MMA Top 10 Lightweights: Gilbert Melendez Makes His Case

by Michael David SmithGilbert Melendez thinks he's the best lightweight in mixed martial arts. Is he right? I don't think so, not yet. But I sure would love to find out.

The best thing about the UFC buying Strikeforce is that it means we'll eventually see the champions of the respective promotions fighting each other. For now the mantra is "business as usual," but we all know it's just a matter of time before we see the best of Strikeforce inside the Octagon. And there might not be a better fight out there than Melendez taking on the top of the UFC lightweight division.

It will probably be 2012 before we get to see that: UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar has to fight Gray Maynard in May, and the winner of that fight is expected to fight the winner of the June Anthony Pettis-Clay Guida bout after that. But it sure would be fun to see Melendez retiring the Strikeforce belt to his trophy case and fighting for the UFC gold.

Find out where I think Melendez stacks up in the lightweight division below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/13/mma-top-10-lightweights-gilbert-melendez-makes-his-case/

Tim Sylvia Frank Mir Andrei Arlovski Tim Sylvia

Manager: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira expecting late summer/early fall return to UFC

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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It's been 14 months since Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been inside the UFC's Octagon, where he was last seen getting demolished by now Heavyweight Champion Cain Velaquez at UFC 110 in Australia.

That knockout loss, coupled with one 14 months prior to that fight to Frank Mir at UFC 92, as well as a series of injuries that have forced him to undergo both hip and knee surgery, have led to Nogueira being fairly written off in the division. Despite the fact that he's only 34 years old, the many battles he's been through in his career have him seemingly aging much further as far as his fighting career is concerned.

However, his manager Ed Soares, in comments made to MMAWeekly.com this week, warns against writing "Minotauro" off, and expects to see the one-time Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion surprise everyone upon a return being targeted for late summer or early fall.

"His recovery, his therapy is getting really good," Soares said. "His physical therapy, he's doing really, really well. He's walking better than he's walked since I've known him. They fixed a lot of his injuries, and he's recovering very, very well."

"He's hungry. He wants to get back in there. A lot of people in the world, and a lot of people in the MMA world, think 'oh Nogueira has had it, his best days are behind him,' but I think people are going to be surprised when they see how well and how prepared when Rodrigo comes back."

Though there remains a slight possibility of Nogueira's return coming in his home country of Brazil at UFC 134 in late August, Soares hints that it could be a little bit later than that.

"The number one thing on his mind is getting back in that Octagon and showing the world who Rodrigo Nogueira is," Soares said. "We're hoping by the end of summer, early fall [for his return]."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: Can Nogueira make a return to prominence in the division? It's hard to really make any real determinations on where he's at in his career. With two knockout losses in his last three fights, major knee and hip surgeries and an accumulation of damage perhaps unrivaled by any of his peers, it would be easy to say he's at the end of the line, with maybe just a few fights remaining before serious calls of retirement. At the same time, he's only 34 years old, and if the surgeries helped to get him back to as close to 100% as he's been in years, maybe, just maybe, he's got some of his old magic left in him and can find a way to make a run. He's already established his name and his legend in this sport, and it would be great to see him return to greatness, but it's certainly not the most likely thing we'll see.

[Antonio Nogueira art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9137.shtml

Frank Shamrock Tito Ortiz Randy Couture Vitor Belfort

Bellator 42 Results

Bellator 42 took place Saturday night inside the Lucky Star Casino in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Richard Hale took a controversial split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) win over D.J. Linderman in the card’s featured attraction. Hale now advances to the finals of Bellator’s Light Heavyweight Tournament. Speaking of their 205-pound tourney, Christian M’Pumbu secured his spot [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/74120/bellator-42-results/

Bob Sapp Rumina Sato Kerry Schall Nino Schembri

GSP’s training is just messing with us now

Georges St. Pierre has flirted with the idea of trying for the Olympics, but in wrestling, a sport that's a natural departure from mixed martial arts. Now, as he trains for his UFC 129 bout against Jake Shields, methinks he might want to be a gymnast:

My goodness. That man is a sick, sick athlete. Doing pull-ups like that is hard enough on stationary objects, but the unfixed nature of the rings ups the difficulty level.

Look out, Jonathan Horton. GSP is coming after you.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/GSP-s-training-is-just-messing-with-us-now?urn=mma-wp1303

Chris Lytle Lyoto Machida Marzagui Ayoub Paul McVeigh

Joe Rogan: 'I Like Nick Diaz as Nick Diaz'

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Dana White told MMA Fighting earlier this month that Nick Diaz "could be a big star if he would just calm down a little bit and not be so angry with everybody."

But UFC color analyst Joe Rogan said on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour that he likes Nick Diaz just the way he is.

"I like Nick Diaz as Nick Diaz. I don't think he has to do anything different," Rogan said.

"I think what Nick Diaz needs is big fights. I think what Nick Diaz needs is promotion and big fights. Obviously, I'm biased when it comes to this whole Strikeforce-UFC thing, both under the same umbrella, but what I hope it leads to is super-fights. I want to see Nick Diaz against the very best in the UFC. I would love to see Nick Diaz vs. Josh Koscheck. I would love to see Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/21/joe-rogan-i-like-nick-diaz-as-nick-diaz/

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

VIDEO: Patricio "Pitbull" Freire knocks out Wilson Reis at Bellator 41

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Bellator Fighting Championships has released a highlight video for season four featherweight tournament finalist Patricio "Pitbull" Freire's knockout of Wilson Reis at Bellator 41. Check it out below:

App Users Click Here For Video: http://youtu.be/qK-etrNHDPo

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_9090.shtml

Michihiro Omigawa Tito Ortiz Alexander Otsuka Alistair Overeem