Yahoo! Canada Sports

Junior dos Santos jokingly escalates growing rivalry with Cain Velasquez, saying UFC champ ‘hits like a girl’

Kevin Iole — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:32:01 PDT

Junior dos Santos will meet Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC 166 on Oct. 19 in Houston, the third time in less than two years that the men have met with the heavyweight title at stake.

Dos Santos took the belt from Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 on Nov. 12, 2011, with a 64-second TKO. Velasquez regained the belt and evened the series when he routed dos Santos and scored a wide five-round decision on Dec. 29, 2012, at UFC 155 in Las Vegas.

UFC officials would love for the rivalry to become heated, as it would stoke pay-per-view sales. As it is, both men are affable, low-key sorts who usually have little bad to say about the other.

Dos Santos, though, may have taken the first step toward creating a true rivalry when he said during a lengthy interview done in Portuguese and linked here that Velasquez "hits like a girl."

He was trying to explain his surprisingly poor performance against Velasquez at UFC 155 when he made the remark, which seems like an attempt at humor.

After my last fight with Velasquez, I was too bloated. My face was completely deformed. I went to the hospital. I had no cuts against Cain Velasquez. He hits like a girl. We say in boxing about people who 'catch,' who have that punch that you really feel or that cuts your face or knocks you down. He hit me a lot during the five rounds, but did not open anything, although I finished very bloated and had to go to the hospital.

The term catch is a Brazilian slang term for heavy punching power.

Now, dos Santos already admitted he was overtrained for the fight. And in an extensive interview with Yahoo! Sports, he repeatedly praised Velasquez.

But though he made a joke about it's power, it's likely that he does believe that Velasquez is not the biggest puncher around. He called Velasquez "my biggest adversary" but had some interesting things to say about light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

He is taller than me; he has the biggest reach in the UFC. He is a specialist using his knees and elbows. I like him a lot; I'm a fan of his. I like to watch his fights because he plays offensive and ends fights. But if he comes to heavyweight and if the UFC wants us to fight, I will give the best of me.

A dos Santos-Jones fight would be a massive event for the UFC, as would a Velasquez-Jones fight. The winner of the rubber match at UFC 166 might be the guy who ultimately gets to Jones first.

Hat tip to Fernando Arbex of Yahoo! Brazil for the Portuguese-to-English translation of dos Santos' remarks.

Watch Bellator 96 prelims live on Yahoo! Sports

cbrunner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:48:31 PDT

Spike TV’s ‘Fight Master’ debuts Wednesday

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:16:07 PDT

Spike TV will debut its Bellator reality show on Wednesday night, after the fight card headlined by "King Mo" Lawal's bout with Seth Petruzelli. In "Fight Master," fighters are competing for $100,000 and a spot in Bellator's next tourney. If you think that sounds like "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC's reality show that launched on Spike before heading to FX, the similarities end there.

This show has a feel to it more like NBC's hit singing show, "The Voice." Bellator champ Joe Warren, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, UFC pioneer Frank Shamrock and trainer extraordinaire Greg Jackson will all serve as coaches. After fighting in preliminary fights, the fighters and coaches go through a process that reminds me of sorority rush. Fighters and coaches pick each other, and the camp process starts after the camps are picked.

Will you tune in? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

Legal updates: UFC expects positive outcome in Boston, but no MMA in NY this year

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:57:08 PDT

Because MMA was once outlawed in several states, a patchwork of laws govern the sport across the country. This week has been a big one for the UFC to wade through legal red tape as it works on Boston and New York.

-- In Boston, there is an issue with the documentation foreign-born fighters must have to work in Massachusetts for the first UFC on Fox Sports 1 show. Basically, the law won't necessarily keep fighters off the card, but it will create a whole lot more work for the UFC. The UFC is expecting a "positive outcome" with this issue.

-- MMA won't have such a positive outcome in a state a short drive from Boston. The UFC has been lobbying to legalize MMA in New York for years, and for a while, it seemed like this year could be the year MMA would finally break through. Unfortunately, the New York legislature failed to bring the MMA bill to a vote, meaning the sport has to wait until next year.

Understandably, the UFC is disappointed. Here's what UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta had to say about it.

This year’s new, absurd, offensive, and completely erroneous charge used to justify the defeat of MMA legislation was that MMA is anti-woman and leads to domestic violence. This is a deception fabricated by a Las Vegas union that is recklessly and callously trying to use an important societal issue to try and punish the UFC. It isn’t honest and doesn’t work.

Fertitta pointed out that one of the fighters the union in Las Vegas has been most upset about is Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. This union, which has a problem with Fertitta's Station Casinos non-union status, didn't protest when Jackson signed with Bellator. If they truly thought MMA -- and not the Fertitta-owned UFC -- was the problem, wouldn't they send press releases and fill up Twitter decrying Bellator and World Series of Fighting and every other promotion out there?

Former UFC fighter sentenced to 13 years in prison for drug trafficking

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:19:19 PDT

As mentioned previously on Cagewriter, UFC veteran Paul Kelly was convicted for trafficking heroin in the United Kingdom. He got his sentence. Kelly, who last fought in the UFC when he lost to Donald Cerrone at UFC 126, will have to serve 13 years in prison.

The judge in Kelly's case pointed out the fighter's role as a drug trafficker.

"In my judgement you decided to supply Class A drugs when your contract with UFC was terminated," Brown was quoted as saying in the Liverpool Echo. "You obviously enjoyed the high life and saw selling heroin as an easy way to make money."

An extra wrinkle to Kelly's sentence is that he is 28 years old and riding a two-fight winning streak. Assuming Kelly serves out his entire sentence, he will be 41 when he's released. Kelly's actions have not only cost him his freedom, but more than likely, his career. Crime doesn't pay, kids.

Massachusetts law could be a problem for the first UFC on Fox Sports 1 show

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:02:31 PDT

Red tape and paperwork may get in the way of the UFC's plans for their first fight on the new station, Fox Sports 1. The card is slated for Boston, but a law requiring certain documentation for foreign-born fighters could complicate things.

The Boston Herald reports that when Massachusetts legalized MMA, it required that foreign-born fighters to get Social Security numbers.

“This law has been in existence since we legalized mixed martial arts in the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Terrell Harris, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety. “It’s been brought to the attention of the UFC more than a few times since we legalized the fighting here. But they’ve chosen basically to ignore the law and hope that they could skirt it somehow."

According to Harris, the Social Security Administration allows for numbers with temporary work visas. But Shu Hirata, a manager who works with international fighters, said it's not that simple.

He tweeted the U.S. only gives tax identification numbers, not social security numbers. The officials in Massachusetts need to accept tax I.D. numbers for the foreign-born fighters. The process also involves the fighters sending in their passports to the IRS, which understandably would make anyone nervous.

Main eventer Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is Brazilian-born. Nick Ring is Canadian. Connor McGregor is from Ireland. Four other fighters from the card live and train outside the U.S. Thiago Alves is Brazilian, Brad Pickett is British, and Alistair Overeem is from the Netherlands. However, they live and train in the United States. Turning over their passport and dealing with the IRS is not quite as big of an ordeal as it is for the fighters who live outside the country.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Biggest winners and losers from UFC 161
• Can Roy Nelson, UFC stand more of each other?
• James Krause stands out at UFC 161

UFC 161′s Three Stars: James Krause, Shawn Jordan and Stipe Miocic’s night

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:31:34 PDT

UFC 161 wasn't the greatest of cards, but some fighters did stand out. Who stood out for you? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

No. 1 star -- James Krause: In 2009, Krause had two fights in the WEC. He lost to Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas and missed his chance to get into the UFC when it merged with the WEC. Krause kept training and kept fighting, putting together a seven-fight win streak in promotions like Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shark Fights.

He was ready when the UFC called and asked him to fill in at the last minute for a tough match-up with Sam Stout. He not only had an entertaining fight with Stout, he finished him with a guillotine with 13 seconds left in the fight. He won both a Fight of the Night bonus and a Submission of the Night bonus, totaling $100,000.* After years of training and fighting in smaller promotions, that money is an excellent reward for keeping the faith.

No. 2 star -- Shawn Jordan: Perhaps it's just that Shawn Jordan is a really busy guy. He has many items on his to-do list, and he doesn't have time to waste on knocking out a fighter. He quickly finished Pat Barry, earning the TKO in 59 seconds. Next item on the to-do list? Heading to the bank to cash his $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.*

No. 3 star -- Stipe Miocic: Does it actually take throwing a kitchen sink at Roy Nelson's head to knock him out? Because Miocic's strikes were just short of kitchen-sink-level, and Nelson remained standing. That Miocic was able to put such a beating on Nelson showed that he is back to being the striking stud he was before being knocked out by Stefan Struve.

*UFC bonuses are paid out after fighters have passed their post-fight drug tests.

UFC 161 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:47:39 PDT

UFC 161 is almost here, and it's time to make a choice on who will take the bouts. See how Yahoo! Sports expert Kevin Iole, Cagewriter editor Maggie Hendricks, and Cagereaders like you picked the fights. Thank you to everyone who made their pick on Cagewriter's Facebook page.

Kevin Iole: Rashad Evans W3 Dan Henderson -- This could easily go the other way. Both guys need wins in a bad way. I just have a hunch that Rashad's going to come up with a big performance.

Maggie Hendricks: Rashad Evans W3 Dan Henderson -- Evans has been working with Kenny Monday, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler, to improve his already-strong wrestling game. He will use it to control Henderson to get the win.

Cagereader: I hate to say it but I think Rashad will edge this out. They both do the same thing, push, grind, wrestle and pound until the tank is empty. I think Rashad 29-28, both fighters exhausted. However, I love seeing Hendo knock people out. -- Joe Schipani

***

Kevin Iole: Roy Nelson TKO2 Stipe Miocic -- Roy is on a roll and is far too complete of a fighter for Miocic. I think he ends it with a big right hand.

Maggie Hendricks: Roy Nelson KO1 Stipe Miocic -- Nelson is coming off a huge win, and he has a great chance to keep his streak going.

Cagereader: I'd like to see Stipe jab/circle and use some body kicks before taking Roy down, Stipe has pretty good GnP. I know about Roy's black belt in Jits but he hasn't won by sub since 2006. But, if Roy lands the right hand it's sleepy time. -- Chapin Johnston

***

Kevin Iole: Ryan Jimmo W3 Igor Pokrajac -- The home crowd will propel Jimmo to hard-fought victory.

Maggie Hendricks: Ryan Jimmo W3 Igor Pokrajac -- Most of Jimmo's career has been in Canada, and he will feel more comfortable in front of the crowd in Winnipeg.

Cagereader: Both fighters like to stand and bang. No disrespect to Pokrajac, but he doesn't have the standup credentials that Jimmo possesses. Jimmo by KO.

***

Kevin Iole: Alexis Davis Sub3 Rosi Sexton -- Both are impressive fighters, but Davis is bigger and I think that makes a difference as the fight wears on.

Maggie Hendricks: Alexis Davis W3 Rosi Sexton -- Davis will use her size to wear the smaller Sexton down.

Cagereader: Sexton will be too small at BW to handle a fighter like Davis. Davis by decision. -- Michael Clutch Cordello

***

Kevin Iole: Pat Barry TKO3 Shawn Jordan -- Barry is always entertaining and this will be a slobberknocker. Look for Barry to be the one to come out on top.

Maggie Hendricks: Pat Barry KO2 Shawn Jordan -- The prediction I'm most comfortable making about this fight is that it won't go to the judges. There will be a knockout.

Cagereader: Jordan will be happy to engage, a poor decision against a striker like "HD". Barry by KO. -- Michael Clutch Cordello

Jon Jones set for UFC 165 bout with Alexander Gustafsson

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:30:13 PDT

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has a date and an opponent for his next title fight. He's facing Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, in Toronto.

So I'm sure you all heard the news. September 21, 2013 I will make history in Toronto Canada.. This is the most important fight of my career

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 13, 2013

Because this lion's young and hungry I'm sure “@JoMMA83: @JonnyBones why most important?”

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 13, 2013

Gustafsson confirmed he is indeed, young and hungry.

One in a life time opportunity I'm soooo Ready cant wait for this one!!!!!! #letsdothis!!!!!!!!

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) June 14, 2013

The best part of this fight is that Jones is finally facing a challenger who earned this chance with his skill, not his ability to talk or be in the right place at the right time. His last two fights were over middleweights Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen. While he won both times, Jones is too talented of a fighter to not be tested by fighters who are at the very least in his own weight class. Gustafsson is on a six-fight win streak, and has the height and length that could make this match-up interesting.

Four questions that UFC 161 will answer

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:51:12 PDT

UFC 161 is this Saturday in Winnipeg. Before you tune in, see what questions will be answered by these fights.

Does Dan Henderson have another great fight in him? Think back of some of the greatest MMA bouts you've seen. There's a pretty good chance at least one of Henderson's bouts is somewhere on your list. On Saturday, he's facing Rashad Evans, and he has the chance to give another memorable performance. Will he do it, or will his 42-year-old body not it perform like he used to?

Will a heavyweight title contender make himself known? There are two heavyweight bouts on Saturday's main card. Pat Barry is taking on Shawn Jordan, and Roy Nelson is fighting Stipe Miocic. Fabricio Werdum is supposed to be the next contender after the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos bout, but one good performance can change a fighter's fortune quickly. Will anyone make a major leap forward?

Will Alexis Davis beat a path to a title shot? The Canadian bantamweight will be fighting in front of a home crowd against Rosi Sexton. She won her last two fights by rear naked choke. Will she get another one and make her stake on the title?

Which Tyron Woodley will show up? In February, Woodley knocked out Jay Hieron in 36 seconds. Last July, he was knocked out by Nate Marquardt in just over a minute. Against Jake Shields, which Woodley will we see?

Don't forget to make your UFC 161 picks on Cagewriter's Facebook page.

Anderson Silva not great at soccer, singing (Video)

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:30:26 PDT

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is so good at fighting that it can be easy to think he is really good at everything. These videos prove that Silva is quite human at playing soccer and singing.

In this "what could have been" video, Silva dreams about what life would have been like if he had chosen soccer instead of MMA. He is from a soccer-crazy country that is hosting the 2014 World Cup, but the video shows he made the right choice. Even Pele agrees.

Though his singing wouldn't bring shame to his country, it definitely isn't his best skill. Skip to the 1:45 mark to see him, uh, sing.

Thanks to Gracie Magazine.

Chael Sonnen says LeBron James is a ‘dork’

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:47:42 PDT

Chael Sonnen, the man who has dropped his last two UFC fights, thinks LeBron James, the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is a "dork." Sonnen appeared on "The Jim Rome Show" and called James names, and then went on to rip the NBA's practice of calling their champs world champions.

"I think LeBron's a dork. He won one world championship, and that was in the Olympic Games. It's so aggravating to hear a title be called a 'world champion' when it's only done in America. It's not a global event where the whole world can participate. You didn't win a world title. You won a national title."

Sonnen trained for the Olympics before switching to MMA. He got to the Olympic Trials, so you can see why he might be sensitive about throwing around the "world title" moniker.

To be fair, the NBA has become an international force. Six players on the Spurs were born outside the U.S. Chris Anderson, James' teammate on the Heat, is from another world. James has had a rough time during the NBA Finals. His Miami Heat are down 2-1 to the San Antonio Spurs. James said after Tuesday's shellacking that he had to put it "on his chest." No need to kick him while he's down, Chael.

Watch a fighter vomit during his post-fight interview

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:12:07 PDT

So, you've made it through a three-round fight. It was described as "grueling," but you still got the decision win. Now, you get your chance to practice what it will be like when Joe Rogan comes into the cage after a UFC fight. It's time for the post-fight interview. Sure, your stomach is rumbling and you're not feeling great, but you just made it through a fight. You can make it through an interview, right?

Poor Cliff Thompson. He's 2-0, won his split decision over Doug Usher, but will still be remembered as the guy who puked before he could say a word in his post-fight interview. At the same time, there are plenty of fighters who are fighting in anonymity. Even if he is known as the Fightin' Puker, he will at least be known.

Thanks, Awful Announcing.

This fall, Bellator will move to Fridays

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 06:29:51 PDT

Bellator is making a change to when they will air their show this fall. As first reported by Sports Illustrated, they will move their shows to Fridays on Spike. They have aired on Fridays throughout much of their run. Though their move to Thursday gave them a ratings boost when it moved to Spike in January, this will keep them from going against the UFC or the NFL's Thursday night games.

The soon-to-launch Fox Sports 1 will feature UFC programming on Wednesday nights. This will start with live fights in mid-August. Kevin Kay, the head of Spike TV, said the move makes sense because it doesn't force MMA fans to make a choice.

“I don’t want to see Bellator going head to head with the UFC,” said Kay. “I don’t think that makes any sense for fans. No matter who would win in that scenario, you don’t want to not give the fans the choice to watch both.”

It makes sense for Bellator to avoid both forcing MMA fans to choose and the NFL ratings juggernaut. Still, Friday nights are tough for any television programming, particularly for a show aimed at men aged 18-49. It will be better than when they aired on MTV2, with limited options for high definition. They have added stars like Quinton Jackson, and exciting prospects like Bubba Jenkins. Will you watch on Friday nights? Speak up on Facebook or on Twitter.

Video game choices for fight fans: Get in the UFC octagon or fight animal abusers

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:38:59 PDT

Two video games hit the MMA world on Monday for fight fans. One was the latest edition of the UFC EA Sports Game. UFC president Dana White and champions Benson Henderson and Jon Jones debuted it at a flashy press conference at E3.

The UFC game will apparently help you figure out what it feels like to fight in a cage without any of those pesky concussions or broken bones.

Want to play a fight game right? PETA is here to help you out.

That's right, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals want you to play their video game to knock out animal abuse. Aaron Simpson, Georgi Kharykhanian and Jake Shields are featured characters in the game "Cage Fight: Knock Out Animal Abuse." They each take on different challenges in animal cruelty. Simpson is a vegan and outspoken critic of animal abuse. Shields, who is fighting Tyron Woodley at UFC 161, has joined up with animal rights groups in the past.

We want your UFC 161 picks

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:43:05 PDT

Time to make your picks for UFC 161, which is going down this Saturday in Winnipeg. Head to Cagewriter's Facebook page to vote on who you think will win. Tell us why your pick will win in the comments.

Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson
Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton
Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan
Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac

Some pick will be chosen to appear on Cagewriter this Friday. Vote early, comment often, and check back on Friday to see if your pick made the post.

After Thiago Silva’s knockout win, heavyweight Antonio Silva wants to fight

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:27:57 PDT

Thiago Silva walked away from UFC on Fuel 10 with a big win. He knocked out Rafael Cavalcante and earned both Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses. This means he can earn an extra $100,000 from the weekend. Will he soon ask for a step up in competition at light heavyweight? Not if Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (no relation) has anything to do say about it.

During Saturday's fights, Antonio Silva, a heavyweight who recently lost a title bout to Cain Velasquez, tweeted in Portuguese that he wanted a shot at Silva because they had a "debt to settle." The two were once teammates with the Blackzilians and American Top Team. Recently, Antonio Silva returned to American Top Team.

Antonio Silva said he will fight Thiago at heavyweight, but Thiago balked at the idea of moving up in weight.

"He must be sad because I left American Top Team, but if he wants to fight me he has to come down to 205. That’s it," he said through an interpreter at the UFC on FUEL 10 post-fight press conference.

Antonio weighed in for his bout with Velasquez at 263 lbs. He stands 6-foot-4. The cut down to light heavyweight wouldn't be a small feat, especially considering he is 33 years old. But the guy calling for the fight should be the one to make the concession.

Let's say they come up with a compromise on weight. Is this even a bout you want to see? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

Watch highlights from Fabricio Werdum’s big UFC on Fuel 10 win in Brazil

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:09:44 PDT

Fabricio Werdum scored another big win over the weekend. This time, the UFC heavyweight took out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with an armbar in the second round. Werdum is 3-0 since returning to the UFC, and he made waves by taking out fan favorite Nogueira. He is the odds-on favorite to get the next chance at the heavyweight belt.

In other action from UFC on Fuel 10 in Brazil, Leonardo Santos submitted William Macario. Thiago Silva knocked out former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael Cavalcante. Erick Silva rebounded from his loss to Jon Fitch in October by submitting Jason High in just 1:11.

Where do Fabricio Werdum, John Maguire and ‘Shogun’ Rua fall on Cagewriter’s Hot or Not List?

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:17:59 PDT

Who had a good week, and who didn't? Let's get right to the Cagewriter Hot or Not List.

Hot -- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson: He left the UFC on a three-fight losing streak, but found his way to a deal with Bellator and TNA Wrestling. He's getting to fight, do some pro wrestling and will have a reality show follow him.

Not-ish -- Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: You be the judge on if Rua's week was good or bad. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of their UFC 161 fight because of injury. Rua didn't get a replacement, but did get rescheduled for UFC on Fox Sports 1 1 in a bout with Chael Sonnen.

Hot -- Joe Silva: The UFC's matchmaker has been a busy, busy man. In addition to the Sonnen-Rua bout, Silva put together Benson Henderson's fight with T.J. Grant, Sara McMann taking on Sarah Kaufman, and many, many more August bouts.

Not quite hot yet -- John Maguire: He has promised a cutoff-wearing, flashdancing walkout at UFC 161 if he gets to 10,000 followers on Twitter. Right now, he's at 9,893. Follow him now for laughs next weekend.

Still taking temperature -- Fabricio Werdum: He won over Roy Nelson and Mike Russow in his first fights back with the UFC after a stint in Strikeforce. He'll get a chance to extend that winning streak on Saturday, as he fights Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Brazil at UFC on Fuel 10.

Thank you for reading Cagewriter. Want more? Follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch ‘Rampage’ Jackson make his Impact Wrestling debut, perfect his snarling technique

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:09:10 PDT

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson made the switch from the UFC to Bellator this week, and that included a stint with TNA Impact Wrestling. Jackson made his debut in pro wrestling on Thursday night, and it included a staredown with longtime pro wrestler Kurt Angle. I wasn't particularly impressed with Jackson's acting in the movie "The A-Team," but for his moment with Angle? He deserves an Oscar.

Jackson isn't the first fighter to turn to pro wrestling after MMA. "King Mo" Lawal has a similar deal that allows him to fight in Bellator and appear with TNA. Brock Lesnar was a star in WWE, then became a champion in the UFC before returning to pro wrestling.

B.J. Penn considering a return to the cage; should he retire or take on new challenges?

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:07:04 PDT

In his last three fights, B.J. Penn is 0-2-1. He's a UFC legend, but he's also had a bad run at the end of his career. That doesn't mean he's hanging it up, though. Penn said he's considering returning to the cage as a lightweight. "UFC Tonight" reported that he wants a fight and at 155 lbs., the division he once won a championship in.

Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of challengers who are interested in facing Penn.

Iheard that the legend returns .. I will be glad to meet him @danawhite @bjpenndotcom @ufc @arielhelwani

— khabib nurmagomedov (@khabib13) June 5, 2013

He is the best lightweight fighter in the history, I'm his fan since childhood, I deserve this fight @danawhite @arielhelwani @bjpenndotcom

— khabib nurmagomedov (@khabib13) June 5, 2013

With all respect if BJ Penn needs an opponent when he returns I am more than will. Would be an honor to fight him. @ufc

— Evan Dunham (@evandunham155) June 5, 2013

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Evan Dunham want to welcome him back into the cage. However, UFC president Dana White said recently he isn't in favor of Penn's return to the cage because he's taken some bad losses recently.

"I want B.J. Penn to retire," he said. " ... B.J. is too tough for his own good. B.J. might not be knocked out, but the shots B.J. took would've knocked out a normal human being. He's had his head bounced off the canvas like a basketball by Matt Hughes, by Georges St-Pierre and then Rory just did it to him. B.J. Penn has left that octagon looking like a [expletive] alien. He's too tough for his own good. You don't knock out B.J. Penn. B.J. Penn absorbs every amount of punishment you give him. It doesn't mean he hasn't been taking damage. He's taken a lot of damage, and I don't want to see him take anymore."

Retirement is one of the hardest decisions for fighters to make, and it may be harder for them than for other athletes because opportunities don't dry up the same way they do for other sports. For example, football players sometimes end up retired because they can't find a spot on an NFL team. The decision is made by their skill level.

But in MMA, there's always another fight, and every fighter wants to go out a winner. Though Penn has championship belts and memories of being a pioneer in the UFC, he also hasn't had his hand raised since 2010. Even if the UFC didn't give Penn another bout, he is a big enough draw that he would get another opportunity to fight from some promotion somewhere.

Should Penn retire? The only person who can answer that is Penn himself.

Connecticut, Canada make strides in legalizing MMA

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 06:42:24 PDT

June 5, 2013 was a special day for MMA as two different North American governments took steps to legalize MMA. Connecticut's legislature voted to regulate MMA and Canada officially made MMA legal.

The Connecticut bill still has to be signed by the governor, but it passed by such a wide margin that a signature is expected. With Connecticut's acceptance of MMA, only Montana and Alaska are unregulated, but they still allow the sport. Professional MMA is still illegal in New York.

Canada's criminal code was vague in its description of MMA. A law from the 19th century made prize fighting illegal. In the 30s, boxing was given an exemption, but MMA technically wasn't allowed. That's right, Georges St-Pierre was breaking the law the many times he fought in his country. They removed the vagueness of the law to ensure MMA was legal all over the MMA-crazy country.

The only state with pending legislation is New York, a fact that UFC president Dana White mentioned on Twitter.

Hey I have a question for everyone, who looks stupid on this map? twitter.com/danawhite/stat…

— Dana White (@danawhite) June 6, 2013

As Kevin Iole noted, legalization in New York doesn't look good for this year. The UFC has poured millions of dollars in lobbying in trying to get the law changed, but they've met resistance based on political and union issues. The UFC is confident that the MMA will be passed if they get a vote, but that may not happen.

"It was supposed to be heard yesterday in conference by the Democrats in the Assembly, but it wasn't," said UFC VP of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner to MMA Fighting. "Next week, it'll be heard. All we want is a vote. If we get out of the conference and have a vote, we'll win. It would be very sad if it gets stuck in committee."

But New York's resistance doesn't dull what happened in Canada and Connecticut on Wednesday.

At UFC 160, Mike Tyson shared what Evander Holyfield’s ear tasted like

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:32:12 PDT

Remember how Mike Tyson was everywhere at UFC 160? He was cheering on a weigh-in scuffle, congratulating Glover Teixeira, and generally just hanging around the type of fighting he never got to be a part of in MMA. He also stopped in with Fuel TV's Ariel Helwani to talk about what boxing can learn from MMA and how he would do against Royce Gracie. The real winning line? At 2:10, Tyson says what Evander Holyfield's ear tastes like. He follows it up with this sage piece of wisdom.

"My advice, try not to bite anyone's ears, guys."

Matchmaker, matchmaker: Benson Henderson and Chael Sonnen have their next bouts

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:24:15 PDT

The UFC announced a ton of fights on Tuesday night, so let's get right to it.

-- Benson Henderson will defend his belt in Milwaukee at the end of August against T.J. Grant at UFC 164. Previously announced fights on that card include Clay Guida vs. Chad Mendes and Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett.

-- As expected, Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's bout will happen. Their fight will be the main event of the first UFC on Fox Sports 1 show on August 17. Urijah Faber will fight Yuri Alcantara on the same card.

-- Former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman will make her UFC debut against Sara McMann at UFC on Fox Sports 1 - 2. Yes, that's an awkward name for an event, but it's a great match-up. Robert "Bubba" McDaniel will also fight Brad Tavares on August 28.

August will be a really busy time for MMA fans. Want to make some early fight predictions? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

John Maguire promises denim shorts, Flashdance song for UFC 161 walkout if you follow him

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:45:49 PDT

This is the best thing you'll see all day. John Maguire is fighting Mitch Clarke at UFC 161, and he has plans and an outfit for a walkout to remember, with a catch. Maguire will wear Tobias Fünke-esque shorts to the cage while listening to "Maniac" if he gets 10,000 followers on Twitter. The video above is just a hint of what's to come if you follow Maguire. As of this writing, he's at 9,492 followers. Get him to 10K by following him here.

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson signs with Bellator

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:20:23 PDT

Quinton Jackson has found life in MMA after the UFC. He signed with Bellator and TNA professional wrestling. Both entities are backed by Spike TV, and Jackson will appear on both shows. They will also create a reality series to follow him.

He is the second Bellator fighter to get a deal with both Bellator and TNA Wrestling. "King Mo" Lawal also has a contract both for MMA and professional wrestling. The two are both light heavyweights and had a beef years ago. A bout -- or a tag-team partnership? -- could be in their future.

He is joining the 205-lb division that includes Lawal, and fellow UFC veterans Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Vladimir Matyushenko. Other UFC vets who are now in Bellator include Paul Daley, Paul Sass and Matthew Riddle.

Jackson was once the UFC light-heavyweight champ, but left the UFC after he claimed poor treatment by the promotion. He left the organization on a three-fight losing streak, dropping a title bout to Jon Jones, then lost to Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira. He's 34 years old, and has a record of 32-11.

‘Shogun’ Rua not fighting at UFC 161; Chael Sonnen and TUF coaching in his future

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:06:12 PDT

UFC 161 will be a little shorter than most cards, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had to pull out of his fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Though Chael Sonnen did ask for the fight, the UFC announced that they decided to scratch Rua from the card.

With Lil Nog injured, @shogunrua is left opponentless 2 weeks out; #ufc161 will proceed with 11 fights and Shogun will fight on a card soon

— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2013

Sonnen lobbied for the fight by calling Rua a chicken. A fight between the two of them could still happen. Sonnen had been pushing for a fight with Wanderlei Silva, but knows the value of stepping in at the last minute for a bout. MMA Fighting says the Rua-Sonnen bout could happen in Boston in August.

The UFC also has other plans for Rua. His agent told Globo TV in Brazil that Rua will coach against Nogueira in an upcoming season of the Brazilian "Ultimate Fighter."

Stars come out to congratulate UFC champ Benson Henderson for black belt

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:04:35 PDT

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson already has a shiny gold belt for his UFC championship. On Monday, he received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Even as fighters win championships, they still covet the black belt because of what it means in how they've progressed in one area of the sport.

The black belt was also special to Henderson's coach, John Crouch. He contacted a wide group of friends, from NFL player Larry Fitzgerald to actor Ed O'Neil, to say congratulations to Henderson. Though the stars are fun to watch, it's particularly moving to hear from Henderson's mom and his wrestling coaches.

UFC changes how it will test for marijuana

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:51:26 PDT

The UFC has decided to follow the lead of the World Anti-Doping Agency and change the way it tests fighters for marijuana. In international fights where the UFC acts as a commission, the detection levels will be at a higher threshold. The commission in Brazil has also decided to change its threshold, meaning that a fighter will have had to use more marijuana to come up positive.

Marc Ratner, the UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, spoke about the change at a meeting of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. According to MMA Junkie, he also encouraged the NSAC to change its levels. Currently, state commissions decide their own levels for fights. Nevada, however, is one of the leading states in regulating MMA. If it changes its threshold, other states would likely follow.

Recently, the UFC has had to deal with several fighters who tested positive for marijuana. Pat Healy lost $130,000 in bonuses to a positive test after UFC 159. Matt Riddle had two positives and was cut from the UFC after the second one. Alex Caceres also tested positive in March. With attitudes and laws changing in the United States about marijuana, fighters being punished for marijuana use made little sense.

More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute

Where did Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin and Miesha Tate fall on Cagewriter’s Hot or Not list

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:49:11 PDT

On a week shortened by holiday, MMA still kept us busy. Let's see who was having a good week, and who wasn't.

Hot -- Forrest Griffin: After being a pioneer for the UFC, Griffin announced he was hanging up his clothes. He did it on his own terms, and will stay with the UFC in some executive role.

Not -- Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz: The one-time UFC champ and his one-time adult actress ex-girlfriend are going through a very messy break-up. For the most part, it has been tabloid fodder that had nothing to do with MMA. But on Thursday, Jameson made allegations that Ortiz did drugs during his MMA career, and posted what she thought were damning pictures. Ortiz denied her allegations, and said he is focused on raising their kids.

Hot -- Miesha Tate: Cat Zingano's misfortune worked out in Tate's favor as Tate took over coaching "The Ultimate Fighter" this week because of an injury to Zingano. Now, it will be Rousey vs. Tate fighting each other both as coaches and in the cage.

Hot -- Latin American UFC fans: Americans who are lucky enough to get Fuel get a crazy amount of MMA programming. Now, fans in most Latin American countries will have access to a 24-hour UFC channel that will launch late this year.

Still taking temperature -- Nick Diaz: He launched his new MMA promotion this week. How will it work out? We'll find out when he has his first event on June 22.

Nick Diaz sets his sights on promoting fights

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 31 May 2013 08:57:59 PDT

After losing his last two fights, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz is going to try a different role in MMA. Get ready for Nick Diaz, fight promoter. The man who gave fight promoters Dana White and Scott Coker many a headache as a fighter is starting War MMA. Their first event will be June 22 in -- where else? -- Stockton, Calif.

Even without Diaz in the fight, they will still have a certain Diaz-ian flair. Check out the rules:

WAR employs the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, as modified (1) to accommodate the use of a ring rather than a cage, and (2) to discourage stalling and holding — by disallowing elbows to the head of a grounded opponent. Disallowing elbows to the head of a grounded opponent requires a fighter in top position on the ground to either seek to advance his position or to create distance to punch downwards, which is the same distance needed for the bottom position fighter to attack with submission attempts, or to attempt to get up. Permitting elbows on the ground encourages holding and stalling.

Of course. Diaz has complained about being held by fighters in the past, so he isn't going to allow any "holding or stalling" here, either.

The first card will feature UFC veterans Daniel Roberts and Antonio Banuelos. Check out the entire card here. Since Diaz has been in contact with so many fight promoters, did they offer any advice?

"Welcome to the losing money business," White said. "You wanna lose money? Come on in the business. It looks fun from the outside."

Consider that White's version of a commencement speech. Hopefully, Diaz's fighters won't do things like miss press conferences or fail drug tests. If so, they'll have just one response.

"I learned it by watching you!"

Golf with Urijah Faber, help out some kids

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 31 May 2013 06:52:07 PDT

Is there any chance UFC fighters make good golfers? Urijah Faber is hosting a charity golf tournament that will support the Youth Empowerment Society. Last year, several of his buddies showed up. You be the judge on if Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz or Faber should make the jump from MMA to golfing. If you want to attend this year's event in July and heckle Faber's golfing skills, click here.

Fighting ads: The top nine fighter commercials

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:41:41 PDT

When fighters aren't in the cage beating people up, many of them are also working as actors in commercials. In most ads, they're playing the tough role of fighters. Here are the best of the best.

9. Matt Hughes for Xyience: Matt Hughes is busy. Really, really busy. He doesn't have time to eat breakfast, so he's opting for a protein bar.

8. Fedor Emelianenko for Snickers: What's great about this ad is Fedor's bemused smile. It's the same smile that he wore during press conferences and before he walked out to win 34 times.

7. GSP for Sportscenter: In the first of his two spots in this list, the UFC welterweight champion dares ESPN anchor and University of Missouri alum Jon Anderson to walk into his cage-covered cubicle. Like all Missouri alums, Anderson is wise and decides to stay out of GSP's way.

6. Vitor Belfort for Gillette: Not only is Vitor Belfort watching you shave, his whole gym is watching you shave. And judging you.

5. Mirko Cro Cop for ... something: For some reason, Cro Cop is an executive who knocks out coffee beans. No clue what it's trying to sell, which makes it effective advertising.

4. Mark Coleman and Wanderlei Silva for Schick: Apparently, fighters make great pitchmen for razors. This is a classic from when these two men were the kings of Pride FC. Though Pride is no longer, Coleman is retired and Silva has many more fights behind him than in front of him, their ad is everlasting.

3. Clay Guida for Currie Ford: It's a shame you all don't live in Chicagoland, because you would be treated to these ads all the time. Next time I'm in a press gaggle, I will work hard to be as hilariously animated as the reporters in this ad.

2. GSP for Nexus: One of the most common criticisms of GSP is that he can be a little boring and doesn't show his personality. This commercial changes that. GSP shows off a goofy side in this ad.

1. Anderson Silva for Burger King: The pound-for-pound king is also the advertising king. He serenades a cheeseburger here, and yet is just as frightening as ever.

Thanks for the memories, Forrest Griffin

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:15:49 PDT

The retirement of a UFC pioneer happened this weekend as Forrest Griffin, the original winner of "The Ultimate Fighter," announced his retirement at UFC 160. His career with the UFC had an effect on the sport, but also an effect on me.

I watched the UFC at different wrestling parties in high school. A dear friend in college would watch fights with me when we didn't feel like hitting the bar scene. I heard about the career of Matt Hughes, this wrestling coach I once knew, but that's it. I followed wrestling like a hawk, but I didn't know the names and stories of the MMA competitors.

"The Ultimate Fighter" changed that. Josh Koscheck, the friend of a wrestling friend, had been chosen to be on a reality show. If he won it, he'd be in the UFC. Since Josh -- as we knew him before he was Kos -- was on the show, my friends and I wanted it to succeed. We tuned in every week and discussed the episodes by email. It was liveblogging before we knew what liveblogging was.

Though Koscheck took center stage for his antics, it was the wisecracking Griffin who stood out to me. He was funny and smart, and despite his love of being punched in the face, refreshingly normal. He showed that fighters weren't meatheads who could talk about nothing but fighting. Griffin became the fighter I wanted to see succeed.

He did, making it to the finale in a bout against Stephan Bonnar. I watched the first "Ultimate Fighter" finale on a 16-inch television in my grandmother's kitchen. I couldn't believe what was happening on that tiny screen. Neither Griffin nor Bonnar would give an inch. They threw together an unbelievable bout.

Was it technically perfect? Nah. Both fighters had plenty to learn about how to throw an efficient punch or how to get a takedown. It didn't matter. Though they were both bloodied, they fought through until the final bell.

This was before Twitter and Facebook were everywhere. I had no idea if other people were watching, but I was, and I was hooked. Griffin and Bonnar and Koscheck and Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez made me care about them. Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell made me want to find the closest bar to watch them fight. I started following MMA more closely, until I wanted an outlet to write about the sport. I started my own site, which led me to covering the Olympics and MMA here on Yahoo! Sports.

Now, with Forrest Griffin walking away from the sport, I have to take a second to say thank you. He may not have realized the effect he had on MMA when he was swinging at Stephan Bonnar, but it was profound.

It will take just four seconds to watch this knockout

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 29 May 2013 05:52:54 PDT

Do you have four seconds to watch an amateur knockout? That's all it took for Garrett Whitman to win in an amateur bout in California over the weekend. He took less time than a sneeze to knock out McKlaine McKinnon at Get Down Promotions. It's hard to judge a fighter's potential off of amateur fights, but Whitman has two wins totaling 49 seconds of fighting. It's an impressive start to his MMA career.

Thanks, MMA Fighting.

UFC fan uses guillotine choke to hold off attempted carjacker after watching UFC 160

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 28 May 2013 07:31:45 PDT

Stockton, Calif., is the home of UFC fighters Nick and Nate Diaz, but another Stocktonian made the news for his MMA moves over the weekend. Abel Simmons was returning home from watching UFC 160 with his family when he used a guillotine to hold off a man who was attacking his family.

Simmons' two children were in the backseat of his SUV when the family car pulled into their driveway. A man walked up to the car and started banging on the windows, and then tried to open the door. Simmons, who was in the passenger seat, got out and scuffled with the man until he had him in a guillotine.

"I had him in a guillotine choke. And he wasn't getting out of that. I had that lock really tight," said Simmons. "I just held him in place and said, 'Well, guess you are going to jail tonight buddy.'"

Simmons' wife called 911. When the police arrived, the man tried fighting them, as well. He was arrested for attempted carjacking, battery and resisting arrest.

Watching UFC fights is not meant to be educational, but at least Simmons did learn something from tuning into Saturday's bouts. Now, if you've watched a few fights and haven't had any kind of training, you probably shouldn't go patrolling the streets looking to stop injustice with a choke hold. But it's nice to know that watching fights helped one family stay safe. The same can't be said for people who tuned into the basketball playoffs this weekend.

UFC 160′s Three Stars: T.J. Grant, Junior dos Santos, Glover Teixeira and some boxer

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 28 May 2013 06:35:12 PDT

UFC 160 was one of the year's best cards. Who stood out among even these great fights?

No. 1 star -- T.J. Grant: All he needed to do to earn a title shot was perform impressively at UFC 160. However, this is no small feat when you consider he was up against Gray Maynard. Grant came through by wrecking Maynard in the first round and earning a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.

No. 2 star -- Junior dos Santos: He threw everything his hands could offer at Mark Hunt, but Hunt somehow withstood them. JDS was winning, but he wasn't content to just take the decision. Instead, he involved his legs and gave us a third-round knockout kick of Hunt to remember. He also pocketed an extra $50,000 as he and Hunt won Fight of the Night honors.

No. 3 star -- Glover Teixeira: He extended his winning streak to 19 by running through James Te Huna like a tractor-trailer. Teixeira owned every second of the short fight, right up until he submitted him with a guillotine halfway through the first round. Like the other stars, he also walked away with $50,000 extra, earning a bonus for Submission of the Night.

Honorable mention -- Mike Tyson: The boxing legend played a big part at UFC 160. He cheered on a weigh-in scuffle, congratulated Teixeira in the cage after his big win, plus helped UFC president Dana White decide to give the Knockout of the Night bonus to T.J. Grant.

Who stood out for you? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

‘Big Foot’ Silva drives Junior dos Santos crazy at UFC 160 press conference (Video)

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 28 May 2013 05:15:18 PDT

You know, getting back to work the day after a holiday can be tough. Perhaps you're tired. Perhaps you were overserved at some point during the weekend. Perhaps you did too many home improvement projects and you need a holiday to recover from the holiday. Cagewriter understands. To wake you up, here's this video of UFC heavyweight Antonio Silva driving fellow heavyweight Junior dos Santos crazy after their UFC 160 fights. He uses the same techniques used in any good sibling fights.

Original ‘Ultimate Fighter’ Forrest Griffin retires

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 22:28:53 PDT

After 26 fights and a key role in turning the UFC into the promotion it is today, Forest Griffin has retired. His decision was announced at the UFC 160 post-fight press conference.

"It's been a good eight years, I guess. Biggest thing I've learned ... when [UFC president] Dana White says retire otherwise you will blow your knee out," Griffin said at the press conference.

Griffin's last fight was a win over UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz in July of 2012. Coincidentally, it was Ortiz's last bout before retirement. He won that fight by decision. His career included 19 wins, 7 losses and stint as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

What Griffin will always be remembered for is being one-half of a fight that catapulted the UFC into fame. He and Stephan Bonnar were finalists on the first season of the UFC's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter." Their fight was a close, thrilling battle that played on Spike TV on April 9, 2005.

It was responsible for earning the UFC many fans, which helped earn bigger sponsors and television deals. Griffin won the decision, taking the title of the first "Ultimate Fighter," but both fighters were given contracts.

During the media scrum following the press conference, White said that Griffin and Bonnar will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame together.

Griffin went on to be a force in the 205-lb. division, upsetting Pride star Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in 2007, then taking the belt from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in July of 2008. He lost the belt to Rashad Evans that December.

White said Griffin will continue to have a role with the UFC.

‘Cowboy’ Cerrone shows off his UFC 160 battle scars

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:34:28 PDT

Lightweight Donald Cerrone got back on the winning track with a dominating decision over K.J. Noons at UFC 160. Plenty of blood was spilled during the bout. Though Noons took the most damage in the bout, Cerrone didn't escape unscathed. He showed off his wounds on Instagram after the bout, saying. "Sometimes you get cool scars to show people!"

Yep, those cuts and bruises should bring about some pretty cool scars.

Glover Teixeira gets quick win at UFC 160 in front of his hero, Mike Tyson

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:47:56 PDT

Glover Teixeira had two thrills on Saturday at UFC 160 in Las Vegas. Not only did he win with a submission in the first round of his bout with James Te Huna, but he was also congratulated by his hero, boxing legend Mike Tyson.

Teixeira fought the exact fight he wanted to. Early in the first round, he took Te Huna down, kept him on the ground, and worked a perfect guillotine. Te Huna tapped at 2:38 in the first round, and Tyson stood and cheered for Teixeira.

Secondly, after the fight was called for Teixeira, Tyson was in the cage with UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, who is one of Teixeira's training partners. He congratulated Teixeira and shook his hand. The fighter who was ferocious just moments before morphed into an awestruck 12-year-old who was so excited to meet his hero.

"I couldn't be happier! Mike Tyson is here!" Teixeira said to UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the bout. Rogan asked Teixeira if he was more excited that he won, or that Tyson was there to watch it.

"I don't know. I met him yesterday, and I was so excited. I said I was going to be like him! I watched his highlights before I fought."

Teixeira is becoming a hero, too, as he continues an impressive run in the UFC's stacked light heavyweight division. The win over Te Huna was his 19th straight, including four in a row in the UFC.

T.J. Grant earns lightweight title shot with TKO of Gray Maynard at UFC 160

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:22:54 PDT

The next lightweight contender had a chance to make himself known at UFC 160. T.J. Grant earned the spot with dismantling of Gray Maynard on Saturday night.

Grant absorbed a few early shots from Maynard, and then landed a right hand that shook Maynard. He had no time to recover, as Grant continued to swarm with punches and knees. Maynard went down, worked his way back to his feet and then was taken back down again. Finally, the bout was stopped at 2:07 in the first round.

Both Maynard and Grant knew going into the bout that the winner was expected to get the next UFC lightweight title shot. After such an impressive performance, he should get it, but he made sure to ask for it in his post-fight interview.

"I want to fight [UFC lightweight champ] Benson Henderson for the title. I wanna be the champ. I wanna beat the champ," Grant said.

He's on a five-fight win streak. Before Maynard, he took out Matt Wiman with a first-round TKO in January.

Henderson fully expects to fight Grant. He tweeted:

Wowser!!! TJ Grant it is...#UFC160

— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) May 26, 2013

With the display Grant put on at UFC 160, Henderson isn't the only one looking forward to that fight.

Jeremy Stephens takes bloody, bloody win over Estevan Payan at UFC 160 (Photos)

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:48:06 PDT

To kick off UFC 160, Jeremy Stephens beat Estevan Payan with a 30-26, 20-26, 30-27 decision. The bout was so bloody that it left deep, red-colored stains in the Octagon. It was really, really bloody.

You can see the blood leaking from Payan's head here.

And how it stained both men's shorts here.

So. Much. Blood.

Trans fighter Fallon Fox wins unimpressively (Video)

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:28:55 PDT

Considering Fallon Fox won her first two fights in the first round, it was expected for the first openly trans fighter to walk through her next opponent, Allanna Jones at Championship Fighting Alliance on Friday. In her first nationally televised bout, Fox won with a submission in the third round, but it was not the overwhelming win that oddsmakers were expecting.

You can watch the full fight in the video above. Fox and Jones both made mistakes like keeping their hands too low and holding their chin out too far throughout the bout. They looked like two inexperienced fighters because that's what they are.

Much of the controversy that surrounded Fox was the perception that since she was born a man, she would have clear advantage over her opponents. As Sherdog's Jordan Breen pointed out, "So, did anyone watch that and think, 'Wow, what an insurmountable advantage Fallon Fox has, no one could ever beat her!'?" She beat a 2-1 fighter, but not soundly. When she goes up in level of competition, as she will do in the next round of the CFA tournament, she will have a hard time.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Abel Trujilo scuffled at the UFC 160 weigh-ins, and Mike Tyson loved it

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:56:04 PDT

During the UFC 160 weigh-ins, Khabib Nurmagomedov blew weight, wore a wig, started a fight and made Mike Tyson laugh. He had a full day.

Nurmagomedov weighed in at 158.5 for his lightweight bout with Abel Trujilo. He will forfeit 20 percent of his purse, so maybe that's why he was angry when he faced off with Trujilo. He got in his opponent's face, first bumping Trujilo's head and then pushing him back. He was quickly escorted off stage by the UFC's Burt Watson.

The best part of the scuffle? Mike Tyson was on stage and loved every minute of it. Look in the upper right-hand corner of the video to see his reaction.

Renan Barao, John Cholish and Cain Velasquez: See where they fell on Cagewriter’s Hot or Not list

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:07:25 PDT

As another week of MMA comes to a close, let's take a look at what was hot and what was not so hot.

Hot -- Bryan Pedersen: Many legislators have talked about the economic benefits of MMA when the sport is legalized. Few have gone the extra mile to find out what it feels like to be in a cage to fight. Pedersen will do that in Cheyenne, Wyo., this weekend. No matter the result, it's admirable that he has even gone the distance to train and join the first fights to take place in Wyoming's capitol.

Not -- Renan Barao: The interim bantamweight men's champ was injured and had to pull out of his main event bout with Eddie Wineland at UFC 161. Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans' fight is now the main event, and Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic was added.

Hot -- John Cholish: After losing to Gleison Tibau at UFC on FX 8, Cholish decided to hang up his fighting gloves. Before he left, he decided to give his fight purse to Oklahoma tornado survivors.

To update I just received my fight purse payment of $2,014 from Zuffa. I will be donating 100% of it to charity-Oklahoma Tornado Victims

— John Cholish (@JohnCholish) May 23, 2013

Kudos to Cholish.

Not -- Brett Atchley: The manager who specializes in female fighters has been accused of bad behavior by several fighters separately. His alleged improprieties include accosting fighters, telling them he would "blackball them" from Invicta though president Shannon Knapp has denied anyone has the power to do this, and sharing the confidential details of a client's contract. His response?

"It's really easy for women to play the victim, especially when they make their mind up that they're going to do it. Because everyone will believe them," Atchley said to MMA Junkie.

Stereotyping women is not a smart thing to do, particularly by someone who makes his living off of them.

Still taking temperature -- Cain Velasquez: He lost the UFC heavyweight championship belt once, and managed to get it back. Will he defend it on Saturday night against Antonio Silva at UFC 160?

Thanks for reading Cagewriter this week. Check us out on Twitter and Facebook for bonus UFC 160 coverage.

Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson spar online

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:14:42 PDT

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is in Russia this weekend. He met retired great Fedor Emelianenko and tried a McDonald's that was apparently of a higher quality than ones in the U.S. He also found time to go back and forth with a possible future opponent.

Its on @jonnybones cant wait to get in that cage with YOU!!!

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 24, 2013

Fighting me is not good for your image@alexthemauler FYI

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 24, 2013

@jonnybones if you think of what is good for your image, maybe you should continue to fight this 185ers??

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 24, 2013

Ouch! But it's not worries about their images that will keep this pair out of the cage. The dislocated toe Jones suffered during his fight with former middleweight Chael Sonnen is causing some problems. UFC president Dana White talked it about on Thursday.

"He says he feels great, the toe's healing good, but the problem is that ligament," he said. "That ligament popped. Anytime you tear a ligament, blood flow helps repair the thing and heal, and you don't get a lot of blood flow to the toe. Who knows? This thing could be six weeks, it could be six months."

Still, if these two are already pestering each other, the build up to a potential fight could be lots of fun.

Check out UFC 160 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

Maggie Hendricks — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:02:51 PDT

With UFC 160 in less than two days, it's time to make picks. Thank you to all the Cagereaders who made picks and voted in polls on Cagewriter's Facebook page. If you want to join in the fun, check out Cagewriter on Facebook here.

Kevin Iole: Cain Velasquez TKO3 Big Foot Silva -- I believe Silva will be more competitive and won't make the mistake he made last time. But as the fight goes on, it swings even more in Velasquez's favor, given his vastly superior cardio. I expect him to slowly wear Silva down and stop him around the fight's midpoint.

Maggie Hendricks: Cain Velasquez W5 Antonio Silva --Velasquez has better wrestling and better cardio than Silva, and it will pay off as he defends his belt.

Cagereader: 92 percent of Cagereaders said Cain Velasquez will win.
Cain has to much heart unless you knock him out he's not going! And Big Foot doesn't deserve another shot yet anyway!! -- Michael Gabbard

Kevin Iole: Junior dos Santos Sub1 Mark Hunt -- Junior would be a fool to stand and trade with Hunt. I think he'll look to get it to the ground and finish it there.

Maggie Hendricks: Junior dos Santos W3 Mark Hunt -- JDS has the footwork to exhaust Hunt and wear him down.

Cagereader: 68 percent of Cagereaders said Junior dos Santos will win.
Dos Santos will use superior speed and footwork to outclass Hunt. Too much credibility is given to Hunts striking because of the mythological "K1 Striker" label. Truth be told, he won that title with technically sound striking with a lot of power, not exceptionally good striking. Most of his wins in MMA have had nothing to do with his savvy striking but his chin and insane power. Honestly thought those who don't think Dos Santos is on another level with his speed and footwork are lying to themselves aside from Cain who has touched him? I know this logic isn't very sound but it took Hunt a while to put away Struve, and JDS took less than a minute and the logic truly is his speed, timing, and explosive nature outweigh the punchers chance Hunt brings to the table. It will be a pick apart clinic Hunt swinging at air getting battered by a fighter who will dart in and out like a heavyweight Machida. -- John Hensley

Kevin Iole: T.J. Grant W3 Gray Maynard -- More of a hunch than anything, but Grant has been on a roll and he might catch Maynard looking past him.

Maggie Hendricks: Gray Maynard W3 T.J. Grant -- Maynard is very good at neutralizing his opponents' skill.

Cagereaders: 83 percent of Cagereaders think Maynard will win.
Maynard is going to use lay and pray to get his title shot. I see a boring fight ahead. Maynard via decision. -- Christopher Walder

Kevin Iole: Glover Teixeira TKO3 James Te Huna -- It will be tougher than expecrted, but Teixeira's varied game will win out in the end.

Maggie Hendricks: Glover Teixeira TKO2 James Te Huna -- It's been an impressive start in the UFC for Teixeira, and that won't stop on Saturday. His power will be on display.

Cagereaders: 76 percent of Cagereaders think Teixeira will take it.
The well-rounded skill set and chin will allow him to weather the storm, get Te Huna to the ground and grind him out. -- John Hensley

Kevin Iole: Donald Cerrone W3 K.J. Noons -- It should be an explosive fight, but if Cerrone remains under control, he'll handle Noons.

Maggie Hendricks: Donald Cerrone W3 KJ Noons -- Cerrone will be looking to come back after his loss to Anthony Pettis.

Cagereaders: 87 percent of Cagereaders say Donald Cerrone will win.

Four questions that will be answered by UFC 160

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:29:03 PDT

UFC 160 is just days away. What questions will be answered by Saturday's fights?

Who is the greatest heavyweight in all of the land? Cain Velasquez dominated Antonio Silva in their first bout, but that was a Silva who had just lost to Daniel Cormier. Now, coming off the shocking knockout of Alistair Overeem, will we see an improved Silva or will Velasquez hold onto his belt?

Will Benson Henderson's next opponent impress? The winner of T.J. Grant's bout with Gray Maynard is supposed to get a title bout with Benson Henderson. But as we know from experience, title shots can be taken away if Maynard and Grant don't deliver on Saturday night.

Can Donald Cerrone get past the mental problems he has had in the cage? There's no questioning Cerrone's talent. He has the skill to be a force in the cage, but then why did he lose to Anthony Pettis? He visited a sports psychologist after that January loss.

"It's trying to figure out, what do I do in the cage that I don't do in training?" Cerrone said to MMA Junkie. "Because in training, I don't lose a round."

Since he trains at Jackson's MMA, this is no small feat. Can he translate that training into performance in the cage against Strikeforce import K.J. Noons?

Which up-and-coming lightweight will win? Khabib Nurmagomedov is 19-0 and needed just two minutes to take out Thiago Tavares in January. Abel Trujillo is 10-4, but won his last five fights. His TKO of Marcu Levesseur was one of the more memorable finishes of late last year. Which of these lightweight up-and-comers will come out with a win?

UFC president Dana White sings for Chael Sonnen (Video)

Maggie Hendricks — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:33:47 PDT

When interviewing UFC president Dana White after fights, media usually want to know about title fight opportunities, implications of wins or losses, and where the UFC is headed next. Press conferences rarely present opportunities to get White to talk about who would win in a fight between him and UFC chairman Lorenzo Fertitta or White's music preferences. On "UFC Tonight," Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen asked White those very questions. They even got him to sing on what White called "the most embarrassing interview ever."

Former UFC champ Matt Serra says he’s walking away from life as a fighter

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:13:36 PDT

In an interview with Newsday, former UFC champ Matt Serra said he is walking away from fighting. He wouldn't quite say the retirement word, but his last fight was in September of 2010. Blood clots have affected his health, and he doesn't want to be an aging fighter.

"An aging fighter?" Serra said. "You know, it's like an aging stripper, but not as funny. Not a lot of people want to see that."

He should also consider walking away from interviews after delivering that choice line. How will he ever top it? His candor in interviews always made Serra a fun person to cover.

Serra finishes with a record of 11-7, but will be most remembered for being one of the two men who beat UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. At UFC 69, Serra fought the perfect fight against GSP. He was aggressive and won with a TKO in the first round. Serra surrendered the belt back to GSP in their next bout, but his legacy was set. He had taken out the king.

Outside of his own fight career, Serra has touched the MMA world by being one of its teachers and advocates. He has two BJJ schools on Long Island, and has coached several UFC fighters, including UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman.

Thanks for the memories, Matt.

Suspect killed by the FBI was an MMA fighter

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:42:31 PDT

Early Wednesday morning, an FBI agent shot and killed someone they were questioning for his connections with the Boston Marathon bombers. Ibragim Todashev, the suspect, was an MMA fighter with a 1-0 professional record.

Todashev, who was reportedly a friend of deceased bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, fought in July of 2012. He submitted Bradford May with a guillotine in the first round of their bout at Real Fighting Championships in Florida.

Khusen Taramov, a friend of Todashev's, said that Tsarnaev and Todashev trained together in Boston. Tsarnaev trained and competed as a boxer.

"He used to talk on the phone with him (Tsarnaev)," said Taramov. "They talked last time a month ago. After the bombing, I couldn't believe it."

Todashev was reportedly being questioned about a triple-murder in Massachusetts in September of 2011. The FBI said in a statement Todashev posed an imminent threat to the agent.

Watch a marriage proposal from a triangle choke

Maggie Hendricks — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:53:55 PDT

Romance isn't normally what you think of when you think of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but it happened for Justin Saikaley, a BJJ student in Canada. He was grappling with his girlfriend when he found the perfect time to pop the question with the help of some friends. Most men don't propose from the triangle choke, but it clearly works for these two. Best wishes to them both.

Thanks, MMA Fighting.

UFC 161 gets new main event with Renan Barao injured

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:45:52 PDT

Rumors began to swirl on Friday that UFC men's bantamweight interim champion Renan Barao was injured and out of his UFC 161 main event bout against Eddie Wineland. The UFC confirmed the news today, and promoted Dan Henderson's bout with Rashad Evans to the main event.

Both fighters are former champions who are coming off losses. Evans, who was once the UFC light heavyweight champ, loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Jon Jones in his last two fights. One-time Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Henderson lost to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157. With their fight happening in just a few weeks, the bout will be three rounds instead of the usual five for main events.

Barao's injury means that both champions of the UFC's men's bantamweight division are now injured. Dominick Cruz hasn't fought since October of 2011 due to knee injuries. If Barao can't return soon, will there be an interim interim belt?

Dana White’s video blog shows Bryan Caraway and Pat Healy talking about their submissions at UFC 159

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:21:34 PDT

UFC president Dana White put out his first video blog for UFC 160, and it's a behind the scenes look at the UFC's last pay-per-view event. The moments not to miss:

-- Bryan Caraway and Pat Healy discussing Healy's submission. Caraway, who had the only other submission win at UFC 159, said he was cheering for Healy to win by a knockout, not a submission, so that the Submission of the Night bonus would be Caraway's. The strange thing is Caraway did end up with the bonus because Healy's win was overturned by a failed drug test.

-- Michael Bisping yelling, "[Expletive] you guys!" to no one in particular

-- During warm-ups, Chael Sonnen showed off acrobatic skill. After losing to Jon Jones, he still showed a side that doesn't come through when he's trash talking to sell a fight.

We want your UFC 160 picks

Maggie Hendricks — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:52:01 PDT

UFC 160 is Saturday in Las Vegas, and we want to know how you think it will go down. Give us your picks and we'll run some of them here on Cagewriter. Here's how to do it. Check out the Cagewriter Facebook page to vote on a winner. Tell us why you think your pick will win in the comments of the poll, and some picks will run here on Friday. Click on each fight for its poll:

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva
Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt
James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira
T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons

As the poet Pitbull said, let's have a real good time.

Former Wyoming legislator worked to legalize MMA, now getting in the cage

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:09:46 PDT

As a state legislator in Wyoming, Bryan Pedersen helped author the bill to legalize and regulate MMA in his home state. This weekend, he will test that bill by fighting at the Colosseum Fight Series, the first fights in Cheyenne since the bill passed.

Pedersen, who is 38 years old, has trained in MMA for the past four years. Like many fighters, he originally tried out the sport for fitness reasons only. But once MMA was allowed in his state, and Cheyenne was set to host fights, Pedersen couldn't help but say yes to an offer to fight on the CFS card.

"This is not something I normally do," he said to the Wyoming Star-Tribune. "But I really believe in the sport."

He served for six years in the Wyoming state legislature. Now a financial consultant, he plans on making this both his debut and retirement bout. The weigh-ins will take place at a familiar venue for Pedersen -- the steps of the Wyoming State Capitol Building.

Pedersen is taking the fight seriously, as he drives an hour and a half daily to Easton Training Center in Colorado, the training home of UFC veteran Eliot Marshall.

"I have a goal," he said. "Without a goal, you wouldn’t do it. It creates a sense of urgency and panic. Because every day I’m not training, my opponent is probably getting better. And I’m not."

He's the latest government official to set his sights on the cage, though Pedersen appears to be taking his fight more seriously than the two mayors in south Florida who are planning a bout. Perhaps MMA should become part of the legislative process.

UFC on FX 8′s Three Stars: Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza and Fabio Maldonado

Maggie Hendricks — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:40:21 PDT

Who stood out in Saturday night's fights?

No. 1 star -- Vitor Belfort*: We will be watching highlights of that knockout for years to come. The timing, explosion and landing spot of the kick were just perfect. The knockout was so great the UFC didn't even have to say who they were talking about when they announced who the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus was awarded to.

#UFConFX8 Fight of the Night, Martins vs. Larsen; Sub of the Night, Jacare. KO - c'mon now, be reasonable. 50K each.

— UFC (@ufc) May 19, 2013

Then why the asterisk? Because it's hard to look at what Belfort did and not wonder if the testosterone replacement therapy he used throughout his camp played a part. His late-career resurgence doesn't pass the smell test.

No. 2 star -- Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza: Did Chris Camozzi even realize he was in the arm triangle choke that Souza so expertly applied? Souza's performance on Saturday night served notice to the UFC middleweights. It also earned him a $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus. All in all, it was a pretty good start in the UFC for the Strikeforce veteran.

No. 3 star -- Fabio Maldonado: Perhaps it wasn't the prettiest win of the night, but it got the job done against some tough odds. Maldonado withstood a kick to the groin that made even me wince and came back to win by decision. That's more than enough to earn a star.

Who stood out for you? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza makes memorable UFC debut with submission win over UFC on FX 8

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:11:08 PDT

From his rousing entrance to his quick submission win, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza had a memorable UFC debut at UFC on FX 8 with a first-round win over Chris Camozzi.

Souza is one of the UFC's best BJJ practitioners, and he put on a show on Saturday night. He took down Camozzi, and smoothly worked him on the ground until Souza caught him in an arm-triangle choke. It was so smooth and fast that Camozzi was choked out within seconds. The fight was stopped at 3:27 in the first round.

Souza, whose nickname means "alligator" in Portuguese, celebrated with his trademark crawl around the cage. He stood up and led the raucous crowd in gator chomps.

This is Souza's fourth straight win, and all four wins were by stoppage. He has shown a more well-rounded game during his recent Strikeforce fights, but had no problem returning to his jiu-jitsu roots in the win over Camozzi. With such a strong debut, Souza should be in the conversation for a middleweight title shot soon.

Vitor Belfort gets highlight-reel knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8

Maggie Hendricks — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:06:21 PDT

Vitor Belfort gave fans in his home country of Brazil plenty to be happy about at UFC on FX 8 on Saturday, delivering a first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold that is sure to make UFC highlight reels for years to come.

Belfort held off Rockhold's takedown attempts early, and then set up to deliver a perfect knockout kick halfway through the round. Near the fence, Belfort landed a spinning kick to Rockhold's face. It landed flush, and Rockhold fell to the ground. Belfort finished with ground and pound. The fight was stopped at 2:32 in the first round.

It's Belfort's second straight win by knockout. He knocked out Michael Bisping in January, and before that, moved up to light heavyweight and lost a title fight to Jon Jones. His record is now 23-10. He already has a loss against UFC champion Anderson Silva, but is this fight enough to ask for another title shot? He wouldn't say.

"I'm here to fight. I don't pick fights. I accept fights," Belfort said after the win.

There was plenty of bad blood between the two before the fight began. Belfort is one of the UFC fighters who has an exemption to use testosterone replacement therapy. Rockhold viewed this as sanctioned cheating, and wasn't afraid to say so. The two had to be separated during Friday's weigh-ins as Rockhold got in Belfort's face.

This was Rockhold's first fight in the UFC. He is now 11-2, with most of his wins coming in Strikeforce, where he was the middleweight champion.