the cage.

"I didn't know if I could do it; I'm not going to lie," he said. "But once I got in the tournament, I had to believe in myself."

A Strikeforce tournament alternate in an eight-man field that included four former champs, Cormier, a longtime wrestler and fourth-place finisher at the 2004 Olympics, was seen as a long shot when he replaced Alistair Overeem in the semifinals. A knockout win over Antonio Silva this past September opened more eyes (and broke that right hand). But not until his systematic shutdown of Barnett, a former UFC champ ranked in most top-10 lists, did he cement status as one of the world's best heavyweights and a threat to octagon dwellers everywhere.

"It's been a crazy ride for a year and two months," Cormier said.

Finding the new champ's next opponent could be a tougher task than concluding the oft-delayed grand prix. Prior to the finals, Cormier and Barnett were the only heavyweights officially in Strikeforce, which has seen its roster drained by parent promotion UFC.

"This is the biggest problem," Cormier said. "I don't know how they're going to convince someone to do it. It's going to have to be someone from the outside."

It could, however, be an opponent from Strikeforce's past. Cormier said he gladly would fight Fedor Emelianenko, whom Silva knocked out in the tourney quarterfinals. However, contract negotiations wouldn't likely get far.

"That would be awesome," he said. "Won't happen, though."

Also awesome would be Pedro Rizzo, who's scheduled to fight Emelianenko in June. Or Sergei Kharitonov, who was submitted by Barnett in the semifinals.

"I saw him walk down Overeem and slump him over the ring ropes," Cormier said of Kharitonov. "That would be a great fight. I would fight Kharitonov."

It could be ex-UFC champ Tim Sylvia, who's been campaigning for another chance in the big show.

"No problem at all fighting him," Cormier said. "Any time you can get a win over a guy that held that belt, it's so prestigious."

Off the table is Todd Duffee, whom Cormier trains with at American Kickboxing Academy and who recently earned a first-round knockout with the India-based Super Fight League.

"I don't want to fight Todd," he said.

For now, though, matchmaking is not his problem. Healing up is his next fight.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/28935/strikeforces-cormier-welcomes-fights-with-emelianenko-kharitonov-rizzo-or-sylvia.mma

Heading into last year, Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm was making a name for himself in the Strikeforce lightweight division when back-to-back losses not only cost him his undefeated record, but his contract with the promotion as well.

“My loss to Pat Healy was in a really, really close fight, and in my fight with (Shinya) Aoki, I made a mistake I shouldn’t have,” said Beerbohm. “I’m not a really patient fighter – and on the ground you have to be patient – and I just wanted to get up and get out of there so I gave up my back and he ended up choking me out pretty fast.”

So when Beerbohm was getting ready for 2012, he felt some change was needed to get him back on track.

“I’ve been training really hard and have been doing a lot of things I’ve never done before,” Beerbohm told MMAWeekly.com. “I’ve been training a lot of stand-up and been doing some strength and conditioning, and I think it’s really going to help my game out.

“I changed gyms also and had never had a coach before. I had always done things on my own. It’s just more structured. I’m doing a lot more technique, a lot more moves instead of just putting on the gloves and fighting like I used to.”

With changes in tow, Beerbohm has won both his fights this year, which includes his most recent at King of the Cage: Wild Card against Chris Ensley with some added incentive.

“I’m a purple belt in jiu-jitsu and I wanted my brown belt, so I asked my coach what I needed to do and suggested that if he called the move and I finished with it, I would get my brown belt,” said Beerbohm. “He said he wanted a straight arm bar from side control on top, and I went out there and at 1:26 that’s what I got. And right there in the cage he gave me my brown belt, so that was pretty cool.”

Back on track, Beerbohm is of single mind when it comes to what he wants to achieve next, which could become a lot easier should he be victorious in his next fight.

“I’m fighting on June 16 against Marcus Aurelio,” said Beerbohm. “I think I definitely should win that fight and my goal is to get into the UFC, so Marcus is a great opponent (to build towards that). He’s fought a bunch of tough guys in a lot of top promotions, so it should be a great fight.”

Not content to return to Strikeforce, for Beerbohm it’s the UFC or nothing.

“I feel that’s where I belong,” he said. “I had a couple losses, but both those guys are Top 10 fighters, and you can’t keep me down too long with losses like that. So it’s whatever (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva says, that’s what I’ll do.

“Hopefully, it’s sooner than later, but I do whatever it takes to get there, 100-percent.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/recent-success-has-lyle-beerbohm-targeting-ufc