As the 18th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" wraps up tonight, UFC women's bantamweight contender and "TUF 18? head coach Miesha Tate is already assured the show has served a great purpose.
Bellator and the UFC do not get along. I'm not speaking of the fighters themselves, or even the companies as a whole. I'm speaking of the talking heads of the two companies, UFC President Dana White and CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships, Bjorn Rebney. These two men have always been quick to trade passive-aggressive digs at each other (and just plain-old aggressive digs), posturing and arguing over who has the better product; the better champions; the better fights. And now a third party is throwing his hat in the proverbial cage: WSOF matchmaker, Ali Abdel-Aziz.
LAS VEGAS – According to a recent Quebec Journal report, Dana White not only changed his opinion on the winner of UFC 167's Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks headliner but also apologized to the UFC welterweight champ for an emotional post-fight outburst. However, the UFC president said none of that is true.
Former Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren may fight in the UFC one of these days, but UFC President Dana White just doesn't believe it'll happen soon.
The UFC is stacking the deck for their upcoming Singapore show with promotional newcomers.
Brazilian featherweight Hacran Dias has suffered an injury in training and has been forced to withdraw from a planned UFC Fight Night 34 bout with Tatsuya Kawajiri.
URCC hosts their 24th major MMA event in the Philippines on November 30, and it will be headlined by Eric Kelly vs. Jianbo Lu along with 2 title fights.
If Mauricio Rua could have one wish this holiday season, it might be for soccer kicks. Not delivered to him, mind you. But delivered from him. If he had his way, he and all the rest of his UFC cohorts would be able to use soccer kicks as an attack in the octagon. Foot stomps, too.
According to a report from Brazil-based MMA site MMA informativo, stepping in to fill Lim's void on the undercard is Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. Holding an 11-2 record, Dutra was part of TUF Brazil 2 and will officially be making his UFC debut as he steps up on about 5 weeks notice against a fellow newcomer in Kunimoto.
The UFC's first trip to Southeast Asia will feature a substitute headliner, as Hyun Gyu Lim is replacing an injured Jake Ellenberger.
A report out of Brazil states that UFC Fight Night 34 headliner Jake Ellenberger is hurt and might have to withdraw from his bout with Tarec Saffiedine. A further report from MMA Fighting confirms his removal from the card.
Heavyweight Shane Del Rosario has died after suffering sudden cardiac arrest at his home on Tuesday morning. Doctors at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, modulated Del Rosario's body temperature near 90 degrees Fahrenheit using an Arctic Sun Temperature Management System, in hopes of inducing a therapeutic hypothermia and restarting his body and brain functions. But it was confirmed on Thursday that he has died.
A lightweight scrap between a pair of fighters looking to start new winning streaks has been added to the UFC's return to Brazil.
A pair of European light heavyweights will square off when the UFC returns to London in March.
The 10-bout lineup for Saturday's TUF 18 Finale now is complete with the official addition of a pair of women's bantamweight fights. In the women's tournament final, Julianna Pena (4-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Jessica Rakoczy (1-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to determine the first women's "Ultimate Fighter" in UFC history. And semifinalist Raquel Pennington (3-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will meet Roxanne Modafferi (15-10 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Both fights will take place on the main card. The bouts became official following Wednesday's airing of the final regular-season episode of Season 18 of "The Ultimate Fighter" on FOX Sports 1.