MMA News & Rumors

Recruiting MMA athletes is especially criminal: While Chamberlain and O’Neal would hardly accept a role and skip the NBA playoffs, Jackson destroyed a contender’s fight with Rashad Evans on Dec. 12 in order to -- allegedly -- film “The A-Team.” There is no offseason in fighting. As a result, increasing opportunities in choreographed pugilism will begin to infect and damage promotional schedules. The sport’s course is actually being altered by the enticement of horrible parts in horrible movies for non-actors. Being an MMA athlete in Hollywood is the new blonde off the bus. (Sherdog)

With several potential main-event options falling by the wayside for a variety of reasons, the UFC today announced a light heavyweight bout between MMA legend Randy Couture (16-10 MMA, 13-7 MMA) and a recently surging Brandon Vera (11-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) would headline the event. (MMA Junkie)

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera blows away most Spike TV main events in terms of star power. They used a Spike TV show to promote Anderson Silva in 2008 back when nobody was paying to see him, putting Couture on Spike is a whole different story. If Spike TV really gets behind an advertising campaign that highlights how special it is to see Randy fight for free, the show could do a great rating opposite Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto. (Bloody Elbow)


Belfort has been through some tough times in his life, both inside the ring and out, but none equal the loss of his sister. Priscila Belfort was kidnapped in January of 2004. It wasn’t until August 2007 that one of the kidnappers came forward, confessing to participation in the abduction and subsequent murder. (MMA Weekly)

“Everything that happened in my life, good or bad... I learn from everything in my life, so right now I’m just really happy and all my experience I took for good,” he relayed. (MMA Weekly)

I didn’t say that he was an asshole, I said that he TURNED into an asshole, I actually told him this also about 5 weeks before the Petruzelli fight, I told him that I thought he turned into a asshole, he said that he didn’t realize that and apologized, he did that two more times that day and even called me to say he didn’t knew he was doing that. Later I called him an asshole because all of the shit that he took for granted, I also told him that I had no respect for him in our last meeting, but why I said that? I won’t even go there. (Fighters Only)

“I was very disappointed just for the fact that I’ve never actually pulled out of a fight before, so it was my first one and I was pretty devastated,” he said while speaking exclusively with the MMAWeekly.com Radio show. (MMA Weekly)

“I hope everybody believes me when I said I was injured. I don’t want to be looked like I’m a little girl or something that I got scared. It’s nothing like that. I was never scared of Jeremy Stephens, my respect to him, but now we got to move on and move forward.” (MMA Weekly)

Why hasn't Beerbohm made the big time yet? I'm not completely sure. He also fights for Strikeforce, but for some reason they didn't put his June win over Duane Ludwig on Showtime, and so hardly anyone knows who he is. (Fanhouse)

The official addition of a heavyweight bout between former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (0-0) and native Oklahoman Gary Frazier (0-0) completes the lineup for "Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings" on Sept. 25 in Bixby, Okla. (MMA Junkie)

Despite the hype surrounding "The Ultimate Fighter 8" cast member after UFC president Dana White called him "the next Anderson Silva," Nover could be served his walking papers if Sam Stout (14-5-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC) can hand the 25-year-old his third-straight loss. (MMA Fanhouse)

In the co-main event, Nissen Osterneck and Gerald “Hurricane" Harris stepped into the cage to crown the organization’s first middleweight champion. Harris wasted little time, knocking out Osterneck with a blistering left jab that left his opponent unconscious on the canvas for nearly a minute. (MMA Weekly)

Harris, who competed on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter, may have earned another look from the UFC after notching his seventh straight win since being a contestant on the reality show. For those that remember, Harris lost to Amir Sadolloh, the fighter who would go on to be crowned champion. (MMA Weekly)

Lightweights Mark Bocek and Matt Veach are expected to clash at the season ten finale of "The Ultimate Fighter," according to a source close to the bout. Though bout agreements have yet to be signed, both parties have agreed to the fight and should finalize a deal soon. (MMA Weekly)