MMA News and UFC Betting Odds

Props: The Sun

Quoteworthy:

“It’s such an interesting fight [between UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar] because Couture is so good at coming up with plans for finding weaknesses in guys’ games and exposing them. But Lesnar’s such a different animal, this guy is so big, so strong and so fast at that weight it’s just phenomenal. For what he lacks in technique and knowledge, he makes up for in size, speed and power. Lesnar could go on to be the best heavyweight and the longest-reigning heavyweight — who knows what could happen with him.”

UFC President Dana White feels that former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Brock Lesnar could be “The Next Big Thing” the heavyweight division. So much so, in fact, that he has inserted his pay-per-view (PPV) cash cow into a title fight against recent hall of fame inductee and reigning heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, with just three professional bouts to his credit. The duo will main event the UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15. The size difference between the two fighters is perhaps as great as the experience level, providing an interesting hook for the showdown that will determine what attribute is more important when fists start flying.

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Dana White, MMA News, UFC 91, UFC Heavyweight Division, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Props: Sherdog.com

Quoteworthy:

“I didn’t like that they put Brock Lesnar against Randy Couture. I think that it would be fair to put ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira against Couture — it had to be a fight between these two. Despite having been champion once, I’ve not found it fair that Frank Mir is fighting for the belt. I had two great victories where I was very superior to my opponents, Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera. I’ve won by myself — not the judges. So I think I would be the one to fight against ‘Minotauro’ or Couture, the winner between the two of them, for the belt. I’ve imagined that I would fight for the title in March. Let’s see what will happen. I hope to do my part fighting against ‘Cigano.’ I won’t underestimate him. I will win. It will be by knockout or a finish. I won’t give any opportunity for bad luck.”

Top heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum — who recently scored consecutive wins over Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga — thinks it may have been unfair that Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir leapfrogged him as participants in the mini heavyweight title tournament that the promotion has put together to declare an undisputed division champion. Of course, Lesnar (former WWE superstar) and Mir (former champion) have bigger money-making potential than the relatively obscure (to the masses) and under marketed Brazilian. Werdum recently indicated that he was promised a title shot when he extended his contract. He’ll apparently have to wait. In the meantime, he will take on Octagon newcomer Junior “Cigano” dos Santos at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” this Saturday in Rosemont, Ill., during a televised main card pay-per-view (PPV) bout.

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MMA News, UFC 90, UFC Heavyweight Division, fabricio werdum

If we don’t get to see “Mr. 5-XL” on television sometime soon then something is very wrong. This dude is an absolute monster. Check out all the UFC 89 post-fight interviews over at UFC.com.

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MMA News, Shane Carwin, UFC 89, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC Videos, UFC on SpikeTV, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

“[Brock Lesnar] was never proposed to us, but Gabriel Gonzaga would love to fight him because he’s a big name and I think it would be a clash of two monsters. I think it would be a huge fight so if the UFC gave Gonzaga that honor he would be happy to fight Brock Lesnar.”

– Marco Alvan — the head trainer for former UFC heavyweight number one contender Gabriel Gonazaga — tells BostonHerald.com that he and his fighter would be interested in a fight with Brock Lesnar in the near future. “Napao” is among the larger fighters in the division (like Lesnar) who also has a tight submission game (unlike Lesnar), which would more than likely be another dangerous test for the former professional wrestling star. Lesnar takes on Randy Couture — who beat down Gonzaga last year — at UFC 91 on November 15. Gonzaga will also compete on that same card against Octagon newcomer Josh Hendricks. If Couture defeats Lesnar and Gonzaga defeats Hendricks it would be real interesting to see if the promotion would book a fight like this, which would once again put a big pay-per-view (PPV) money machine at risk of losing to a much more experienced fighter.

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MMA News, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC Quick Quotes

(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Marco” for the assist.)

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MMA News, Randy Couture, UFC 91, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) and Octagon newcomer Mustafa Al-Turk (6-3) will likely meet in a heavyweight match up at UFC 92 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 27.

The New Year’s Eve weekend showdown was booked after different fights for both competitors recently fell through — Kongo was penciled in to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 before the return of Randy Couture and Turk was set to meet Cain Velasquez at UFC Fight Night 16 before a fresh knee injury sidelined the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) prospect.

Kongo — who often flirts with emerging as a top contender — recently defeated Dan Evensen via technical knockout (strikes) in the first round at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” last month.

It was his fourth win within the eight-sided cage for the Parisian against two losses. He holds notable wins over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Assuerio Silva, as well as a damaging split decision loss to Heath Herring earlier this year.

Kongo recently joined Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Michael Bisping and others who train at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in the United Kingdom.

Al-Turk — who fights out of the famous London Shoot gym in the United Kingdom — reportedly just signed a four-fight contract to fight for the UFC after a successful run in Europe on the Cage Rage circuit. In fact, he has six wins in seven attempts for the promotion and is riding a two-fight win streak.

He is a pretty well-rounded fighter with serviceable boxing and solid grappling skills – good enough to earn him the British Cage Rage heavyweight title.

UFC 92 features another heavyweight bout between interim division champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Frank Mir, as well as a potential light heavyweight clash between 255-pound champion Forrest Griffin and top contender Rashad Evans.

To check out the latest UFC 92 fight card and rumors click here.

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Cheick Kongo, MMA News, UFC 92, UFC Heavyweight Division

Hot heavyweight blue chip prospect Cain Velasquez (4-0) will likely return to action against Octagon newcomer Mustafa Al-Turk (6-3) at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops” at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., on December 10.

MMAmania.com recently learned of the possible match up between the future the division and the current Cage Rage British Heavyweight Champion.

Velasquez is an undefeated American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout who has won all of his UFC bouts (two), building a reputation as a dangerous opponent who many in the division would prefer to avoid. Brad Morris and Jake O’Brien weren’t so lucky, and the former Arizona State University wrestler stopped them both in the first round.

He is widely regarded as a future champion, a distinction his possible opponent already has locked down.

Al-Turk — who fights out of the famous London Shoot gym in the United Kingdom — reportedly just signed a four-fight contract to fight for the UFC after a successful run in Europe on the Cage Rage circuit. In fact, he has six wins in seven attempts for the promotion and is riding a two-fight win streak.

He is a pretty well-rounded fighter with serviceable boxing and solid grappling skills. However, he will need to polish his wrestling if he wants to stay in good positions against a stud like Velasquez.

UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops” features two welterweight clashes between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, as well as Mike Swick against Jonathan Goulet. In case your keeping score it’s an AKA attack on Fort Bragg and likely Spike TV — the bout between Velasquez and Turk would likely join these two bouts on the three-hour televised main card.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates and rumors regarding UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops.”

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MMA News, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN), UFC on SpikeTV, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

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Frank Mir, MMA News, TUF 8, UFC 92, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Props: Tatame.com

Quoteworthy:

“Ultimate thinks about business, and Lesnar is more famous in United States. I don’t know how they’ll do it, because my new contract guarantees a title shot with a victory against Cigano. They should have put Cigano, who is a newcomer in the event, to face Lesnar, who only has one fight in UFC. But that’s OK, I’ll win quickly my next fight and my time will come. Nogueira will certainly defeat Frank Mir and Couture will beat Lesnar. The ‘big’ Lesnar won’t make it, Couture will use a good strategy to get him tired and will win on the last round. I can’t see him winning, Couture has a lot more experience and Lesnar is like a white-belt there.”

Fabricio Werdum is the odd man out in the four-man heavyweight “tournament” that UFC President Dana White recently put together with the return of division champion Randy Couture. Werdum, however, realizes that he was likely overlooked because Lesnar is such a huge box office draw. He is scheduled to fight Octagon newcomer Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25. With a win he’s apparently guaranteed a title shot, which would mean mid- to-late 2009 if he opts to sit and wait for his opportunity.

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MMA News, UFC Heavyweight Division, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), fabricio werdum

The media blitz for the heavyweight bout between heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 is already insane … and we’re still more than two months away from fight night:

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MMA News, Randy Couture, UFC 91, UFC Heavyweight Division, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)