UFC NEWS: Brock Lesnar will not wrestle The Undertaker in WWE in 2011, despite reported offer

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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After Brock Lesnar was defeated by Cain Velasquez on Saturday night at UFC 121 in Anaheim, rumors and reports began making the rounds that Lesnar had been offered a Wrestlemania match with The Undertaker in 2011. The reports were lent some credence by a bizarre exchange between the two after the fight, caught on camera during a video interview that The Undertaker, real name Mark Calaway, was involved in with MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani.

As Lesnar walked past them following his defeat, Taker motioned toward him and said "you wanna do it?" The two then exchanged words and Taker stated to Helwani that there was a personal issue between him and Lesnar. After that, it was reported by Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com that Lesnar had been offered the Wrestlemania bout.

But even if Lesnar seriously entertained the idea of taking that match, which there is no evidence to suggest that he had, he cannot and will not be allowed to participate in it by the UFC.

In a report at TMZ.com, UFC President Dana White made it clear that it would not happen.

"Brock Lesnar is still under contract with the UFC," White told TMZ. "He is not going to wrestle in the WWE. He cannot wrestle, box, or fight anywhere else."

Link to TMZ.com report

Penick's Analysis: Even if the WWE legitimately did make this offer, I don't think there's a chance that Lesnar would have taken them up on it even if he had the right to. He's simply done with that part of his life, and he's said so in the past. He's tried to distance himself from that world, and a lot of the hatred that he's received from MMA fans has been because of his past in the WWE. It just made no sense for him to do it, and there were plenty of reasons for him not to, so I don't think it was ever more than something being stirred up to try to piggyback off what was going on Saturday. It was completely coincidental that their brief confrontation was caught on camera, and Taker simply picked a terrible time to say anything to Lesnar, let alone try to run some type of angle. But I'm glad to hear White completely shut it down, because there's no point for the speculation to be allowed to linger on if there's not a chance of it happening anyway.

[Brock Lesnar art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7303.shtml

Frankie Edgar Ken Shamrock Dan Severn Tank Abbott

MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE: The Audio Choke with Collins, Rowland and Shelby 10/27 (98 min.) - UFC 121 review, Bellator and Strikeforce conversation and more

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On this episode of The Audio Choke, Greg, Toben and Matt break down UFC 121, commend Cain Velasquez on his win, talk about the UFC's marketing of Velasquez and touch on last week's other MMA events (Bellator and Strikeforce). Also, pleas are made for Brock Lesnar to keep his beard even though he lost and there's even discussion of Undertaker-gate.

DIRECT LINK: The Audio Choke 10/27/2010

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/MMATorch_Podcast_45/article_7324.shtml

Keith Jardine Antoine Jaoude Steve Jennum Ryan Jensen

Scott Coker is Predictably Unimpressed with Bellator's Bullsh*t


("My biggest regret? Not springing for caller ID. Next question ..." PicProps: GalsGuidetoMMA)

Over the weekend, we brought you news that Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney was pursuing the very questionable strategy of trying to publicly shame Strikeforce into a promotional partnership with his lesser-known MMA company. After Rebney went to the media with his claims that Strikeforce jefe Scott Coker was ignoring his text messages about a potential cross-brand superfight between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez (and Coker denied it, also to the press … so, you see where this is headed …) Bellator published some gloomy, Loch Ness Monster-style photographs of four messages Rebney allegedly sent somebody he had saved in his phone as “Scot Coker Mobile.” Yeah, it was all pretty hilarious in a slapstick, will-you-lookit-what-these-idiots-are-up-to-now kind of a way and the lolz just increased exponentially when later that same day Strikeforce confirmed that Rebney had been sending his texts to Coker’s old number.

Once we were all done shouting, “Smooth fuckin’ move, Bjorn!” in unison, we began to wonder aloud: How exactly would the boss of America’s second largest MMA promotion look upon the revelation that his potential new business partners would so readily try to out him as liar to the public … and even fumble around and fuck that up? As it turns out, not favorably. Coker told Bloody Elbow this week in his ever understated way that he has “concerns” about how Bellator handled this. If we had to guess about specifics, we’d wager the major concern is that Bjorn Rebney made himself look like a backbiting no-account who texts like my mom when she’s trying guilt trip me into calling her back about Sunday dinner. But maybe it’s best if we let Coker tell it in his own words.

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/scott-coker-predictably-unimpressed-bellator%E2%80%99s-bullsht

Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher

MMA QUOTABLES: Pedro Rizzo thinks he's one win away from a UFC return

By Rich Hansen, MMA Torch Columnist

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?Dana White mentioned that the winner (of a proposed fight between Rizzo and Tim Sylvia) should get another chance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

?Another good reason for me to do a good job of preparing, if just because Tim is two meters tall and has great reach, and that means I have to change my way of fighting. I can?t stand still, I?ll have to move around the whole time.

?As the date hasn?t been set, it?s just a verbal agreement, so I?m getting back to light training. But I want to have a good performance. Who knows? Maybe I?ll manage a return to the UFC. I feel really comfortable fighting in that Octagon. I feel leaving there was the biggest mistake of my career, my great regret.

?I left on my own volition (end of 2003), but at that time I felt stagnant and the big heavyweight challenges were in Japan. I always went after the toughest matches, so I had to face the guys in Pride. What to do? It didn?t work out. But today, with Cain Velasquez as champion, the UFC is really well represented. I feel Cain could even take out Fedor Emelianenko,? he said in assessment."

- Pedro Rizzo talks to Graciemag International about Tim Sylvia, past career choices, and Cain Velasquez


Rich Hansen says: It's gratifying to see that the UFC has Rizzo on their radar. Rizzo is an instrumental piece of UFC lore, and should absolutely be respected for that. But, and there's always a but, if a return to the UFC is contingent upon him taking out Tim Sylvia, then he's further away from rejoining the UFC than just one victory.

Rizzo's last two victories are over Ken Shamrock and Gary Goodridge, so let's dismiss those fights, as neither fight should be considered an accurate barometer of his UFC potential. So those fights aside, his last four meaningful fights were against Jeff Monson (win), Gilbert Yvel (KO loss), Josh Barnett (KO loss), and Jeff Monson (win). I think that ledger is very representative of his current skillset.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_7387.shtml

Bobby Ologun Andy Ologun Alan Omer Michihiro Omigawa

Swick will meet David Mitchell at "UFC Fight for the Troops 2" in January

It was reported yesterday that Mike Swick, a former ufc middleweight and welterweight contender, would return to action this January for “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ against a to be announced opponent. Well, now that opponent has a name. In his sophomore effort with the promotion, David Mitchell will look to score his first [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/11/02/swick-will-meet-david-mitchell-at-ufc-fight-for-the-troops-2-in-january

Vitor Belfort Randy Couture Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson

QUOTABLES: Andrew Jenks explains why Anthony Pettis was chosen for "World of Jenks" episode

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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"I don't think I've ever said this before. But [in Anthony Pettis' tape sent over by the UFC and WEC] he went to his dad's grave site, and I was watching the tape and wasn't even really listening to him and he goes to the site and it's full of snow, packed, all snow, the whole area, and you can't see anything. And he walks right up to his dad's grave site and rubs off the snow and it was right where the stone was and I was like, 'Holy cow, this kid must be sincere cause he must go there everyday cause he knew exactly where it was.' So that was point where I said 'I don't care' -- like everyone was saying 'he just lost, he may not be the next big thing,' and I was like, 'I don't care, he seems like a real good guy to follow."

-Filmmaker Andrew Jenks talks to Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com about how Anthony Pettis was chosen to be the subject of an episode of his "World of Jenks" show on MTV. The show highlighted a week in Pettis' life as he prepared for his WEC 47 bout with Danny Castillo.

Penick's Analysis: The half hour "World of Jenks" show I think did more to showcase the personality and more to make fans care about a fighter as a person than any of the countdown or Primetime shows I've seen. It was such a well done half hour program, and a really cool look into a very genuine kid in Pettis. With Pettis now set for a chance to capture the WEC Lightweight Championship, and receive a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship, this show will have done a lot to bring his story to the forefront and make him a very sellable challenger when he enters the UFC in 2011.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/WEC/article_7404.shtml

Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry

Bellator hits home stretch Thursday night with marquee fights in Philly

Though the City of Brotherly Love may be focused on how the Phillies are faring in the playoffs, Philadelphia's fight fans have a treat with Bellator in town. In the second-to-last card of the season, Bellator will award a championship belt, and host the bout it likely expected when it signed Roger Huerta.

With lightweight tournament champ Pat Curran injured, Philadelphia's own Eddie Alvarez will face Huerta in a non-title bout. This will be the third bout for Alvarez since winning the Bellator lightweight belt, but he has yet to defend the belt.

Though a belt isn't on the line, Huerta called this fight "the biggest fight of his career." 

"He's kind of [going to] bring me back from the dead, almost," Huerta said in a Bellator press call. "He's going to bring the best out in me."

That's exactly what Huerta needs, considering that he's lost three of his last four bouts. 

Lyman Good will put his welterweight title on the line when he meets up with Season 2 welterweight tournament champion Ben Askren. Though Askren was an Olympian in 2008 and a two-time national champion wrestler at the University of Missouri, Good said that he's ready for Askren's wrestling, having worked with with Kurt Pellegrino on takedown defense. He also stepped up the focus on his cardio.

"I've been working purely on my conditioning as well, using a lot of the time I've had since I last fought, not so much that I had a specific weakness that I was worried about, but you've got to ask yourself, in contrast to your opponent, what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses?" Good said. "It's clear what Askren's are, so I've been working on my takedown defense and wrestling, but especially my cardio, which pays dividends when it comes to a fight, especially a five-rounder."

Bellator will air on FOX Sports. Check your local listings to see when it will air in your area.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Bellator-hits-home-stretch-Thursday-night-with-m?urn=mma-278860

Mike Pyle Nathan Quarry Jordan Radev Hector Ramirez