Frank Mir does not want to see Brock Lesnar leave the cage.
The former heavyweight champion said he hopes the ailing champion gets well soon.
Why? He's obsessed with a rematch.
"That's pretty much been my driving focus to go to the gym every day, to change myself and grow as a fighter," Mir said at a Q and A session for the WEC on Tuesday.
Lesnar was hospitalized last week and diagnosed with a bacterial infection of his intestines -- a local news affiliate in Minnesota called it a severe case of diverticulitis, a digestive disease in the large intestine -- prompting the indefinite delay of a title bout with Shane Carwin.
UFC president Dana White on Monday told TMZ that Lesnar might never fight again but appeared to back off those comments in subsequent interviews, saying the champion's fate depended on the severity of the condition.
If Lesnar was out for good, Mir said it didn't matter that his prospects in the division improved.
"To know that there's a possibility that (a rematch) might never happen, that's been taking me a couple of days to try and wrap my mind around," he said.
VERSUS, the exclusive cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), will air WEC's Greatest Knockouts II on Wednesday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET. The hour-long presentation will feature fight highlights from some of the biggest knockouts in WEC history.
The show will feature fight highlights from August 2008 to the August 2009 match in which Brian Bowles defeated Miguel Torres, one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in MMA, to earn the bantamweight title. Also included are the knock-out fights from Mike Brown's featherweight title win over Urijah “The California Kid” Faber in November 2008 and Jose Aldo's amazing eight-second knock-out of veteran Cub Swanson in June 2009.
The show will re-air on Saturday, October 10, at 12 a.m. ET, immediately following the network's live WEC fight featuring Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone against Ben Henderson in a bout that will crown the interim WEC lightweight champion. The live fight will air at 10 p.m. ET and will originate from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres threw out the first pitch at Thursday's Chicago White Sox game. Torres, honored by the team for his MMA accomplishments, set the tone for White Sox star Mark Buehrle to throw a perfect game against Tampa Bay.
"I left a cup of lion's blood and some cobra venom for him (Buehrle) at the mound to throw a no-hitter," Torres said with a laugh. "That's how I roll. It was an awesome experience."
Congrats to Torres and Buehrle on this amazing accomplishment.
(Photo Credit: Matt Erickson, The Times of Northwest Indiana)
The road to being a well trained and successful mixed martial artist can be very long and arduous, but thanks to two WEC superstars, the path just got a little shorter, and probably a lot less expensive as well. Top WEC lightweight contender, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, and featherweight, Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia, have opened up their home in New Mexico to young, up and coming fighters to stay with them and train with the legendary Jackson's team in Albuquerque.
The offer was extended by both Cerrone and Garcia, who just recently invested in a new house in New Mexico, to help young fighters work and train with a top team, for a minimal cost considering the world-class team they'll be working with.
"We did this to be able to offer our house as a fighters house to pros and amateurs looking to take their fight games to the next level," Cerrone said via his Facebook page on Monday. "We already worked out a deal with Greg to have you live with us at our house, and also train at Jackson's. We will only be offering this to a few people each month. The total cost for the month, which includes a month of training at Jacksons, and a month of living at our house is $ 500.00."
Many top fighters have already flocked to Jackson's school to work under his expert tutelage, and now many young pros and amateurs will have the same system to excel under as champions such as Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans have been doing over the last few years.
"We designed this with the idea of having up and coming fighters live and train with us to get a feel for what it takes to train and compete at one of the top camps in the world," Cerrone commented.
This unprecedented offer comes on the heels of the news that Cerrone will be training for a WEC title fight on Sept 2 against Ben Henderson, while Leonard Garcia prepares for an August match-up against Jameel Massouh.
For more information on taking part in this new opportunity please contact Donald Cerrone's manager, Bryan Hamper, at: bryanhamper@gmail.com
Leonard Garcia was a guest on Inside MMA and talked about the elite fighters in the WEC's featherweight division. The top 8 guys have a combined record of 125-15.
As he prepares for his latest title defense, WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres -- the No. 1 ranked fighter in the class in the world -- is featured in this highlight video from the WEC. He squares off with No. 2 ranked Brian Bowles in an epic clash at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on August 9.
Is Brian Bowles the one that can finally knock Miguel Torres off his pedestal, or will he be the latest name added to the Torres hit list?
THIRD SEASON OF WEC WREKCAGE PREMIERE CHANGED TO WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, AT 10 P.M. ET
VERSUS, the cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), will debut a third season of WEC WrekCAGE on Wednesday, June 24, at 10 p.m. ET. This is a change from the previously announced June 17 premiere date.
This season will include 10 one-hour episodes featuring some of the best fighters in the WEC organization such as Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, Rob McCullough, Cub Swanson, Donald Cerrone and Jose Aldo, among others.
All WrekCAGE episodes are produced and shown in HD where available.
The hard-hitting first episode includes four of the fighters who headlined VERSUS' live Brown vs. Faber II fight card, including the first meeting between Urijah Faber and Mike Brown in which former champion Faber lost his featherweight title to Brown. In addition to the Brown/Faber fight, the episode will also feature Jose Aldo's never-before-seen-on-television win over Jonathan Brookins by technical knockout and Cub Swanson's three round battle with Hiroyuki Takaya.
For more information about WEC WrekCAGE, episode descriptions and complete schedule information, visit www.VERSUS.com.
It appears that WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner has suffered another setback in recovering from injuries stemming from his Jan. 25 bout against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.
Apparently, his right index finger healed at a bad angle - 30 degrees - so he will go back in for a second surgery on his right hand, according to a report by MMAMadness.com.
The second surgery is scheduled for April 20. Varner will have a piece of bone removed and a steel plate and screws will be inserted in an attempt to correct the problem.
The procedure is expected to add at least another month to his return to the ring.
After a recent appearance by WEC champion Miguel Torres on MMAWeekly Radio, Jeff Curran responds via his personal blog to the comments made by the champion on their ongoing feud and his fight against Joseph Benavidez in the WEC.
World Extreme Cagefighting on Friday night makes its network premier on Fox Sports Espanol at 11:59 p.m.
WEC Alboroto features an hour of hard-hitting action from some of the most memorable match-ups ever seen in the WEC. The the premier Spanish-language episode is headlined by the welterweight title fight between Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit and John "The Natural" Alessio.
Don't miss your chance to re-live the greatest moments in WEC history.
In just :18 seconds, Marcus Galvao's night at the WEC event in Corpus Christi, TX ended, but it was much scarier following the fight as the Brazilian was visibly shaken after the knockout and taken out of the cage on a stretcher.
It appeared in the cage that Galvao's body was seizing from the effects of the knockout, but following the event MMA Insider was able to ascertain that the fighter was okay and released from the hospital.
Galvao was taken to a local medical facility where he was given a CAT scan as a precaution following the KO, but all results came back negative and he was released before the post fight press conference had even ended.
After a frightful time in the cage, it's good news that Galvao was able to leave on his own and suffer no serious damage from the knockout.
As the WEC event in Corpus Christi, TX fast approaches, Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski is focused and ready to face tough lightweight competitor, Richard Crunkilton.
The bout is pivotal in the WEC's growing lightweight division as either fighter could be seen as future contender in the division, but while champion Jamie Varner has said he would be honored to fight the former IFL stand-out it's Palaszewski who is only looking at the fight directly in front of him.
"I'm not looking past Crunkilton right now but I am looking to get in and finish this fight" Bart said on the Suckerpunch Entertainment site. "Of course I’m looking for the KO but if it goes to the ground I may have to show my Team Curran BJJ."
"I want to win this for my teammates and my family who have always supported me, I want to thank my sponsors as well, they have really stepped up for me in this fight and I don’t want to let them down."
With a win, Bart may be in line for the title shot, although many believe that a rematch between Varner and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone could happen as soon as the champion is cleared to fight again after suffering multiple injuries in their last bout in January.
As for Bartimus, he's ready to get "Crunk" and then he'll worry about his title shot.
Bart Palaszewski will be a special guest tonight on MMAWeekly Radio to talk about the upcoming fight and the future of the WEC's lightweight division. Also UFC newcomer, Ryan "The Lion" Madigan will stop by the show to talk about his fight against Tamdan McCrory at UFC 96.
Although there is never a certainty in the business of mixed martial arts, for now former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, won't be booking a flight for Chicago for a rumored bout against Brazilian stand-out, Wagnney Fabiano, as confirmed to the MMA Insider's Blog on Monday.
The rumor began to circle after Fabiano stated in an interview with Tatame.com that he thinks "it will be Faber" as an opponent at the April show set for Chicago, Ill.
Sources close to the "California Kid" indicated on Monday that there was no truth to the proposed bout, and all indications are that Faber is waiting for the winner of Mike Brown and Leonard Garcia, who are set to do battle on March 1 for the 145lb title.
Originally, Faber was a candidate to get an immediate rematch with Mike Brown after losing to the American Top Team fighter in Nov 2007, but when Brown suffered a rib injury and had to sit out for a time, the Sacramento native didn't want to wait that long for a fight and opted for a January showdown with Jens Pulver instead.
Faber went onto defeat Pulver and now all signs point to the former champion getting another shot at the gold in early summer barring any injuries to either competitor in the championship bout.
The lightweight division is widely regarded as one of, if not the deepest weight class in the world, and every promotion is working to add more top names to their respective rosters.
One big name that could become available following his next fight is former Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez, who has stated on numerous occasions that he has a single fight left on his current contract and will weigh his options at that time.
But could Melendez be on the WEC's speed dial for a future 155lb contender?
According to lightweight champion, Jamie Varner, he believes the promotion may be looking at Melendez as a viable addition to the roster at some point in the near future.
"There's a couple guys out there that I could rumble with a little bit that the WEC's talking about getting. One of the big names that they're talking about is Gilbert Melendez, who sat in the top ten, in the upper echelon of the top ten in my division for a long time and now he's nowhere to be found," Varner told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I think he's got one more fight with Strikeforce, and then after that, there's been talk of the WEC getting him."
Varner says he's ready for the top ten challenges that will get him the recognition he's been working for so long.
His first challenge is of course coming up against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, but after that Varner is open to whatever happens next.
"I may have to fight a Bart Palaszewski or a Richard Crunkilton, but then who knows, maybe I will get a shot at a top ten guy."
Tonight, the participants in the co-main event coming up for the WEC's first show in San Diego stop by MMAWeekly Radio.
Former WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, kicks off the show at the top of the hour to talk about the rematch with Jens Pulver, his hopes of getting back to a title shot, and his thoughts on the growth of the WEC.
Also his opponent, Jens Pulver, will stop by to give us the lowdown on his training camp in Seattle, the birth of his new son, and much, much more.
Tune in tonight starting at 9pm EST/6pm PST for MMAWeekly Radio with Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver live!
Steve Cantwell was the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion, having defeated fan favorite Brian Stann a few months ago. After defeating Stann, he got the call that we would face the Marine again in the WEC.
At first, Cantwell wasn't too thrilled about the fight, but understood that the fight would need to happen again since they each hold a win over the other.
"I thought it was fair under the circumstances because we're 1-1. I wasn't too happy about it because I thought it was too soon. I didn't think the fans would want to see it that soon," Cantwell told MMAWeekly recently.
After finally getting that coveted belt, the 22-year-old got the news that he was going to be facing Stann not in the WEC, but at the UFC Fight for the Troops card. Cantwell was happy to be fighting on the card, but the fact that he was fighting Stann was definitely not going to make him the most popular fighter on that card.
"Then when they switched venues, because I was supposed to fight Brian Stann in the WEC, they called me a week later and told me I was fighting Brian Stann on the UFC Fight for the Troops. That was kind of throwing me into his backyard. But whatever, that got me more pumped up for the fight."
Unfortunately for the fans, Stann was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury. However, Cantwell believes that they will still fight again soon.
"Another week went by and then he pulled out for the fight," he said. "It would have been a good fight. I'm sure we'll fight again."
"Jeff Curran, he's a good fighter. He's been fighting longer than me. He's been in this sport for a long time. Me and him have a lot of similar qualities in our fighting style. I think a fight with him is going to be inevitable," says current WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres.
"We were supposed to fight in my hometown a couple of times, and for whatever reason, it never worked out. I think one time I tore my ACL. Then he went up in weight. And we never got to match up again. Now he's come back to 135. I'd be glad to fight him someday."
Just not right now says Torres, who feels that Brian Bowles, with his recent win over Will Ribeiro, has earned it more than Curran.
"I think Brian Bowles went out in the 135s and has proven himself more than anybody. Jeff Curran called me out, talking some smack. He's just trying to get a fight without having to work for it. I see a lot of what Brian does... he wants his time; I think it's his time to get a shot."
To be sure though, Torres is not in any way writing off a future bout with Curran. In fact, it's one he feels has to happen, and he's got the local nailed down, as well.
"It's going to have to happen in Chicago... It's going to have to happen for sure. And I think Chicago would be the prefect venue. He has a huge following. He has a huge gym. I have a huge following in my hometown. It would sell out for sure, easily."
Although UFC president Dana White has recently made public comments that he would be willing to entertain the prospect of former EliteXC star Gina Carano competing in the Octagon, it's not the Ultimate Fighting Championship he's talking about.
White said that he's not ready to put women's fights in the UFC, but he would give Carano a run in the UFC's sister promotion, the WEC.
"I heard that," confirmed WEC vice president Peter Dropick on Monday.
There's still a hang-up in having Carano fight even in the WEC.
"First off, I don't know if anyone knows really what the contractual situation is with any fighter from those other organizations," he said, referring to ProElite-owned promotions like EliteXC. "I think until that is flushed out, we would... we really don't have anything at this point."
That's not to say that Dropick isn't interested. On the contrary, he's very interested in adding more talent - including Carano - to the WEC's roster of athletes. "We'd be open to having some of the better fighters and the most exciting fights. (Carano) is certainly a star and she certainly has drawing power. So, we'll see how that plays out."
For now, like many EliteXC fighters, Carano is in limbo, trying to figure out just what her contractual status is while ProElite keeps toying with the idea of whether it will continue on or not.
Just a reminder that the World Extreme Cagefighting event this Wednesday night in Las Vegas will start the live broadcast on Versus at 8pm EST/5pm PST.
This is the same time as the last show, but some cable systems did not catch up in time and the listing was incorrect.
The main event for the show will pit #1 bantamweight, Miguel Torres, defending his title against Manny Tapia.
The undercard televised fights will be a showcase of the lighter weight classes, as two top featherweights, Wagnney Fabiano and Akitoshi Tamura, square off as well as bantamweight fights as Brian Bowles faces Will Ribeiro and Joseph Benavidez against Danny Martinez.
Arizona Combat Sports' prospect Aaron Simpson is at a crossroads in his future with Zuffa, LLC.
Simpson's short-notice World Extreme Cagefighting debut was a smashing success. It took him just 18 seconds to lay out jiu-jitsu ace David Avellan at WEC 36 last month. Unfortunately, it was one of the final WEC shows to feature middleweights.
Simpson was one of the lucky ones to receive an inviation to the UFC following the change, but he may not be in a hurry to get there.
According to Simpson's manager, Jason Genet of LG Sports Marketing, he might be giving the WEC welterweight division a shot.
Genet said Simpson is currently undergoing a "mock cut" to 170 pounds and expects to know soon whether he can safely make the weight. If he can, you can expect to see him make his welterweight debut in the near future in the WEC. If not, he will make his way to the UFC Octagon.
The latest episode of Inside MMA (Episode #245) on HDNet features WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, rising heavyweight Dave Herman, and MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas, as well as the breakdown of UFC 91 Couture vs. Lesnar.
Following the biggest win of his career, American Top Team fighter Mike Brown walked away from the cage and as cameras followed him to the back, he was noticeably wincing in pain and holding his rib cage area.
At first it was thought that Brown somehow broke a rib during his first round knockout of former champion, Urijah Faber.
MMAInsider confirmed after further analysis that Brown actually suffered torn rib cartilage during the fight that caused him extreme pain after the match-up was over.
According to inside sources, Brown still has no idea when the injury occurred and it was only after the fight was over that he actually felt any pain in his rib cage area.
The new WEC featherweight champion had to receive medical attention and didn't even get to enjoy his post fight party!
No word on how long the injury will sideline the new top featherweight, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
In Hollywood, Fla., for Wednesday night's WEC 36, the promotion's lightweight champion, Jamie Varner, and bantamweight titleholder, Miguel Torres, met with fans for a brief question and answer session before the weigh-ins on Tuesday.
There were several issues discussed, including Varner divulging that he will be fighting the winner of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Razor" Rob McCullough - who fight at WEC 36 - in late January, possibly in San Diego, according to a report by MMAWeekly.com.
Varner was also asked about who his favorite fighter was and his answer directly relates to the fights at WEC 36. His favorite fighter, Jens Pulver, will be fighting Leonard Garcia at the Hard Rock Live.
Varner holds Pulver in pretty high regard and credits him for getting him into the sport of mixed martial arts. According to Varner:
"My favorite fighter is the guy that got me into this sport and that was Jens Pulver. He was a boxer and a wrestler and I grew up boxing... I would say that he was probably like my mentor coming into this sport. He was the guy I looked up to; he was my favorite fighter. I would say that he was probably my biggest influence in coming into this sport."
Just a heads up for everybody tuning into Versus on Wednesday night to check out the latest World Extreme Cagefighting show, that the broadcast will begin at 8pm EST/5pm PST.
This is an hour earlier than the normal showtime so just want to make sure everyone is aware of the time difference.
The main event pits WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, against American Top Team stand out, Mike Brown, for the 145lb title.
The co-main event will be a rematch between champion, Paulo Filho, and top contender, Chael Sonnen.
Full Card:
-Urijah Faber (#1 Featherweight in the World)* vs. Mike Brown (#6 Featherweight in the World)* -Paulo Filho (#3 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Chael Sonnen -Jens Pulver vs. Leonard Garcia -Rob McCullough vs. Donald Cerrone -Jake Rosholt vs. Nissen Osterneck -Yoshiro Maeda vs. Rani Yahya -Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Brookins -Carmelo Marrero vs. Steve Steinbeiss -Danny Castillo vs. Rafael Dias -Johnny Hendricks vs. Alex Serdyukov -David Avellan vs. Aaron Simpson
During a recent appearance on MMAWeekly Radio, former WEC lightweight champ, "Razor" Rob McCullough discussed his time moving from the WFA to the WEC, doing business with Jeremy Lappen and KO Bonuses.
Check out this clip from the radio show and for more MMAWeekly Radio check out the podcast on iTunes or the member's section on MMAWeekly.com!
World Extreme Cagefighting vice president Peter Dropick was recently asked if the WEC had any interest in signing fighters from the now defunct EliteXC promotion... specifically K.J. Noons, Nick Diaz, and Wilson Reis.
"I know our matchmakers are look at any fighters that are available. I don't know their contractual situations. There are a handful of guys that make sense, and there are some that just wouldn't make sense," Dropick replied.
Although he couldn't really commit to any specific fighters due to EliteXC and its fighters still being mired in a web of legal entanglements, the VP did sound like he was interested in bringing some of the top EliteXC talent to the WEC.
"I don't know specifically if we've talked to anyone or legally if we can talk to anyone at this point, but absolutely we're keeping an eye on that situation. We want the best guys in the world and those guys that are available we've got a lot to offer them."
One of the biggest questions surrounding EliteXC's collapse has been what will happen to the female fighters. Gina Carano has developed a certain amount of star power, and EliteXC had also attracted a number of other top female fighters like Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Sarah Kaufman, Tonya Evinger, Kelly Kobold, and others among them.
Unfortunately for the female EliteXC fighters and their fans, it doesn't appear that the UFC's sister promotion currently has any more interest in their services than does the UFC itself. Asked if there had been any discussion about bringing any of the female fighters into the WEC fold, Dropick simply replied, "No, there hasn't."
MMAInsider has learned that former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe is weighing offers from Japanese promotions Dream and Sengoku.
The wrestling standout won the title at WEC 26 in the revamped organization, but lost it on his second defense to Miguel Torres at WEC 32. In his last appearance, Beebe dropped a split decision to Will Ribeiro at WEC 34.
Beebe was due to face Jeff Curran at WEC 37 on Dec. 3, but Curran had to pull out due to a broken right hand, and Beebe's Japanese offers were already on the table.
"The Dream contract they offered me was pretty sweet," Beebe said.
Beebe wants to fight around December, but said the K-1 Dynamite! New Year's Eve card was not on the table. In that respect, Sengoku was a closer fit, with an event featuring a lightweight Grand Prix scheduled for Jan. 4.
Beebe says a decision will be made in the upcoming weeks.
It hasn't been done thus far, but World Extreme Cagefighting vice president Peter Dropick told the media on Tuesday that it is a possibility... that being a WEC fighter vs. a UFC fighter.
"You know, Dana (White, UFC president) has said from the beginning that anything's possible," said Dropick, before adding, "Currently, we don't have plans for it, but if there's the right match-up or the right scenario, I think everyone is open to it." It will happen in a way because the WEC, following its November and December events, will be closing up shop on its 185- and 205-pound divisions.
"From there (following December), (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva will take a look at who he is going to move over to the UFC and who they'll release."
One name that is consistently brought up to challenge the UFC's fighters is WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit. The promotion has had a difficult time finding new challengers for Condit and he's got to be tiring of rematches.
He proudly says that he is a WEC fighter and wants to continue to defend his crown as WEC champion, but there will have to come a day when he's exhausted enough of the competition that he'll be ported over to the UFC. Who knows, maybe he will be part of the first WEC/UFC unification bout.
Dropick certainly left it open. "It's the same family. (Dana) said that from day one, but currently we don't have any plans on paper to do that."
Jamie Varner. C.B. Dollaway. Ryan Bader. Aaron Simpson. Jesse Forbes. The list of top fighters at the popular Southwest camp Arizona Combat Sports is among the best in all of mixed martial arts - with a WEC champion and Ultimate Fighter alums - and the team may soon add another champion to their roster of fighters.
World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Carlos Condit has begun to make the trip to Arizona to work with the world class team, led by trainers Todd and Trevor Lally, to help pick up his training and sparring as he gets ready for his next title defense.
While the move is still just a part time trip for Condit as of right now, WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner is excited to have a fighter like that to work with everyday.
"It's turning into a super-gym especially with Condit," Varner said recently about Arizona Combat Sports. "Me and Condit we were rolling, he sees my intensity, I see his intensity, and we were both telling each other our sparring sessions are going to be nuts. Cause neither one of us are going to give up, we both just don't know when to quit, we go hard 100% the whole time. Somebody's going to have to get dragged out of there."
Both fighters are currently waiting for a fight to be scheduled, but Condit will surely benefit from the training that will be provided from the camp at Arizona Combat Sports.
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