Props: UFC.com
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F15%2Fufc-93-video-press-conference-highlights-for-franklin-vs-henderson%2F'; addthis_title = 'UFC+93+video%3A+Press+conference+highlights+for+%26%238216%3BFranklin+vs.+Henderson%26%238217%3B'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';MMA News, UFC 93, UFC Ireland, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Well done … bravo:
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F15%2Faffliction-fedor-emelianenko-vs-andrei-arlovski-video-preview%2F'; addthis_title = 'Affliction%3A+Fedor+Emelianenko+vs+Andrei+Arlovski+video+preview'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';
Embattled and enigmatic lightweight Melvin Guillard (21-7-2) is scheduled to return to the Octagon against promotional newcomer Ronys Torres (13-1) at UFC Fight Night 18 in Nashville, Tenn., on April 1, according to FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
Guillard was most recently supposed to take on Spencer Fisher at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25.
However, the “Young Assassin” was arrested in Houston, Texas, on August 13 for violating probation on a 2007 drug charge. The star-crossed former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) was released to a drug treatment facility per the terms of his recently amended probation.
We haven’t really heard of him since … until now.
The talented 25-year-old talented Louisiana native appeared to have slayed his personal demons, destroying Denis Siver at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” in July 2008 — his return fight after being released by the UFC for, among other things, his relationship with illegal drugs.
In fact, Guillard (21-7-2) tested positive for cocaine after his loss to Joe Stevenson at UFC Fight Night 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April 2007. He was fined and suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the transgression.
Stevenson went on to fight BJ Penn for the world title. Guillard, on the other hand, sat on the sidelines and returned to fight nemesis Rich Clementi. He lost that fight and was cut from his contract, which many believed was his last chance.
But UFC President Dana White and the promotion invited him back, and then after the win over Siver, set him up with a very good opportunity against Fisher. Guillard, however, blew the chance, proving once again that he is his own worst enemy.
Now he gets another chance to put it all behind him and compete inside the Octagon against Torres.
The Nova Uniao-trained fighter has a solid mixed martial arts record. He among the brightest and most promising prospects to emerge from Brazil in recent years. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who reportedly has great takedowns, submissions and ground and pound.
That’s not the best style match up for the submission-susceptible Guillard. But Torres needs to get close to work his magic, which could pose some problems for him, too, thanks to the heavy-handed Guillard.
UFC Fight Night 18 will serve as the lead-in to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 on Spike TV. The event has yet to be announced or made official; however, several bouts are also rumored for the show, including a match up between TUF 8 lightweight winner Efrain Escuedero taking on Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Almeida challenging Matt Horwich in a middleweight match.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more announcements and news surrounding UFC Fight Night 18. For the latest fight card rumors click here.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F15%2Fmelvin-guillard-vs-ronys-torres-ufc-fight-night-18-bout-floated%2F'; addthis_title = 'Melvin+Guillard+vs+Ronys+Torres+UFC+Fight+Night+18+bout+floated'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';MMA News, UFC Fight Night 18, UFC on SpikeTV, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), melvin guillard
From The Olympian:
“Prosecutors have charged Olympia mixed-martial-arts champion and avowed anarchist Jeff Monson with first-degree malicious mischief based on photographs published in a December edition of ESPN The Magazine that showed him spray-painting an anarchist symbol on the state Capitol, court papers state. A warrant for Monson’s arrest was filed today in Thurston County Superior Court. Monson, 37, is charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a Class B felony carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.”
“The Snowman” — a former number one contender in the UFC heavyweight division — faces some serious charges for his most recent stunt if and when he is apprehended. He is innocent until proven guilty; however, it doesn’t appear that the outspoken political activisist had any intentions of hiding his actions. Either that or he had no clue authorities read sports-related magazines.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F15%2Fanarchy-jeff-monson-busted-after-pics-in-espn-the-magazine-surface%2F'; addthis_title = 'Anarchy%21+Jeff+Monson+busted+after+pics+in+ESPN+the+Magazine+surface'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';
“… I think the smack talk people are talking about was taken out of context. I said that if he was beating me in the stand-up then I would take him down and beat him up on the ground…. I want to beat him up on the feet and then beat him up on the ground. I’m going to keep him guessing and mix it up but I don’t really see his being south-paw a problem.”
– Dan Henderson (via The Mirror) clarifies the remarks he made about beating the shit out Rich Franklin at UFC 93: “Franklin vs. Henderson” at The O2 in Dublin, Ireland, on January 17. “Ace” had an amusing response in the UFC 93 “Countdown” show, which you can catch right here.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F15%2Fufc-quick-quote-dan-henderson-on-beating-the-poop-out-of-rich-franklin%2F'; addthis_title = 'UFC+Quick+Quote%3A+Dan+Henderson+on+beating+the+poop+out+of+Rich+Franklin'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';MMA News, UFC 93, UFC Ireland, UFC Quick Quotes, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), dan henderson
After a unanimous decision loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 90: “Cote vs. Silva” in October 2008 — and an epic spat between officials from his management team at Zinkin Entertainment/American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) and the promotion — the top welterweight contender’s future inside the Octagon was suddenly (and shockingly) a huge question mark.
No longer.
MMAmania.com can reveal that The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum recently agreed to a 20-month contract extension, which will keep him locked up until almost 2011.
“I feel that the extension is a good thing for me because I still have a job,” Koscheck quipped. “The UFC is the only show in town. If I wasn’t with them I would be a struggling fighter looking for work in a struggling country.”
Koscheck does not intend to sit back and smell the stale stench of his sweaty gym. On the contrary, the national collegiate wrestling champion intends to continue his blistering pace of taking fight after fight.
“There are a lot of reasons I want to fight so much,” he said. “I am in the gym all year around and I would rather be fighting then just training. The only way I make money is by fighting. So I told the UFC that I want to fight five or six times in 2009. I don’t care who I fight, anyone willing to step up I’ll be ready. I am a fighter and that’s what I love to do.”
Indeed, Koscheck most recently annihilated Yoshiyuki Yoshida — a very dangerous Japanese fighter — with a scary-looking two-punch knockout at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” on December 10. He defeated “Zenko” just six weeks after losing to number one division contender, Alves, in the “Windy City.”
He took the fight against the bruising Brazilian on less than 14 days notice to replace an injured Diego Sanchez. It didn’t go his way and he made no excuses for the loss, making it hard to hold it against him.
Koscheck got right back on the horse and does not appear to want to get off anytime soon, wanting to fight as often as possible to get back in the 170-pound title chase. The 13-fight UFC veteran will continue that chase against relative unknown and newcomer to the promotion, Paulo Thiago, at UFC 95 from The O2 Arena in London, England, on February 21.
It’s once again a risky move, taking on an opponent who not many will give him enough credit for defeating if he wins. But that doesn’t matter — Koscheck just wants to keep busy. And he will not allow himself to be a stepping stone for Thiago … or anyone else for that matter.
“Every fight is a dangerous fight when your in the UFC,” he said. “I have to train hard and not give this kid a chance to make his name off of me. The upside to fighting Paulo is that I get to fight!”
Koscheck has won three of his last four fights — he knocked off Dustin Hazelett and Chris Lytle before the Alves loss. With another win, combined with his unrivaled “gameness,” Koscheck could find himself once again on the short list of 170-pound title contenders sooner rather than later.
“I want to fight five to six times this year — I’ll be very unhappy if the UFC can’t get me fights,” he said. “I am happy to be back and I’m ready to fight.”
One down Feb. 21. Only five more to go … in 2009.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F14%2Fjosh-koscheck-inks-20-month-contract-extension-with-ufc-eager-to-fight-six-times-in-2009%2F'; addthis_title = 'Josh+Koscheck+inks+20-month+contract+extension+with+UFC%3B+Eager+to+fight+six+times+in+2009'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';Josh Koscheck, MMA News, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
MMA News, UFC 93, UFC Ireland, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Finally …
The much ballyhooed three-part series titled “UFC Primetime,” which features an in-depth look at the colossal UFC 94 welterweight title fight between current champion Georges St. Pierre and former welterweight and current lightweight champion BJ Penn, will debut tonight (January 14) at 10:30 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
Episodes two and three will air on January 21 and 28, respectively.
Penn and St. Pierre have already met inside the Octagon at UFC 58: “USA vs. Canada” in 2006, which resulted in a controversial split decision win for St. Pierre. ‘The Prodigy’ brutalized St. Pierre for much of the first round, but ‘Rush’ was able to storm back and hang on in the final two frames to get the winning nod.
Most at the time felt at the very least it should have been a draw because of the lopsided opening stanza; however, the judges ringside did not agree. Regardless, it was a great fight and the encore will likely be even better since both fighters have improved significantly over time.
And that’s a scary thing to say — these are two of the most gifted pound-for-pound talents in the sport going up against one another in the prime of their careers. Its historical significance cannot be overstated.
UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ takes place January 31 live on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and also features the highly anticipated showdown between light heavyweight unbeatens Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva.
For more on UFC 94 click here. Be sure to also hit up our “UFC Primtetime” archive right here for video teasers of the episode.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F14%2Fprogramming-reminder-ufc-primetime-debuts-on-spike-tv-tonight%2F'; addthis_title = 'Programming+reminder%3A+%26%238216%3BUFC+Primetime%26%238217%3B+debuts+on+Spike+TV+tonight'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';MMA News, UFC 94, UFC on SpikeTV, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
“If you take any young guys, from a frat house, and put them alone and together you’re going to get that kind of stuff. Welcome to dealing with young guys. I’ve talked to the pro skaters and snowboarders and they helicopter guys up to a house and sometimes they get snowed in. They told me that some of the [expletive] that happens with those guys makes what happened on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ look like a joke.”
– Semen-laced sushi and numerous glass-throwing incidents be damned, UFC President Dana White tells Yahoo!Sports.com that mixed martial arts fans who watch The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on Spike TV should not expect drastic changes — if any at all — when it comes to the questionable behavior of the up-and-coming fighters on the show. The “U.S. vs. U.K.”-themed ninth installment will debut on April 1, featuring 16 American and 16 British fighters who will enter into international battle for the right to earn a “six figure” UFC contract in the 185 pound and 170 pound divisions.
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F14%2Fufc-quick-quote-dana-white-is-cool-with-the-ultimate-fighter-house%2F'; addthis_title = 'UFC+Quick+Quote%3A+Dana+White+is+cool+with+The+Ultimate+Fighter+house'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';Dana White, MMA News, UFC Quick Quotes, UFC The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Props: Sherdog.com
Quoteworthy:
“I think that this has the makings to be like the Griffin-Bonnar fight. I don’t want to compare anything to that because that fight was unbelievable. But that’s what I’m hoping we have. I’m hoping we have the kind of fight that people are going to be talking about not just at the water cooler the next day, but five years down the road…. We both know none of us have been knocked out in our careers and we’re going to put it all on the line for us, our families, our friends and the fans of MMA. We want to have one of those fights like Hagler vs. Hearns or however you want to look at it.”
UFC welterweight Marcus Davis (15-4) hypes his upcoming fight against Chris Lytle (26-16-5) at UFC 93: “Henderson vs. Franklin,” which will take place at The O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. this weekend (January 17). Davis and Lytle have both done their best prior to the fight to promise fireworks, which is a very real possibility considering that the “Irish Hand Grenade” and “Lights Out” hit hard and neither of them have ever been stopped by strikes in their respective mixed martial arts careers. That could all change in early 2009 … at least for one fighter. Will it live up to expectations and emerge as a an early “Fight of the Year” candidate?
addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmmamania.com%2F2009%2F01%2F14%2Fmarcus-davis-vs-chris-lytle-ufc-93-fight-an-instant-classic%2F'; addthis_title = 'Marcus+Davis+vs+Chris+Lytle+UFC+93+fight+%26%238230%3B+an+instant+classic%3F'; addthis_pub = 'brok3llc';Chris Lytle, MMA News, Marcus Davis, UFC 93, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)