Michael Bisping Asks If Everyone Else Gets Rematches, Why Not Him?


If losing a fight is the worst feeling in the world, having to make that fateful call to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to tell him you’re injured and pulling out of a fight might be a close second.

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping had to experience that first hand just a couple of weeks ago when he suffered a knee injury in training and was forced to pull out of his scheduled fight with Tim Boetsch at UFC 149.

Now more than a week after having the necessary knee surgery, Bisping is in as good of spirits as he can maintain after pulling out of a fight, the first time he’s done so in his six year UFC career.

“It was tough, it was really tough. I like to fight frequently and I don’t like to pull out of fights. It was hard,” Bisping told MMAWeekly.com about the decision.

When the injury first occurred, Bisping says he was contemplating having surgery and then still trying to fight, but now that he’s back from under the knife, he knows there was no way that was going to happen.

“It’s getting better. The swelling’s starting to go down, I’m walking but only with a severe limp, but I can’t bend the knee yet properly so I don’t know when it is yet that I’ll be back in the gym. I’m icing the hell out of it everyday, and hopefully within another week I can do some things,” said Bisping.

When he returns to action later this year, the middleweight division he left could look somewhat different. On July 7, Chael Sonnen will look to become the first fighter in the UFC to defeat Anderson Silva and then four days later Mark Munoz will face Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 4.

A couple of weeks after that, former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard will make his UFC debut against the man who was supposed to face Bisping at UFC 149, Tim Boetsch.

When the dust settles, Michael Bisping knows one thing for sure – he’s still a top middleweight and if Chael Sonnen wins at UFC 148, there should be no question who the first man to face him should be.

All Bisping has to do is look in the mirror to find the answer.

“I definitely think so. The fight was super, super close and a lot of people felt I won that fight, even the UFC, Dana (White) and Lorenzo (Fertitta) thought I won the fight. Chael Sonnen even thought I won the fight. In the Octagon he said he thought I won the first two rounds. So, everyone else seems to get a rematch these days instantly, why can’t I get one?” Bisping asked.

“I was fighting the No. 1 contender, but the judges awarded it to Chael. He won the fight, just because I lost doesn’t mean I go to the back of the pile, it should mean I’m next in line. I just gave him the hardest fight he ever had and I’ll give it to him again without a problem.”

Bisping also thinks the middleweight contenders list is thinner than most believe when looking at the divisional rankings. He’s been near the top a number of times, but still awaits that elusive first title shot.

“You look at the contenders, who is there? Vitor Belfort just recently got beat, plus now he’s injured. Yushin Okami’s just been beat. There isn’t too many challengers, I’m right there. Mark Munoz has a fight lined up with Chris Weidman, so if Chael wins, he needs a challenger, I’m right here,” Bisping stated.

Whether Bisping will actually get that shot remains to be seen, and since he’s no clairvoyant he’s not going to stare into a crystal ball and hope to see his future fight with Chael Sonnen.

No, instead the British born Ultimate Fighter winner will rehab his knee and then look to get back into the middleweight title hunt by fighting instead of talking.

“When I spoke to Joe Silva and initially told him about it, he was very understanding and he said ‘listen give me a call after surgery and let me know how you’re leg’s getting on and how it’s feeling, and when you’ll be able to fight, we’ll find you a fight’. He said ‘we’re not going to make you wait on the sidelines for a while, we’ll get you a fight ASAP’,” Bisping revealed.

“In an ideal world I’d love to fight on the Jon Jones and Dan Henderson card. That’s about 11, 12 weeks, so maybe in a few weeks I can start training so that could be a possibility, but it’s down to the UFC of course.”

Bisping will also be watching UFC 148 with bated breath with the thought still lingering that if Chael Sonnen wins, his next fight could be for the middleweight title.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/michael-bisping-asks-if-everyone-else-gets-rematches-why-not-him

It was almost exactly one year ago that Melvin Guillard crushed Shane Roller at UFC 132 and it seemed like he was on the precipice of a title shot.

Now just two fights later and Guillard finds himself outside the top ten, on the preliminary portion of the UFC 148 fight card, and with his back against the wall trying to avoid the dreaded three losses in a row.

The truth is there is no magic formula for keeping a job in the UFC. If Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva decide to keep you around, you stay around; if not, you start looking for a new job.

But as he heads into his UFC 148 bout against Brazilian Fabricio Camoes, Guillard is looking at this fight like it’s do or die because there is no third option.

“I think I perform best when my back’s against the wall,” Guillard told MMAWeekly Radio. “I didn’t get the phone call and nothing was said to me, but in my mind it’s one of those things where you have to go out and win because if you don’t win it could be your last fight in the UFC. Joe Silva can cut you for a while; you can have to go fight somewhere else.”

For the better part of a year, Guillard couldn’t do an interview without the UFC lightweight title coming up, but it’s crazy how much the world changes in just two fights. Of course Guillard still wants to be champion one day, but the only thing on his mind right now is blasting Fabricio Camoes out of the Octagon Saturday night.

“Going into this fight off two losses, I feel like this is a must win fight for me. I’m not thinking about the title, I’m not thinking about who I’m going to fight next, I’m thinking about who’s in front of me,” said Guillard.

“I’m thinking about Fabricio (Camoes) right now, thinking that I have to go in and win, but not only just edge out a win, I need to win impressively.”

On paper this match-up looks like it plays into an area that people keep pointing to as Guillard’s weak point – his submission game.

Yes, Guillard has been submitted in his last two fights and yes, Fabricio Camoes is a high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, but the Ultimate Fighter alum isn’t ignoring all the critics when it comes to his ground game.

Guillard is the first to point out that he knows there’s work to be done, but the biggest part of his game that needs to change is his mental make-up when these bad situations occur in fights.

“I just have to make sure if I end up in a bad position that I don’t panic and that I work to get to a better position. That’s what I’ve been doing day in and day out in training camp. It’s been about being put in bad situations and getting out of those bad situations,” said Guillard.

He’s enjoying the work so much that he’s actually taking up grappling as a hobby on the side. Now that’s not to say Guillard won’t be trying to knock Camoes’ head into the fourth row come fight time, but he’s confident that if the fight does hit the ground he’ll be looking for the finish, not going into panic mode.

“I’m actually competing in gi and no-gi tournaments now; I have one the third week of July after my fight in NAGA here in Orlando. I’m excited about that as well. I’m taking those professional baby steps to show not only to myself, show my fans, that I am working on things that have been troubling me in the past and that is the submission game,” Guillard admitted.

Now the key is putting it all together and showing everybody just what Melvin Guillard is made of.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/melvin-guillard-this-is-must-win-fight-for-me

Another lightweight fight, another loser-leaves-town situation. One guy has been in and out of the UFC since it wasn't even under Zuffa control. The other is an elite wrestler that's still trying to find his niche in the big leagues. John Alessio (34-15, 0-4 UFC) meets Shane Roller (10-6, 1-3 UFC)
Neither man is ranked at lightweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and that's not going to change here. Alessio has looked much better at lightweight thus far though, and doesn't have a lot of wear and tear on him considering this is his 50th career fight. He could possibly grace the list someday still. This lightweight UFC 148 bout is the second fight on the card, and the first that will air on FX. The FX broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

How do these two stack up?

Alessio: 33 years old | 5'9" | 75" reach
Roller: 32 years old | 5'10" | 72" reach

What have these two done recently?

Alessio: L - Mark Bocek (UD) | W - Ryan Healy (UD) | W - Luiz Firmino (UD)
Roller: L - Michael Johnson (UD) | L - T.J. Grant (SUB) | L - Melvin Guillard (KO)

How did these two get here?

John Alessio has been around forever. How many guys in the UFC can claim that they fought in the organization before Dana and Co. owned it? Not many. He plugged along as a welterweight for most of his career, but finally decided to drop to lightweight late last year. After two straight wins, he was brought in again as a late replacement to take on Mark Bocek on the main card at UFC 145. He dropped a decision, but put up a good fight against the underrated Bocek and earned another shot, this time against Roller.

Shane Roller was a very successful college wrestler and a member of the vaunted Team Takedown when he entered the WEC after just four pro fights. He went 6-2 there but fell just a big short of earning a title fight. He hasn't found the same success so far though in the UFC, going just 1-3. After a knockout win over Thiago Tavares, he dropped three in a row and is in dire need of a win here against the veteran Alessio.

Why should you care?

Another one of those do-or-die fights. That, and Alessio is pretty good foil for the wrestler with heavy hands. It should be interesting at least.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/7/3142355/ufc-148-fight-card-primer-john-alessio-vs-shane-roller

Anderson Silva Silences Chael Sonnen With 2nd Round TKO


It’s been called the biggest rivalry in mixed martial arts history.

It was the UFC’s version of Ohio State vs. Michigan, Yankees vs. Red Sox, or even Superman vs. Lex Luthor if you will.

For the past six years, Anderson Silva has ruled the UFC with an iron fist, but one man came knocking on his door two years ago and despite a loss in the first go round he continued to bang away until he got a second chance.

That man was Chael Sonnen.

Dripping with bravado and loud talk, Sonnen blasted Silva with ever insult he could muster of the last 24 months calling the champion everything from fake to taking shots at his home country of Brazil. On Saturday night he got the chance to back all of the talk up, but there was an assassin awaiting him in the Octagon and that’s agent of the deadly arts was Anderson Silva.

As the fight started, Sonnen rushed across the cage and immediately took Silva to the ground and it looked like fans could be in for a repeat of the first fight. The former All-American from Oregon pounded away at Silva’s head and body before finally moving into mount with just seconds to go in the round.

The Brazilian legend held on as time expired, but he was clearly down after five minutes with the self proclaimed ‘American Gangsta’ from West Linn, Oregon.

The second round saw a much different fight however.

Sonnen went for a similar quick shot to get Silva down, but this time the incumbent champion was able to stuff his takedown attempt and did so in a similar manner again later in the round.

Sonnen didn’t back off with his tenacious attack, but as fourteen past opponents have found out with a painful reminder…it only takes one mistake for Anderson Silva to put you away.

After backing away from a takedown, Sonnen through his own Jon Jones-esque spinning back elbow, missing Silva completely and falling down to the mat. Silva stalked forward and as he sprung into action he crashed his knee into Sonnen’s midsection.

Try as he could, Sonnen battled to get back to his feet only to come under the blazing attack of the best stand-up fighter to ever hold a UFC title and Silva was not going to let this opportunity slip away.

Silva blitzed Sonnen with strikes with one punch slipping through and dropping the Oregonian back to the mat. Silva followed up with a few more punches as Sonnen turtled up and covered his head, but the fight was clearly over.

As the referee waived the fight off, Anderson Silva stood proud once again as the reigning, and most successful champion in UFC history.

The war of words between Silva and Sonnen made their rematch at UFC 148 the biggest fight in the promotion’s history, and despite so many harsh things said back and forth over the last few weeks, the champion was still gracious to the challenger.

“Yeah. This sport is the best sport in the world, me and Chael working hard for the show for all the people here,” Silva said.

“Let’s show Brazil has manners and I want everybody to applaud Chael.”

Silva then pulled Sonnen over beside him, shaking his hand, and hopefully putting to bed the biggest feud the UFC has ever known.

“If you’d like to have a barbecue at my house, I’d love to have you over for a barbecue,” Silva said to Sonnen.

The disappointment in Chael Sonnen’s eyes was obvious. This was a lifetime of work both in and out of the Octagon and in a flash it was gone. He was the latest in a long line of victims that Anderson Silva defeated on his path to becoming the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history.

“They gave me the opportunity, nobody owes me anything, I’m very grateful to be here and to have the chance. He’s a true champion.”

“He got me with a good shot it was on the ground, it was a good knee, and other than that I’m just going to have to look at the tape.”

A rivalry has been settled and Chael Sonnen has been silenced for at least one night.

As for Anderson Silva, there is no question at this stage of his career that he is not only the reigning and defending UFC middleweight champion, but the greatest fighter in current mixed martial arts history.

When anyone talks about Silva they say things like he’s the Michael Jordan of MMA or the Muhammed Ali of the UFC.

There will be a time one day soon when people look at athletes from all around the world whether it’s football, basketball, baseball or any other and say they are the Anderson Silva of their respective sport.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-148-results-anderson-silva-silences-chael-sonnen-with-2nd-round-tko

Tito Ortiz Retires On Losing Note, Forrest Griffin Earns Close Win


One of the most memorable and influential careers in MMA came to a close on a losing note.

In his 27th and final UFC appearance, former champ and newly inducted UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz posted a solid performance but ultimately fell short to fellow ex-champ Forrest Griffin.

The light-heavyweight bout co-headlined Saturday's UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Ortiz, one of the UFC's earliest superstars and one who brought mainstream attention to the sport, announced his retirement intentions well before fight night. On the same day he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, he looked to win a rubber match with Griffin and conclude his monumental 15-year career on a winning note.

Unfortunately, despite two knockdowns and a strong finish, he came up short on the judges' scorecards.

Ortiz scored an early takedown and relied on his patented ground and pound. Additionally, as Griffin crawled his way back to his feet, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" battered with him a few short punches. Once standing, though, Griffin was the more active and effective striker, especially as his takedown defense proved effective.

The second round got off to an exciting start when a quick right from Ortiz briefly sent Griffin to the mat. However, Griffin quickly recovered, slowed Ortiz with low kicks, and popped him with uppercuts and a pestering jab for the remainder of the round.

With Ortiz fading and Griffin coming on strong, the tides seemed to shift in the final round. But Ortiz dropped Griffin with a left hook and then took him to the mat, where a sustained ground-and-pound assault followed. Griffin, though, escaped, got back to his feet, and being the fresher fighter, stole the round with his late rally.

In the end, Griffin got the judges' nod via 29-28 scores.

"He gassed at the end, but I didn't have gas either," said Griffin, who left the cage immediately after the fight but was forced back by UFC president Dana White. "But that second knockdown, it was a legit knockdown. I was lost for a while."

Griffin (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC), fighting for the first time since an August loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, now has won three of his past four fights. Ortiz (17-11-1 MMA, 15-11-1 UFC), who's registered more appearances and successful light-heavyweight title defenses than anyone in UFC history, concludes his career with a 1-7-1 skid.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29565/ufc-148-results-forrest-griffin-vs-tito-ortiz.mma

Chad Mendes Quickly Pounds Out Cody McKenzie In First Round


Chad Mendes got back on track, and did so in a big way.

Mendes, just one fight removed from a featherweight title challenge against champion Jose Aldo, on Saturday stopped Cody McKenzie just 31 seconds into the first round with a TKO.

The main-card bout was part of Saturday's UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

McKenzie threw an outside leg kick early in the fight, which Mendes caught. And in one fluid motion, Mendes landed a perfectly place body shot to McKenzie. The punch to the midsection dropped him to the canvas, and Mendes took advantage – pouncing and delivering hammer fists until the fight was stopped.

"We knew that was something that was going to work against Cody," Mendes said. "It's something we worked on a lot in our camp. He's got a long body, and we took advantage of it."

McKenzie was making his debut at featherweight after going 2-2 in the UFC as a lightweight. The owner of an amazing 11 guillotine choke wins in his 13 victories, McKenzie never got a chance to try to work for his patented "McKenzietine" against Mendes, a Team Alpha Male member.

"It's very rewarding to go through a long and hard training camp with the best fighters in the world and to get in the Octagon and get it done fast like that," Mendes said. "I had seen what he had done in past fights and I was prepared."

Mendes (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) got back in the win column after suffering the first loss of his career this past January, a first-round knockout loss to Aldo in the main event of UFC 142 in Brazil. McKenzie (13-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) now has dropped three of his past four fights.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29562/ufc-148-results-chad-mendes-vs-cody-mckenzie.mma

Cung Le Outstrikes Patrick Cote To Take Unanimous Decision


Cung Le spoiled the UFC return of Patrick Cote on Saturday.

In a back-and-forth three-round fight that featured plenty of highlight-reel strikings attempts, Le outpointed Cote to win a unanimous decision with a 30-27 sweep of the judges' scorecards.

The main-card bout was part of Saturday's UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Le, a more high-profile striker than the Canadian, threw the bigger kicks and punches. Cote wasn't afraid to stay on the feet and get inside with the kickboxing legend. But he never could land fully with the big right hand he's known for.

Le mixed in spinning wheel kicks, head kicks, spinning back fists and spinning kicks to the body. But Cote continued to push forward and was able to do some damage when he got inside against Le, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion.

Both fighters fought through a patient first round, feeling each other and looking to establish a rhythm. And though Cote had moments in which he seemed on the verge of putting together the type of combination that could throw Le off, he wasn't able to pick up any rounds with the judges.

"I feel great. A little tired," Le said. "I was going to do a backflip, but I didn't have any energy. He's got such a hard head – I hurt my foot on it. I fought my heart out."

Le said that despite being 40 years old, he's not yet ready to call it quits on his MMA career.

"One goal reached, and another goal to come," Le said. "I'm going to go back to the drawing board – but I'm an adrenaline junkie and I'm not sure I can give it up yet. To all the 40-year-olds, I did it for you guys."

"I thought it was tricky," Cote said. "I was about to push the pace, but he had a lot better footwork than I was expecting."

Cote (18-8 MMA, 4-8 UFC) put together a four-fight win streak to earn his return to the UFC, but the loss was his fourth straight with the company. Le (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) won for the first time as a UFC fighter.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29564/ufc-148-results-patrick-cote-vs-cung-le.mma

Mike Easton Tops Fellow Contender Ivan Menjivar Via Decision


A bantamweight bout with potential title stakes didn't exactly live up to the big expectations.

Instead, Mike Easton had to grind out a win over Ivan Menjivar and settle for unanimous-decision victory.

The main-card bout was part of Saturday's UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Menjivar, who initially was slated to fight Renan Barao until he was shifted to UFC 149's headliner and an interim title fight with Urijah Faber, was also in consideration for the title fight. But his title hopes took a hit with his loss to Easton.

The bout proved evenly matched early, and neither fighter took a clear lead in the first round as Easton primarily worked punches and Menjivar focused on kicks.

Menjivar again worked kicks in the second round, and they included everything from spinning back kicks to the legs to high kicks to the head. Menjivar's inside leg kicks also began to take a toll, though Easton returned fire with some solid body punches and a flying knee late in the round.

In the final frame, both fighters looked for the knockout shot. Each landed some substantial blows, though Easton was the busier fighter and had more success with body punches and inside leg kicks. Then, after a takedown, he unloaded some heavy ground and pound on Menjivar, who eventually escaped and closed out the round with some ho-hum sparring.

It was far from a career performance for either fighter, but Easton got the judges' nod via 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 scores.

"It feels good. I'm very happy for the win," Easton said. "Ivan is an incredible fighter. Usually when I throw my power, it offsets everything and I think my strategy helped me come away with the win tonight. I want to fight for a belt. That is my goal. I want to keep getting better, keep getting better and keep getting better."

"I realized I didn't put much pressure (on)," Menjivar said. "The judges gave it to him because he looked more aggressive, even though he didn't connect. I was too calm."

Easton (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) now has won eight straight fights and likely leapfrogs his opponent in the division standings. Menjivar (24-9 MMA, 3-2 UFC), meanwhile, snaps a three-fight win streak and suffers his first UFC loss since a UFC 48 defeat to Matt Serra.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29561/ufc-148-results-mike-easton-vs-ivan-menjivar.mma

Shane Roller played the roll of spoiler on Saturday night and staved off a possible pink slip while he was at it.

After electing to stand with John Alessio in the first round, Roller used a controlling ground attack in the second and third to pick up a unanimous decision win. Roller kept Alessio from a victory in the 50th fight of his professional career and snapped a three-fight skid to likely save his job.

The preliminary-card bout was part of Saturday's UFC 148 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on FX prior to the night's pay-per-view main card.

Despite Roller's prowess as an All-American Division I wrestler, the fight stayed standing throughout the first. And though Roller appeared to be getting the better of things in the standup game early, Alessio landed late in the first with a right hand, followed by a jab, dropping Roller to the canvas with 10 seconds left. Although Alessio got to the ground looking to do some damage, Roller held on to survive the round.

But in the second, Roller got the fight to the ground. He was able to work for submissions there and latched on to a guillotine. But though Alessio defended it nicely, Roller picked him up for a big slam and looked to continue to control things on the ground.

The third round was more of the same – though Alessio was able to crack Roller with an uppercut early in the frame and put together a nice combination on top of it. But he couldn't defend Roller's takedowns, and once Roller was on the canvas, his control was mostly dominant.

Late in the third, with Roller mounted on Alessio's back, Alessio became so frustrated with being stifled on the ground he began talking to Roller, saying to him, "You wanna ride me?"

Roller said the plan was to make sure to stay out of Alessio's power on the feet.

"It was a tough fight," Roller said. "I had to grind it out with him. Wrestling was the game plan, but I have been working on my standup. He has good standup, but you know that's part of MMA. It's not a boxing match. He's heavy-handed and a pretty big guy, and I felt his hands had good power. I approach every fight as a must-win. All my fights are pretty exciting fights."

Alessio (34-16 MMA, 0-5 UFC) remained winless in the UFC after returning to the promotion this past April. Roller (11-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a former WEC lightweight standout, won for the first time since his UFC debut in March 2011. He was a 2-to-1 favorite in the fight.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29557/ufc-148-results-john-alessio-vs-shane-roller.mma

Alistair Overeem And Dana White Mend Fences At Meeting Prior To UFC 148


When Alistair Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone and was removed from the UFC 146 main event against UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, Dana White was not a happy man.

White was visibly upset with the former K-1 Grand Prix champion and went as far as to call him a liar for past conversations they had in which he proclaimed that he would never test positive for a banned substance.

The situation got to a point where White said that while Overeem would still be in the UFC, he would personally no longer deal with him and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta would be the go do executive to deal with the giant Dutchman.

Well with UFC 148 weekend in full swing, Overeem was in Las Vegas for signings and to announce his new sponsorship deal, but he also took some time to stop by the UFC offices.

There he first met with Lorenzo Fertitta, but he also went out of his way to meet with White in private where the two were able to settle their differences.

“Alistair did meet with me. I think he’s a stud. I liked the meeting, liked what he had to say, and I like the fact that he came in town, he came in the thing he walked in, I saw him walk in he was meeting Lorenzo (Fertitta), I (expletive) walked in my office and shut the door,” White explained following the close of the UFC 148 press conference.

“He went downstairs and waited for 40 minutes until I called him upstairs and then came in my office like a man and nothing but respect for Alistair now.”

White had been vocal about his displeasure in dealing with Overeem after the situation arose that cost the UFC one of the biggest heavyweight fights in the company’s history. Now according to the UFC’s head honcho, Overeem’s actions this week have brought him back into White’s good graces.

“We all make mistakes, we all do stupid (expletive) all the time and I say this all the time it’s all in how you deal with your mistakes and how you handle yourself after. He handled himself like a (expletive) stud,” White stated.

“He was an absolute stud and a man and I respect him for what he did.”

For the last almost two months White was adamant in saying that Overeem’s dealings would only be with Lorenzo Fertitta and he would stay clear.

Now after his meeting with Overeem, the UFC President is in good standing with the fighter who may next challenge for the UFC heavyweight title.

“I guess so,” White answered with a laugh when asked if he was back in the Alistair Overeem business.

Overeem is still currently sitting out until December when he can then re-apply for a fight license in the state of Nevada. There’s been no clear sign of when Overeem will return to the Octagon or if he will indeed fight for the belt upon his return.

One thing is for sure now however…Dana White will be involved in all of those discussions.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/alistair-overeem-and-dana-white-mend-fences-at-meeting-prior-to-ufc-148