UFC welterweights Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle to meet at UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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The UFC's debut in Wisconsin is shaping up nicely, and another exciting fight is now heading to the UFC on Versus 5 card on August 14, as MMAJunkie.com reports that welterweights Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle will square off on the card.

The fight is one Hardy requested following his decision loss against Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at UFC Fight Night 24 in March. After working his way to a title shot against Georges St. Pierre last March, Hardy has now dropped three straight fights and is at risk of being cut from the roster. But after two of those losses resulted from being out-wrestled by his opponents, he wanted a chance to trade strikes with someone, and Lytle was at the top of his list.

Lytle had worked his way up the ladder and seemed on the verge of perhaps getting a title shot himself, but was derailed by an upset decision loss to Brian Ebersole in February in Australia. The loss snapped a four fight win streak for Lytle, and he'll try to bounce back against the former title challenger in Hardy on the main card of this event.

The card takes place from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis. on August 14, though no headlining bout has yet been chosen for the card.

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Penick's Analysis: This is a fight both of them wanted, and it should be an excellent fight for a free card on Versus. Hardy is in desperate need of a win, but even though he'll likely get his wish of standing and trading punches with an opponent, this isn't any easier for him than any of his previous losses. Lytle, despite the loss to Ebersole, remains a very good fighter and will be a dangerous opponent for Hardy who can damage the Brit throughout a three round fight. This card is coming together well so far, and should hopefully be a really good one for Versus in August.

[Dan Hardy art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9303.shtml

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Bellator 45 Results: With Champions Crowned And Rematches Set, Bellator Ends Season Four With A Bang

It?s finally happened, fans and friends. After ten live, weekly events on prime-time television, after ratings that at times fluctuated wildly, after several amazing fights and some not-so-good ones? Bellator?s fourth season is over. With the end of Bellator 45 comes the end of Bellator?s first season on the MTV2 network, and it was quite [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/05/22/bellator-45-results-with-champions-crowned-and-rematches-set-bellator-ends-season-four-with-a-bang

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UFC executive Tom Wright expects UFC 140 to mark return to Montreal

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Montreal's Bell Centre has become a staple venue for the UFC since the organization debuted in Canada back in April 2008, and according to UFC director of Canadian operations the organization could be returning this December.

During an appearance on Montreal radio show Ringside Report Radio on Wednesday, Wright said that the organization has targeted December 10 as their tentative return date to the hometown of UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre.

"Most likely we'll be back in Montreal on Dec. 10. It would be [UFC] 140," Wright said (transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "We haven't made any final decisions. There are a bunch of different places not only in Canada but in North America that we're looking at, but we've got a great fanbase in Quebec, and Bell Centre is one of the best venues in North America to hold [an event]."

"We know how important this market is to us and putting on great fights. It's a great venue, it's a great fan-base, it's a great environment. The energy in that building is as good as any building in North America. We'll always have a soft spot for Montreal."

Prior to last month's UFC 129 event at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, the UFC's previous best attendance came at the Bell Centre. In fact, the venue is the only other one in which the UFC has broken the 20,000 attendance mark, a feat they accomplished on three of their four trips to the Bell Centre.

Penick's Analysis: The Bell Centre has proven to be a great venue for the UFC, and the Montreal crowd is always one of their best. The Canadian fans are a very large contingent of the UFC's base, and they will continue to run in the key venues to placate those fans. The Bell Centre is likely to be a yearly return for the UFC until such time that the draw dies down there, but it hasn't shown any signs of slowing down yet.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9361.shtml

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MFC releases Hermes Franca based on breach of contract, disturbing allegations

Former WEC 155-pound champ Hermes Franca has been cut by the Maximum Fighting Championship after an arrest earlier this week on charges relating to sexual contact with a minor in addition to having violated their contractual agreement by taking two fights after an April bout under the company?s banner. Franca had been previously scheduled to [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2011/05/19/mfc-releases-hermes-franca-based-on-breach-of-contract-disturbing-allegations/

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VIDEO: UFC welterweight Jon Fitch's "Road to Recovery" part one

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Former UFC Welterweight Title challenger Jon Fitch is on the mend following a shoulder injury suffered earlier this year. Now, he's documenting his downtime with a series of videos online he's dubbing "The Road to Recovery." Check out part one below:

App Users Click Here For Video: http://youtu.be/wIdMZgB6BxQ

[Jon Fitch art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9328.shtml

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UFC Versus Strikeforce Heavyweight Bouts To Make

<B>By MATT MOLGAARD<BR> MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR> Now that Zuffa has purchased Strikeforce it?s safe assume that a large chunk of the Strikeforce roster will migrate over to the UFC?s octagon, where they?ll finally be showcased on the largest stage north America has to offer. As Strikeforce?s heavyweight tourney winds down, we can expect plenty of big men to join the UFC ranks, and that?s likely to make for some amazing match-ups.<BR><BR> Will Fedor Emelianenko ever step foot inside the octagon? Probably not, however, there?s still a wealth of heavyweight talent that will be able to test themselves inside the UFC?s confines. Check out the list below, highlighting some potential heavyweight clashes that should leave the typical MMA fan?s mouthwatering.<BR><BR> <B>Brock Lesnar vs. Josh Barnett:</B><BR><BR> Assuming Lesnar makes a full recovery from his second bout with Diverticulitis; he?s got himself a great prospective match up staring him in the face: Josh Barnett. Barnett is a big, well rounded fighter who?s only lost to the best the sport has to offer. Furthermore, his body is still relatively young due to being fairly inactive since the demise of Pride Fighting Championships. Lesnar meanwhile has little fight mileage on his body as well, and he?s continuing to mature as a mixed martial artist. His athletic ability is nearly unrivaled in the sport, and while most crumble at the sheer size, power and explosiveness he brings to the cage, Barnett isn?t likely to be fazed by the big man?s credentials.<BR><BR> <B>Fabricio Werdum vs. Frank Mir:</B><BR><BR> Two jiu-jitsu specialists colliding? I?ll take it. What makes this bout so interesting is the fact that Mir has tightened his overall game considerably; no longer is Frank a one dimensional fighter with a questionable gas tank. The same may not be said of Werdum: his striking still appears fairly rudimentary, he has yet to show a chin capable of absorbing significant damage and he?s been known to fade down homestretch a time or two. This fight could look a lot like Werdum?s bout with Andrei Arlovski, though I suspect we?d see either a) some highly technical jiu-jitsu on display, or b) Mir finish Werdum with a sharp shooters combination of strikes. Either way, it?s a fight I?d love to see.<BR><BR> <B>Shane Carwin vs. Brett Rogers:</B><BR><BR> On one hand we?ve got Carwin, who?s got the hardest right hand in the business. On the other we?re looking at Brett Rogers, who may have the greatest resolve in the division; this is one man who just refuses to go away. Whether Carwin could perfectly place those massive mitts on Rogers? chin before he fades is a mystery in itself. If he can?t, Rogers has a serious chance of weathering the storm, and this guy is mean: he will not stop, and that could bode terribly for Shane.<BR><BR> <B>Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva:</B><BR><BR> There?s something extremely appealing about these two massive men toing the line. Both are large, likeable personalities, and both fight their absolute hearts out. What?s most intriguing is, in terms of pure MMA skillsets, they?re remarkably similar; both possess fair striking abilities, both are durable, and both possess excellent grappling bases. Ordinarily I?d pick Silva on size alone, but to count Nelson out of a fight is absolutely absurd. It?s a coin toss fight that guarantees highly entertaining action, who wouldn?t want to see that?<BR><BR><!--more-break--> <B>Junior Dos Santos vs. Sergei Kharitonov:</B><BR><BR> Here we have two of the best punchers the division has to offer. Anyone who believes Sergei would fail to hold his own against the likes of dos Santos probably hasn?t seen many of his fights. This man comes to bang, and he?s willing to do so until someone is unconscious. While his boxing may not be quite as polished as Junior?s, he?s persistent enough to do what Roy Nelson wasn?t: get in the Brazilian?s face and land hard shots. I?d favor dos Santos in this fight, but Sergei has proven time and again he cannot be counted out.<BR><BR> <B>Cain Velasquez vs. Alistair Overeem:</B><BR><BR> It?s a fight fans dream: the two most dominant heavyweights colliding on center stage. Both Velasquez and Overeem have destroyed the competition for a few years straight. Velasquez rocketed through the UFC heavyweight ranks running over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Brock Lesnar in the process, while Overeem has become a multi-sport champion, tearing through the K-1 ranks, and obliterating just about every man he?s faced in MMA competition since 2007. I cannot think of a heavyweight match as anticipated as this one here. The victor would undoubtedly be recognized as the number one heavyweight the sport has to offer.<BR><BR>

Source: http://www.mmanews.com/home.php

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson - Matt Hamill made a mistake, "lit a fire under my ass"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is a former Pride superstar, a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and a 40-fight veteran of the sport. It would be easy for him to not take an opponent the likes of Matt Hamill seriously into their UFC 130 main event fight, and that's precisely what Hamill believed Jackson would do, and that overlooking of him would then allow him to surprise the former champ on May 28.

However, after Hamill expressed that sentiment in an interview, even saying he planned on breaking Jackson's will, Rampage said this week that it served as extra motivation to make sure that didn't happen.

"I think Matt made a mistake when he actually said he's going to break my will, and that I'm going to overlook him," Jackson said during a media conference call on Thursday to promote the event.

"That kind of lit a fire under my ass and actually made me train harder to make sure I don't overlook him and to make sure I outclass him."

Jackson commented recently that the fight with Hamill didn't excite him when it was first brought to his attention, but he clarified his comments during the call to make it clear that the simple concept of fighting isn't exciting for him.

"That's a big misconception," Jackson said. "If [MMA fans] really get to know me, I'm not really excited about anybody I fight. It's my job to me; it's my career. I don't get excited no more. I've got almost 40 fights. I don't get excited about anybody I fight. I just go in and do it."

The job aspect of fighting has Jackson targeting an exit from the sport in two years at 35, an age which he's said for a long time he wants to retire. But he doesn't understand the backlash against him for looking ahead to acting and getting out of fighting, and ultimately he doesn't care.

"You can't fight until you're 60," he said. "If anyone is smart they'll want to have an exit plan from any contact sport... That stuff don't bother me at all what they say or what they think."

"It's my life, it's my family I take care of, and I have my goals and my plans, things I'm going to do to make me happy. That's all I really care about, me and my family. The fans I'm just here to entertain them, but do I care about them the way I do my family? Hell no."

The two will meet in the main event of UFC 130, coming live to pay-per-view on Saturday, May 28 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[Rampage Jackson art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9370.shtml

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Joey Beltran now faces Aaron Rosa at UFC 131

It all starts with Brock Lesnar. The former UFC heavyweight champion was scheduled to square off against Brazilian striker Junior dos Santos in the main-event of the evening for UFC 131. However, the wrestling powerhouse is currently in his second-battle with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease, that has since sidelined him for the foreseeable future. Shane Carwin [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/05/14/joey-beltran-now-faces-aaron-rosa-at-ufc-131

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